KVJK08

I will be purchasing 33x12.5R15 Duratracs next year and was wondering if wide tires were bad in the snow. It's something I would love to have answered since I live in Wisconsin. Ahah

jk_sea

I think the general concensus is that narrower tires do better because more of the vehicle's weight is focused over a narrower patch of rubber, allowing the tire to "cut" down into soft snow more.

But, you're in a 4x4, and the Duratrac has a great tread design. I've used mine in West Coast snow (heavy, wet, with ice) and the Jeep did really well. 285/70/17's, which is as close to 33x12.5 as you're going to get in a Duratrac.

vs_jk

285x75R16 Goodyear Duratracs (33.1") on stock X steelies-

PG-JKU

33x12.5x15 Duratracs here. Gets jostled around in ruts more than a narrower tire, but I would not trade the overall performance on and off road. This will be my third winter on this set, and 5th year with Duratracs overall. The only way they would be better is studded, but I run the same tires year-round.

robsjeep9

x2
I run 35" x 12.5" x 17" Duratracs for 3 winters now here in Ontario Canada and love them!! Better then my stock tires back in 09 and the Mickey Thompson ATZ's I had as well... Get them you won't be disappointed.... I don't care what tire you have be extra cautious with ice covered roads..... Good luck

Mountain Man Tim

with snow and ice the larger the foot print of your tire the better, otherwise with deep snow you will sink in until the frame ends up supported by it and get stuck even with 4 wheel drive and lockers. With ice you just want a good tread pattern and plenty of contact with it to grip. God help you on wet ice as nothing sticks to that.

GJeep

x2, including "God help you on wet ice"

The friction coefficient between rubber and snow is very small. Friction between snow and snow is much bigger.
Snow, which is packed in the tire grooves, is what gives traction on snow.
The grooves have to be wide enough to allow enough snow area in them, but not wide enough to allow packed snow to fall out.
All terrain tires typically work well on snow.

True, on snow which is not deep enough to seat the belly on, narrow tires dig in and reach asphalt.
This, however is not always the case, so I'd rather use the widest tires, aired down to further increase surface area (=packed snow area).
On larger tire area, the Jeep also sinks less.

KVJK08

Thank you to everyone who posted ! Now i feel more confident in my tire purchase! (: