Winter Tire -- Opinions on Ford Options

[Bonder]

I received this from my dealer on Winter tire options. I have the Lariat FX4, so 18" wheels now, I wanted something bolt on/off. I didn't feel like any of these tire options wow'ed me. I only wanted steel rims, but looks like they try to bundle fancy ones in with this. What are everyone's opinions on these options? This is Canadian dollars, so be prepared for the sticker shock.

Also going to say, I have never had winter tires before, never felt I needed them in 25+ years of driving. But was starting to consider it now. Maybe people also agree its not needed. I am open to that opinion as well.

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[Hande]

You can get Nokian Hakka LT3 245/70-17 or 265/70-17, it does not get any better than that...
Ford sells that one in 285/70-17 for Ranger Raptor over here as an OEM winter tire.

 

[kirkster89]

I got quoted $1746 pre tax ($1938.06 total) for Goodyear winter command 265/70R16 on steel wheels part #KB3Z1015E (I believe they are bronco steelies) and tpms sensors

Seemed reasonable honestly, I just have no idea if the winter commands are good or not

It worked out to 125 a rim and 231 a tire

I haven't used the ford pass rewards for anything yet but I think this is a decent value as well?

 

[natethegreat42]

Ok, I will admit this will be my first winter with a truck at all, let alone my Ranger.
However I have driven a FWD car in previous winters without winter tires. Unless you are out in the country/rural areas, IMO you don’t need winter tires. To me it’s always been an unnecessary expense. Plus my Ranger has part time 4WD. Should be fine enough for city winter driving. Although I’m not going to be driving in blizzards or anything like that.

 

[FirstFord1]

I bought wheels of FaceBook marketplace that were off a newer Bronco, then went on Tirerack and priced out tires, took that printout into Discount Tire and they matched price. Everything for $1500.

 

[kirkster89]

Ok, I will admit this will be my first winter with a truck at all, let alone my Ranger.
However I have driven a FWD car in previous winters without winter tires. Unless you are out in the country/rural areas, IMO you don’t need winter tires. To me it’s always been an unnecessary expense. Plus my Ranger has part time 4WD. Should be fine enough for city winter driving. Although I’m not going to be driving in blizzards or anything like that.

The "going" is definitely not the issue with a 4wd and winter. It's the stopping. I respectfully have to disagree with you. I believe you have the 2 scenarios swapped. If I was rural/country maybe I'd skip winter rating and just go with a good M+S, something that can chew through snow, decent all around. But in the city I'd say it'd be a wise investment. Snows never plowed just packed and repacked over and over again, intersections are always a sh*t show, and you never know what someone else on the road is about to do, you'll have the slight upper hand and a better chance of steering out of something with winters. There are lots of bad drivers out there especially once the snow falls

I get it drive to the conditions, drive slower if it's awful out, but when the road is a curling rink and your wheels are essentially rocks you'll pick up speed on the breaks.

 

[natethegreat42]

The "going" is definitely not the issue with a 4wd and winter. It's the stopping. I respectfully have to disagree with you. I believe you have the 2 scenarios swapped. If I was rural/country maybe I'd skip winter rating and just go with a good M+S, something that can chew through snow, decent all around. But in the city I'd say it'd be a wise investment. Snows never plowed just packed and repacked over and over again, intersections are always a sh*t show, and you never know what someone else on the road is about to do, you'll have the slight upper hand and a better chance of steering out of something with winters. There are lots of bad drivers out there especially once the snow falls

I get it drive to the conditions, drive slower if it's awful out, but when the road is a curling rink and your wheels are essentially rocks you'll pick up speed on the breaks.

To each their own! If it works well for you and you are ok with the cost go for it. It definitely won’t hurt.
I live in MN where the salt the living daylights out of the roads, so unless we get a blizzard the snow isn’t really packed. When I used to live in ND though that definitely happened a lot.
My family as a whole has never bought winter tires from rural living to city living and we get along just fine. But I acknowledge not everyone has that same experience.
Either way, enjoy your truck, especially in the winter! I am looking forward to it myself!

 

[kirkster89]

To each their own! If it works well for you and you are ok with the cost go for it. It definitely won’t hurt.
I live in MN where the salt the living daylights out of the roads, so unless we get a blizzard the snow isn’t really packed. When I used to live in ND though that definitely happened a lot.
My family as a whole has never bought winter tires from rural living to city living and we get along just fine. But I acknowledge not everyone has that same experience.
Either way, enjoy your truck, especially in the winter! I am looking forward to it myself!

Hahaha up here in Saskatchewan we get both! A ton of salt and a ton of unpacked unplowed roads (although our province is extremely good at getting after and clearing the highways).

Side note non tire related how do you deal with the salt? Just wash it frequently? Undercoat? Or just live with it? I tried out fluid film this year.

