20" Inch Efficient Winter Tires Compilation List - 275/60R20

[CO-rayman]

That's an interesting point. I wonder if they overlooked the other sticker. Or if it doesn't matter from a regulatory standpoint for the tires.


I had a 2022 with 22s, but it shipped with 116. The vast majority of them did as well. That the recall specifically references the tires being overloaded, it certainly seems like the most obvious cause was the 115s and the math with the regulation. I had been waiting for one of the owners to pop up and share the new label, but I haven't seen anyone mention it.

I still think the recall was simply to bring down the recommended payload max payload to bring the tire and loading label into compliance.

My local discount tire advisors strongly suggested I go with the higher load index because the truck is so heavy and the higher load index means the tires would last longer. But, they were okay with installing 115, 116 or 126 load index tires. So, I think there is some margin built into the 115s to justify that.

Either way, I am not sweating it since the trucks are so heavy and we will be going through tires soon enough

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[messinator]

Speaking of which, two questions:

- What mileage are folks expecting for their snow tires?
- Can anyone speak to how much better the snow tires perform than the ATs?

Like other people in this thread I live in Seattle, so even when going skiing my drive is 99% asphalt.

 

[DrBad]

Hmm. I have a Gen2 R1T Dual AT, which has the PIRELLI SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS 275/65R20. I live in Denver and this will be our ski car, was originally thinking the AT tires would be good enough for winter. I ALWAYS get snow and ice on our ski vehicle so now I'm reconsidering this.

The Pirelli gets pretty good scores on Tirerack:
8.7 Light snow, 8.4 Deep Snow, 7.6 Ice

Michelin X-ICE 275/60-20 gets 9.6, 9.3, 9.0. That's a big difference on ice, which is what's going to save your life in the winter on the highway. But is only 115 as others have mentioned.

Grabber: 9.4, 9.2, 8.8, 43 lbs

No ratings on the Happ R5 or LT3

Bridgestone Blizzak LT 9.5, 9.2, 8.9, 52 lbs vs 48 lbs for the AT, 3750 lbs max load.

Kind of leaning towards the Grabber for very good snow performance, price and weight.

Thoughts?

 

[CO-rayman]

Hmm. I have a Gen2 R1T Dual AT, which has the PIRELLI SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS 275/65R20. I live in Denver and this will be our ski car, was originally thinking the AT tires would be good enough for winter. I ALWAYS get snow and ice on our ski vehicle so now I'm reconsidering this.

The Pirelli gets pretty good scores on Tirerack:
8.7 Light snow, 8.4 Deep Snow, 7.6 Ice

Michelin X-ICE 275/60-20 gets 9.6, 9.3, 9.0. That's a big difference on ice, which is what's going to save your life in the winter on the highway. But is only 115 as others have mentioned.

Grabber: 9.4, 9.2, 8.8, 43 lbs

No ratings on the Happ R5 or LT3

Bridgestone Blizzak LT 9.5, 9.2, 8.9, 52 lbs vs 48 lbs for the AT, 3750 lbs max load.

Kind of leaning towards the Grabber for very good snow performance, price and weight.

Thoughts?

I too live near Denver and went with the Hankook snow tires per my earlier post.

For skiing trips, I lived with the AT tires last winter but you are exactly correct that the ATs don't perform well on ice. Any snow tire should be better on ice and snow tires are cheaper than the ATs, even when you account for steel wheels (assuming you get them on sale, got mine from EV Sportline).

I haven't run the snows yet but I do not expect much efficiency hit since the Hankooks are pretty light weight.

 

[DrBad]

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty convinced now to put on dedicated snow/ice, too many crazy days on I70 where we are weaving through spun out cars and trucks.

I'm now leaning towards the Nokia R5 SUV, "Ultra Low Rolling Resistance" and 40 lbs. I can't find any direct comparison performance data but reviews seem to put them at the top.

Why did you get wheels too? Did you not have 20" OEMs?

 

[CO-rayman]

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty convinced now to put on dedicated snow/ice, too many crazy days on I70 where we are weaving through spun out cars and trucks.

I'm now leaning towards the Nokia R5 SUV, "Ultra Low Rolling Resistance" and 40 lbs. I can't find any direct comparison performance data but reviews seem to put them at the top.

Why did you get wheels too? Did you not have 20" OEMs?

