Wow! That I didn't know at all. Makes sense why the BFG A/T KOs suck so bad here on the packed snow and ice versus the dedicated Blizzaks.

Where'd you buy the Toyos? I can't find anywhere local that carries them

 

Sand man- nice analysis and thanks for the info. I can greatly respect the opinions of those of you who think Minnesota is far south.

 

No doubt.

It is great to read in depth analysis and reasoning behind a decision, rather than the normal tire brand enthusiasm.

 

Yeah I think it's pretty funny too. Look - it's minus 30 here with the wind chill today. I'm in Central BC so winter will be here until around the end of March and probably mid April. Lots of us up here trust the Duratracs because they handle a good variety of conditions. I don't have the budget to go with a second set of tires, and on the "shoulder" seasons I like to be able to go offroad without any notice, and certainly without having to swap out my tires!

As for the wear and depth of siping, after a year and around 20,000km, there is hardly any wear with a combination of highway and city driving with some fun wheeling thrown in there too. Not too worried about the siping being half depth, because when they get worn to that point the lugs will be small enough that I'll want to get different tires anyway.

If the siping went all the way down I'm sure that the wearability of the lugs would weaken.

Anyhow - good luck with your decision!

 

I used to be from Minnesota and am completely sold on blizzaks for winter driving. They are awsome in snow and even better on ice. Out here in California I have had Silentarmors on my Grand Cherokee and have also had excellent traction on both snow and ice while heading to the snowboard slopes. If I were you, I would run Blizzaks in the winter and get the Duratracs as they are about as good as Silent Armors, but look a lot better!

 

WooHoo some positive notes about the Blizzaks. I was starting to wonder.

 

The Canadian based Automobile Protection Association (APA) has done some research into this. They say that, until recently, the snowflake on a mountain symbol was a reliable indicator of the winter performance of a tire, but not so much anymore. They also say that the original test did not include an ice component, which explains to me why the BFG's A/T's got that certification.


I bought the Toyo's up here in Canada from an independent tire shop. I just went to Toyo's website and did a "Dealer Finder" search. Try it for your city.


I wish I had the time to go offroad, especially in winter, but I've come to face the fact that I probably won't and that am just driving my Jeep to and from work on pavement, like I did the last couple of winters. So I don't have a variety of conditions, just the one frozen pavement one, and personally felt bettter with a dedicated winter tire. Still, I love my Jeep and it brings a smile to my face whenever I get in, even if it doesn't see dirt for six months.


That's really good to know. I'll be seriously considering the Duratracs in spring, along with some new rims. They sound ideal for those "shoulder" seasons, which can bring bad weather quickly out here.

 

Well, the first thing I'd say is that the Duratracs aren't really a mud tire. I'd say that they're more of an AT than an MT. The blizzaks will work very well in snow...but the Duratracs offer more in the way of void space. This will help in really deep stuff exactly the way that it will help in mud. The voids will allow the tire to "dig".

Have you ever seen a Jeep on boggers dig through a deep bunch of drifts? Anywhere from about 12 inches up to 36 inches deep of loose snow, and that's what you're looking for in a tire. Something that will dig or chew it's way through. The blizzaks will work great for icy roads or snow covered roads (up to a point), but once the snow is too deep they will not be able to dig out efficiently.

The other advantage that the Duratracs will offer in deep snow is that they are available in large sizes, and in 12.5" width. Run a set of 35X12.5" Duratracs at 9psi (or if you've got beadlocks at 4psi) and you'll have a serious tire for wheeling in deep snow. That said, if I was just wheeling in snow and not dealing with icy roads (and icy hills offroad) I would go with a dedicated MT instead of an AT/MT hybrid like the Duratracs.

 

My .02 (and believe me that is all it is worth). On my '07 I just traded in I put P255/75R17 Silent Armours on. They were great in snow...I was going everywhere in that blizzard last year when others couldn't get out of the driveway. But...they only lasted 30k though until the side wall weakend.

There you go....my .02 (on sale for .01)

 

To the OP: I live in Minneapolis, too and I have Duratracs. They handle great in the snow (easily cruised up a steep hill near my house tonight during a snowfall after a number of other cars turned around and chose a different route...), but I've got a recent post on here describing the frustration I've had trying to get them balanced by Discount Tire... I chose the Duratracs for their snow performance and for their aggressive look but I've been wondering if the Silent Armors would have been more appropriate for me since I use my Jeep as a DD 99% of the time. I believe Goodyear's website rates both the Duratracs and the Silent Armors equally for snow performance. Just make sure you -need- the offroad ability of the Duratracs before you dismiss the SAs...