Might need to get snow tires

[Redjeepht]

I’m in Colorado Springs. I have new, but cheap Walmart A/T “summit trail climbers”… they work fine for just driving around in normal weather, but I don’t think they grip snow that great. They are 31s.

I have some sandbags over the rear axle to help a bit. But I think it might be a good idea to find a cheap full set of wheels and get some actual winter tires. Any advice on where to get wheels cheap? And what size should I get if I get snow tires? 31 or a different size?
should I get some tire chains for emergencies? (any particular type).

 

[TheBoogieman]

Try the ones you have before wasting money on new tires. I've never had any problems running MT tires in snow up to 3'. That's the most we've ever had here. I love deep snow. We used to get lots of it in Vermont.
p.s. Cheap wheels on Facebook Marketplace all the time.

Summit Trail Climber

 

[Gilaguy23]

Yeppers, FB or craigslist. Ive found a few sets myself.

 

[jeepguy03]

Dedicated winter tires will always work better in snow, but you can get by with a decent set of A/T tires. The problem is many of the cheaper tires (like WalMart) have very hard tread compounds, which do not flex well in the cold weather. I know because my Grand Cherokee daily driver came with almost new no-name brand tires, and they sucked in the snow, I was sliding everywhere. I switched to some Firestone Destination A/T2s and it is a night and day difference.

 

[Redjeepht]

Yeppers, FB or craigslist. Ive found a few sets myself.

What do you think is a decent price on a set of bare bones wheels?

 

[wv_kid]

you drive down one steep hill on black ice with the best all terrain on the planet and then do it again on a set of studded snow tires, and you will never again consider running anything but studded snow tires in the winter.

 

[NDSpeed]

Blizzaks are the king of snow tires in Fairbanks, but with snow tires the compound is so soft you'll destroy them when it's warm.

And since this stupid states doesn't know what winter is. No way would I run dedicated winter tires in Denver. And C Springs can't be that much different.

A Good set of A/Ts are all you need. Unless your still getting into some of the Mountain passes.

We get way to many 60* days in winter to justify running two sets of wheels here.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

I'm a deep rooted Coloradoan. I'll let you in on a little secret. The TJ sucks in the 2-6" light snow we typically get here.

It's better on ATs than MTs in thin snow for sure, but it's the vehicle I trust on snow the least of anything else I've had. I've owned it since new in 04.

Assuming you wouldn't rather switch to a better snow performance AT like the BFG KO3 or maybe Duratrac RT, I'd recommend an all season light truck tire with M+S or an excellent snow rating over a dedicated snow tire, just because we have so many warm days between Oct and April and true dedicated snow tires get squirley on dry pavement above 60F.

I run a dedicated set of winters on my daily driver old 911 4S in winter for nearly a decade now because there aren't good snow capable all-season tires for that car. You can really feel everything through that car and on warm days in the shoulder seasons you can feel the tires squirm under load and it's really easy to lock up the brakes. Currently Nokian Hakapalita R5s and previously Pirelli's Sottozero Serie II. Yes, they're the best option in truly cold temps and on snow, but they go net negative in warmer weather. Trouble as you probably know by now is that it can be 80F one day and snow 2ft the next in April or May here. You can smell the chunks of rubber burning on the exhaust if you give it any gas on a warm spring day spring. The winter rears don't last long.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

you drive down one steep hill on black ice with the best all terrain on the planet and then do it again on a set of studded snow tires, and you will never again consider running anything but studded snow tires in the winter.

We don't get much black ice in CO, at least along the main front range corridor and the main mountain highways. It's either packed powder or melted off the next day. Unless you live in the foothills on an unmaintained road on a north facing slope.

Studded snow tires are actually a net negative here on dry pavement where they can skid on the studs. And usually the pavement is dry in winter 90% of the time because this crazy thing called the sun comes out in winter. I'm sure you PNW folk vaguely remember the sun from that one time it came out in July.

 

[ColoJeep]

Unless you live in the foothills on an unmaintained road.

Or on a plowed road , anywhere in the mountains , the road conditions are different one corner to the next . I've had both studs and studless , I would say studs are superior on any road that's on a grade . Studless usually work just fine on the level . In the metro area , a FWD car with winter tires would serve anyone well 95% of the time. DuraTrac RT's are what I'm using on the 4Runner and Taco , my 99 has DuraTrac LT's with studs and the 04 is parked .

 

[Redjeepht]

Or on a plowed road , anywhere in the mountains , the road conditions are different one corner to the next . I've had both studs and studless , I would say studs are superior on any road that's on a grade . Studless usually work just fine on the level . In the metro area , a FWD car with winter tires would serve anyone well 95% of the time. DuraTrac RT's are what I'm using on the 4Runner and Taco , my 99 has DuraTrac LT's with studs and the 04 is parked .

Should I stick with 31s or a different size. I think I have stock gearing. 2003 X

 

[GoldenGorilla]

Or on a plowed road , anywhere in the mountains , the road conditions are different one corner to the next .

