3500 in the snow. Anyone help?

[Ramtuf1]

Seems to me there was a previous thread on tire configuration for better handling in the snow. I had about 1/2 ton of sand in bed last year for added traction and handling but didn't seem to help. Was going to try to remove either the inner or the outer rear wheels and try again. Can anyone share some experiences as to if they have tried this and which is the better configuration. I also have Michelin On/Off road tires which came on the truck and the tread seems a bit mild. Hate to buy another set but any suggestions on good winter tires? Appreciate the responses.

 

[illflem]

Get your tires siped if you can, it makes a world of difference. read about it here https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31369

 

[Ramtuf1]

Michelin's no siping!

Looking at the post you referred me to says not to sipe Michelin's. Good suggestion though. Seems that running with one set of tires on rear would put more pressure per square inch on the single tire per side. This is what I'm looking at initially. Met up with a guy the other day who had Cooper tires just installed but was running with the outside tire set on and the insides removed. He didn't have any time on the road with it like that so had no recommendations. Looking for anyone who knows.

 

[Snow man]

The 3500 's are bad in the snow,we stopped using them for plowing,for the most part. You need more weight than 1/2 ton,you need at least 2500 lbs,and a deep,aggressive snow/mud tire. We use 2500's even with V boxes,they track much better in the snow.

 

[Extreme1]

500# isn't enough, 750# you will notice a difference. The more the better. Keep it in the front of the box or over the axle, it will have better force application that way. I'll spare you the discussion on polar moment of inertia...

 

[Diesel Junkie]

I drive 80mi. every day 7 days a week and all I do is put a board across the back of the bed add 500* of sand and let her rip. This truck has been great in the snow. If I use 4wd it also helps. After power upgrades you will find yourself using the 4x4 a lot more.

I'm sure others will disagree but this is my opinion and I have driven this truck through about everything anyone can come up with and never been even near stuck.

This does not apply to mud though. It would sink like a rock.



Good luck, Scott

 

[juicedcummins]

Thats why most of us stay away from training-wheels. Stuck in snow,don't handle in slush,too wide for bush and wallmart,harder on fuel. And some people think that they are so heavy compaired to our 2500's. My 2500 weighs 7956lbs rigged and full of fuel.

Your problem is probably to wide of foot-print made by the offset of the rims. How much air in tires?80 way too much.

But they are a real sweet loocking ride!

 

[DPelletier]

Obviously I don't have dual rear wheels, but several of my friends do. Rumor is that it is best to remove the outside wheels otherwise the rear tires will be riding on the ridges of slush and snow left by the front tires. Makes sense to me.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by juicedcummins

And some people think that they are so heavy compaired to our 2500's. My 2500 weighs 7956lbs rigged and full of fuel.

I don't know about that. With full fuel and nothing on my aluminum flatbed, I tip the scales at 7600 lbs. The problem is two fold, like you said, footprint from two tires is to large. The biggie though IMHO is tracking. Squat down in front of the dually and look at where your front tires track relative to the duals. The front tires part the snow especially slush and the back tires then have to ride on top of the furrows.



Getting back to the threads from last snow season, a good "safe" souce for bed weight are horsemats. These are 3/4" thick x 4'x6' rubber mats for use in a horsestall. A bit spendy at 30 bucks or so up. They weigh 100 lbs each and are the most ungainly hard to move objects you can imagine. However, stack em' up in your bed and they will stay put. Whatever you put there, think about the missle potential should you make an abrupt manuever.

 

[Pit Bull]

I bought my wife a Toyota Landcruiser and put BFG AT/KO's on it. If it snows much she is nice and lets me drive it Where I live it is not the tracking problem I am worried about it is getting down the sharp winding hill I live on. With all the weight of that Cummins up front I don't think I would ever make it to the highway, it would just keep going straight into the woods This would happen with either a 2500 or a 3500. Good luck

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

As to your tire question: On my 2500, I run Goodyear Wrangler ATS tires (285's). These are Goodyear's premier all-season/all-terrain tires, and I love them. They are already siped to beat the band (have something like 7800 biting edges to them), have a very aggressive tread for snow, mud & sand, 2 wide channels to let water flow & prevent hydroplaning. They handle terrificly and ride smooth and suprisingly quiet on dry pavement. I think they're the best tires I've ever owned (my 3rd set, on 3 trucks).



On my wife's Suburban, I run Michelin LTX M/S tires. These actually have even MORE sipes than the Goodyears, but since she never takes the "burb" off-road, these were recommended for the snow & ice conditions she encounters (we live in Idaho) and it was a very good recommendation.



Michelin makes another tire specifically for snow & ice, with even MORE sipes (there's that word again) than the LTX's, but I'm not certain if they're built for trucks, or only for passenger cars, & I don't know the model name/designation.



