2500 v 3500 and Chain Requirements

mtofell1 wrote:

theoldwizard1 wrote:

mtofell1 wrote:
10,000# GVWR and under, traction tires can take the place of chains ... I guess I'm happy I have a 2500 and snow tires.

You need to know that there is a difference between "snow tires" and "winter tires". Winter tires use a softer rubber that grips hard packed snow and ice better than any other tire.

Not sure I know the difference. I have a snow flake rating on the side of my tire and that is what is referenced on my state's website.

Edit - https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/snow-tires-vs-winter-tires#

Here's an interesting article that clears it up a bit.

the article is spot on. when the first studless winter tires came out they were the only ones with a snowflake rating. they were and are very good winter tires, but tend to wear quite rapidly and aren't very good summer tires. I've run them and studded tires and my experience is that unless it's just near freezing on ice or hardpacked snow they outperform a studded tire. And even then they are close to a studded tire. And are way better than studded tires on wet or dry pavement or once temps drop below about 20F on ice/snow.

Now it seems like there are a lot of "snowflake" tires that aren't being advertized as a studless winter tire at all and don't have the same cold weather, snow and ice performance. Likely better than M&S or regular tires. Seems to have gone the same route as the M&S which originally had some meaning. Now a lot of basically highway tread tires have a M&S stamp.