I'm driving a 2021 Venture 4WD. I have new Falken Wildpeak AT3 tires, I do like them on pavement and like the looks, but on icy roads they are not great. Stopping in slick conditions is dicey at best. Is it because of the short wheelbase and I'm just not going to get good control on icy roads with a 4runner or are there better tires I can run on year-round basis? I've always had good luck with Michellie's on my cars, but I also want good looking tires on my 4runner. Any suggestions? Should I be engaging a function on the drive train to help on slick roads? Any help would be appreciated.
Suggestions for Icy roads?
- Thread starter hallcs
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rageandlove
Member
Stopping has nothing to do w drivetrain - it's all traction. Traction is from tires.
The Wildpeak are all season tires, not winter tires.
So putting on dedicated winter tires will help. Putting on winter tires with studs will help even more, though they are not legal in all areas.
This does a good job at showing how different actual snow tires are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22pMODgh6bE&feature=youtu.be
Too Stroked
Member
I know you said you want one tire you can run in all conditions, but you're going to find that no one tire works really well in all conditions. Even "All Season" tires are a compromise - in all seasons.
If you really want the absolute best traction in snow and ice driving, you really have to go with a dedicated ice and snow tire - one with a snowflake on the sidewall. Trust me, I live where we average 100" of snow each winter and I've tried just about everything. What do I run on my T4R? Blizzaks.
If you really want the absolute best traction in snow and ice driving, you really have to go with a dedicated ice and snow tire - one with a snowflake on the sidewall. Trust me, I live where we average 100" of snow each winter and I've tried just about everything. What do I run on my T4R? Blizzaks.
Im-not-guilty
New member
Here in Maine slow and steady wins the race on ice
I know you said you want one tire you can run in all conditions, but you're going to find that no one tire works really well in all conditions. Even "All Season" tires are a compromise - in all seasons.
If you really want the absolute best traction in snow and ice driving, you really have to go with a dedicated ice and snow tire - one with a snowflake on the sidewall. Trust me, I live where we average 100" of snow each winter and I've tried just about everything. What do I run on my T4R? Blizzaks.
Those are nice looking tires. I guess I should have given a little more information in my OP. I drive a 2016 Silverado 2wd work truck daily with all season cooper tires. That thing stops on a dime on the ice and has great traction. But when I get home and jump in the 4runner it's like a golf cart on the ice. I don't think I'd put those tires on my 4runner, but I just don't understand the huge difference in traction and stopping power.
a47chuck
New member
Just an icy road driving tip. If you start to slide, kick it into neutral, get off the brakes and reapply them slowly. Once the tires are locked up the truck, more than likely, will go into a lower gear thus keeping them locked up. 'Runners are easy to hit neutral, all you have to do is push the leaver forward. Once the wheels are turning again, you can steer much better than you can stop. I drive with one hand on the shifter in icy conditions. Find a clear place and practice.
2021nightshade4x4
New member
Jetboy
New member
Engaging four-wheel drive will help you stop faster. The physics of it is a little bit complicated, but if you'd like I can explain why 4x4 will stop faster. It won't help you corner. But it will help you stop a little faster.
That's about all you can do other than better tires and making sure your not overinflated
That's about all you can do other than better tires and making sure your not overinflated
rochmpr
Senior Member
Uhm, drive slow, give plenty of space, don't be an idiot, dont brake hard. On ice, there is no tire that's going to perform. That's like asking which tire is going to make me a rock crawling God. You can't buy skill or luck. If you're Irish, well, you're screwed.
Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
laserdemon
New member
Here in Atlanta, no one wins on ice
No one knows how to drive when the sun it out so......Really, when all the people were trapped on the highways in 2014 during our "snowmageddon", I was driving a Dodge Charger, really wide tires, I got home that's all that counted. It took forever, as I was working 2 hours away in normal traffic, probably 6 during this event.
BearBio
New member
Same in eastern Washington!
Greg's Rule of 2:
1. Drive HALF as fast.
2. Stay TWICE as far behind.
3. Brake twice as far and half as hard!
Extra weight in the back might help (I put 300 lbs of sand in my 4WD p/U)
Carry kitty litter.
Too Stroked
Member
Remember, the single biggest single variable in how much traction you have (or don't have) on low friction surfaces is the tires. The best 4-wheel drive system in the world will be hopeless on the wrong tires.
Another tire related thing that may be causing the difference you see between your work truck and T4R could be tire width. Many people think wider is better on ice. Actually, the exact opposite is true. You want to maximize the number of pounds of downforce per square inch of tire contact area on ice. (Just look at a World Rally Car set up for ice.) Those Blizzaks I shared are actually narrower than the stock 265's too. Are the Chevy tires narrower?
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Unstable Vic
New member
Blizzak’s work fine.
Yes the tires on the work truck are much narrower. Don't get me wrong, the chevy is still a challenge on ice and I have to be careful but the 4R is horrible. I have the winter rated tires on the 4R with the little mountain but they are wide and the tread looks like it's more for off road.
I think I will do that. The Matte black OEM rims are on sale at 172.00 right now, I'll have to see who has stock. I defiantly need to do something; Indiana is getting more and more of the wet/freezing weather that results in icy roads.
How does 4x4 help you stop faster?
