MT vs. AT in Snow
- Thread starter Damtall
- Start date
AT every day. If you Google snow tires it is all about sipping. Little groves that hold snow. Yes you read that right hold snow. Why? Snow sticks to snow. Remember building snowmen and snow balls?
MT tires tend to self clean, works well in mud but not so good in snow. At tires have a tighter tread pattern and sipping.
Also look at the tire side wall. Look for the snowflake symbol. This designates the tire as a winter tire. Suitable for winter conditions.
NoVA conditions. Most of our snow travel is on wet slushy roads. Wide tires tend to float on this stuff. The deep tread pattern of a MT tire help dig thru the slush.
The slick condition are also most wet but icy underneath. In this type condition nothing works well. The more silica content a tire has the better it performs on wet conditions, but these tires tend to have a shorter life.
Hope that answers your question.
MT tires tend to self clean, works well in mud but not so good in snow. At tires have a tighter tread pattern and sipping.
Also look at the tire side wall. Look for the snowflake symbol. This designates the tire as a winter tire. Suitable for winter conditions.
NoVA conditions. Most of our snow travel is on wet slushy roads. Wide tires tend to float on this stuff. The deep tread pattern of a MT tire help dig thru the slush.
The slick condition are also most wet but icy underneath. In this type condition nothing works well. The more silica content a tire has the better it performs on wet conditions, but these tires tend to have a shorter life.
Hope that answers your question.
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I have heard countless people say MTs are terrible in the snow, which I find hysterical given that MS tire is slightly less capable in adverse conditions and ATs are slightly less capable in adverse conditions when compared to MS tires.
As you move from MT, to MS, to AT, to LT, what happens is you sacrifice performance in extreme conditions (mud, snow, rocks, sand) for for a smoother and quieter ride on the street.
I have run every type of tire you can think of in the snow of New England. Running an MT at 14 PSI or less is the best you're going to get on a DOT tire. BUT in snow and sand, an LT or AT at 10 PSI will outperform an MT at 40 PSI, all day long.
As you move from MT, to MS, to AT, to LT, what happens is you sacrifice performance in extreme conditions (mud, snow, rocks, sand) for for a smoother and quieter ride on the street.
I have run every type of tire you can think of in the snow of New England. Running an MT at 14 PSI or less is the best you're going to get on a DOT tire. BUT in snow and sand, an LT or AT at 10 PSI will outperform an MT at 40 PSI, all day long.
AT tires would be better in snow as suggested due to siping. As MTs do have siping, ATs give more contact and grip. Much of it also depends on the driver as well and the type of snow or condition. Obviously ice isn't best for any tire except with studs. My suggestion is put on what the vehicle will be used for most. If you use the vehicle once or twice a year and it is an everyday driver go with ATs. They will give you a better ride on road and tackle off road fairly well also. If you only use the vehicle off road and very little on road, I would suggest the MTs. Good luck!
While the Firestone MT does have siping, the space between the large lugs, meant to dig into the mud, means the tire has less surface area in contact with the road. AT tires do better in the snow, largely, due to the simple fact that they have more tire surface area in contact with the ground. This larger contact patch translates to improved traction. Conversely, ATs do poorly in the mud, due to a tendency to "float" and clog up. That said, MT tires can help in deep snow, but you run into the problem of them digging in to bury you. I learned that one the hard way!
I absolutely hate and abore my km2 in the snow. In ice and snow they float they wonder they fight for traction. Make me, the jeep, and those around work harder than we have to. They're damn near scary. I ran ko2 and fallen wildpeak at3 on Dad's jeep and my truck and loved love love them both in snow. At all the way.
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BullRun4x4
Vendor
For a daily driver that sees street use mainly and occasional snow or trail use, the AT is the winner in my book.
Falken Wildpeak AT3W and AT4W are 3 Peak Rated as is the Toyo AT tire. They are some of better tires for snow. They are also very quiet on the road so if road noise bothers you, these are solid choices.
An air downed MT will do good in the snow too but I prefer not to get out and air down just to drive over snow.
Falken Wildpeak AT3W and AT4W are 3 Peak Rated as is the Toyo AT tire. They are some of better tires for snow. They are also very quiet on the road so if road noise bothers you, these are solid choices.
An air downed MT will do good in the snow too but I prefer not to get out and air down just to drive over snow.
I feel like if I happen to be one of the unfortunate ones who have to drive to work or put some significant miles down in snow storms, and I'm driving on untreated roads or road not yet plowed, airing down is an option to be able to move at higher speeds more safely... but I mean being able to travel at 25-30 MPH instead of 10-15 MPH.
If the roads are clear(ish), I'm driving a short distance, or I know I will be getting on a clear highway and will be traveling at speed, I won't air down. Especially because it takes so long to air 40s back up to 35 or 40 PSI.
BTW, I found out that the Nitto Mud Grapplers still absolutely scream on the streets, even in 5 or 6 inches of snow. LoL
Having driven both for thousands of miles in the snow, if i was buying for snow + dry roads and AT would be my choice. My general use is more off pavement so I will stick to my MTs. The JK had a set of Maxxis Razr MTs (28 psi) and the LJ (25psi) is on Km2s, I honestly don't aor either down for the snow. Ice is a totally different game though.
I would consider 25 PSI aired down compared to where I normally need to be. My Mickey Thompsons and my Nittos require about 40 PSI to inflate to the correct pressure, allowing me to drive on the crown (roughly the inner 2/3rds of the tread). When my tires are fully inflated to the correct pressure and spinning at 30 mph or faster, the total contact patch on the ground is smaller than the width if a 16 oz water bottle laying on the ground.
The LJ has 25lbs per several chalk tests, for it with D load KM2s as well as fitting within the max recommendation for the RT232s also.
Mark what load are those 40s?
I'll have to look next time I have access to the Jeep. There is no rate listed on the website.
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