I have always run Cooper Discoverer S/T on all my trucks before this Jeep and NEVER had a problem in the winter.
for this Jeep, after removing the stock Goodyear street tires, I was running some old Trxus M/T's and they handled great.

I have yet to try these Cooper Discoverer STT tires in snow, but they've been handling very well on mud and sand.


My old Trxus tires last winter. You can see how the undercarriage was being dragged in the snow.

 

I've driven driven a good variety of tire types on winter roads ranging from "plowed and sanded" to "really cruddy" to "this isn't a road, there just aren't any trees here ".

If you're truly worried about on-road snow performance, then odds are that an MT is not for you. Driving an MT in the winter requires that you have some winter driving skills.

I run siped (had them done, they were not siped from the factory) MT's on my Jeep all year round...but I understand that their performance on road in the snow and ice is nowhere near what a dedicated winter tire would provide. They are great in deep snow (lots of void space) but they are only "okay" on icy areas. I can say that they are about equal to a good AT for on-road performance in the winter, and do well offroad in deep snow. They are a good choice for me, as I want good off-road performance and am happy with the on-road performance of the tires.

In general, an AT will work better than an MT for on-road driving in the winter. They tend to have more in the way of sipes, and with less void space they don't need the hard compounds that most MT's seem to be made of. The Coopers have gotten good reviews, the BFG all-terrain TA has done reasonably well, and folks seem to love their Goodyear Duratracs. Another option is the Toyo M55. Those tires are just about indestructible...I've seen them soak up punishment in oilfield use that would leave a lesser tire whimpering for mercy. The downside is that you'll need to find someone to sipe them for you, they only come in limited sizes, and they are pretty spendy.

If you have a lot of ice to deal with, you should also be able to stud the Goodyears, the Toyos, or the Coopers. I've only ever seen one set of BFG AT's that were studded, and that was a number of years ago. Studding your tires would mean that they are for winter use only, and they will not perform well on dry pavement.

None of the above will keep up with any good quality winter specific tire when it comes to on-road driving in the winter...but the winter specific tire will mean that you need a second set of tires for spring, summer, and fall use.

One word about the Trxus...their winter performance is no better (and maybe a little worse) than a good MT that's been siped...but their on-road manners leave much to be desired. Interco is famous for making tires that are less than round. I have a friend who won a pair of Interco Truxs tires about six months ago. Ever since then, he has done nothing but struggle with balancing them. They might be good for a trail rig, but on a DD you may be asking for trouble.

Other folks I know say that the Truxs has given them no problems...so sometimes Interco gets it right (or so it seems).

 

You might check out the Dick Cepek FC II tires. I'm running 33x10.5s on my Jeep
and they performed really well in the snow and ice last winter. Pulled out a
number of vehicles with lesser capabilities. And, they have a nice, aggressive
look for an AT ...



Photo by Highrlr ...


For the record, all seven Jeeps in my group, including several with MTs, took a
winch up this hill ...

 

Do you mean "trail snow" or "paved road snow"? Big difference.

If you are looking for great year round tire with excellent wet/slush/ice/snow manners, check out the Bridgstone Dueler AT REVO. They are a great do it all AT tire. I ran a set for about 60k miles on my old Izusu Rodeo and I don't have a bad thing to say about them. They handled great in bad weather and also in the summer with the cruise set at 70. I plan to spring for a set of them for the JK in a 285/70R17 sometime in the next few months.

 

Mark and oopezoo raise a valid point. Unless you know that you will be doing enough off-roading that involves mud or deep snow to merit an MT, an AT is a good choice.

MT's are not as specialized as something like a Super Swamper or Krawler...but they do make a lot of compromises in order to be able to provide reasonable performance in the mud. If you're not going to see mud, an AT might work just fine for you.

If you ARE going to see a reasonable amount of mud? You'll hate life with AT's

 

Personally....KEEP your stock rims....trade in the rubber that comes stock and buy a set of TRUE M&S tires like Cooper Discoverer M&S or even Blizzacs.

Then with some extra coin buy some nice 16 or 17" alloy rims of your liking and add a M/T or A/T tire to run in the Spring/Summer and Fall months. Take these off when you see snow and replace with your stocker rims and winter tires.

M/T's and A/T's have advantages and disadvantages on snow and ice. Most M/T's and A/T's have a much harder rubber compound and become crappy when temps get below -10C where as a True winter tire with a softer rubber compound will stay softer in extreme cold conditions. Another factor is M/T's and A/T's don't even come close to the amount of sipping a Winter tire has to help with Icey road conditions for traction and stopping power.

I have been running 2 sets of tires on all my vehicles for the last 10 years and will not risk NOT having winter tires during the winter season. The only drawback with winter tires vs M/T's & A/T's is the look...it looks crappy if you like the wide/aggressive look and go to a Winter tire. For $800-$1000 more it is a nice investment to run winter tires.

Also a BIG Benefit of running 2 sets of tires is you can run your M/T or A/T till they are bascially done. Typically, depending on how many miles I put each summer/winter, I usually get 3 or 4 seasons with my M/T's and 5 to 6 seasons with my winter tires.

 

Wow! Thanks for the great advise. It sounds like I would be better off with ATs. My only issue is that I had a set of Goodyear ATs on a truck years ago and they were terrible in swon and rain. Zero stopping power on a down slope. I can't believe I never rear ended anybody. I replaced them with Perrelli Scorpions which made a huge improvement. One thing that suprized me is that no one said anything about Mickey Thompsons? What's up with that?

 

I ran Mickey Thompson MTZs for two Colorado winters. I'm used to winter driving conditions so I never had any issues or close calls with them, however if I were choosing another tire with winter in mind I'd look at the duratracs before getting another set of MTZs.

 

FYI, I had the Scorpions on the F-150 pick-up I drove prior to the Jeep. I much prefer the Dick Cepek's on wet roads and in mud. Also, I read somewhere that the DC FC IIs are a collaborative product of DC and Mickey Thompson.

 

Thanks Mark. I am going to look at the FC IIs. I love the set up you have and you have the wheels I want.also. I think I am going to buy the Sunburst Orange Unlimited next year. Do you have lift or a leveling kit? I am thinking about the Teraflex leveling kit?