looking for tire recommendations....
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Cross-Country
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Central Maryland
looking for tire recommendations....
getting ready to replace the tires on my '03, and would like some real-world feedback on tires.
truck: F350, CC, 6.0, 2WD, dually, factory steel wheels
mostly used on the highway, daily driver, used to haul firewood, and also to pull my 18' dovetail car hauler. I don't go 'off-road' with it (IOW, it's obviously not a mud truck, lol), but would hopefully like to get a little bit better traction than the tires that came on it gave. I'd (obviously) like the longest life possible from tires, but if I have to trade some mileage for traction, so be it.
Problems with traction seem to be related mostly to the truck itself- the extra long wheelbase and the weight of the engine on the front axle creates a 'snowplow' type of effect if I'm into wet grass or in snow....it's bad enough that I've had friends laughing and telling me to 'learn to drive' when I lose traction....altho the laughing stops real quick when I hop out and tell them to show me how it should be done and they can't get traction in it either.
truck: F350, CC, 6.0, 2WD, dually, factory steel wheels
mostly used on the highway, daily driver, used to haul firewood, and also to pull my 18' dovetail car hauler. I don't go 'off-road' with it (IOW, it's obviously not a mud truck, lol), but would hopefully like to get a little bit better traction than the tires that came on it gave. I'd (obviously) like the longest life possible from tires, but if I have to trade some mileage for traction, so be it.
Problems with traction seem to be related mostly to the truck itself- the extra long wheelbase and the weight of the engine on the front axle creates a 'snowplow' type of effect if I'm into wet grass or in snow....it's bad enough that I've had friends laughing and telling me to 'learn to drive' when I lose traction....altho the laughing stops real quick when I hop out and tell them to show me how it should be done and they can't get traction in it either.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Central Maryland
this year I did, 3x!! and it was a 75' driveway, besides (granted, this was the worst snowfall year in recorded history for this area, but still)
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28
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I second the Michelin M/S tires. I'm on my second set after running the first set 70K+ miles on my 2000 X. They are pricey but have great traction, tire life and are 'E' rated. No issues what so ever. Bought mine at SAM'S Club.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,405
Likes: 4
I have BFG commercial A/Ts. Great tires for performance under load. If you are concerned about looks, they are pretty plain. If you need a little more traction, BFG makes a traction version of the commercial A/T that looks like it would dig into the snow and mud pretty good. I will say I was driving circles around everyone in downtown Pittsburgh when the city was shut down from all the snow last winter.
. . . Also, these BFG commercial tires come with a 50K mile warranty!
. . . Also, these BFG commercial tires come with a 50K mile warranty!
Last edited by thomabb; Aug 20, 2010 at 11:57 AM. Reason: almost forgot . . .
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 35
From: Austin
I have nitto terra grapplers, load range E. They look nice and grip well but wore out really fast. 48k miles and its almost time to replace them.
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
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From: CA Bay Area
No comment on snow driving, but I am impressed by Hancock that I have on my truck. When I bought the truck 5 years ago, they did show signs of abuse already (deep cuts from driving over sharp rocks I guess). Now I added close to 50k on them and they still have plenty of thread. I do have 19.5 wheels.
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From: Itinerant
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Central Maryland
thomabb- it's a plain-jane XL with steel wheels....I bought it to work, looking pretty is secondary (altho IMHO, even a plain-jane Ford is the hottest lick going right from the factory....biased opinion, perhaps???
)
scraprat- tire chains are on my list of future purchases, but typically snowfall like we had last winter isn't the norm around here. On a diff note, where at in NH? I lived in Keene mebbe a decade ago- if it wasn't so goldanged c-c-c-cold in NH in winter, it'd be the perfect place to live!
)scraprat- tire chains are on my list of future purchases, but typically snowfall like we had last winter isn't the norm around here. On a diff note, where at in NH? I lived in Keene mebbe a decade ago- if it wasn't so goldanged c-c-c-cold in NH in winter, it'd be the perfect place to live!
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,659
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This discussion would probably be more beneficial if you first focus on a discussion about what type of tread you should get (highway tread, all terrain , or mud terrain, etc...), and then get more specific about tire models. Otherwise you're going to get a jumble of answers from people.
I have a diesel 2WD F250 with 6-speed. I bought a new set of highway treads last year. My rationale is without 4WD my truck is a fish out of water in snow and off the pavement. I focused on the truck's strong point which is fuel economy and towing. I have a Jeep Cherokee for winter driving. Those Cherokees are reliable and dirt cheap, and handle much better in snow than a full size truck. And no matter how bad the weather (Illinois) I never have to worry if I'll get home in my 2WD truck. And I don't have to wait for a diesel to warm up and defrost the window.
Definitely buy a set of chains. I even carry chains in my Cherokee. Never used them but it's about preparedness, not about seeing what I can get away with. Winter is no time to be fooling around on the side of the road stuck.
I have a diesel 2WD F250 with 6-speed. I bought a new set of highway treads last year. My rationale is without 4WD my truck is a fish out of water in snow and off the pavement. I focused on the truck's strong point which is fuel economy and towing. I have a Jeep Cherokee for winter driving. Those Cherokees are reliable and dirt cheap, and handle much better in snow than a full size truck. And no matter how bad the weather (Illinois) I never have to worry if I'll get home in my 2WD truck. And I don't have to wait for a diesel to warm up and defrost the window.
Definitely buy a set of chains. I even carry chains in my Cherokee. Never used them but it's about preparedness, not about seeing what I can get away with. Winter is no time to be fooling around on the side of the road stuck.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,069
Likes: 17
From: Melbourne, Ky
I have run Cooper ATR's on both of my trucks for years. The 97 is a dually Super Duty and I get better than 50,000 miles out of them. (truck weighs 13,000lbs) They're great in the snow and rain, and they do well when I get off pavement, which is rare. Cooper makes an ST, which is more aggressive, and a little noisy if that is a concern. They also make an STT, which is quite aggressive. I also run the ATR's on my 02 listed in my signature and have nothing but good things to say about them.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Central Maryland
This discussion would probably be more beneficial if you first focus on a discussion about what type of tread you should get (highway tread, all terrain , or mud terrain, etc...), and then get more specific about tire models. Otherwise you're going to get a jumble of answers from people.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,653
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From: Itinerant
Stock on my '08' was the BFG rugged trails A/Ts they where not bad I personally like a little more meat and extra grab on my drives.
bleeds-ford-blue right now I'm in the lake region which is ok, but I'm buying time and waiting for something to come up on the west side of the state off the beaten trail.
bleeds-ford-blue right now I'm in the lake region which is ok, but I'm buying time and waiting for something to come up on the west side of the state off the beaten trail.