Looking for a winter tire or are the Pirelli Scorpion Verde sufficient

[Trailbuck]

Purchased my first Ram truck few months ago. Enjoying it more than my last truck (GMC). Decided on the 2023 Ram 1500 Limited etorque 5.7 hemi. My question is, the standard tires it came with are the Pirelli Scorpion Verde. Will these be ok for winter driving here in NY or do I need dedicated winter tires?? We travel north from Long Island during the winter months to a vacation cabin The truck is driven on pavement , no off roading but travel on backroads ice fishing , skiing etc. Read lots about winter tires but not sure if necessary.Any help is appreciated.

 

[barr0208]

im running cooper discovery AT34S 275/55r20 all weather tires with a 177t load rating very good for the winter and summer no tire changes at all. they are very quite on pavement excellent wet and dry traction very good in snow and ice.

 

[CrispyBacon]

I have the scorpion Verde tires and I just bought a separate set of rims/tires for winter.

 

[Trailbuck]

That’s what I’m thinking of doing. My scorpions are 285/45/r22. Any suggestions on size of these winter tires and rims I should be looking at? What tires are you running ?

 

[Randy Grant]

Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta LT3 - Premium winter tire for light trucks / Nokian Tires

The Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta LT3 winter tire offers exceptional winter grip and driving stability combined with strong structure and superb durability for demanding winter use.

www.nokiantires.com

Highly rated from what I have seen. Looking at them with studs for my winter driving

 

[CrispyBacon]

I got 18 inch steel rims with Cooper Snow Claw tires. I also have the 22 inch summer rims, definitely too pretty to risk sliding into a curb.

 

[TestPilot57]

I have used Blizzack DM-V2 on several vehicles and been very impressed with them.

I just ordered the Nokians mentioned above because they were the only true winter I could find that was close to the overall diameter I wanted. I have a 5" lift and 35s are the "right" size in my opinion. The Nokians come in a 275/65/20 which are supposed to be 34.1"

If I were looking for a stock height tire I would get 18s in the narrowest available size Blizzacks.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

On my 19' Classic I run LT295/65R20 Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires in the summer, and in the winter I run 265/70R17 winters on steel rims with Blizzak DM-V2's at 40psi front and rear.

Hands down these Blizzak's are fantastic in snow (deep or not), on ice, in slush/wet winter road conditions, etc., and IMO, the only better dedicated winter tire is one that is also studded.

In 4X4 mode there is virtually no spin in any winter conditions, just grip and launch with straight line pull, and not all squirrely, with or without traction control on.

These are quiet and extremely reliable. However, there is a sacrifice using these tires, they wear quicker than other dedicated winter tires.

They have their first 50%, call it, super glue compound. Their remaining 50% is glue (so, still good, but not super glue good.. ). They have 50% wear indicators so you know when you've worn the first 50% super glue layer out are on on to the remaining 50%.

For me it's worth the added wear because of the unparalleled control in any winter road condition I encounter in Ontario/Quebec, and I travel a lot.

I got three winters from my last set, and just put a fresh set on about a month into last winter.

My $0.02

 

[CrispyBacon]

On my 19' Classic I run LT295/65R20 Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires in the summer, and in the winter I run 265/70R17 winters on steel rims with Blizzak DM-V2's at 40psi front and rear.

Hands down these Blizzak's are fantastic in snow (deep or not), on ice, in slush/wet winter road conditions, etc., and IMO, the only better dedicated winter tire is one that is also studded.

In 4X4 mode there is virtually no spin in any winter conditions, just grip and launch with straight line pull, and not all squirrely, with or without traction control on.

These are quiet and extremely reliable. However, there is a sacrifice using these tires, they wear quicker than other dedicated winter tires.

They have their first 50%, call it, super glue compound. Their remaining 50% is glue (so, still good, but not super glue good.. ). They have 50% wear indicators so you know when you've worn the first 50% super glue layer out are on on to the remaining 50%.

For me it's worth the added wear because of the unparalleled control in any winter road condition I encounter in Ontario/Quebec, and I travel a lot.

I got three winters from my last set, and just put a fresh set on about a month into last winter.

My $0.02

Are you living where studs are allowed? Do they make a big difference? I'm down in Goderich, so no studs for me.

 

[Dean2]

Purchased my first Ram truck few months ago. Enjoying it more than my last truck (GMC). Decided on the 2023 Ram 1500 Limited etorque 5.7 hemi. My question is, the standard tires it came with are the Pirelli Scorpion Verde. Will these be ok for winter driving here in NY or do I need dedicated winter tires?? We travel north from Long Island during the winter months to a vacation cabin The truck is driven on pavement , no off roading but travel on backroads ice fishing , skiing etc. Read lots about winter tires but not sure if necessary.Any help is appreciated.

I ran them here in Edmonton for the first year on my wifes Grand Cherokee. 20" rims. They were great in the snow and ice. Very sure footed, great stopping, even at minus 40. Second year, they had about 12000 miles on them come winter and they SUCKED. Slip, slide everywhere, squirrelly as hell trying to stop. Put on a set of Michellin ice tires the same size on oem rims I bought used, run the Scorpions in summer. At 25,000 miles, still lots of tread and they work well as summer tires but this one never goes off pavement.

