I need new tires for my '15 JKU. I use my car as a daily driver for a short work commute (2 miles) and then do a lot of weekend roadtrips to the country. I am out every day, despite bad weather as I have a hunting dog who needs to run, no matter what.
I am in New England, so we get snow as well as that awful freezing rain/slush/ice that lasts until April.
I don't plan on lifting, but would prefer a more aggressive looking tire if possible. I was not a fan of the factory tires, especially in the rain. I felt my Honda CRV tires actually handled better.
OH MY. this opens the IMO pandora box. Well rather than go IMO..here is a suggestion when considering a tire for where you reside: Rubber Manufacturers Association for the Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake (3PMSF) symbol is a definite for me. Good Luck.
Try this article.. yes it appears to be from Europe.. https://www.pneurama.com/en/rivista_...LAKE-?ID=20587
Not exactly what you're after, but I'm also in New England and drive no matter how bad it is. I had some KM2's on it that were great in heavy unplowed snow but less so in rain.
I swapped to Duratracs and am very happy with them.
I used to run Duratracs in the winter and BFG MTs in the summer but now I run Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws all year round...the only negative thing I have to say is they are Made in Taiwan
For the many months in North Dakota with a range of snow, heavy snow, ice, black ice, slush---Duratracs. Many people run KO2s here as well, but I'm seeing more and more Duratracs. I'm guessing in New England you get similar weather to a lesser extent.
Everybody is excited at the sight of "Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol", but it is now well know that the tire manufacturers self rate their own tires for the "Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol".
The "Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol" is a requirement during the winter in my province, but sadly the symbol does not mean much.
"The test: The vehicle drives at a speed of 8 km/hr and the driver applies the brakes to three of the vehicle’s wheels to keep the vehicle speed constant while a control system causes the test wheel to accelerate from 8 km/hour up to 32 km/hour and spin out. This simulates what it might be like getting out of your driveway on a snowy morning."
8 km/h to 32 km/hr, this is 5 mph to 20 mph. This is a real joke.
It comes with 17" wheels, you cannot put 18" tires on it unless you buy 18" aftermarket wheels...
You should focus on all terrain tires, not all season tires. The Backcountry edition uses a unique tire size for a Wrangler, but there are many excellent 265/70r17 tires... KO2, Ridge Grappler, Duratrac, AT3W, S/T Maxx etc.
If it were me, I would jump up to the taller 255/80r17 size and the Falken AT3W tire... It's a direct fit 33" tire.
I run Hankook Dynapro ATMs on my 15 JK year round. They're really good in the snow and they're quiet/smooth riding on pavement. I used to have an FJ Cruiser and put the Dynapro's on it. Ran them for 4 years, great wearing tire. https://hankooktire.com/us/passenger-cars/hankook-dynapro-at-m-rf10.html
An option: I run General Arctic Altimax on my rig during the winter in a tall skinny size. I'm using the OEM 16" steelies that came on my sport and 235-85-16. They're about the same height as the 255-75-17s. I plow with my JKU so sorta don't want to get stuck. They've done pretty well for me. For you, the downside is that they're going to wear pretty quick in the summer. Perhaps consider a second set of wheels/tires for your winter setup. Looking at my local craigslist, I see 2 sets of 5 OEM 17" alloys with tires for $200 and $250. Put your new tires on whatever wheels have the lowest tread tires and have a nice day.
While the certifcation is self certifying to some extent, at least it exists. Previously, the designation of Snow, Mud, All-Terrain was based on tread block design with very little if any testing to back it up. A reasonable write-up can be found here:
FWIW, Falken Wildpeak AT3 are 3PMSF. (3 Peak Mountain Snow Falke) is the full designation of the symbol and specification.
The only down side of the Falken is there isn't a true replacement for 255 75-17. I use a 265 70-17 that at full turn rubs ever so slightly on the sway bar.
Not enough to go through the hassle of different wheels or 1/2" spacers.
Just replaced my tires and went with the same Wrangler SRA's that the Jeep came with. I drove on them all last winter with less than full tread (40,000+) and they functioned without issue.
I'll let you know in the spring if brand new versions are better or worse. Certainly the high speed balance and 4 wheel alignment with new shocks has definitely improved the ride. No more rock and roll at 50 mph unless its on the radio. :bop:
I have the factory installed 17" Goodyear Wranglers on mine and it goes through everything so far (5 years running) Mine's a 15 2 door SportS I'm in Danbury CT and drive 4 1/2 miles to work. Only place I ever had trouble (at all and it was minimal) was going through what the city piled up at the end of my driveway and there was nearly 2 feet on the ground so I "plowed through" about 2 1/2 feet. No lift, factory tires, no problem..
I'm getting a set of the Falkens soon also, very reasonably priced and they are not heavy. Have a decent aggressive tread and sidewall look to them. I got my $ worth out of a set of Michellins A/t LTX2, but I never cared for the street tire look and weren't the best in deep snow. Got 80k miles out of the five though. so 64k if it was four. Rode quiet and smooth, excellent in rain too. I will give feedback when I get the Falkens next week.
Put about 700 miles on them, plenty of rain and 4" of snow. No issues, grip well,they road forced balanced no problem, ride smooth, and they have only a little noise to them, but not loud by any means. Nice aggressive look. Again, reasonably priced and a little heavier than the Michelin's, but light compared to most others. Have a feeling they won't wear well though. Time will tell.
I will add this, I always kept Michellin's on my 96 Pontiac Sunfire and I didn't have any qualms about driving that in 6" or 8" of snow to and from work. I did stick to main roads (when I could) but in driving that thing for 18 years (the first 2 were a 1 hr 15 minute commute usually leaving the house by 5:30 AM before the plows were out or the sun came up) I didn't even once get stuck. In fact I even once after a full stop on a hill started and got around a stuck UPS truck and kept on going. I did one time spin it in an S curve because I went into it too fast (I got cocky). So Michellin's are good tires as well.
Duratracs! I've had them on 2 vehicles. I've off-roaded many times in the snow with them. One trail in particular was glaze ice. We all fell down just standing on it. The Jeeps on Duratracs all made the climb. Most of the other tires (worse was Nitto trail grapplers) needed to be winched. Plus they're great on the street, quiet, and wear well.
I had the same experience on the Falkens. Driving along a snowy, icy road with no issues, others sliding off etc. Got out of the Jeep and started skating - smooth enough ice to play hockey on.
The rocky trails here in Idaho are not kind to Duratracs in summer. The Falkens are a lot tougher - and a slightly rougher ride. I usually run mine at 30 psi for comfort, sacrificing tire life and a very small MPG difference (less than 1 mpg).
Duratracs are great of you are not running trails with lots of sharp rocks...
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