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Winter prep

C

CrazyOldMan

Grenadier Owner
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Mar 13, 2024
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Location
Wisconsin, USA
This upcoming winter will be my first with the Grenadier. I’m currently running the stock K02 17’s. Curious what people are thinking for winter tires (or tyres). I’m in Wisconsin, so I mean real winter - polar vortex it’s so cold that road salt is useless cold, with snow and ice that can stay on for weeks, and just gets progressively slicker and more dangerous as the weeks go by. I’m thinking road driving, rather than snow crawling off-road. Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, upstate NY, Minnesota - lookin’ at you guys for any advice. Switzerland and Norway, please chime in. Maybe someone got in a ‘23 delivery and has experience? Or at least what you all are planning? Would you run the K02’s over winter?
 
KO2s are a 3PMSF rated tire, so they are pretty decent in snow. With that being said, I know a number of folks in snowy regions switched to dedicated winter tires, as that will always be better. Nearly any snow tire in the proper size will be within the load capacity required, and some that I can think of off the top of my head include Bridgestone Blizzak LT (or DM-V2), Firestone Winterforce LT, and the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3

Sconnie's winters aren't to be messed with, especially up North... Just disrespectful conditions :LOL:
 
When it's really cold, say more than -15°C (5 F), tyre grip increases as there will be no water between ice/snow and tyre.
Most difficult conditions are around 0°C (32 F) when there for sure is water. If these conditions prevail I would consider proper siped winter tyres.
 
anand said:
KO2s are a 3PMSF rated tire, so they are pretty decent in snow. With that being said, I know a number of folks in snowy regions switched to dedicated winter tires, as that will always be better. Nearly any snow tire in the proper size will be within the load capacity required, and some that I can think of off the top of my head include Bridgestone Blizzak LT (or DM-V2), Firestone Winterforce LT, and the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3

Sconnie's winters aren't to be messed with, especially up North... Just disrespectful conditions :LOL:
Click to expand...
That’s why we drink so much - the theory is that if most of your blood volume comes from brandy Old Fashions, it’s basically anti-freeze. Yes, the farther up you go towards the North Woods (“the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province”), the more road treatment is kind of a futile gesture. When I pull up to a bar, half the parking lot is just snowmobiles and there’s usually a wall with pegs for helmets.

Thanks for the suggestion on winter tires - just wondering if people switch out to dedicated (non-studded) winter tires, or if the K02’s hold up OK.
 
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Tinerfeño said:
When it's really cold, say more than -15°C (5 F), tyre grip increases as there will be no water between ice/snow and tyre.
Most difficult conditions are around 0°C (32 F) when there for sure is water. If these conditions prevail I would consider proper siped winter tyres.
Click to expand...
That’s the theory. The problem is when it’s too cold for too long, the snow just keeps packing down and turns into glass. The road crews switch over to sand instead of chemical treatment, at least to provide a little traction, but there are a lot of roads where they can’t do that, especially in more remote areas. But then suddenly it pops back up and is warm enough for road treatment to be effective. If I were in Alaska or Montana, then studs might make sense in winter - but not in an environment where you bounce back and forth. I’ll probably just stay with the K02’s, but was curious to hear from anyone who ran them over at least last winter and had opinions. Oh - and congrats on the big win, Team Spain!
 
New Grenadier owner. I have lived in Bend, Oregon at 3800 feet the last 10 years. The local ski resort is 15 miles from home. Lots of snow, ice and 20,10 and some 0 degrees in our long winters. I am also reviewing snow tires vs staying with the ko2s. I have driven a jeep Jk here the last 10 years. Lot of time spent on Ko2s. My personal experience with these tires is thery are OK in fresh snow. Weak in packed snow toped with ice & black ice. I also find them ok to negative in wet weather. Not a lot of driver road feed back and prone to breaking loose. Also the tire compound used in these tires changes as the wear down. Best new to 25% . The tires compound is different the last 50% and becomes much harder, which further degrade your experience in wet and winter conditions. If you only drive local and a few day a week, you can get by with them in winter months knowing there strength & weakness. My wife votes for a winter tire change. For a daily driver, winter tires are much preferred, and location with lots of packed snow and ice studs studs a strong consideration when allowed. The Falken wilkpeak at3w or Mickey Thomson Baja Boss all terrain tires in my option are a better wet weather -snow option for year round all terrain tire use. For winter tires Nokian Hakkapelitta regular and studied tires get my vote. Regular for use in use when mixed road condition are common. Wet black top no snow and snow/ ice at higher elavation. Local driving in snow and ice studded are a premium experience. Of course offroad driving tire condition Ko2s are a strong performer and a top choice. KO3 are just being offered and rumored to be a different compound and tread design which for snow and wet weather may become a winter/ summer at terrain option tire choice.
 
