I have 35/12.5/17 Dunlop Mud Rovers on my 2001 Ram 1500 right now. It has a 3" lift and looks very proportional. Now I realize mud tires don't do well on ice, especially that wide. What's a good smaller tire size for me that won't make my truck look gay duirng the winter but will do great on ice and deep snow? I really need your help on this one, I am very confused what's going to make my vehicle look right and perform right. I don't want to go too small because my truck will look stupid with a huge suspension and little wheels, the 35" tires right now really make the truck look right. What is a good tire size that isn't too big for winter, but will do just right during the winter that's still pretty big, help please!

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....es&place=0

It's a 265/70/17 and cheap. It will look a little small, but it will keep you on the road. You could also try a 255/85/16, but they're not very cheap and you would have to get 16" wheels.

 

The guy at Sullivan Tire suggessted 285/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors. They seem to rate excellent in ice and snow, what do you guys think???

 

the best for mud or snow is a skinny tire not so much of a wide tire...

 

trust me, 285/70r17 dueler at revo, or 275/70r17 dueler at revo....

 

hey sorry i dont know what dueler ast revo means?!

 

I was born and raised in the country here in Colorado, and have spent a great deal of time in deep snow. In fact, I still love to take the truck and go play in the snow in the winter time like some of you guys like to go play in the mud. From the standpoint of choosing a tire, people often classify snow and mud together, but I have found the two to be quite different. In fact, i'd put snow in a catagory closer to sand then to mud, escpecially if it is deep powder. For that reason, I actually prefer a wider tire in the snow. The problem with a skinny tire is that it will cut through the snow. That is good if there is only a few inches, and you want to get traction down to the road base below. But if the snow is deep, all that will do is get you stuck faster. A wider tire gives you flotation like quality that allows you to stay up on the snow a little better so you can keep moving forward rather then cutting in until your buried. With the right tread, you can get plenty of traction off the snow directly, and you don't need to make contact with the road bed below. Also, an ultra aggressive mud tire can be bad in the snow too because it can give you too much traction, causing you to dig down into the snow rather then stay up on it. You can litterally dig yourself down till you can't move anymore. If you've ever driven in deep sand, that will probably sound familiar.

But, the problem with snow is that it is usually accompanied by or followed by ice. So the characteristics I talked about above that I like for a snow tire are actually some of the same characteristics I dislike on ice.

So when choosing a "winter" tire, I guess it depends on if you see a lot of snow, or mostly ice.

 

That's what tough though, i see just as much snow as i do ice here in maine. What do you use for the winter I guess I should ask? Right now I am going with the silent armors, which do excellent in every department, but I want to know what you are running personally?

 

Personally, I like to run the BFG All-terrain. I find them to be very civil on the ice (nothing spectacular, but better then a mud tire for sure) due to the amount of siping they have. They have also really suprised me how well they do in the deep snow. I have taken them places I would never have dreamed I could get through with other tires I had. I'm talking standing snow over 2' deep and drifts over 3' deep. They have never let me down once in the snow, ever. Best snow tire I have ever used in my opinion. They do ok on wet surfaces (again, no great like a dedicated rain tread, but better then most mud tires i'm sure). They are excellent in dirt too. Where they really struggle is in the mud. Only time I have ever been stuck in my truck is in mud with BFG AT's on.

I'm actually going away from them for the first time soon when I install my Toyo Open Country M/T's. I have found that I spend more time in the mud the I used to (not for recreation, but when down on my in-laws ranch, and out on my own property). I got tired of how the BFG's were doing in the mud, so i'm going to try out this Toyo mud tire to see how I like them. I have no doubt I will find them to be a little poorer on the ice. I'm hopin they are not too aggressive for the snow though. Will just have to wait and see. I know they will do better in mud, plus I have heard and read so many good reviews about them that I decided to go ahead and give them a shot. Otherwise, I would not heistate to put BFG AT's back on in a heartbeat because I know they will get me through most of what I see in the climate I drive in.

I currently run a 285/70/17 and find that to be a good size for snow and ice. My new size is going to be a 35x12.50/17, so i'm curious to see how much difference that will make.

 

WOW thats crazy, you and me both have the same tire dimensions. Right now I have 35/12.5/17 mud tires, and for the winter i was going to go with the 285/70/17, lol well glad im in the right direction then. Thanks!