Question on tires

[4x4prepper]

> Since it's not 4x4 it's pretty useless in the snow

When available, get the snow tread (I would recommend treadwright, but, they no longer do 15" tires - my former kwedge tires (walnuts and glass embedded in the rubber have been awesome).

I did upgrade to 16" just to get this on my B2 with the winter grip:

TreadWright Kedge Grip | Extra Traction

Kedge Grip is a fine combination of walnut shells and glass particles that are mixed into the entire tread compound during the manufacturing process. Mixing Kedge Grip with the rubber compound allows Kedge Grip to be available for the entire life of a TreadWright tire. Kedge Grip creates micro...

www.treadwright.com

I bought retreads in LT235/75r15 for my 1989 F-150 from these people:

Tire Size | LT235/75R15 Retread Competition MT 6PLY | Tire Recappers

Great in town and country mud and snow. Provides excellent traction in all weather conditions. 4 or more ships free!

www.tirerecappers.com

I would go with the 235s just because it is available at most stores and in stock.

When I lived in MA, I tried to run real studded snow tires for winter with rusty ratted out rims and my nice alloy ones for summer with AT type tires. Made a big difference to have real studded tires on my E-150, especially if aired down. Except when I went to Canada and they made me change the studded tires at the border when going to Toronto, luckily I had taken two spare tires with me. The kept their roads so nice in Canada, studs were not needed and I guess prohibited, at least back in the 1980s-1990s.

 

[Roert42]

Since it's not 4x4 it's pretty useless in the snow

This is a very silly statement. People have been driving 2 or 1 wheel drive cars and trucks in the snow for a very long time without issue. What do you think people did before 4wd and awd became so ubiquitous?

 

[James Morse]

Well all I know is I backed out of the driveway and that's as far as I got. Granted there's a significant incline both to the drive and the street and they meet at a weird angle. Granted I have what are probably summer tires "Custom 428 A/S" even though they say a/s.
Also when the 4x4's drive on the snow they pack it into ice. I couldn't move, and was stuck out into the middle of the street, it's a dead end street so not a super biggie, but my neighbor came up in his 4x4 and said "where did you think you were going?" and we had to put sand to get it back in the driveway.

I grew up in northern NH so I assure you I have extensive experience driving in snow conditions of all kinds, however, I always had Saabs which are pretty good in the snow. Snow that closes everything here, would be considered insignificant up north. They never closed school. People just took it in stride. They also knew how to plow roads up there so it didn't turn into an icy mess.

So you can say silly if you want, but if you were here at the time, I assure you that you would not have been able to move the thing unless you are good at levitation. As far as 'what people used to do' I don't know... I know I used Saabs. I do know that when we get those conditions, people w/out 4x4 are leaving their cars at the bottom of the hill because they can't make it up after the 4x4's have packed the snow into glare ice. Sure, if it were virgin snow, probably I could have moved ok in it. Maybe that's the confusion... driving in snow is one thing, driving on a hill on snow that thinly coats a layer of glare ice, not the same at all.

 

[Ranger850]

I think he was just saying that dedicated snow tires, on a 2wd truck, in the snow, are better then summer tires on snow.

 

[James Morse]

ok. I certainly agree with that. and up north we did have two complete sets of tires/rims and swapped them out spring/fall. here it just doesn't snow much, and when it does, it's a royal mess because apparently they have like 2 plows to do the whole city so side streets are ignored. I don't think it's worth having multiple sets of tires for something that happens maybe 2-3 times a year if that. 'next truck' will have 4x4... it was a 'like to have' on this last one, it doesn't, but aside from that the truck is great and I'll know next time that it's worth getting the 4x4 even if you only want it a few times a year. plus there are a heck of a lot of trail road / fire trails all over around here that would be fun to go up.

 

[Roert42]

It's all about the proper prep.

Good winter tires/chains and weight over the drive axle. A mustang is going to be better in the snow then a truck with no weight in the back since truck have like 80% of the weight on the non drive wheels. vs closer to 50/50 in a car.


Most people will load the bed up with weight for the winter. If you don't feel the need for dedicated winter tires, I've never used them, good to keep a pair of tire chains for the rear wheels stashed away.

 

[James Morse]

Yeah I think somewhere I read about 200 lbs in the back over the axle is about right?
Yes tire chains would do the trick, that might be nice to have on hand, I'm gonna check that out. Kind of a pain to put on/off but if it meant the diff between being able to go out or not, I think it'd be worth it.

 

[Roert42]

200lbs is what I would say is the minimum.
I have typically done 3/400lbs in my truck. 200lbs in a rwd car.

 

[Blmpkn]

Before I installed an lsd in my 2010 I used to just toss the summer set of wheels/tires in the back and call it good. A few hundred lbs in the back is pretty much as good as snow tires imo.

After I installed the locker I built it a steel flatbed that weighed 200ish lbs more than the stock bed, between the weight and LSD I drove all that following winter with my mud terrains still on.. did fine.

 

[Ranger850]

Before I installed an lsd in my 2010 I used to just toss the summer set of wheels/tires in the back and call it good. A few hundred lbs in the back is pretty much as good as snow tires imo.

After I installed the locker I built it a steel flatbed that weighed 200ish lbs more than the stock bed, between the weight and LSD I drove all that following winter with my mud terrains still on.. did fine.

All this LSD talk is giving me some trippy flashbacks

 

[Blmpkn]

All this LSD talk is giving me some trippy flashbacks
View attachment 79200

Awwww yeeeeeeeee!

No one ever realizes just how cool marble floors or counter tops are until you stare at one for 40 minutes while out of your gourd on little strips of paper lol.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Yeah I think somewhere I read about 200 lbs in the back over the axle is about right?
Yes tire chains would do the trick, that might be nice to have on hand, I'm gonna check that out. Kind of a pain to put on/off but if it meant the diff between being able to go out or not, I think it'd be worth it.

I used to throw the snow in the back from shoveling the driveway. It would turn into a block of ice from melting/refreezing. When it was time to unload, find an empty parking lot, open the tailgate, get up some speed in reverse and slam on the brakes. Temp weight unloaded.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Awwww yeeeeeeeee!

No one ever realizes just how cool marble floors or counter tops are until you stare at one for 40 minutes while out of your gourd on little strips of paper lol.

Or a little man emerges from a speaker to throw multi-colored paint your way while you're listening to Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush.

 

[Ranger850]

Or a little man emerges from a speaker to throw multi-colored paint your way while you're listening to Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush.

. . . or that time little ants were crawling out of my skin while Listening to Bizzy Bone

 

[Blmpkn]

My first time...

We went down to McDonald's the second they opened for some breakfast.

I ordered myself an egg Mcmuffin... I HATE eggs.

We sat down in the booth, I took one bite, realized the mistake I made, stared at the sandwich.. threw it in the trash and then went out and sat on the sidewalk by myself like a wierdo.


We had a designated driver, I'll add lol. We like to get a little out there every once in awhile but it's always responsibly