I actually hit an ice patch last winter on one of Vail's outer roads and that sealed the deal for me. It is scary enough to have no control on ice but then you add the 7k lbs and it gets scarier.

In any case, yes I have the 20" Rivian wheels but getting an extra set of wheels is purely a personal preference. I always get a second set. I get cheaper wheels since we have a lot more little rocks being thrown around during storms and the roads aren't exactly pothole free. I have also been told by our local discount tire people that stretching the tires multiple times can damage the tires. Plus, the cost of switching tires used to be around $50 twice a year (not sure what it is now) but adding that up over 4 years, you have partially paid for the cheaper wheels. Lastly, I tend to switch the wheels myself and check the tire wear, suspension, and brakes in the process. With the Rivian, I also check the bolts that attach the underside protection to the chassis as I am told by the service center that they can loosen over time.

As for snow tires, I considered the Nokian R5 but in September our discount tire could only get the 115 load index. The discount advisors really wanted me to get the higher load index tires because of the weight of the truck and I have never ignored their advice. I am told Nokian R5 now comes in 116 load index. My top choices where the General Grabber and Hankooks.

 

[DrBad]

It's more like $120 to get tires rotated/installed, so yeah, after the initial installed it's a few hundred a year. Probably close to a wash so you have the convenience of not having to make an appointment vs doing it yourself and potentially better for tires.

Wish I could find some performance test results for all the bunch, will have to do some more searching.

 

[ksurfier]

Hmm. I have a Gen2 R1T Dual AT, which has the PIRELLI SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS 275/65R20. I live in Denver and this will be our ski car, was originally thinking the AT tires would be good enough for winter. I ALWAYS get snow and ice on our ski vehicle so now I'm reconsidering this.

The Pirelli gets pretty good scores on Tirerack:
8.7 Light snow, 8.4 Deep Snow, 7.6 Ice

Michelin X-ICE 275/60-20 gets 9.6, 9.3, 9.0. That's a big difference on ice, which is what's going to save your life in the winter on the highway. But is only 115 as others have mentioned.

Grabber: 9.4, 9.2, 8.8, 43 lbs

No ratings on the Happ R5 or LT3

Bridgestone Blizzak LT 9.5, 9.2, 8.9, 52 lbs vs 48 lbs for the AT, 3750 lbs max load.

Kind of leaning towards the Grabber for very good snow performance, price and weight.

Thoughts?

I would go with the ice guards…

https://www.jeepgarage.org/threads/yokohama-iceguard-g075.225954/

 

[Singletracker]

I ran the Blizzack 275/65R20 LT tires this last winter, on my R1T. I was very, very impressed with their snow performance. Lots of days skiing in the Sierras and they were always totally confidence inspiring. Stuck like Velcro. The ride was great! No noise. And, I really couldn’t tell any significant efficiency difference from the stock Pirellis.

 

[usulio]

Speaking of which, two questions:

- What mileage are folks expecting for their snow tires?
- Can anyone speak to how much better the snow tires perform than the ATs?

Like other people in this thread I live in Seattle, so even when going skiing my drive is 99% asphalt.

Echoing CO-rayman above, and I'm also in the Colorado front range.
- I expect better efficiency from my 33" 40lb snow tires than I got from the 34" Pirelli ATs.
- I thought the Pirelli ATs were totally fine in fresh snow, but I don't trust them on ice, packed snow, cold wet pavement. Expecting the winter tires to be much better.

 

[DrBad]

You guys are killing me, everyone has a different tire and likes it, not helping at all!

I found a few performance reviews, the Nokia R5 SUV seems to be near the top in ice. Here's one:
https://alltyretests.com/nokian-hakkapeliitta-r5-suv-test-review/

Seems like you can't go wrong with any of these top tires. Leaning towards the Nokia now.

 

[Erik+]

I actually hit an ice patch last winter on one of Vail's outer roads and that sealed the deal for me. It is scary enough to have no control on ice but then you add the 7k lbs and it gets scarier.

In any case, yes I have the 20" Rivian wheels but getting an extra set of wheels is purely a personal preference. I always get a second set. I get cheaper wheels since we have a lot more little rocks being thrown around during storms and the roads aren't exactly pothole free. I have also been told by our local discount tire people that stretching the tires multiple times can damage the tires. Plus, the cost of switching tires used to be around $50 twice a year (not sure what it is now) but adding that up over 4 years, you have partially paid for the cheaper wheels. Lastly, I tend to switch the wheels myself and check the tire wear, suspension, and brakes in the process. With the Rivian, I also check the bolts that attach the underside protection to the chassis as I am told by the service center that they can loosen over time.