I agree. I kinda view that in 2 bands. In the very high mountains near any of the ski areas it's pretty much snowpacked roads as soon as the snow starts to fall in earnest even if plowed unless you're on one of the main highways like US 24,50,285,160,40 or CO 9,82 that see enough traffic to stay clear. But in the intermediate elevations like Teller/western Jefferson/Gilpin/Montrose/Gunnison/Garfield/Delta counties I shortcutted to "foothills" and the roads are tricky all winter. I know as a local it's not entirely accurate.

You need to drive with care on our roads in the winter. Conditions change frequently regardless of where you are.

 

[jeepguy03]

Should I stick with 31s or a different size. I think I have stock gearing. 2003 X

Are you on stock suspension? Maybe 30x9.5R15's which is the stock size for a lot of TJs.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

Should I stick with 31s or a different size. I think I have stock gearing. 2003 X

The X got 3.73 gears. Are you looking to do a second set or change over to a better AT tire? The better AT tires have three peak winter rating and an all-season compound and if the 31s are giving you acceptable performance - stick with that size.

Even with Severe Snow Service "3-peak" rated tires, the performance varies WIDELY. The Falken AT4W are bad.

 

[ColoJeep]

Should I stick with 31s or a different size. I think I have stock gearing. 2003 X

Honestly , If I was buying a set of winter tires and wheels , the best bang for the buck is a P235-75R / 15 . in a DuraTrac RT. These are great tires in snow , and are an A/T tires so they don't wear out quickly like a winter tire.

 

[ColoJeep]

I agree. I kinda view that in 2 bands. In the very high mountains near any of the ski areas it's pretty much snowpacked roads as soon as the snow starts to fall in earnest even if plowed unless you're on one of the main highways like US 24,50,285,160,40 or CO 9,82 that see enough traffic to stay clear. But in the intermediate elevations like Teller/western Jefferson/Gilpin/Montrose/Gunnison/Garfield/Delta counties I shortcutted to "foothills" and the roads are tricky all winter. I know as a local it's not entirely accurate.

You need to drive with care on our roads in the winter. Conditions change frequently regardless of where you are.

I agree , and it's totally true that the driver needs to exercise care in winter driving . So many of the new implants drive like asses on snow coverd roads and wonder why their new F-450 stupor duty on 38" is , wheels up on the side of the road.

 

[jeepguy03]

I agree , and it's totally true that the driver needs to exercise care in winter driving . So many of the new implants drive like asses on snow coverd roads and wonder why their new F-450 stupor duty on 38" is , wheels up on the side of the road.

That happens everywhere. Here the fancier the car/truck/suv the more likely it's going to be wheels up in the median. My friend's younger sister bought a brand new Subaru WRX thinking it would be amazing in the snow. First snow storm she took out a guard rail. Once the car was repaired she went out and bought snow tires for it and it was fine.

 

[wv_kid]

We don't get much black ice in CO, at least along the main front range corridor and the main mountain highways. It's either packed powder or melted off the next day. Unless you live in the foothills on an unmaintained road on a north facing slope.

Studded snow tires are actually a net negative here on dry pavement where they can skid on the studs. And usually the pavement is dry in winter 90% of the time because this crazy thing called the sun comes out in winter. I'm sure you PNW folk vaguely remember the sun from that one time it came out in July.

I am 100% in agreement that studded tires have their drawbacks. But from my experience, it's a lot easier to drive safely in conditions where you don't need studs when you have them than it is than it is to drive safely in conditions where you do need studs but you don't have them.

For reference, here is actual documented footage of someone trying to drive down Spokane's South Hill on black ice using all terrains:

 

[Chris]

Blizzaks FTW! We have them on our van and they're absolutely awesome.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

I hear that, but what I'm trying to get across is that if you literally have no ice to drive on - which they don't in Colorado Springs - then the studs are not beneficial, they are detrimental. I've lived in the region for over 30 years, have alot of family in the Springs and lived there for a decade myself. I kinda know what I'm talking about and am trying to keep a Florida transplant from buying something that won't work well here. If he said he was living in Woodland Park or Florisant and commuting daily to the Springs - I might have a different recommendation.

We tend to have dry roads 345-355 days of the year and snow maybe 20 days in the front range cities. On a real snowy year. Then it's too hot for dedicated winter tires on another 90+ days in the October-April "winter tire season" and they perform WORSE than all-season tires. It doesn't matter if they are X-Ice, Blizzaks, Hakkapalitas or any other snow brand. Ive run them all at various times when either I was driving alot more often into the mountains for work or like my car now. Dedicated snow tire tech has changed massively in the last 20 years, but tires have always been a compromise and one of those is that winter tires do not like to be above 60F.

All-season 3-peak rated tires are not quite as good on snow as a dedicated snow tire - as the second test video I posted above clearly demonstrated, but they are better in our climate on the whole. And the TJ still sucks on snow compared to almost any other modern car or truck.