Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/206514
With the right tires on your pickup you can plow right through winter when others are still trying to get a grip. temperatures drop below freezing, and snow/ice becomes the primary driving surface. It's then the softer rubber compounds and unique tread design of dedicated snow tires (those with the mountain peak/snow flake symbol) set themselves apart from other tires. "Tire manufacturers have come a long way in improving winter traction of their all-season tires," says Cox. " But a dedicated winter tire is designed specifically to handle winter driving needs." The key performance factor of purpose-built snow tires, studded or studless, is the softer and more pliable rubber compound in the tread face – and the tread design itself. Think work boots: When you are walking in the snow, which boots give a better grip, those with more flexible soles with snow treads or the everyday work boot? A couple years ago I experienced first-hand the difference between dedicated snow/ice tires and the standard pickup tires while driving a GMC Duramax 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 during a two-day comparison test at Cox's winter driving school. The difference in vehicle control between the typical all-season tire and four different purpose-built snow tires was eye-opening to say the least. (To read the full "Snow Tire Shootout," go to: http://www.propickupmag.com/snow-tires/.) One of the reasons for the huge difference in grip between "warm weather" and "snow tires" is tires designed for use in subfreezing temperatures have a rubber compound that stays very flexible in temps well below zero. That means the snow tires' tread bends and twists, remaining in contact with the freezing road surface instead of lifting off as does a typical tire during cornering, acceleration or braking maneuvers. EDITOR'S PICK: BEST SNOW/ICE TIRES We get a lot of contractors asking about our recommendations for the best snow/ice tires for pickups, SUVs, cross-overs and vans. The truth is any dedicated ice/ snow tire will deliver far better traction (safety) than any allseason, A/T, or mud-type tire. From our driving experiences here're the brand/style tires we'd put on our own vehicles when the road surfaces turn white: Bridgestone Blizzak W965 Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 Bridgestone Winter Dueler DM-Z3 Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT Michelin Latitude X-Ice Nokian Hakkapeliitta SUV 5 Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT Yokohama iceGUARD iG51v FOUR GO, TWO NO When it comes time to swap out summer tires for the winter treads, replace all four. If you just put the tires with the better traction on the rear, you'll be setting yourself up for some serious problems. For example, put the tires with better traction on the rear of your pickup and it will "understeer" in a slippery corner, wanting to go straight instead of turn. Likewise, putting new tires with better traction on the front of the truck and the back will tend to slide out (oversteer) in corners or when braking. So when you replace tires, make sure all four are of the same type, size and condition to keep balanced vehicle handling. Then there's the snow tire's tread design itself. If you look very closely at a dedicated snow/ ice tire's tread you'll see every tread block is riddled with little slits, grooves and pores. These tiny changes in the surface create thousands of biting edges that grip the ice and allow snow to pack in so it grips with new snow that rolls under the tread. (Snow grips with snow.) In addition to the biting action, the minute cuts, slits and pores absorb the film of water that develops on top of icy roads, thereby allowing the biting edges to adhere to the surface with less interference. The result is greater steering and braking control on slippery road surfaces than you'd get with other tires. As James Thompson, a contractor in New York's Adirondack region, said after switching over his pickups to dedicated snow tires last year, "I'll never go another winter without putting on snow tires. The change in traction from the A/Ts I normally run on my trucks is amazingly better." Soft tread compounds and thousands of gripping surfaces around each tire make for very good vehicle control when Mother Nature brings on the white stuff. propickupmag.com PROPICKUP 41