Snow Tires With Mountain/Snowflake designation

[carringb]

Originally Posted by TwoVans

Ok, chains on a trailer? I'm guessing only if the trailer has brakes. Otherwise, I wouldn't think there would be a benefit.

Am I right?

Well chains are required on trailer when the signs are up, brakes or not. They certainly help keep the trailer from coming around to the side, which can happen even when you aren't braking. This is the other reason I use Quick-fits.... they have a diamond pattern so they add lateral traction too. Even when I put heavy ladder bar chains on a truck for driving around in un-plowed snow in the hills, I still put the quick-fits on the front because they improve the steering a lot.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/IMG_0184.jpg

[Gnarvan]

Chain laws vary from state to state. Check the laws in the state you are traveling in for its requirements. As an example Oregon requires two drag chains on trailers. Washington only requires one.

[TwoVans]

There you go. Learned something new today. Thanks!

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by MKRyan

I've got the Goodyear Duratracs on my SMB, but they've only been on a short while. No problems this winter but I didn't get out as often as I would have liked so they haven't seen much snow. I've been happy with the way they have handled on dry pavement and they are not too loud on the freeway.

Sorry I can't offer more advise. I think JoeH has Duratracs on his SMB. Maybe he has more experience.

Mike and Kris

I've got close to 10k on Duratracs now and I'm pretty happy with them. I can only compare them to the BFG A/T TKO in terms of handling and snow performance. The Wranglers are a bit louder on pavement but it's only noticeable at lower rpms or lower speed. I don't notice any difference in noise at hwy speed and they track very well and don't wander. They also get the edge in snow. D-rated BFGs had better snow/ice grip than the e-rated version. The Wrangler's do pretty good in snow considering they are 315s and about an inch wider.

I also like the fact that with a 3860 load rating at 65psi I don't have to run 80psi to get the same load carrying capacity for my rig. I run 50psi on the hwy which is about a 20% safety factor but according to the charts I could get away with 42psi to handle the 10,000lb of my smb. Hope that helps.

[Kelso]

Thanks for the info JoeH. Glad to hear you like them so far, they look like great tires.

I also checked on the Oregon laws for chains and towing and it appears that your trailer doesn't need chains unless it has brakes. Only the tow vehicle would need chains in that situation. Here's a screenshot of what I was looking at:

[ANZAC]

Some sizes of AT/KO's are snowflake rated.