Best Snow Tires For Trucks

When you have a 4 wheel drive (4WD), all-wheel drive (AWD), or SUV you probably have the idea that you might not need a snow/winter tire.

Actually, if you drive a light truck or SUV does not mean your vehicle will not benefit greatly from a good set of winter tires.

As you well know, stopping distance and cornering is paramount when driving through ice and snow and your four-wheel drive and SUV are not that effective when it comes to that.

Well, in this article you will get to know if you really need snow tires. as well as which are the best snow tires for trucks.

snow truck tire

List Of Best Snow Tires For Truck

1. Michelin LTX Winter Tirewinter truck tire

2. Yokohama iceGuard iG51v

3. Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

4. Cooper Discoverer True North

5. Michelin Latitude X-ice Xi2

6. Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8

7. Firestone WinterForce CV

 


Michelin LTX Winter Tire

The Michelin LTX winter tire is built for vans, SUVs, heavy-duty trucks, and commercial pickups.

They can withstand winter conditions as they are designed with cold weather winter tread compound called “W/Max” which helps boosts acceleration and gives a good braking performance on the ice.

The tire comes with E load ranges and it gives firmness while driving on dry and wet surfaces.

It features low rolling resistance and is built with symmetric tread design which aids in giving a good grip in all types of winter driving conditions.

The tire features tread blocks that give good traction even on snow and ice while its 3D sipes around the tread give a good biting edge.

Also, there are four circumferential grooves combined with its lateral groove to expel water and slush away from the tire which gives it better traction and better braking abilities.

It is paired with three steel belts to aid strength and durability, especially during heavy-duty use.

It comes with a 40,000-mile tread life warranty which is actually a good warranty for a winter tire.

Last, but not least, it has a 10-ply rating that gives good puncture resistance which is great for those who drive on gravel roads and on rough terrain.

Pros

  • Outstanding snow and ice traction
  • Perfect braking on dry, wet, snow, or ice surfaces
  • Good tread life
  • 40,000-mile warranty

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls
  • Reduced cornering performance
  • No 15-inch sizes available
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

The LTX Winter is one of the Michelin tires that the company is proud of.

It does good on snow, slush, rain, and ice-covered surfaces.

Even though we have stated its disadvantage when it comes to reduced cornering performance, we need to emphasize that the tire is not bad and it cannot be expected that a winter tire will corner like a summer tire.


Yokohama iceGuard iG51v

Yokohama iceGuard iG51v
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The iG51v is a studless ice and snow winter tire that is designed for SUVs, crossovers, and light trucks to deliver the best performance in winter conditions.

The IceGuard iG51v provides stability and gives a good grip in snow.

They also feature biting edges on either side that help to maintain traction in the snow even when the tire starts to wear.

The IceGuard iG51v features outer sipes that Yokohama calls triple 3D sipes.

It can lock together to enhance tread block rigidity which aids better cornering stability on both dry and wet roads.

Plus, the tire delivers good braking even on deep snow.

The IceGuard provides good bite in the snow, whether it’s during acceleration, braking, or cornering.

In slightly deeper snow, some acceleration slip does occur, but braking remains quite good.

Its cornering grip is where the tires really excel.

Pros

  • Cornering grip
  • Reinforced internal structure
  • Great stability and performance in varying conditions

Cons

  • Acceleration slip occurs in slightly deeper snow
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

The IceGuard IG51v has improved the driving comfort levels by using a polyester casing strengthened by steel belts that are designed to preserve the tire’s ideal shape under driving pressure.

This means that the tire does not deform under the pressure.

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Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Blizzak DM-V2 is a studless ice and winter tire built by Bridgestone specifically for the winter season to give a great performance on winter driving surfaces.

It is actually designed for SUVs and light trucks with interesting features and abilities to sustain your vehicle on a tough winter surface.

The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is designed for drivers of pickup trucks, SUVs, and crossover vehicles that desire enhanced grip on snow and ice, combined with good traction on the wet surface, good handling, and a comfortable ride.

The Blizzak DM-V2 comes with the first 1/32 inch of wear guarantee on tire uniformity.

Materials and workmanship warranty is for 5-years and includes free replacement during the first 3-years.

A prorated amount is given for the remaining time and down to the remaining 2/32 inches of wear.

The unique hydropholic coating that is present in the tire helps absorb water into the tire cells when driving on a wet surface or rain-filled surface and thereby getting you out of it without hassle.

Also, you do not have a problem when driving on a dry surface.

If confidence, stability, and control are what you seek when driving through the harshest winter condition, then the Blizzak DM-V2 will not disappoint you.

Pros

  • Excellent snow, slush, and ice traction
  • Perfect dry and wet handling
  • Quiet and comfortable ride
  • Flexible design

Cons

  • Treadwear is sometimes an issue
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

This tire has earned an impressive reputation as the company has invested a lot of effort in improving quality.