 

[natethegreat42]

Hahaha up here in Saskatchewan we get both! A ton of salt and a ton of unpacked unplowed roads (although our province is extremely good at getting after and clearing the highways).

Side note non tire related how do you deal with the salt? Just wash it frequently? Undercoat? Or just live with it? I tried out fluid film this year.

Yeah, so with my previous vehicles I didn’t do much other than wash them routinely since they were cars. But now with my truck I have been debating what to do. Everyone I seem to talk to in my family and at the dealership - it seems no one around here is undercoating as much anymore. I will be washing mine frequently at the very least.
What was your experience with fluid film? Is it pricey? I have been mulling that one over.

 

[kirkster89]

Yeah, so with my previous vehicles I didn’t do much other than wash them routinely since they were cars. But now with my truck I have been debating what to do. Everyone I seem to talk to in my family and at the dealership - it seems no one around here is undercoating as much anymore. I will be washing mine frequently at the very least.
What was your experience with fluid film? Is it pricey? I have been mulling that one over.

So I got my truck too late to get it done professionally no one in my small city of 15k offers the service, but there are a few places in the bigger city that do krown coating for a reasonable price ($150-90ish CAN), but they wouldn't have been able to get me in the day I was in the city due to the winter rush.
I just bought a few cans of fluid film and hit as much as I could without the truck being on a lift. I figured anything was better than nothing. I used 2 full cans it ran me about $40 Canadian.
From everything I've looked into the liquid/oil undercoating is superior as it can't crack unlike a bedliner type. Only downside is you can't wash the undercarriage or you'll wash it off and it and it's an annual thing

 

[stemplar]

While I respect the opinion of others and, of course, tire choice depends an awful lot on where one lives and drives, I strongly disagree with the notion that winter tires are an "unnecessary expense". It's myopic to think that 4wd negates the need for a snow tire because a tire's grip does a lot more than just help you accelerate from a standstill. Turning and swerving need traction. Braking needs traction. Winter tires have a softer compound that grips better in cold weather overall; not just biting into snow. Tests from tire manufacturers and 3rd parties generally show that the break-even point for performance of an all-season tire and a winter tire is 45F, so if you drive below that temp regularly you'll get better overall tire performance from a winter tire.

As for the OP, the blizzaks are good snow tires. @Hande mentioned Nokian Hakkapellittas above, and they're my absolute favorite (I've driven around stuck subarus and audis with their all-seasons while in my rwd diesel benz sporting a set of hakkas), but they're not available everywhere or in every size, so I just got a set of michelin x-ice snows at costco on a set of velox wheels also from costco. The x-ice isn't my fave, but they're far better than any all-season or all-weather tire and costco was reasonable and convenient.

 

[stemplar]

Side note non tire related how do you deal with the salt? Just wash it frequently? Undercoat? Or just live with it? I tried out fluid film this year.

I've mentioned in other threads that I'm a big fan of regularly applying lanolin-based undercoatings, like fluid film, woolwax, surface shield, etc. There's a good youtube channel where the guy has tracked vehicles for years with lanolin undercoatings, and has even done tests similar to what project farm would do, and the bottom line is they work if you apply them as needed.

 

[kirkster89]

Next year I'll be planning better and taking it to a shop lol. But for the first year it should do fine. My old ranger the frame was fine but the cab corners were gone. I was mostly concerned about the cab corners which I'm happy to see they are designed way better on this truck

 

[Bonder]

I got quoted $1746 pre tax ($1938.06 total) for Goodyear winter command 265/70R16 on steel wheels part #KB3Z1015E (I believe they are bronco steelies) and tpms sensors

Seemed reasonable honestly, I just have no idea if the winter commands are good or not

It worked out to 125 a rim and 231 a tire

I haven't used the ford pass rewards for anything yet but I think this is a decent value as well?

Now that it was time to try to order, the dealership is unable to get most of the options. They did say some of the 16" steel options were available, but I was worried about how that might change the ride height. I want to tow my trailer still, and I have a fixed 6" drop bar on it now.

Since you went with the 16's how did you find it impacted the trucks stance and ground clearance?


They did give some options of going to a Duratrac RT or a KO3 in an LT. Not sure I want to do that.

 

[John E Davies]

Four 17” alloys in close to new condition delivered to your door for US$320 plus tax, that is unbeatable. The seller has plenty.
https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/threads/great-price-on-bronco-badlands-like-new-takeoffs-17-x-7-5”-80-each-ship-free.23487/

You will have to see if he ships to Canada….. most likely the shipping cost would be additional.

Buying a different diameter wheel will not alter your ground clearance if you pick a tire size that matches the diameter of your current ones, but a skinnier tread is better in winter - it has a higher contact pressure which helps with traction a little.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

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