As for snow tires, I considered the Nokian R5 but in September our discount tire could only get the 115 load index. The discount advisors really wanted me to get the higher load index tires because of the weight of the truck and I have never ignored their advice. I am told Nokian R5 now comes in 116 load index. My top choices where the General Grabber and Hankooks.

Interesting. I had figured the ATs would be decent enough for snow to not have to get a dedicated snow tire set. I am on the other side of the mountain from Denver though, so perhaps they will suffice here depending on how much winter mountain driving I do. In any case, appreciate the comments on the ATs handling in ice/snow. Any insights on the R1's handling on slick roads compared to either a standard full-size truck or SUV with different tire combinations? I have previously never went the snow tire route with prior 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, and just used AT tires with load range E ratings and never had any problems in the winter before, I-70, vail pass, and numerous other small mountain roads in the winter, but I also try not to drive like half the muppets out on I-70 either.

 

[CO-rayman]

Interesting. I had figured the ATs would be decent enough for snow to not have to get a dedicated snow tire set. I am on the other side of the mountain from Denver though, so perhaps they will suffice here depending on how much winter mountain driving I do. In any case, appreciate the comments on the ATs handling in ice/snow. Any insights on the R1's handling on slick roads compared to either a standard full-size truck or SUV with different tire combinations? I have previously never went the snow tire route with prior 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, and just used AT tires with load range E ratings and never had any problems in the winter before, I-70, vail pass, and numerous other small mountain roads in the winter, but I also try not to drive like half the muppets out on I-70 either.

Oh, the famous I-70, so many memories...

I started putting snow tires on whatever car I designate for ski trips after buying my first car with summer tires (an Audi with AWD). If you have ever driven with summer tires on snow, you'll know what I mean ? So, I was basically forced to switch to snow tires after sliding off the road at the first snow storm.

Generally speaking, what you get with the snow tires is a shorter stopping distance on snow and ice. Getting going (even uphill) and turning haven't been an issue with ATs. With OE ATs, there is also the issue of cost since the OE ATs cost double what some of the snow tires cost. I paid $211 ea of for my Hankook snow tires.

In terms of AT traction experience, my only issue last year was hitting an icy patch on one of Vail's outer roads and I managed to control the truck.

In terms of comparison to other trucks, I used to have a 1-ton Ram for years with ATs and 400 lbs of sand bags in the bed. I went with the sand bags after hitting black ice on I-70 at the bottom of a hill going 70 mph. The road was totally dry and the black ice was the result of melting water that had refrozen into black ice at the bottom of the hill. I did 2x 360 spins and got lucky not hitting anything and rolling over. The truck was in 2WD since the road was totally dry. But, 2x360s was scary enough that I used my SUV with AWD for all subsequent ski trips. I am sure snow tires would have helped some with regaining traction in that situation.

So, yes speed is a factor and I don't think you need sand bags for the Rivian since the battery pack is low down and the weight is pretty much distributed unlike ICE trucks, but snow tires are cheaper to run and add a level of safety for stopping distances and just overall driving in winter conditions.

Snow tires are basically additional insurance and my guestimate is that I at least break even running the cheaper tires during winter since it would double the life of the OE ATs.

 

[DrBad]

I've also always put ice/snows on our cars for winter, dating all the way back to my '85 Saab 900 Turbo, aka The Rocket. We've had trips in our XC90, Grand Cherokee and Cherokee where we have weaved through spun-out cars and trucks, many in the ditch, on one of those freak storms that go from wet to sleet to ice. Usually have used Blizzaks or the Michelin Ice. In my Saab with Nokias there was one black ice incident on I25 at Loveland with dozens of cars and trucks all over the place as we crawled through and saw in the paper the next day that a few minutes after we passed through a semi went sideways and killed several people. So, yeah, ice traction is VERY important! Also, while it may seem like a good idea, don't get out to help in that type of situation, you're more likely to get slammed by someone with bad tires, leave it to the professionals.

 

[SilverArrow]

Nokian R5 has a 116 now.

That's what I'll be trying this winter.

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