Bridgestone has made several innovations when model Blizzak DM-V2 is in question, in order to make it adaptable to different climate and environmental conditions.


Cooper Discoverer True North

If you speak of quiet winter tires, tires that can handle snowstorm, tires that can plow their way without slipping, tires that will give you safety, put you in control of your vehicle, tires with exceptional stopping grip, that gives you a nice soft ride, tires that will improve your braking and handling dramatically then my friend you can speak of the Discoverer True North.

The Discoverer True North is designed for drivers of coupes, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs that desire an exceptional winter tire that will plow through winter driving conditions, cut through the ice with ease, give secure handling, and deliver great performance through this season.

Discoverer True North is a studless ice and snow winter tire from Cooper available in sizes 15 to 20.

The True North is engineered with the latest technologies to provide exceptional winter performance, excellent snow, slush, and ice traction.

Also, it gives a good grip, confident handling, and responsive steering.

It is branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol (3PMSF) which confirms it meets the industry winter performance abilities.

Pros

  • Great dry and wet winter performance
  • Affordable price
  • Quiet and comfortable ride

Cons

  • Not ideal for deep snow drive
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

What makes the Discoverer True North different from all the other tires is that it is like two tread designs in one tire.

There is the outboard tread pattern which has more space between the tread blocks in order to evacuate water and slush.

Furthermore, the inboard tread pattern is more closely knit.


Michelin Latitude X-ice Xi2

The Latitude X-ice Xi2 is Michelin’s studless ice and snow winter tire designed for drivers of vans, crossover, and sport utility vehicles as well as light-duty pickups that desire more level of confidence in winter driving conditions.

The Latitude X-ice Xi2 combines ice and snow traction with enhanced handling on wet and dry roads.

This winter tire meets the industry’s severe snow service requirements and is branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol which shows it has been tested and confirmed to be great on snow.

Michelin’s Flex-ice silica-based winter tread rubber compound aids stability on wet and dry roads while remaining flexible at lower temperatures.

Its flexibility enhances snow and ice traction and its compound is molded into a directional tread pattern.

The X-ice Xi2 groove is designed to evacuate water and slush to reduce the risk of hydroplaning.

The tire features independent shoulder and intermediate tread blocks with a combination of multiple micro-pumps and Cross Z-Sipes for enhanced ice and snow traction and driving precision on dry and wet roads.

The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by spirally wound polyamide cord to optimize the tire profile while enhancing high-speed capability.

Pros

  • Minimal noise
  • A quiet and comfortable ride.
  • Performs well on dry, wet, slushy, or snowy roads.
  • Outstanding handling, cornering, and braking
  • Strong grip

Cons

  • Tread life is average
  • Traction decreases when the tire is used on deep snow and very icy roads
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

We need to mention Michelin’s recommendation that the best performance and handling characteristics can be achieved only by using Latitude X-Ice Xi2 tires in sets of four.

All in all, the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 is a tire that provides comfort, precise handling, and stability for the great overall winter performance.


Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8

Winter Maxx SJ8 is Dunlop’s studless ice and snow tire engineered for drivers of crossovers, SUVs, light trucks, and minivans looking for confident handling and good braking performance on cold, wet, snow-covered, and icy roads.

The Winter Maxx SJ8 tire feature a Nano-Fit tread compound molded into a directional pattern.

This winter-focused compound combines flexibility and rigidity to conform to the micro-texture of low-friction surfaces.

Its four wide circumferential grooves combined with wide lateral notches and open shoulder slots help evacuate water and slush away from the contact patch.

The Maxx Sharp Edge enhance the number of biting edges per tread block and by doing so, it prevents block distortion while also providing good traction on wet, snow and ice surface.

The Winter Maxx SJ8 Internal construction consists of a two-ply polyester casing for enhanced durability while maintaining ride comfort.

Two wide steel belts support the tread area with a two-ply nylon reinforcement cap for enhanced handling with high-speed abilities.

Winter Maxx SJ8 tires meet the industry’s severe snow service requirements and are branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.

Pros

  • Snow wear bars
  • Excellent traction
  • Great controllability
  • Long tread life

Cons

  • In need of better handling capability
  • Not studdable
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 is a surprisingly good winter option that is highly rated by its owners.

The Winter Maxx SJ8 boasts a continuous center rib which is designed to keep the tire’s road contact at all times thus improving the driving stability.


Firestone WinterForce CV

The Winterforce CV is Firestone’s Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice and Snow tire designed for drivers of vans, delivery trucks, and heavy load vehicles.

It is actually designed for drivers looking for traditional wintertime traction on dry, wet, and snow-covered surface with sizes available in heavy-duty, euro-metric commercial vehicle sizes.