Dedicated winter tires make a huge difference. For years I ran Michellin xice on our on pavement cars and suvs year round. They wore faster but the extra traction of the soft compund made a big difference. We can get snow or ice in any given month, including July and Aug especially at elevation in the mountains and high hill areas. It was cheaper to replace the tires a little more often than to swap them over and store the extra set.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

Are you living where studs are allowed? Do they make a big difference? I'm down in Goderich, so no studs for me.

No, studs aren't allowed where I am.
When I was living in the Ottawa Valley, they were allowed.
I just stick with Blikkaz DM-V2's and have fun in the winter.

 

[crash68]

My scorpions are 285/45/r22. Any suggestions on size of these winter tires and rims I should be looking at?

If you go with either of the other factory tire sizes 275/55-20 or 275/65-18, your speedometer will be accurate as they are all the same diameter tire.
Edit add: Going with a skinnier tire is usually better in snow/mud, a 255/70R18 is also the same diameter
18" tires will probably be the cheaper route over 20"s and have more selection. You'll want either a dedicated winter/snow tire or an all terrain tire with a 3 Peak rating. Keep in mind with a dedicated winter tire the manufacturer usually recommends removing them when the ambient temperature starts to stay above 45°F due to the soft compound of rubber used.

 

[RamDiver]

Purchased my first Ram truck few months ago. Enjoying it more than my last truck (GMC). Decided on the 2023 Ram 1500 Limited etorque 5.7 hemi. My question is, the standard tires it came with are the Pirelli Scorpion Verde. Will these be ok for winter driving here in NY or do I need dedicated winter tires?? We travel north from Long Island during the winter months to a vacation cabin The truck is driven on pavement , no off roading but travel on backroads ice fishing , skiing etc. Read lots about winter tires but not sure if necessary.Any help is appreciated.

As per Dean's comment, the stock tires may be good for the first season, provided you don't anticipate a large amount of mileage.

Another option to consider, as opposed to a true winter tire, is a narrower AT tire. This might be a trade-off for certain features but a gain in other areas.

I live a bit North of you and likely have a wee bit more of the nasty winter weather but, not too much different than yours.

I use 245/75/17 BFG All Terrain KO2s for the winter months. They're great offroad or in deep snow on unplowed pavement. I sacrificed a bit of speedo accuracy that I plan to correct this winter with AlphaOBD. The OEM rim size for my 5-bolt hubs is 20" or 17".

The big advantage of using an AT tire for me, I can drive to North Florida, spend 2 weeks driving in warm weather and never worry about excessive tire wear, unlike a true snow tire.

After 2 weeks of warm weather driving, I can drive home into a blizzard and have no worries. This isn't just theoretical, I've done this several times already.

Another perk, I can change from/to my winter tires at my convenience whereas with true winter tires, I don't have that flexibility.

I've been lazy in recent years and bring my wheels in for changing when I get the warranty checks completed, which I conveniently schedule, in spring and fall.

Whatever winter tire you choose, if you're more interested in performance than looks, buy a tall and narrow tire. Ask any hardcore offroad enthusiast, wide tires are not the best in deep snow.

You can experiment with matching a narrower winter tire to your OEM size using this converter.

Tyre Size Calculator

A better easy to use tyre size calculator. Use our tyre size calculator to find tyre diameter, width, sidewall, circumference, and revolutions per mile.

tiresize.com

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[star_deceiver]

Studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 suv, 275/60-20 on separate rims. There’s 262 studs on each tire. It takes about 45 minutes to swap them over. These cost a hair over $2000 last year, in addition to the $500 marketplace rims. 3 rattle cans of blue and the chrome is gone.

There are no better tires for Alberta glare ice, foot dump, blowing bulls**t, 130km/h roads.

 

[BILL JAMISON]

I run Goodyear Adventurer AT's. I've had them on three different Rams over the years and they are great in the snow. Very good off-road too and quiet on the road. 60,000 mile warranty. They run about $310 a tire but worth it.

 

[cqmorrison]

Perelli tires on my 1500 spun on wet grass. Just put on Michelin Defenders. Has them on my last truck. Great wear and traction.

 

[Dean2]

Per my comment in the earlier post, we have a good amount of snow in the hills and some of the northern parts of Alberta. Started last week already, the stuff at higher elevations is likely to stay through winter.

 

[Jim113]

Like Barr0208 stated try an ALL WEATHER tire ... I ran them on two of my RAM's and never had a problem with the snow up here in Canada ... I used Cooper's but other manufacturers also make them ... Then you don't have to worry about semi-annual changeovers ... I put a set of all-weather BF Goodrich tires on my wife's car last winter and she noticed the difference right away ...

 

[CrispyBacon]

Like Barr0208 stated try an ALL WEATHER tire ... I ran them on two of my RAM's and never had a problem with the snow up here in Canada ... I used Cooper's but other manufacturers also make them ... Then you don't have to worry about semi-annual changeovers ... I put a set of all-weather BF Goodrich tires on my wife's car last winter and she noticed the difference right away ...

All this fuss about change overs.... Do you people not rotate your tires? Same fricken process lol.

 

[Dean2]

All this fuss about change overs.... Do you people not rotate your tires? Same fricken process lol.

Rotating tires is the same process, however, I own 6 vehicles. Storing 24 extra tires and rims is not a small consideration. Nor is the cost of purchasing those extra tires and rims. I only own 1 vehicle that has summer and dedicated winter tires, and that is the one my wife drives. The others, I can make do just fine on one set of tires for year round use.