[Tim]

Hi-

What are your experiences in severe snow and ice with your Isuzu's handling and specifically what tires do you run in the winter? My plan was to run an all-season on our 99' Rodeo but I am on the fence about it after reading reviews of many of the all-season tires for SUV's. The Geolander AT+ II is rated quite well in the snow and it's presently #1 on my list. I am also considering the General Grabber HT or AT.

I live in northern Vermont and we get severe snow and ice in my neck of the woods, so safety is absolutely my #1 priority. I do not care about tire noise, longevity or looks.

Thanks, Tim

 

[Conman]

If you want an all season tire, one of the mags did a tire test and said the Pirelli Scorpions are a great tire. The test was a few years ago so there are probably just as good or better but you can't go wrong. The REVOs seemed good on my trooper during the winter so you might want to look at them as well.

As for true snow tires, Bridgestone Blizzak are great. I know alot of sports car owners who swap to these during the winter months. Also they are not a bad dry weather tire too.

Con

 

[Big_D]

Living here in Montana I too have a lot of experience with snow. I have run General Grabbers on a previous vehicle and they were great. Lasted forever too. Currently I am running Wal-Mart Liberator AT's and I love them. Great price and great in the snow. Took them up to the mountains on a couple of snow runs, and never had a problem. I was told by the sales guy that they are rebadged BF Goodrich tires, but who knows. Just my .02.

 

[JasonB]

I loved my Yokohomas in the snow...and after reading the reviews on the TireRack, the Bridgestone REVO seems to be a real winner of an SUV tire now. I just bought a set this summer and have not had a chance to check them out in the fluffy stuff, but i'm sure the will far surpass my yokes just based on the softness of the sipes and the amount of "edges" in the tread.

 

[JTK]

I'll tell you what.. the cheapo stock bridgestone dueler 684's on my 2002 were unbelieveably good in the snow last winter- & we get more than we like!! These tires seem to be wearing really well too- 'course I rotate'em every 5ki mi. I'm a cooper tire fan myself. Always had good luck with them & the price is always right. G/luck
Joel

 

[eeZooZooJaz]

I think you should attach several hot air guns to your bumper and hot-wire them to your battery. You won't have a problem with snow in front of you. But your trip back would suck as it will have turned into rock hard ice....

 

[Javier]

I got BF Goodrich All Terrain on my 95' Trooper and they seem to be the best . I've been off roading in the snow and they do great. I think they are great tires year round.

 

[Tim]

I checked out the Revo's and they are highly rated everywhere. Another question is the recommendation to go with the same tire design as was on the vehicle as new. It seems like the vehicle could just as safely use another type, such as an AT tire versus a less aggressive tread pattern which is often spec'd on an Isuzu's SUV. Any opinion's?

Thanks for the help!

 

[JasonB]

Any opinion's?

Thanks for the help!

Lots of em thanks

My take on tires is this. HOW DO YOU DRIVE? Do you spend more time onroad vs offroad? Is "offroad" to you a trip down a gravel path? Does it rain/snow alot where you live? These are things you need to ask yourself. The tires that were shipped on the truck are a general compromise for delivery climate. If you don't live in SanDiego, they might not be the ideal choice for you. Given that tires like the REVO wear as well or better than most of the "street" tires for SUV's, my money is on the traction afforded by the AT tire. If you have no need for the added traction abilities of an AT, then get a good street tire. Yok makes a nice sport truck tire that would do good in a dry environment

 

[Smiley]

If you'd like to try something different, and want a set of dedicated snow tires that are reputed to be among the very best in the world, then take a good look at the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10s.

(And NO, I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce it… My tongue gets herniated just thinking about it!)

Some of them feature as much as a 17/32 tread depth… and according to the independent testing that I've seen; above and beyond their snow and ice performance capabilities, they are supposed to hold their own quite well against many popular A/T tires when tasked with off-road duties.

They're definitely worth looking into, IMHO. --- Before getting my Cooper STTs, I was seriously thinking about getting some of them myself.

***

Which brings me to the second choice…

The Cooper Discoverer STT.

The STT is a studable M/T tire that has a very good reputation for snow performance (although I have yet to have the pleasure of personally confirming this claim. --- But I can tell you, without a doubt, that they kick some pretty dang serious off-road hiney!).

And if the appearance of the STT is a little too much for your tastes, there's always the notably less aggressive ST model to consider.

The ST is an A/T tire with a stellar reputation in its own right.

The Australian Cooper Tyre website was the ultimate deciding factor in ending my own tire ruminations, and helped me put to rest any concerns or reservations that I had about buying a set for my Rodeo. --- Contained within the website are some mighty compelling testimonials about their dogged durability, and the amazing impression that they've made upon the folks who travel around in the most remote portions of the Outback...

Although, in all honesty, I can't say that I recall seeing anything from our friends Down Under that mentioned the Cooper's snow performance and handling characteristics.

***

In the final analysis, even considering my STT's supposed winter traction capabilities… if I had the money… and my thoughts were focused solely upon maximum winter traction… after everything that I've read about them, I'd get myself a set of the H10s for winter, and use my STTs the rest of the year.

[/My $0.02]

 

[Tim]

I had studded Hak 10's on my AWD Subaru and they were pretty good. However my Cooper Weatheraster snow tires preformed awesome on another car that winter with rear wheel drive only. Bottom line is I want an AT tire that's fantastic in the snow. Thanks for the input!

 

[Turbinewrench]

Hi Tim,

Last year I ran some Cooper Wintermaster Plus tires on my 88 Trooper. I thought they were great.

I recently purchased a 99 Rodeo, and I plan on putting the coopers on it when the trooper goes to the bone yard in the near future. ( It has Vermont cancer!)

Todd

PS- The price was right!

 

[Tim]

I decided on Cooper Discoverer Mud & Snow at $77.00 a piece. I'll get some summer AT tires next year if I keep this truck. The tread is very deep on the Cooper M & S's and they make the ride a little stiff. I have had very good luck with Cooper in the past, so hopefully that will apply to these.

 

[Tim]

I tested the Cooper Discoverer M & S tires in deep snow this past weekend and I was impressed. In fact the Rodeo did much better than I thought it would. I would now recommend these tires. Now if I could just improve the MPG and oil consumption!

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Tim
VT