Firestone Winterforce CV tire features wide, high-angle lateral grooves and a deep, circumferential groove that help evacuate water and slush and reduce the risk of hydroplaning, combined with independent tread blocks siped to offer biting edges necessary for great traction on snow and on ice.

Its tread compound is molded into an aggressive directional pattern and the strong tie bars in the outboard shoulders stabilize the blocks for confident handling and resists irregular wear.

The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts on top of a polyester casing which increases strength and improves ride quality.

This winter/snow tire meets the industry’s severe snow service requirements and it is branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.

Pros

  • High-density sipes
  • Wider shoulder blocks
  • Good steering response on wet roads.
  • Deep snow traction is great
  • Treadwear is quite better than with some other models

Cons

  • Produce more noise when compared to other models
  • The ice traction is not precise
Alfred's TakeAlfred's Take

The Firestone WinterForce CV  has achieved results when tested during heavy rains, especially when it comes to its grip and control.

Another important advantage of this tire is the price, which is as low as $60 per tire.


Do I Need Snow Tires For My Truck?

Truck and SUV drivers often feel they do not need winter or snow tires.

It turns out the best 4X4 and all-wheel drive are not completely efficient in winter driving conditions except when they have winter tires mounted.

Winter tires give these vehicles better performance on winter surfaces as that is what they are designed for.

So it is wise to take advantage of winter tires.

The 4X4 and all-wheel drive traction system truly gives a good level of traction, but their benefits and abilities are mostly felt during acceleration.

snow truck tire

The most important and challenging aspects of driving in snow are stopping performance, straight-line traction, and cornering grip.

You will agree that your four-wheel and all-wheel drive do not deliver excellent performance here either.

The four-wheel-drive vehicles truly help you move quicker in snow, but are not helpful in stopping the vehicle.

Plus, the four-wheel drive system add additional weight to your vehicle so the stopping distance on ice and snow might be longer than two wheels.

Now speaking of braking, 4X4 is of no difference to the front or rear-wheel drive vehicles.

It just does not offer a better advantage.

Sometimes you could even feel a slide when turning around a corner.

A good winter tire would have avoided it altogether in the first place.

Winter/snow tires will deliver a good winter stopping power, great winter performance, good cornering grip, effective turning, straight road traction in the most hazardous and stressful winter road conditions.

So for the best performance, control, and overall safety, your 4X4, SUV, and light trucks generally need winter tires just like every other vehicle driving through this road condition.

Are All-Terrain Tires The Same As Snow Tires?

All Terrain Tires

All-terrain tires are designed for year-round use and for different terrains.

They are built to deliver great traction on rough roads without losing their highway smoothness and comfort.

Drivers of all-terrain are confident when driving off-road, mud, and climbing rocks because the tire is designed to be versatile.

Furthermore, you do not have to worry too much about cuts and chips as they are built to be resistant to it and they are engineered to be strong so do not expect them to go down easy.

Snow Tires

Snow tires on the other hand are engineered with soft walls (softer than any other tire, even all-season or all-terrain) and they remain soft even in extreme winter conditions.

By doing so, they are capable of great performance in winter driving conditions.

Snow tires are built with squared-off shoulders instead of rounded ones with deep grooves that make the tire dig into snow and trap snow to enhance better snow-to-snow traction.

Plus, the deep groove also helps with stability when you are driving on a slippery surface.

The grooves are built to resist hydroplaning when driving through slush and wet surface.

However, snow tires do not last long like other tires, neither are they built for warm temperatures like all-terrain tires, so you have to store them and replace them with other tires.

Black Toyota Vehicle On Snow Field

Are All-Terrain Tires Great In Snow?

All-terrain tires are not bad in snow, as they still deliver a good performance in these hard conditions.

However, if you drive frequently on snowy and icy roads that are not plowed, then you will be better off with snow tires.

Snow tires are designed specifically for winter extremities so they are unbeatable and they will come through with exceptional performance on those harsh and hazardous snow driving conditions.

But, if you live in cities where the roads are generally dry and adequately plowed in snow season, then all-terrain tires are great for you.

It will give you all the traction you need in this road condition and on light snow.

Ultimately, the choice of snow or all-terrain tires depends on where you live, your driving condition, and the amount of snow you drive on during the winter season.

Some will find snow tires more useful while all-terrain tires will be the best fit for others.

Just remember to be adequately equipped and well-prepared for winter driving conditions in the winter season.

If your choice is snow tires, remember to unmount them and store them properly once the cold weather is gone because they are not designed for warm temperatures.

Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful to you and hope you found your choice in the list of best snow tires for trucks.

Remember to equip yourself for the season and stay safe.

If snow chains are what you desire, then you can check this out.

In case you have any comments or questions, leave them in the box below and we will be glad to hear from you.



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