KO2’s are fine in the dry, powder snow and sunny skies, moderate winter temps we get here in the mountain west. The durometer is a little hard for temps below 15 degrees Farenheit. They turn in to hockey pucks like other tires.

Definitely can do better than KO2’s for wet, dark and cold midwestern winters. I’d go with a dedicated snow tire if it’s in your budget. I’ve had great luck with the Bridgestone Blizzak. They’re available in 17’s for the Grenadier for around $250 a piece. Well worth it for the safety.

I grew up in Ontario, Canada. Snow tires were winter essentials.
 
I bet most people could probably benefit from this...

winterdrive.com

Home

Since 1983, the Bridgestone Winter Driving School has offered a full range of winter driving programs for all abilities, from the novice to the seasoned professional. Our snow and ice covered courses are some of the world’s finest, and our professional coaches will guide you toward more...
winterdrive.com winterdrive.com

😁
 
Thanks guys - I actually know both Bend and Ontario winters well, so this gives me a good “bracket.” It sounds like I need a dedicated Nordic winter tire, studs won’t work for the dry days, but too much ice and extreme cold for the K02’s to perform. We get WAY colder than Bend or Colorado, and the roads just continue to degrade, sometime for weeks at a time. Need performance in fresh snow, but also hard pack/ice in the -30 through +10 F range. That’s why we eat all the cheese curds and drink all the beer - building up “nature’s insulator.”
 
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I’ve found KO2 pretty awful on cold, icy roads and hard packed snow. Soft, fresh snow they’re fine.

General AT2 are better in my experience but a set of “proper” winters with sipes will be ideal.

I bought yoko w-drives and they were great. We didn’t have too much snow last winter and the coldest we got was only about -15C. We have had it down as low as -23C and most years it will get to -18C or so.
 

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I ran Michelin Climate 2 this winter on my X5 in Colorado, one of the better All Season winter oriented tires out there if you do not need true winter tire. They rate well in the snow. We get a lot dry driving time in Colorado as well in the winter with strong sun melting out the roads. I may end up with set of Winter tires on Grenadier, but K02 were great in fresh snow when I drove back from Colorado Spring after picking up the truck.

But this is more in the 20- 30 degrees Fahrenheit / -7 -0 Degrees Celsius range, not western Midwest class cold. I remember being in Rochester Minnesota for work when it was - 45 degrees F/ -42 degrees C for work, then you want real winter tires and engine block warmer.

Going up Monarch Pass,
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Molas Pass

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Going down from Coal Bank Pass
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angstorms said:
I ran Michelin Climate 2 this winter on my X5 in Colorado, one of the better All Season winter oriented tires out there if you do not need true winter tire. They rate well in the snow. We get a lot dry driving time in Colorado as well in the winter with strong sun melting out the roads. I may end up with set of Winter tires on Grenadier, but K02 were great in fresh snow when I drove back from Colorado Spring after picking up the truck.

But this is more in the 20- 30 degrees Fahrenheit / -7 -0 Degrees Celsius range, not western Midwest class cold. I remember being in Rochester Minnesota for work when it was - 45 degrees F/ -42 degrees C for work, then you want real winter tires and engine block warmer.

Going up Monarch Pass,
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Molas Pass

View attachment 7865139

Going down from Coal Bank Pass
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Thanks - yes, driving in much colder weather and 3 months with no sun (again, explains the per capita alcohol consumption in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota). That’s why we go to Colorado in the winter to “warm up and get some sun”
 
Ok - after watching the YouTube links and listening to your feedback re K02’s and your own winter driving experience (it was awesome hearing about temp, fresh vs pack, dry vs wet, all the way from Durango to Ontario, I THINK the right thing to do for winter in my situation, which would probably be similar to Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario, would be to lean more towards Nordic winter tires with no studs - would do better with ice and hard pack, but also handle dry pavement and Interstate driving. I hope this is a good synthesis of your collective input, and a good general approach for a place like Wisconsin or Minnesota. I have the stock 17” steelies - I’m not going to swap tires - I’ll just get a whole new set of wheels and swap each season. Looking at the Owl Mojos, but could also just do a second set of the steelies. Or maybe I keep the steelies for winter and do the Mojos for the other 3 months of the year ;o) Not sure. Would EVENTUALLY like to size up on tires and do the Eibach lift, but am sort of waiting for the noise to die down and see what you all think after having some time to process your experience. I’ve seen some owners regret the choice to lift and size up - so maybe stay stock size for now. If you have a strong opinion, let me know. Regardless, think I will definitely do a dedicated winter tire - like Hakkapeliita or Michelin X-Ice Snow.

But seriously - what an awesome thing to be able to ask the question and have feedback from all over the world within one day from so many informed owners. Amazing.
 
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