Currently looking for snow tires that fit the stock P145 R12 dimensions. so far coming up with nothing. what are you guys using?
Been there, done that. In Canada anyway, winter 12's are no more, summers are still avail. but the loadrating is poop. If I was to do 12" summers I would use Carlile 145r12 trailer radials, they are 6 ply and will hold about 1400lbs each. Pricey though at about $110 a pop. A winning winter combo would be 175/70r13 I-Pikes from Hankook on some 13" Metro/Sprint/Firefly wheels. Cheap and a decent load rating (82 iirc). Jon..
I couldn't find 12" snow tires. I'm using Goodyear Nordic (13") from Canadian Tire. Studded they are superb. I drive in snow every day lately, and the truck has awesome traction. They were all I could find for that truck at the time.
I've gone with the 155/80/13s, curious to see how differently my truck handles. I am paranoid about a loss of power but everyone seems ok with a slightly larger tires size. The 175/70/13s were't available unfortunately but it's hard to say if the less rolling resistance of the narrower tread on the 155 over the 175 will compensate for the 155 slightly larger diameter.
just drove my truck home with the new snows. All I can say is wow. A slightly taller tire/wheel profile has made a huge difference in the overall ride and performance of the truck. I've read on the forum that many start in 2nd gear because they find 1st to be too low. Well, with a slightly taller tire I've found that 1st and 2nd are far more usable. The low end torque of 1st and 2nd now translates into more wheel speed which means I'm getting more out of those gears. Same goes for 4th and 5th gears. I can stay in 4th a little longer and 5th gear still has enough torque to get me up and over the hills I encounter on my way to and from work. apart from the obvious improvement in traction I get with the snows, the extra 1" in dia has made the ride much smoother. It almost feels like a domestic car now, almost. Braking is a little less powerful, but nothing I'm concerned about. I down shift all the way to 3rd and use the brakes for the last little bit already so my driving style helps to compensate for brake wear already. I'll just be hauling my ass to and from work so I think this is a winning combo for me.
I'm going to do some searching for info..wonder if the 5 speed is just a 4 with an extra gear..or the ratios are all different...I have a 4 speed and with 155/80s I still have almost no use for 1st unless loaded down or off-road..
I'd be curious to know what you find. There is a noticable change in RPM when going from 4th to 5th. This morning was the first drive in with the new tires and all the hills I have to negotiate weren't any more of an issue than normal. When I first come out of my underground parking I have to climb a fairly steep hill to get to the main road and I always do it in 3rd. My test this morning was to see how well it handled the hill. No issues, almost as though nothing's changed. I got a little more relaxed with the braking this morning and it felt closer to stock than my first impression yesterday. I drive the truck as though I constantly have an antique china hutch in the back filled with Faberge eggs so I'm feeling pretty chuffed to bits this morning. next I need to figure out what speed I'm going. My guess is roughly 5-7km/h over stock. I'll post my findings when I get them.
When I switched to this same wheel combo my speedometer actually reads correctly. I've verified my findings with two separate GPS's z
snows worked awesome this morning. Mine was the only vehicle on the road not slipping all over. In 4WD this truck feels unstoppable.
My experience is the same. I have studded winters and so far nothing has out performed me in snow, ice, crud, you name it. The thing has incredible traction performance.
I know it's petty but in a vehicle that doesn't often pass others, it's always nice when you do have the advantage
