Tire Advice from those of you in the Icy North
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis, MN
I guess it's kinda all relative.
Perhaps your friends have never tried the dedicated winter tires?
Last edited by Kytann; Nov 22, 2010 at 07:00 AM.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis, MN
Duratracs for sure. In running them in 325/65/18 and I was expecting worse traction then I've ever gotten before due to width. I was pleasantly surprised yeaterday.
Where I live ice grip is incredibly important as we get wind speeds up to double what towns 30 miles away get. This causes serious snow blow which glazes our highways as people drive over the thin layers of snow.
Duratracs have done great so far.
Where I live ice grip is incredibly important as we get wind speeds up to double what towns 30 miles away get. This causes serious snow blow which glazes our highways as people drive over the thin layers of snow.
Duratracs have done great so far.
Good to hear. This is the kind of conditions I'll be driving the Jeep in. Wind and Ice on cross country trip during winter.
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis, MN
Go to Youtube and watch the Duratrac video. They explain the little traction teeth in between the lugs that help with grip in deeper snow. Running 275/65R18 Duratracs on stock Sahara rims. Good enough to drive around here in Northern BC with confidence and mostly in 2wd unless I hit serious ice. I won't bother trying another tire and I run these year round.
JK Newbie
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Red Deer, AB
I too was torn between the Duratracs and a dedicated winter tire. I was excited about the Duratracs because of their aggressive looks, the potential to run them all year round and the excellent reviews they've been getting generally here (although the full sized pickup truck guys don't seem to like them as much). However, looking into them a bit further I finally decided that I'd go with a true dedicated winter tire. Here's why.
I really don't off-road at all during the winter so, despite how cool the Duratracs look and how much better they are in mud and off-road, I want my Jeep to be the best it can be for my driving conditions, i.e. packed snow and ice on pavement in below freezing temperatures (right now it's -15'F). A dedicated winter tire is the best for that.
Goodyear (at least the Canadian website) markets the Duratracs as a "SUV & Truck" tire. It has a separate section for "Winter" tires, where the Duratracs are not listed. Nor does Goodyear compare the Duratracs to any of their other winter tires, such as their Ultra Ice Grip, only to their other SUV tires. If Goodyear doesn't think the Duratracs are a true "winter" tire, then they probably are not.
The siping on the Duratracs is only partway down into the depth of the tread block. I have concerns that the siping will wear out before the rest of the tread, leaving me with essentially an aggressive all terrain tire having little winter tire properties left. Also, compared to the amount and density of siping on a true winter tire, the Duratracs are pretty minimal in that regard.
If the Duratrac design was that good on packed snow and ice, then the other tire manufacturers would be moving in a similar direction, i.e. less siping, only partial siping into the tread block and this wide TractiveGroove type of technology. However they're not. See Bridgestone's "Blizzak", Michelin's "X-Ice", Nokian's "Hakkapeliitta", Toyo's "Open Country G02 Plus" and even Goodyear's own "Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3". These winter tires all have a high siping density and small grooves between the tread blocks. Compare also Goodyear's "tractiveGroove" for the Duratracs with their "V-TRED" for their winter tires. The rubber compound will also be optimized for below freezing conditions in the true winter tires. I recall reading somewhere that the Duratracs, although softer rubber, are designed to prevent chipping. So I have concerns that they're not fully optimized for the colder temperatures and just barely made the Mountain & Snowflake certification (which doesn't test for ice traction, btw).
I have no doubt that the Duratracs are excellent in mud and even deep loose snow. And if I was going to get a non-winter A/T tire, then I'd buy the Duratracs or take another look at the BFG A/T's. I also think they're better than the stock SR-A's I got (Goodyear's website rates them higher) and probably better than BFG's A/T's.
But, just like I wouldn't compromise on a mud tire (by buying an A/T), I decided not to compromise on a winter tire. I ended up buying Toyo's Open Country G02 Plus, because we've run those for three years on my wife's Liberty and they're great in on snow and ice covered pavement. The Blizzaks were a close second choice as a "winter" tire. (FYI, I'd never take winter tires anywhere off road in mud conditions, as they'd just clog right up and then are worse than an A/T).
