I just got a my first 2500 Cummins, but I also just moved up north and getting ready for the winter and wondering what kind of tires y'all recommended for winter. I have stock 17 inch rims. Thanks guys new here but plan on being on a lol.

Chris

 

In my opinion, the best setup for winter is a a set of slightly skinnier, slightly taller tires, studded, on (in your case) 16" rims. Keep the rolling circumference about the same. Slightly skinnier tires will cut through the snow better instaed of riding on top of it. Think: snowshoes; wider tires act more like them. Nothing grips packed snow and ice like studs, except for chains.

Unless you're into mudding, you probably don't want to run big-lug snow tires, studded or not, all year 'round. Having two sets of tires and wheels gives you great flexibility; you can run quieter all-seasons most of the year, and put on the studs when you need them. With the skinnier studded tires, you'll go better in the snow and ice than anyone else.

Next best would be to run big-lug 17's all year long.

 

Stock 17" wheels makes me think he's got a 3rd gen, which means he's not using 16" wheels.

If you're running dedicated winter tires, you may consider going with a 235/80r17 if you're currently running 265/70r17 - they're extremely close in diameter but the thinner tire will bite a bit better.

 

stock dodge ruber, bfg rt/ta, or the big white ripply guy pretty much suck corn in winter driving, with 4x4 your ok even with oem rubber.

Nitto is a good choice for all 4x4 all terrian, all wheathier conditions, copper, toyo, are awsome as well.

I don't run in 4wd unless i have to, thats how good my nitto highway terrains are.

 

We are up in Northern Canada (Fort McMurray, Alberta), and we run the Cooper Discovery tires in the winter. They are a very soft, and capable tire for ice/snow. No studs needed. We got them last year in November and ran them until April.

Up until that point, I had run Toyos on my 1500 all year, and honestly I was very happy with their winter performance. I'd say Nitto (similar to the Open Country A/T) tires are likely also a descent tire.

Do you guys have the mountain/snowflake insignia on winter-capable tires where you are from? My new BFG ATs are winter rated.. I'm kind of surprised.

 

BFG ALL terrian tires are winter rated ( SNOW FLAKE )

 

Yeah, I realize they are up here in Canada, but what about in the USA?

I'm personally surprised they are winter rated up here, there's no siping, which is what gives you the traction when the ice makes an appearance.

 

"Stock 17" wheels makes me think he's got a 3rd gen, which means he's not using 16" wheels .... If you're running dedicated winter tires, you may consider going with a 235/80r17 if you're currently running 265/70r17 - they're extremely close in diameter but the thinner tire will bite a bit better".

We're on the same page here - skinnier is better. And yeah, I knew he has 17's now; I was thinking along the lines of my Jetta, where I run 185/60/14 all-seasons for 9 months and 175/70/13 studded snows in the winter. Was thinking that he'd be best off getting a second set of wheels anyway if he got two sets of tires - makes it so much easier to switch back and forth - in which case it wouldn't matter if they were a different rim size. Your 235/80/17 suggestion is certainly better in the snow than 265's, but 235 is still pretty wide; haven't looked into all the possibilities, but 225's might work even better. Like I said, I haven't run the calculations.

"No studs needed".

Needed - arguably not. Vastly superior on ice and hard-packed snow - definitely.

***

265/70/17 rolling circumference = 99.29"

235/80/17 rolling circumference = 99.91"

225/75/18 rolling circumference = 98.29". Only drawback - that size doesn't exist.

Firestone makes a studdable winter tire in 235/80/17 called the WinterForce. Siped, looks like a nice tread pattern, gets great reviews.

http://www.1010tires.com/tires/revie...ne/Winterforce

If you want the absolute ultimate in winter tire performance, that's the way I'd go; those tires on a second set of rims. If the forecast says the roads are likely to be clear for a week, I'll switch back to my all-seasons 3 or four times a winter. Your snows can last you 5 years that way, maybe more.

 

16" wheels will not clear the calipers on a 3rd gen.

As for the tires, I'm 100% sold on Toyo Open Country A/T's. I ran 285/70/17s on my stock wheels and they were bada$$ when the bad stuff started flying. Even on a sheet of ice on I80, with cars (literally) spinning in front of, behind, and beside me, the truck went where I steered it and never slid when I had to drive around a car looking back at me in my lane.

I've since stepped up to 305/60/20's, three Goodyear somethings and one Toyo A/T (flat tire 400 miles from home and nothing else in that size). I hate having mismatching rubber, but hopefully they get me through the winter and I can get a full set of Toyo's in the spring. This will be my first winter with the taller and wider 20's, so we'll see how they do.

I've also run exclusively BFG A/T's that came stock on the 03, and have nothing but good to say about them.

 

Please make for damned sure the mismatch is on the rear. Its dangerous if you have a mismatched pair in the front.

IIRC in Canada/Alberta you cannot legally install a mismatched pair on the same axel. Too many safety hazards with traction handling come up. The tire shop then is technically liable.