Winter Driving and tires

[ME120]

I am on my second raptor. I love the truck, but the one thing I do not like about the truck is winter driving on snow and ice. I grew up on the east coast, so I am very used to driving on snow. But I am going to say that these bf Goodrich KO2'S suck in the snow ! You feel like your doing 180 mph at Atlanta motor speedway with a death grip on the wheel. I was going to buy a set of Nokia studded snow tires in January and I held off because where I live we get storms that turn to rain half way thru the storm, but now we are getting real snow storms.

I was wondering how other raptor owners feel about the stock tires on snow ?

 

[PBR ME]

Switch to Duratracs and put 200lbs of sand in the back.


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[jaz13]

I take my Raptor over snowy mountain passes all the time and have never been worried about the grip. The KO2s struggle on ice and in rain, but to me, they are great in both deep and packed snow. In fact, I usually feel so confident in those conditions that most of the time I turn the nannies off in order to get the truck loose so I can have more fun. But this is in Colorado and we don't get much ice because it is usually too cold to melt and refreeze. Almost everything here is packed snow and I have zero issues with the stock tires.

 

[Dane]

I grew up on the east coast, so I am very used to driving on snow.

This is one of the funniest threads I've read. You're so used to it that you are afraid of it? My wife says driving my Raptor isn't fair because it's like snow doesn't exist!! I'll see if she can give you some pointers.

Duratracs are amazing in the snow. The stock tires are decent, but not fabulous. I'd never buy studded tires for this truck.

 

[goblues38]

We have had 4 "snow events" this year. 5 inches, 12 inches, 2 inches, 1 inch + ice.

While nothing compares to the Audi's I have had (with proper tires) in regards to snow performance. I had zero issues with the K02's. Starting form zero was effortless. Driving up steep hills was easy. The truck tracked straight and true at speed on unplowed, and packed roads.

Just have to have common sense in regards to stopping 5,500 pounds. But I had complete confidence each time i went out in the snow.

 

[Finnster]

Wide tires aren’t made for snow....narrow tires work best in the snow. And wide tires are better in the mud.

The Raptor tires are pretty wide in general.

If you think about it, you want the tire to get down to the pavement which is easier to do with a narrow tire. On mud.....you don’t want to “dig down” .....that’s how you sink and get stuck.

Military vehicles have exposed this for years....Korean war vehicles had narrow tires because of all the snowy conditions.
Sandbox vehicles have wider tires for mud and sand.

 

[ME120]

This is one of the funniest threads I've read. You're so used to it that you are afraid of it? My wife says driving my Raptor isn't fair because it's like snow doesn't exist!! I'll see if she can give you some pointers.

Duratracs are amazing in the snow. The stock tires are decent, but not fabulous. I'd never buy studded tires for this truck.

This is one of the funniest responses I have read. I should let your wife drive my gt 350 on snow, or better yet my 73 corvette, I guess I might learn something.

What a joke.

 

[ME120]

Wide tires aren’t made for snow....narrow tires work best in the snow. And wide tires are better in the mud.

The Raptor tires are pretty wide in general.

If you think about it, you want the tire to get down to the pavement which is easier to do with a narrow tire. On mud.....you don’t want to “dig down” .....that’s how you sink and get stuck.

Military vehicles have exposed this for years....Korean war vehicles had narrow tires because of all the snowy conditions.
Sandbox vehicles have wider tires for mud and sand.

Finally someone who knows what they are talking about and has some common sense. Thank you.

I guess there is a reason why my friends LX 570 with Nokkia snow tires blows my raptor away in the snow.

 

[ME120]

Wide tires aren’t made for snow....narrow tires work best in the snow. And wide tires are better in the mud.

The Raptor tires are pretty wide in general.

If you think about it, you want the tire to get down to the pavement which is easier to do with a narrow tire. On mud.....you don’t want to “dig down” .....that’s how you sink and get stuck.

Military vehicles have exposed this for years....Korean war vehicles had narrow tires because of all the snowy conditions.
Sandbox vehicles have wider tires for mud and sand.

Thank you.

That is kind of what I thought. I also had a friend of mine tell me the exact same thing. Wide tires = sand and off road. Narrow tires = snow and ice. just looking for confirmation.

Thank you.

Like my friend who has the Lexus lx 570 said to me, " the raptor was built for the western United States, not the east coast". He is right.

 

[jaz13]

Depends on what you are doing, but to get the most out of studs, you want skinny tires that cut through the snow and hook up with the solid ice underneath.