Snow tires necessary for SW Montana?

[bigbassfish]

Are blizzacks really worth $1000 over a fairly new set of cooper discoverer road and trail? The coopers are 3PMSF rated and my truck has 4wd. Are dedicated snows really necessary? I have a set of chains and winter driving experience, but have never lived somewhere with winters like Montana. What’s the general consensus? Any concerns with durability on FS roads with snow tires?

Thanks in advance!

 

[joehew89]

You don't need dedicated snow tires on a 4 wheel drive truck imo. Most AT tires will do just fine. Falken wild peak at3w are the best in the snow ive had experience with. Ive had toyo at, toyo rt, cooper stt and the falkens. Maybe some others.

 

[JMundy84]

Ive driven in the snow in Idaho my entire life the only thing Ive ever had dedicated snow tires on was a 2wd pickup and a couple fwd cars. Never felt that I've needed them on a 4wd I've had great luck running ko2s

 

[2ski]

I never once was stuck in my explorer sport and I guarantee ive had it narlier places 90% of Tacoma users have had theirs. No snow tires. So no you don't need them if you know what youre doing.

 

[bigbassfish]

Yeah I figure snows will be a given on the fwd Corolla, sounds like I can atleast rough it this first year and bite the bullet down the road if need be. Thanks for the advice.

 

[rabbithuntr]

You’ll be fine with 3 peaks, that’s what my wife get for her suv my pickups have m+s tires

 

[jtevanMT]

Good set of Cooper are fine for the entire year in MT. Cary 2 or 4 chains if hunting on backcountry roads.

 

[bigbassfish]

Looks like maybe some chance for ice next Monday, going to try and fill my leftover bear tag from this spring, might just be the perfect opportunity to find out lol

 

[derrick454@]

I mistakenly bought Blizzarks on wife’s SUV because she drives across Oregons blue mountains a lot. Studless ones. My intentions were BFG All terrain but they didn’t have that particular size. Blizzarks are supposed to be only winter run tires which I didn’t realize. I won’t buy again because it’s a pain to swap back and forth and I’m not. Not supposed to run em over [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]] F [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]] F either. Oh well.
I’d get BFG or Falken for your area for sure .
Derrick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2ski]

Yeah I figure snows will be a given on the fwd Corolla, sounds like I can atleast rough it this first year and bite the bullet down the road if need be. Thanks for the advice.

I wouldn't put them on the corolla either. What town do you live in? As long as they plow the streets its rare anywhere gets enough snow to not be able for a car to handle it. And most fwd cars handle ice decently. My guess is if you drive someplace on the highway in the winter you'd be taking your truck. Braking on snow and ice is a much more valuable skill to develop.

 

[ORJoe]

Thousands of people get by without snow tires.
But if there is snow, snow tires will make your driving life less stressful.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I’d say skip the snow tires and move back to CA.

 

[TaperPin]

Most western drivers don’t use separate winter tires, but that’s somewhat a cost thing and somewhat regional custom - we don’t need them because we make do with what we have. However, the cost per mile with a second set of tires isn’t much more, it’s the upfront cost that keeps folks from getting them. I used to be one of the guys that made fun of skiers and their studded tires, until I started skiing, now I’m sold if you do any amount of winter driving. There’s nothing as safe on icy roads as studs.

Even running non studded winter tires year round doesn’t hurt anything - the tread is a softer rubber so it wears a little faster, but that’s about it. For our Murano with the weird tire size, we fell into a set of nearly new blizzaks used for the short ski season. 35k miles each on that set and the new set we replaced them with. It’s also a much tougher tire than your average all season - getting a tire plug through the belts can be tough.

The more you drive the more winter wrecks you’ll see first hand. I’ve lost track of the number of oncoming cars that have drifted into my lane as their tires broke traction on corners. Good tires help you get out of their way. Just traveling between Boise and Wyoming in one storm with wet snow followed by cold blowing conditions there were two fatality wrecks in different places along the drive. That one trip made the cost of that set of studded tires well worth it.

Two years ago a pickup a few cars in front of me lost traction on fresh ice at 50 mph on a straight road, hit one K barrier, shot across to the other k barrier hitting it at 90 degrees bending the entire frame and came to rest without a single straight piece of sheet metal. Totaled.

Your local conditions may not be as icy. By far the worst ice is freshly frozen, so staying off roads when the temps are about to freeze prevents a lot of rodeos. Packed snow isn’t bad to drive on. Old ice isn’t bad once tire chains have worn texture into it. Places with a good budget to spread sand isn’t bad. No wind helps. Weather that gets below freezing and stays there for a long time helps.

Not living next to a high school helps. lol

 

[TSnave]

We have a steep, icy driveway so the minivan always got a good set of studs in the winter, but my truck was fine with Hankook A/T's and four wheel drive. Now the wife drives a Wrangler with KO3's. Just be careful when it's slick; only do one thing (accelerate, decelerate, or turn) at a time and you'll probably be ok. Just realize that some days, it's not worth it. You might be a couple hours (or days) late to work, but it's better than being in the ditch or hospital.

 

[Poser]

You can get buy with good AT tires throughout the Mountain West, but a set of dedicated winter tires makes a noticeable difference in your enjoyment of winter driving and any stress levels associated with it. Your stopping power on snow and ice is going to be significantly improved with winter tires vs. AT tires.
I personally swap to winter tires, but I know plenty of people who do not and even a few of those who are exceedingly proud of the fact that they don't use winter tires.

Its kind of bizarre, but there is an archetype of a person out there in the world who is such an AT tire enthusiasts that they will shame you for switching to winter tires. Maybe the same people who brag about not airing down their tires for rough roads?

 

[TaperPin]

It’s also a lot easier to swap winter tires on and off with a second set of rims. I’ve never paid much for a set of stock alloy rims, but you might have to wait a year for a deal to come up. I’ve met a dude in some alley on a Friday night when he needed $100 real bad. $300 sets are much easier to find. Steel rims often seen with snow tires are only worth it if they are the right offset, but they look goofy so I’ve never been a fan. Keeping track of a second set of lug nuts is harder than it sounds, so always put them in the same location.

 

[Phaseolus]

My parents spent their last 30 years in Steamboat Springs, It was worth having Blizzaks there, especially for my Mother. They had second sets of wheels with them and I'd swap them every spring and late fall, it wasn't that hard to do.

 

[2ski]

By far the worst ice is freshly frozen, so staying off roads when the temps are about to freeze prevents a lot of rodeos.

I would say this is because most people don't drive as cautiously on freshly frozen ice. They're still driving like its wet or dry. The worst conditions to drive on are slush. Hands down. They grab your tires and youre digging that plus the slickness.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

My parents spent their last 30 years in Steamboat Springs, It was worth having Blizzaks there, especially for my Mother. They had second sets of wheels with them and I'd swap them every spring and late fall, it wasn't that hard to do.

Living around here is a completely different beast than anywhere else. Dedicated snows are essential.

4wd drive is not 4 wheel stop. 4wd and any 3 peak will get you going...it's the stopping and turning.

 

[The Guide]

In 35 years of driving all over Montana, paved and dirt, I've never wished I had tires with less traction. My preferred setup is 2 sets of rims. Stock rims with a set of high traction All Terrain tires and a set of steel rims with Mud Terrain tires on them that are sipped and studded. Use the AT's from mid May to middle to end of October then swap to the studded sipped MT tires for winter. I also run chains as needed for snow and ice as sometimes you need them due to wet or slushy dirt roads freezing and needing them to get back out of the hills or to get through snow drifts on the way back to the pavement.

Jay