winter tires rims, 19.5 or 17 ?

[hrose]

I wanna buy a second set of rims and tires for my f350 drw, where i come from the winter tires are required by the law from december to march.

I dont know if i should buy a second set of 17" rims with winter tires on them.

Or

Buy 19.5 rims and tires that can do both 4seasons & winter (lot of 19.5 tires are rated for 4season & winter)

But i heard that these 19.5 4seasons & winter tires are legal for us in winter season but still very slippery compared to a "real" winter only tire. So i would use them for winter until my oem 17" tires are done and ill maybe switch them for winter use only if the 19.5 arent safer enough for me.

Id like to know what you guys think about it and if people that switched from 17 to 19.5 are happy of it.

Thx.

[SidecarFlip]

Bedlam..

I run them on my pickup (LT's) to tote my TC around. My rear (on the truck) is locked ((sort of)) as well, Detroit Tru-Trak.

IMO, only 2 tires for me, Michelin and Firestone Winterforce.

[Bedlam]

I also run those Winterforce tires year round on the rear of my dune buggy. The rear is locked but light, yet I'm getting good wear on this soft rubber.

[SidecarFlip]

kohldad wrote:
Guess some folks don't realize that in Quebec it's law to run winter rated tires (snow flake) or studs from Dec 15 to Mar 15.

I run Firestone Winterforce studdable tires all the time, summer and winter (with no studs of course). They wear really well, have great ice and snow traction and mud and sand traction and won't break your wallet like TA KO's will plus, they are made in Canada.

I like them so much, I put them on my wife's Transit too. Great tires.

[hrose]

Thx for the answers guys

[Grit_dog]

Presuming you're not hauling a TC in the winter, 4- 19.5s on the back, of any tread pattern will be slippery compared to comparable light truck tires. Not only tread compound but min pressure requirements for those are quite high.
If you're looking for the best drivability find a set of your favorite flavor of 17s. IMO.

Like Bedlam said, siping most any tire will provide great bang for the buck traction in wet greasy snow and ice......at the expense of accelerated wear when loaded heavy.

[Rubiranch]

"All season" tires don't hold a candle to "winter tires" in wintry conditions.

[kohldad]

Made my recommendation two post up from the last one, right below your first post. BFG AT/KOs.

[jimh406]

kohldad, so what do you recommend for the OP?

[kohldad]

Guess some folks don't realize that in Quebec it's law to run winter rated tires (snow flake) or studs from Dec 15 to Mar 15.

[Bedlam]

My 19.5's on my F250 had traction tread but were not the soft rubber compound of winter tires. I carried my camper into the mountains in the winter with no problems and the additional weight of the camper helped. Getting the tires siped will help with traction on ice , but they will wear faster.

I have not taken my DRW into the mountains due to the increased use of corrosive chemicals on the passes. This truck requires chains more often due to weight class, so it is even less desirable to make those trips.

[kohldad]

How about just putting on a set of BFG AT/KOs which are winter rated tires (snow flake). Good traction all year long with decent tread life. Then you wouldn't have to worry about swapping them out twice a year.

If the above isn't for you, because of the cost, I would go with a second set of stock rims which you should be able to get pretty cheap in a junkyard or craigslist.

[jimh406]

I don't have winter tires, but I've been ok with my aggressive M+S for where I go. I've never used winter tires, but they are supposed to be quite a bit better on ice due to the compound.