wow I dont know how i put that link there lol

 

ok, im gonna be the one werdio.... I have never had luck with wide tires in the snow, the truck always wanted to push all over the place. They worked good when the snow was packy and you could float on top of it, but when you broke through you were totally screwed. The nice thing about these trucks is they go in the snow like a raped ape because they have what they call, an exceptionally fat ***. Mine weighs in at 5500-5700lbs, so lots of grip when you hit traction. I prefer the skinny tires in the winter, but thats just me

Different strokes for different folks thats all

 

Most places wont stud a tire after it's been driven on.The holes will fill with dirt and little rocks and then the studs won't stay in.

 

Having lived in Colorado my entire life, I have learned a lot about driving in snow and ice. Here are my opinions:

1) For ice and frozen slush, I prefer a wider tire. Reason is simple, larger contact patch = better traction. Your average street tread or a/t tread is best, something with a good amount of sipes. Mud treads typically aren't siped enough to give great traction on ice. Specialty "ice" tires (like the Blizzack) are best on ice, but cost to much to run year round.

2) For wet slush and light snow up to about 6" inches, I like a narrow tire. They cut through the snow and slush better to get you down to the road below for some hope of traction. Since you know you'll be pushing/cutting into the slush/snow, a narrow tire has to displace less slush/snow, so driving control is better too. An aggressive tread helps too (like a mud terrain) because it will really dig through the snow and has large voids to direct slush and snow out from under the tire. A/T's are good too. I find street tread tires actually perform the worst in these conditions because they can't funnel snow and slush out from under the tire like an aggressive tread (a/t or m/t) tire can, and they don't have aggressive enough biting edges, so they spin out easily.

3) For deep snow (6" or more), I like a wider tire again. When the snow gets pretty deep, that last thing you want is a narrow tire cutting into it. That is just a recipe for getting stuck. You want a wider tire with bigger contact patch so that you can "float" up on top of the snow and keep you from digging down into it. I think an A/T tread is best. A mud terrain tread is two aggressive, and can actually dig you down into the snow. A street terrain is ok, but often lacks the biting edges you need to keep traction on snow.

I see #1 and #2 the most on a regular basis, but see #3 often enough to consider it when buying tires. Overall, I prefer an a/t tread tire; BFG A/T in a 315/70/17 is my choice. For the conditions above, I rate them (on a scale of poor-average-good-great):
#1 - Good - enough siping to give acceptable ice traction and nice wide contact patch.
#2 - Good- though a narrower tire would be better. Still acceptable though since they are aggressive enough to cut down into the snow some for traction, not just spin out.
#3 - Great - In a wide size, floats on the snow very good, but has enough of a bite that you get traction on the snow without spinning out and without digging down if you’re gentle with the throttle.

I'm currently running a wide m/t tire though (Toyo Open Country M/T 35x12.50-17), and so far I would rate it:
#1 - Average - (not quite as good as an A/T due to less siping and larger voids, but better then some other M/T's that have no siping at all.
#2 - Great - easily digs through shallow snow with great traction
#3 - Average - digs in too much in the deep stuff, plus tires are so heavy they take a lot of work to turn them in deep snow.

 

I will have to agree with Silver. I think to answer your question though; Running a wide tire through winter is acceptable. You just need to keep in mind the pros and cons of a wider tire.

Last winter I ran a 35/12.5/17 mud tire. It performed very well going through large drifts of snow or cutting into deep banks piled up at the end of driveways. However, it got a little scary at times when it was snowing moderately. Going down the roads when it was snowing you just were never sure if you would go into a tailspin or not. They also sucked on ice too, just like an ice skate. Currently I run 285/70/17 tires. I'm looking to get a set of 305/65/17 BFG A/Ts. They will be as wide as my old 35" tires, but will provide much better traction than the mud tire. I am excited to see how they do.

Overall though, I played it carefully in the winter and knew where and when I could go depending on the conditions. This is why I generally don't care for "mud" tires. If your somebody that primarily drives on the road, a mud tire is not going to cover the entire spectrum like an a/t can. Mud tires don't do anything special against hydroplaning, ice, or regular snow conditions. Most likely an A/T is going to cover a broader spectrum with the exception of less off roading ability, which is, in my view, less imperative within the bigger picture.

 

The wider the tire the easier it floats. Not good when it comes to snow and slush. Take my word for it, I live in Vermont. That doesn't mean you can't drive in the snow with wider tires, it just means that you would get better traction with a skinnier tire.

 

best thing for snow is a tall siped tread and a narrow tire. less contact area the better. u get more psi on the ground and your a lot less likely to slip.

 

salt will pit aluminum,
and a especially bad spot for pitting
is where the steel clasp of a lead wheel weight touches the aluminum