4x4 in Snow and Mud

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MT Hillbilly

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View attachment 190262 Hakkapeliita LT3. Winter lasts half the year... or so it seems...

completely agree, I just put on my first ever set just like yours, Can't believe how well they do, even on icy streets, with out any weight in back!! However, I have to tell my self a new set is still less than fixing bent metal!
 

MT Hillbilly

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I put on Pathfinders All Terrain (Discount tire only brand?) because I had to buy tires to clear my lvl kit, and had spent too much money on it , and rims. They did great in mud and dirt, and pavement, terrible in snow, but even with rotating and checking my alignment, they have already started uneven tread wear, and are getting noisier. I won't be putting them on again.. BFG ATs good, and I have had good luck with general's grabber at. However, I have never owned a tire that just goes through slush, snow, and on ice like these (new) Hakkapeliita's! We don't have any mud right now.. frozen ;)IMG_20190405_122229006_HDR.jpg
 

Jim M

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completely agree, I just put on my first ever set just like yours, Can't believe how well they do, even on icy streets, with out any weight in back!! However, I have to tell my self a new set is still less than fixing bent metal!
I have to agree with what you tell yourself because I've just ordered a new 1500 to replace the bent metal. I'm interested in this thread because the Duelers completely gave out on me. My own fault, but they didn't provide a bit of help. I think the truck even sped up when it started to slide!
 

MT Hillbilly

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I have to agree with what you tell yourself because I've just ordered a new 1500 to replace the bent metal. I'm interested in this thread because the Duelers completely gave out on me. My own fault, but they didn't provide a bit of help. I think the truck even sped up when it started to slide!
Oh NO! Hopefully no one hurt, just metal?
I didn't say much about the hak's, because I don't like to just go with first impressions. Hopefully by next winter I will be able to form an informed opinion. Still no complaints this winter with them.
 
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Elkman

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For snow and sand a rounded profile lets the tire float on the surface and not dig down until the differential hits the ground. For mud a cleat that is self cleaning works the best but the tire will be very noisy on the pavement at freeway speeds.

On light jeeps I have found Wranglers worked quite well but on my 2500 pickup the Nitto Terra Grapplers provide a great combination of traction and load capcity.

The Michelin LTX are highly rated tires but my neighbor got a set with his new GM 2500 pickup and he owns a dairy that is at the end of a long gravel road off the main highway. Whenevery he would hit the pavement the rocks would start to fly off the tires and ping against the truck. When they wore out he replaced them with a different brand of tire. With my SUV with its Continental AT tires and my own 2500 truck with its Nitto tire on the same gravel road there have been no problems with getting the gravel stones in the tread and having them flung out once on the paves highway.
 

MT Hillbilly

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For snow and sand a rounded profile lets the tire float on the surface and not dig down until the differential hits the ground. For mud a cleat that is self cleaning works the best but the tire will be very noisy on the pavement at freeway speeds.

On light jeeps I have found Wranglers worked quite well but on my 2500 pickup the Nitto Terra Grapplers provide a great combination of traction and load capcity.

The Michelin LTX are highly rated tires but my neighbor got a set with his new GM 2500 pickup and he owns a dairy that is at the end of a long gravel road off the main highway. Whenevery he would hit the pavement the rocks would start to fly off the tires and ping against the truck. When they wore out he replaced them with a different brand of tire. With my SUV with its Continental AT tires and my own 2500 truck with its Nitto tire on the same gravel road there have been no problems with getting the gravel stones in the tread and having them flung out once on the paves highway.
I was seriously considering either the Nitto ridge Grapplers, or the trail, grapplers. How are they wearing for you? better than BFG at's?
 

mikeru

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For snow and sand a rounded profile lets the tire float on the surface and not dig down until the differential hits the ground. For mud a cleat that is self cleaning works the best but the tire will be very noisy on the pavement at freeway speeds.

Depends on the type of snow. For dry powdery snow I agree. But for wet slushy snow, not so much. In these conditions, narrow tires are better. The quicker your tires dog down to pavement the better traction you have.
BTW...It's never good when your differential hits the ground. Not really sure what you're saying with that part of your post.
 

star_deceiver

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The lugs on your tires will never reach the pavement. You are trying to grip packed snow and ice, even with powder on top. This is what sipes and studs are for, the more the better. Your lugged tire will churn through powder and slush at low and moderate speed but will be next to useless on this road at anything more than a crawl. When the highways are like this you will be late for work, if you manage to keep your duratracs out of the ditch. Good luck summer tire club!
437B1CEC-53FE-4E7F-AE51-2DB231783866.jpeg
 

Fatbob Frank

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It snowed a week after I bought my Laramie last year.
A week later I bought a brand new set of Kanati Trail Hogs and sold the stockers to some sucker for $800. (he wanted a set of summer tires so I'm sure he's happy)
The Trail Hogs are beasts in the mud and snow!
As a 3rd shifter I need traction as I'm slogging to work in the middle of the night on unplowed rural Iowa roads.
Tonight was the 3rd night in a row I drove in a snow storm with about 3-4" of fresh snow and 0 worries...
One thing I learned a long time ago- the best 4WD in world is only as good as the tires it's running on. And they rarely come OEM!
 
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