Vehicle- 1993 Dakota 4x4 reg automatic V6 180k


Where I live we get a lot of snow and I was just wondering if bigger tires are better for snowy conditions? I been thinking about getting 31s or 32s as a tire size for my truck, but wouldn't I need to install a lift kit? I also travel a lot on highways so I'm looking for a good size tire that will go good with my reg cab dakota sport and give comfort. I found 1997 Dakota stock rims for sale and I was wondering if they would fit on my truck?


What do you guys think?

 

no way! the best tires for snow are narrow. you gotta dig down through the snow to hit something solid. remember those old 7.00 x 15 WW-2 jeep army tires ? there the best for snow. big cleats and narrow. with big tires your riding on top of the snow and snow does not seem to have a lot of grip unless your on a snowmobile.
the reason snowmobiles work good is because you have light weight and a huge track. to get the same effect with you would have tires almost as wide as the truck.
the main problem you have to worry about in the snow is not so much tires its snow that packs underneath your rig. the more snow that packs underneath the higher it lifts your truck, therefore the less weight you have on your tires. after a certain point you have no grip. to offset this drive slow and do not spin the tires if possible, push the snow out of the way, don't try to drive over it. if you get stuck try to back out slowly, if you can't move shovel the snow from under the truck, back up slowly then EASY forward. DON'T spin your tires your just melting snow and creating ice under your tires.

 

You can fit 31's if you crank up your stock torsion bars. Check the FAQ2 for info on it.

 

in my opinion it all depends on the weight of the vehicle and how deep the tread is. My brother has 33's on his silverado and it handles great in the deep snow until he tries to stop. i drove a dakota with the same size tires and it didn't handle as well. i ran my dakota(2wd) with wide snow tires last winter and it didnt seem to have a problem. it'd be best to go with the same size tire you have just with a more aggressive tread on it

 

Good point... I still have stock size tires and I never once got stuck in the snow or mud and the deepest snow I traveled through in my truck was 20 inches. However, I do see a lot of Jeeps with 33s driving around in the snow and a couple of people told me bigger tires are better. Seems like a debate on tires.

How about studded snow tires would they be recommend for winter season driving?

 

The OP never once mentioned tire width. And do you really think a narrow tire digs all the way through the snow to the pavement? Cause I don't believe it. It seems to me like if your tire digs deep into the snow that you will have lots of trouble turning, but I'm not going to debate this cause we don't see much snow down here. The one day it did snow my tires performed flawlessly.

Tread is the most important thing to consider, but I think a bigger diameter tire is better because given the same torque from the axles, it puts less force to the ground than a smaller tire... therefore its easier to control tire spin. You can't argue with physics.

 

You can't argue with physics.[/quote]

haha

 

Answer is....it depends IMO. Narrow are good if you're the first person in, they will dig through and find some traction and are especially useful in the wet, slushy snow. Wide are good if you're traveling roads that have been plowed and have a packed layer of snow. Studs IMO are good on ice and that's about it, they for sure suck on dry pavement.

 

The right tire will give you good traction. The right tire does not mean you should go fast.

 

Below is a photo of my current tires they are called wintermarks. As you can see in the photo my tires are halfway warn and I think my truck needs a lift because the snow is almost above my bumper. I have 2 sets of rims and I think I will get 31s for my summer tires and keep stock tire size for my winter rims.