Just wondering what kind of tires everyone is using during the winter i just purchased my 07 denali 2 weeks ago. Purchased for my wife to replace mini van that could not make it up the driveway in the winter. Now she cannot go down the driveway for fear of sliding into the road. We also have problems stopping. I am not sure if it is just the shear weight of the truck or the tires suck. Currently it has a set of maxxis marauder II they are practically brand new. The tread on them is on the sporty side and they are v speed rated. Do you all think it is the tires or the weight of the truck. I didn't expect it would be so hard to stop this thing. I just don't want to waist money on tires i and have it still slide so much. So I thought I would ask the experts...
Winter tires / sliding
- Thread starter mattcav1
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DownTownDru
Full Access Member
I have the stock 17" all seasons on my 07 Tahoe... no troubles in the snow here in IL.
ozarkgolfer
New Member
If the truck can get up the driveway it should be able to go down the driveway. Without seeing it and/or driving it, it's tough to gove you any more advice. Are you getting up and down it okay in whatever you are driving? Suggest you clear the last twenty feet of the driveway and advise family members to take it extremely easy on the way down with vehicle in low gear? If it's a gravel or dirt driveway you might want to add gravel? If it's tarmac you are pretty limited.
bad63lac
Full Access Member
The problem is your tires. As you mentioned, the Maurader's are sport tires. They are only good for dry weather. If you have a steep driveway with snow on it, you will definitely have a problem especially with the weight of these vehicles.
Replace the tires. Get some All Terrain tires.
Did you buy the truck used? How did those tires get on there? Aftermarket wheels as well? What size tires do you need?
In the meantime, you may want to have her drop into 1st gear while ascending. She'll be less likely to lock the wheels and slide as you'll be taking advantage of engine braking.
Replace the tires. Get some All Terrain tires.
Did you buy the truck used? How did those tires get on there? Aftermarket wheels as well? What size tires do you need?
In the meantime, you may want to have her drop into 1st gear while ascending. She'll be less likely to lock the wheels and slide as you'll be taking advantage of engine braking.
I've had problems with the stock tires on the tahoe. If you have sport tires and a steep driveway, you either need to get a second set for winter or replace the ones you have with something more aggressive. I recently replaced my stock tires with Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo tires. They have great reviews and I've been pleased with them so far.
bad63lac i purchased the truck used 2 weeks ago the dealer / owner of the truck put them on. It was his truck. Told be they would be great in the winter and 2 days later the winter hit and they have sucked. They are on the stock 20" rims. Was thinking of purchasing some black rims for the truck so i may do winter / summer with different rims. Thanks to all for the assurance that it is the tires.
73shark
Full Access Member
When she was having trouble stopping, was the ABS kicking in? If not, then she wasn't using the full braking capability.
Hardin Thicke
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I'm still running the all OEM all season tires, and think my '07 is an animal in the snow. This morning, with 14" of fresh powder, I just got in and drove up my 100' steep driveway and was gone. I'll worry about plowing it tonight when I get home from work. I've yet to encounter in any conditions the OEM "all season" tires can't handle here in central MA., and it's a 45 mile drive to work each way.
Hardin Thicke
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I'm pretty sure they're Goodyear Wranglers RT/S. I have 52,000 miles on them, and hope to get another 25 or 30K. By the way, I can tell you they're also good at high speed because I spend most of my daily 92 mile commute at 65-75 mph.
withac
Full Access Member
Yeah, what everyone else said, those tires will suck in the snow and be worse on ice. Having them siped would help but won't solve the problem. If you plan on keeping these tires for summer use, and can afford a set of clunker rims, someone also had a good idea in keeping the nice rims out of the weather and running a completely different winter set. If you can afford that route get a really aggressive winter tire and have it studded. I've ran studs on two 4x4 vehicles, my friends tease me about running studs when I have four-wheel drive, but I never regreted it. If you can't afford the rims buy the studded tires and have them mounted/dismounted at the beginning and end of each winter. OR, sell the tires you have now and put the money towards a set of all weather tires. Depends on the look you want. They'll have a more aggressive, less sporty look than what you're running but you can run them year round.
I bought 17 alloy wheels on e-bay for $300.00 It cost $85 to mount and balance 4 tires and thats with no tires on the rims i had mounted! So i imagine that in the spring it would cost more do have four tires dismounted and four tires mounted and balanced! Not to mention having to bring them someplace to have this done!Dosen't take long and the wheels have paid for themselves and it keeps the nice rims out of the SALT!
withac
Full Access Member
X2 When I had two sets of tires and one set of rims it cost me 50 bucks spring and 50 bucks fall to have them swapped back and forth so I bought some aftermarket rims for the summer tires and could do a complete wheel swap like you're talking about. If you can afford the initial investment it's easiest in the long run, preserves your nice rims, and will save money in the long run. Well, it would have saved me money except one month after I had them taken off for winter the ride (a Durango) was hit and totaled so now I have a practically new set of rims that don't fit my new ride (a 'Ho), but that's another story.
Stargazer
Full Access Member
I bought a second set of wheels and put Firestone Winterforce tires on them. They were Tire Rack's cheapest winter tires and I have to say that in the ice and snow they out perform every single all-season out there. Living at the top of a mountain and getting the amount of snow we had this year, I would never run any vehicle without winter tires. They not only help you move forward in the snow and ice, but they also help you stop sooner.
In these situations, I avoid using the brakes and use them very sparingly and gently when I'm going down particularly icy hills. The Yukon's tow-mode and manual gear selection is really good at controlling the vehicle's speed even down steep hills. In the craziest situations, first gear has a very nice and slow cruising speed that can bring you down a steep icy hill very safely. While I see other people lock their wheels and start sliding into curbs, I'm able to continue safely along my way.
To add to that, in addition to using ABS when you want to come to a stop, ABS will not help if you hit some black ice and lock up all four wheels. ABS only works if it senses that all four wheels are not spinning at the same speed. When all the wheels are locked, it does not activate.
In these situations, I avoid using the brakes and use them very sparingly and gently when I'm going down particularly icy hills. The Yukon's tow-mode and manual gear selection is really good at controlling the vehicle's speed even down steep hills. In the craziest situations, first gear has a very nice and slow cruising speed that can bring you down a steep icy hill very safely. While I see other people lock their wheels and start sliding into curbs, I'm able to continue safely along my way.
withac
Full Access Member
Just be careful downshifting on slick roads. If you drop a gear and don't pick up the RPM's to maintain the same speed at first the sudden deceleration of the wheels from downshifting can throw you into a spin just like applying to much brake. Once you have it in the lower gear safely you can back off on the throttle to let the engine help slow you down.
