Snow tires

[Irish_Alley]

i want some tires for the winter i have a set of alum rim sitting i believe the size is 16 or 16.5x 10. i getting the rims and tires size mixed up since i got some free swamper's i know they don't fit but cant remember if the tires or the rims are 16.5. now not sure about the tires but i don't want stock tires 245 75 16 just cause the lift and cut fenders but i also want it to be safe, lol. or would the swamper's that i have on there be OK in snow and ice? i know nothing will grip to the ice just looking for something to help besides chains lol

[Donut]

IMO, stock size studded snows.  I've passed many a "big" 4x4 with my old 2wds and decent tires (with ballast in the back).  I feel a wide tire just floats on top of the snow and doesn't dig in like a skinny tire.

I really don't know how a swamper would do on ice.

[lowbucktruck]

I'm not sure about the Swampers either, sorry.  I've run the BF Goodrich A/Ts on all of my trucks and they do good in the snow in the Sierras.  Studded tires are the way to go, if you don't want to deal with chains.

Donut made a good point about weight distribution though... my old Toyota 4x4 truck was WAY too light in the back, so I strapped down a spare 4-banger engine block in the bed, that really helped the rear end dig in.  With a full size Chevy might not be a problem, toss a couple of sand bags or some heavy scrap in the bed.  Or maybe a spare tranny core... 

[Dragon]

Usually most tires that can handle a Mud Terrain can do te same with a Snowy one as well, but the problem would be the ice/maybe slush even.....  Personally my BFG M/T's playing the snow nicely, but once I hit a nice patch of ice, the Rear Locker makes for fun
Generally I prefer a good All Season/Terrain Tire to play in anything, but if there is a good amount of ice out, I add chains to the rear for added traction.....

[zieg85]

I have a pair of LT235 75R15 Goodyear Workhorse studded snows on the back of my 95.  No problems on ice at all.  In Indiana they are legal Dec-Mar I believe but have run them past and had no one say anything.  My $.02

[monte85]

i've got a set of BFG mud terrians on my 4x4 and haven't had a problem yet.

[Irish_Alley]

Ty all for the info but would a tire with a big side wall be good for keeping traction in the snow. i mean I'm not going to be doing as fast as i can with a foot of snow on the ground just thinking about the best tire for the worst weather, snow from what i been told the wider the worst since it sits on top of the snow instead of digging in

[werewolfx13]

I realize this post is a bit old, and winter is nearing its end, but I thought I would add my $0.02.

Wide, aggressive tires and skinny, hard, aggressive tires both do well in the snow, it comes down to what you're comfortable driving. I can handle either, but I greatly prefer the predictability of a bit fat floating tire. It may not always go where you WANT it to go, but, you always have a pretty good idea where its going, and you can learn to influence its path by timing your braking/accelerating just right. Skinny tires tend to corner poorly in semi-hard pack wet snow, especially if you are even touching the brakes. For part of one winter I ran a set of 215/75/r15 studded tires all the way around my old longbed, they were skinny and annoying as heck in corners, because it would tend to drift straight MUCH more than actually turn, unless you were going 0.2 mph and not touching the brakes at all when you were turning. It sure took off decently though.

Course, I've yet to get truly stuck in the snow even with 4 different tread patterns, 3 summer treads all less than 30% tread depth left, and a mud tread with about 10% tread left, in my 2wd shortbed. Knock on wood.

[morrow07]

I had 35" BFG Mud Terrains on my 03 Sierra, and it was hair raising to say the least driving over the summit into Tahoe. Those tires were great every where else, but get them i snow, and the lugs packed up so quickly you wouldn't believe it. Had 33" Muds on my 03 TJ, and the same thing. The All Terrains on the other hand did great in the snow.