Some of the other Canadians have already posted that they like the Duratracs in the winter. But if you're used to a true winter tire like a Blizzak, and you can notice the difference between them and the BFG's, then I think you'll be disappointed in the Duratracs. Then again, you can always buy a set of Duratracs first and, if you don't like them, buy the Blizzaks and keep the Duratracs until spring. Me, I'll probably be looking at the Duratracs come spring to replace the SR-A's that I took off (which, btw, were fine the first couple of winters. I just wanted something better).
Hope that helps your decision.
I really don't off-road at all during the winter so, despite how cool the Duratracs look and how much better they are in mud and off-road, I want my Jeep to be the best it can be for my driving conditions, i.e. packed snow and ice on pavement in below freezing temperatures (right now it's -15'F). A dedicated winter tire is the best for that.
Goodyear (at least the Canadian website) markets the Duratracs as a "SUV & Truck" tire. It has a separate section for "Winter" tires, where the Duratracs are not listed. Nor does Goodyear compare the Duratracs to any of their other winter tires, such as their Ultra Ice Grip, only to their other SUV tires. If Goodyear doesn't think the Duratracs are a true "winter" tire, then they probably are not.
The siping on the Duratracs is only partway down into the depth of the tread block. I have concerns that the siping will wear out before the rest of the tread, leaving me with essentially an aggressive all terrain tire having little winter tire properties left. Also, compared to the amount and density of siping on a true winter tire, the Duratracs are pretty minimal in that regard.
If the Duratrac design was that good on packed snow and ice, then the other tire manufacturers would be moving in a similar direction, i.e. less siping, only partial siping into the tread block and this wide TractiveGroove type of technology. However they're not. See Bridgestone's "Blizzak", Michelin's "X-Ice", Nokian's "Hakkapeliitta", Toyo's "Open Country G02 Plus" and even Goodyear's own "Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3". These winter tires all have a high siping density and small grooves between the tread blocks. Compare also Goodyear's "tractiveGroove" for the Duratracs with their "V-TRED" for their winter tires. The rubber compound will also be optimized for below freezing conditions in the true winter tires. I recall reading somewhere that the Duratracs, although softer rubber, are designed to prevent chipping. So I have concerns that they're not fully optimized for the colder temperatures and just barely made the Mountain & Snowflake certification (which doesn't test for ice traction, btw).
I have no doubt that the Duratracs are excellent in mud and even deep loose snow. And if I was going to get a non-winter A/T tire, then I'd buy the Duratracs or take another look at the BFG A/T's. I also think they're better than the stock SR-A's I got (Goodyear's website rates them higher) and probably better than BFG's A/T's.
But, just like I wouldn't compromise on a mud tire (by buying an A/T), I decided not to compromise on a winter tire. I ended up buying Toyo's Open Country G02 Plus, because we've run those for three years on my wife's Liberty and they're great in on snow and ice covered pavement. The Blizzaks were a close second choice as a "winter" tire. (FYI, I'd never take winter tires anywhere off road in mud conditions, as they'd just clog right up and then are worse than an A/T).
Some of the other Canadians have already posted that they like the Duratracs in the winter. But if you're used to a true winter tire like a Blizzak, and you can notice the difference between them and the BFG's, then I think you'll be disappointed in the Duratracs. Then again, you can always buy a set of Duratracs first and, if you don't like them, buy the Blizzaks and keep the Duratracs until spring. Me, I'll probably be looking at the Duratracs come spring to replace the SR-A's that I took off (which, btw, were fine the first couple of winters. I just wanted something better).
Hope that helps your decision.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 1
From: clinton, ok
But, just like I wouldn't compromise on a mud tire (by buying an A/T), I decided not to compromise on a winter tire. I ended up buying Toyo's Open Country G02 Plus, because we've run those for three years on my wife's Liberty and they're great in on snow and ice covered pavement.
Hope that helps your decision.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
From: malone new york
blizzaks are good winter tires for a car. Not so good on a jeep due to the places we take our jeeps. Dont forget the duratracs can be studded and the blizzak cant. My duratracs have been great in the winter in all types of conditions. They are probally the best preforming lt tire i have seen.
