My truck is in the ditch!

[orezok]

It's not anywhere close to 100% related

So what percent do you think it is?

 

[LD1]

So what percent do you think it is?

Don't know and don't care. Not worth arguing about

 

[holeycow]

no point in my comment. sorry

 

[4570Man]

I like a wide tire better. I can't do a fair comparison for traction, but they are much better on soft ground.

 

[Rustyiron]

I was always told big fat flotation tires for mud and tall skinny tires for snow.


So what's the consensus from those that plow snow for a living?

Around here, yes on the tall skinny for the snow, and they run studded tires.

 

[3930dave]

I like a wide tire better. I can't do a fair comparison for traction, but they are much better on soft ground.

On dirt and sand, more flotation :thumbsup:.

For snow with a road under it, ideally you want the narrowest snow rated tire that will carry the GVWR load, as you want the contact pressure up. Not fashionable today, but I like a tall sidewall for a work truck.

Given a choice, nobody plows snow here with duals until you get into Dump Truck sized vehicles, and even those are always loaded with sand.

Chains help, but are not routinely used for road vehicles around this part of Ontario.

Rgds, D.

 

[dragoneggs]

It's not a simple math problem and I am arguing duelies vs. not. But me thinks grip is important... ground pressure of course is good. But also one must look at the 'slipperiness' of the contact area. The ground 'condition' can vary from spot to spot... some spots you may have better traction than others... so a larger footprint could be a good thing. :stirthepot:

 

[crazyal]

My advice would be to get a set of v-bar tire chains. On my dump truck I have dualy chains for both rear tires. I've never needed any on the front.

 

[airbiscuit]

I was always told big fat flotation tires for mud and tall skinny tires for snow.

I'm not offering an opinion on duallys vs singles. When I was a young buck, I had a Jeep CJ5 with big/wide Desert Dog tires on it. We got a good snow, and I tore across the fields with snow 18" deep, and promptly got stuck. I also had a 1954 Jeep Wagon, with tall skinny Plain Jane snow tires. I drove the old Jeep out as nice as can be and pulled the new Jeep with its fancy tires back home. Never came close to getting stuck.

So, if I'm traveling across deep snow, I would prefer tall and skinny. That said, those duallys are probably traveling behind the plow in snow that is not deep at all. In that case, maybe having more surface area gives you more traction for pushing - I don't know. I just wish I still had that 54 Jeep wagon.

 

[holeycow]

I don't know what the heck you guys are talking about, but it works like this: on any surface capable of supporting high ground pressure the more weight you can put on the smallest contact patch results in the most traction (that's why corks are put on tracked equipment- to reduce contact patch area). Duallys are used to carry more load, not to get more traction. Duallys are inferior in mud and snow, not only because of contact patch, but also because of the wider track in the back having to re-clear the trail created by the front. They also turn into big slicks in sticky mud, becoming completely useless. There is no reason to have a dually unless you are hauling heavy loads. They are a pita unless used as intended, IMO. When used for hauling near rated capacity, duallys are superior to singles. When used for pushing, duallys are inferior more often than not. They also ride rough and drive like crap unless heavily loaded. But they look tough.

wide tires on off-road vehicles are usefull only for flotation, not traction.


flotation is an entirely different subject. And so is side loading. And I don't know the math. I just know the facts.

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[holeycow]

My advice would be to get a set of v-bar tire chains. On my dump truck I have dualy chains for both rear tires. I've never needed any on the front.

a steering chain is a good thing to have at times, no?

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm enjoying this thread.

 

[Garandman]

Sometimes all it takes is an old farmer with the proper tractor and the proper attitude...Glad you got it out. :thumbsup:

My BIL has a Case/Farmall 130H which sounds like it's similar.

It will lift almost 5,000 lbs at the pins and breakout 6,000 lbs.

 

[LD1]

I had a 1985 dodge that had 35x16 r16.5 Boggers on it. I never could get that thing stuck in the snow. I could go through drifts till I was plowing snow with the front pipe bumper back in the fields, and if I couldnt go forward anymore, I'd just back out and go again.

According to you guys it should have sucked in the snow. But my 1/2-ton truck at the time, with comparably tall skinny tires, didnt make it far off the road at all. The dodge would go where ever I wanted.

 

[Egon]

Holeycow makes a pretty clear statement. If it's snow, mud or ice leave the wide tire's in the parking lot.

Not familiar with sand but for soft ground wide tracks work well.

Northern Alberta sees some interesting roads.

 

[aczlan]

I had a 1985 dodge that had 35x16 r16.5 Boggers on it. I never could get that thing stuck in the snow. I could go through drifts till I was plowing snow with the front pipe bumper back in the fields, and if I couldnt go forward anymore, I'd just back out and go again.

According to you guys it should have sucked in the snow. But my 1/2-ton truck at the time, with comparably tall skinny tires, didnt make it far off the road at all. The dodge would go where ever I wanted.

View attachment 493710View attachment 493711View attachment 493712

It all depends on the tread depth and if you want to float on top, or sink down and dig in.
Your boggers had a very open tread design, so they would dig into the snow well and they were wide enough to float on hard snow.
If your half ton had "road tires" with a more closed tread pattern and less spaces, it would do poorly in the snow even if it were narrower.
Some examples:
Goodyear Wrangler HT (Goodyear - Page Not Found | Goodyear Tires

Bogger (Page not found | Interco Tire


Aaron Z

 

[LD1]

Point was that everyone keeps saying that a wide mud tire dont do well in the snow. And my 16" wide mud tires did just fine in the snow.

 

[Rustyiron]

I think it comes down to the wide variable's in the snow & temps, what's under the snow etc. You all have seen 1/2" of snow with the right conditions even walking on it turns it into a 1/4" of almost ice. I spent years in the mid atlantic and know this well, and yes (LD1) with 35/12.50/16's on my truck. Then there's the good light snow that almost blows out from under your tires and it doesn't matter really how deep it gets.
Everyone here that plows takes the stock tires off their truck and puts on a narrow studded tire for winter plowing. Maybe it's the studs, most of them have a couple of yards of salt sand in a spreader in the bed also, that helps things a lot.:confused3:

 

[LD1]

Winter tires are a whole different animal. True winter tires are a softer compound, totally different tread design, then add studs......thats just the way to go for winter.

For me, I like an all season tire and not have to buy an extra 6. I have found mastercraft courser HXT to be about the best in the snow I can find short of an actual winter tire CooperMastercraft - Courser HXT

 

[MossRoad]

Well, after reading several snow plowing forums, the consensus is singles give better traction VS dual, all else being kept equal.

Once you start getting into duals, pretty much everyone says you have to add weight to get traction.