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I am thinking of getting a set of dedicated winter set up (3 peaks tires mounted on 18” wheels) for my D90s P300 and i am researching on tires.
I read a lot of positive reviews on BF Goodrich K02 as well as Goodyear Duratrac, though K02 seems to be more favorable based on what i read so far.
i will primarily be driving to ski mountains in the northeast.
Any inputs and recommendations on them as well as any other tires will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Those are not good candidates for dedicated winter tires. You would run both year round and find them significantly worse in performance than a true winter tire.
The thread above suggest going with Nokian winters. My Nokians came in and were mounted this week on my take offs. Took about a month to get them. I would suggest ordering ASAP. The Nokian is the only tire I could locate with availability and with the right load rating for the 18” wheels. There might be a Michelin product that works but my tire shop said it wasn’t available to order at the time. They had to work to get the Nokian tires ordered — several calls and long holds.
Like Patriot said, you seem to be mixing up 3 Pewk rated AT’s with true winter snow tires. Understandable with all the BS marketing around the 3 Peak label. 3 Peak rated AT’s are better than non rated AT’s in the snow, but most definitely not as good as true snow tires, especially on icy roads. 3 Peak tires do not have to be tested on ice, unlike snow tires, and their compound is not optimized for cold weather like snow tires. If you want the best protection from sliding into a tree or worse for you and your family, get true snow tires. The iGuide has a list available.
KO2's work well in deep fluffy snow, so basically useless in northeast winter conditions with wet, heavy snow and slush. I went with 20" Nokian Hakka R3 SUV winter tires again. They are simply the best for northeast winters. Went through 4 sets of these winter tires on our LR4's. As Tartan noted, it's not about getting traction, but rather turning and braking the Defender's weight on slippery surfaces. The Nokian tire sipes run far deeper than other winter tire brands and still provide ice traction when over half worn.
Just pointing out that the iGuide isn’t all that helpful - the tires listed for the 18s and 19s at least (didn’t look at others) don’t appear to be readily available in the US. I called LR corporate last year about this and they couldn’t care less.
Good choice. I’ve used the Hakka’s for years. If you have trouble finding them, I actually went with the Pirelli winters on 20’s and I was pleasantly surprised to find they are just about as good as the Hakka’s on snow and ice, but actually much better on dry pavement. They’re both excellent tires for winter, but the Hakka’s are kind of squirmy on pavement, where the Pirelli’s feel planted.
Good choice. I’ve used the Hakka’s for years. If you have trouble finding them, I actually went with the Pirelli winters on 20’s and I was pleasantly surprised to find they are just about as good as the Hakka’s on snow and ice, but actually much better on dry pavement. They’re both excellent tires for winter, but the Hakka’s are kind of squirmy on pavement, where the Pirelli’s feel planted.
I've really liked Pirelli winter tires in the past -- they don't make any for the 18" or 19" wheels.
I’ve had the Hakkas on for about a week and have been very surprised by how quiet they are and how good the handling is even in dry conditions. Took a very icy hill today without a blip up or down. I think I’m starting to get why fans of these tires are so devoted….