Mud tires in snow (i know.. i know)

[Blmpkn]

I have 255 width MTs on the 2021, kenda klever MT's.

...and oh my lord they are the worst tires in the snow I've ever driven on.

OBVIOUSLY.... right? I just really didn't expect them to be THAT bad.

I drove around all last winter in my 2010 2wd that had mud tires on (Achilles desert hawk MT) and it was "fine"... obviously not optimal but the tires certainly weren't an issue/annoyance/safety hazard. I was astounded at their capability in the snow to be honest. If anything defies all logic and science its how good those tires were in the snow for being MTs.


These kendas on my '21 though... jeeeeesus mary they've got to go. Terrible. Awful. Definite safety hazard. Half an inch of snow on the road and I needed to use 4x4 to move along reasonably in a straight line.. and cornering on these things is "unsafe at any speed" lol.


I know this is a real Capt. Obvious topic but damn... the fact my old truck would run circles around this one in the snow just absolutely boggles my mind.

Moral of the story:

Light 2wd truck with mud tires = good in snow
Substantially heavier 4wd truck with mud tires = bad in snow whatever.

 

[Curious Hound]

I believe snow performance is enhanced by having lots of small tread blocks and lots of “sipes” (the little slits in the blocks). Therefore, big clunky mud tires with huge blocks are not optimal. With that said, I have always had decent performance with BFG A/T’s and M/T’s. Never felt unsafe or unstable in snow. But I don’t get a lot of snow driving down here in SC. They work for me. Your experience may vary.

 

[bilbo]

I used to have an XTerra that the dealer put new tires on when I purchased it. They used some Goodyear tires that were cool looking, I thought anyway. I don't remember what they were called but they were sort of like a light mud tire. Really chunky tread. Between the short wheelbase and the tires that thing was downright dangerous in the wintertime.

It also had skid plates underneath so it was like a big sled. It would run up on top of drifts and then couldn't move. I had to get a tow once because I was stuck on top of a snow drift in the middle of a highway. $275 to pull me 10 feet to bare pavement. Little old ladies were going around me in their LeSabres and I said enough of this and got rid of it.

I need to get my snows on the F250. It's 2wd and I got stuck in an unplowed lot, 4" of snow, because my summer tires were on and no weight in the back. Pretty embarassing to have someone in a CRV offer to pull me out haha!

 

[dvdswan]

I've never had an issue with my 35" KM2s or even the 32" MTs that I had before. Lockers, LSDs, and open diffs all perform differently as well.

 

[RustyShackleford94]

My mxts on half ton chevys did great.

 

[Blmpkn]

I believe snow performance is enhanced by having lots of small tread blocks and lots of “sipes” (the little slits in the blocks). Therefore, big clunky mud tires with huge blocks are not optimal. With that said, I have always had decent performance with BFG A/T’s and M/T’s. Never felt unsafe or unstable in snow. But I don’t get a lot of snow driving down here in SC. They work for me. Your experience may vary.

Yeah snow tire tread design is pretty much the opposite of mud tire tread design.



I'm just flabbergasted with how different my two mud-terrains-in-snow experiences have been. Both tires have a pretty similar pattern.. the gaps between lugs were honestly probably even bigger on the Achilles tires.. i don't get it.

 

[sgtsandman]

My guess is the tire compound being harder in cold temperatures on one brand than the other brand.

Tire age makes a difference too. I had a set of Cooper ATs that were great the first couple years and got down right scary by the time year 5 or 6 rolled around. There was still plenty of tread but I wasn’t driving on them anymore!

 

[don4331]

I don't get it either but the difference is there. I think compounds have something to do with it - some stay softer when it is a little colder.

I traded away a Chev S-10 Blazer, that was undrivable in the snow, only to find out that the issue was more likely the tires than the SUV. After the wife's Explorer Sport did an end swap merging into traffic from a clover leaf with the summer mud tires on it, we replaced them with Blizzaks and it is safe to drive again.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Mud tires are designed to dig and throw. Not ideal for snow. Plus the big spaced out lugs dont offer a very big "footprint"....think snowshoes vs a muck boot.

 

[bruker]

The best vehicle for driving in snow that we had was an AWD Buick Rendezvous. It was relatively heavy for it's size and it had narrow, all purpose radials on it.

 

[Blmpkn]

My guess is the tire compound being harder in cold temperatures on one brand than the other brand.

Tire age makes a difference too. I had a set of Cooper ATs that were great the first couple years and got down right scary by the time year 5 or 6 rolled around. There was still plenty of tread but I wasn’t driving on them anymore!

Your probably right on with the Compound idea. Those Achilles MTs did wear much quicker than these kendas are now that I think about it. Probably way softer.

 

[bobbywalter]

Remember. You would have to test both in same mud and both in same snow condition.....same vehicle.

I prefer dedicated snows for snow.

 

[bobbywalter]

Mud tires are designed to dig and throw. Not ideal for snow. Plus the big spaced out lugs dont offer a very big "footprint"....think snowshoes vs a muck boot.

If I run under 10 psi ...the iroks are tolerable in regards to slick pavement.

On snow covered dirt they are fine....on pavement....scary.

 

[racsan]

dedicated winter tires here on everything after november, and btw they are great off-highway, not had them in anything mud-put wise but its well worth the money to invest in a set if you see snow. Just dont cheap out like I did and put only 2 on a front drive car, 2 years ago the hhr swapped ends because I only had winter tires up front and the summer “touring “ tires on the back, I went off the road sideways into a ditch, ended up on its right side facing the opposite direction. No busted out windows but did bend the r.r. rim and the car is slightly bent as steering wheel now is slightly turned to the right when going straight. Doesnt chew up tires so its not a alignment issue. A true “beater with a heater” now. The blizzacks on the ranger need replaced, 10 years old, plenty of tread but not much grip, can easily spin on wet pavement. The escape got new winter tires last year, goes through anything. I drove through knee deep snow in the backyard to get to a boat trailer so I could pick up a rear blade for the allis. Walked right through it. (awd helps, but its summer tires wouldnt of let it get very far)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I ran muds on the back of my 2wd Ranger for a couple years. It did ok most of the time and oddly did quite well in deeper snow. Those were Remington tires and I don’t think they are available anymore.

My red 92 4x4 did alright with Kenda MTs in the winter.

My F-150 I’m on my second set of Mastercraft Courser CT and it’s a beast. My green Ranger has the CXT and it’s a beast too. Was going to put a set of those on the 92 when the Kenda tires wore out