I recommend Discount Tire Company if there's one near you. They had the Goodyear & Michelin stores beat on prices (everywhere else too, for that matter, including Wal-mart), and gave a better treadwear warranty (60K) and tire replacement package.



As to removing either set of rear tires, I can just see the $$ lighting up in some bottom-feeding lawyer's eyes if you happen to get into an accident. Sure, the folks here on the TDR may understand the traction/tracking reason you did it, but the idiots who sit on juries and award $3M to some broad who spills her own coffee in her crotch will easily believe that you wrecklessly endangered someone's life. After all, if the manufacturer had meant for your truck to only have two rear wheels, that's how they would have built it, wouldn't they? Who are you to say you know more than Daimler/Chrysler, hmm? Make him PAY, ladies & gentlemen of the jury!!



Yes, I know this is a long post, but honestly, it's the first long post I've had all year.



Regards,

Sam

 

[rrl989]

3500 useless in snow

Last year we had a alot of snow here, much more that usual, and my 3500 is real pitiful in the snow, especially with +70K miles on the original Michelin LTX M/S's. I can't even get up my driveway at times which is long, with a slight upward slope. It's real embarrassing. After long research, it appears we are so limited on tires. I wish BFG would make a 215/85-E mud terrain tire !!!



What about the Michelin XPS Traction 215's for $180 each, will they help out in the snow or will I continue to get laughed at by these little sport ute folks ?



I previously owned a 1/2 ton GMC reg. cab w/ a shortbed, I had BFG 33x12. 5's AT's and I could NOT get stuck if I tried !!!!



I think that if I had a tire that would dig, grab, and throw snow I'd be ok.



RonL

 

[Ramtuf1]

I know what you are saying about being embarrassed about getting in and out of a driveway or other places for that matter. My thinking on removing the wheels like the one responder spoke about is that the outside tires are the first to hit deep snow or drop off the road surface or whatever. This causes the front of the truck to pull to that side and give the feeling that the front is sliding. With the steering (play and lack of response) as it is, you really have to react and oversteer to avoid going further off the road or into the snow. I just felt thatthe outside tires should be the ones to come off in winter.



I haven't done that much research on tires and treads but from the responses, many of you have and sounds like we don't have many options. Like to see if there is someone out there who can contribute to the wheel removal question with experience (rather then parking it in the garage) along with tire recommendations to answere other peoples questions. Thanks a bunch for the other replys

 

[Bug Out]

One rear wheel?

Why can't a aftermarket rim that is a little wider and offset then stock be bought and a little wider M/S tire be put on during the snow months?



One fat tire instead of one off set inner or outter? Plenty of room back there. JMHO. .





.

 

[Extreme1]

The front tires on a dually are centered on the rear. Removing either the inner or outer (NOT BOTH! ) wouldn't help because the rear would still try to follow th front in the wet stuff. A standard wheel mounted on the rear would work. But if you do that, you should have a 2500 anyhow.

 

[Briar Hopper]

My dually does just fine in the snow. However, on ice, while pulling a 30' travel trailer, it DOES NOT do fine..... I found out the hard way while going through Atlanta on Wednesday night, Jan. 2, trying to get home from Florida. hehheh, boys and gurls, can ya say "jack knife" ? I had quite a nice view of my trailer's rear bumper end cap in the passenger side mirror, while skidding across no less than 7 bridges on I-285 around Atlanta. A gentle touch on my brake pedal, with my left foot, activated the trailer brakes while I kept power to the truck with my right foot. It straightened out every time. No thankee, kids, I ain't letting go of the wheel with either hand to activate the trailer brake button. I got lucky. It also brought the unexpected bonus of making everyone afraid to pass me which lessened my likelihood for an accident. Snow & ice was non-existent north of Marietta, I really got lucky.

No more winter trips to Florida in an RV. Not for me.

How do you flatten 3 inches of bunched leather in the driver's seat of these trucks? Any ideas? It's not stained, just bunched into a mound, LMAO !

 

[rrl989]

I don't know about you guys, but I've seen what my 3500 looks like with a single rim on the rear (when I rotate my tires. ) Do You think I really want to get laughed at, all the time ?



RonL

 

[Tentman]

Just my two cents worth. When I drove a dually, we switched to Cooper Discoverers and loved 'em! My plow truck is awesome to say the least with Cooper's latest tread design. I hate to admit it, but my Chevy w/Coopers will go through more than my Dodge w/Michelins

 

[rrl989]

Tentman,



Are those Coopers available in size 215/85-R16 10 Ply E rating to match my OEM Michelins ?



RonL

 

[JohnE]

FF;

Both the Cooper Discovereer ST and MS are available in 215/85-R16 E according to <a href=http://www.costire.com/pricing.htm target=_blank>Costire</a>. The ST appears to be listed as a 10 ply.



-John