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Jason Tansem
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Jason Tansem
Words and photos by Jason Tansem
In many parts of Canada, we need to venture through treacherous, snow covered mountain passes on a regular basis. The Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia brings you to heights of 1400 Metres (4600’) and can give you a blast of snow at just about anytime throughout the year. Your tires need to have the “Snowflake” on the sidewall or be designated M+S (mud and snow). Over 10,000 vehicles travel this highway on a daily basis – the winter tire market is serious business.
Our friends at OK Tire mounted and balanced the new P255/70R18 Toyo Open Country A/T II AW on our stock Jeep Wrangler JKU. A lot of the time when we drop off our rubbers, there is a bit of a groan from the staff as most of them are heavy, rugged, hard to handle and need some special attention to get mounted and balanced. After a quick breakfast we returned and were informed that they balanced like passenger tires. With that in mind I was hoping the same result would transpire on the road. Normally when we leave the shop and accelerate like we had just stolen the Jeep, there is a lull or lag with the heavier tires. I had just removed some heavier A/T’s from a competing brand and these new Toyo’s felt lighter right off the get go. You know that “drone” sound as you ride the pavement to your favourite trail? These Toyo’s were smooth and silent – perfect for helping any annoying passengers fall asleep.
As we climbed to higher elevations, I was concerned that these highly popular All Weather approved Open Country’s would suffer from some type of deficiency. A part of the trail was off-camber and greasy with light mud, but the tires didn’t slip. The Jeep grabbed and continued momentum as we traveled across a very slick embankment. Even though the sticky mud packed the treads when we stopped, a little hit to the skinny pedal cleared them and we never lost traction. Our path was straight and on target until we got to the sharp rocks.
This rock quarry has carelessly punctured sidewalls in other tires. We stopped and started, and stopped and started, crawling through the rocks. We searched and found small, loose rocks as well sand, and the tires grabbed with ease and we made it up any incline we had clearance for.
Off-road approved we headed for the snow – Toyo’s claim to fame for this A/T II AW. It didn’t take long to reach the snow-covered highway and the test was on. There was minimal hydroplaning on wet pavement as we climbed up the mountain and minimal slippage as we reached the snow. After testing the tires limits, I was soon up to cruising speed, passing and braking with complete confidence.
The snow was just an element, not a reason to stay home. We all know the puckered up feeling of having insufficient tire traction on brutal roads and in ugly weather conditions. These new Toyo’s far exceeded my expectations. For a country like Canada, where snow is a factor most of the time, these tires are a great option.
Key Features:
Tie Bars Between Blocks
- Stabilize tread blocks to reduce irregular wear and road noise.
- Improved braking.
Deep Tread Grooves
- These large, deep grooves improve traction on wet roads and also allow the tire to dig into mud, slush or snow.
Tapered Claw Edges
- Edges within the tread grooves enhance traction in deep mud, snow or slush.
Large Block Design
- Large blocks provide aggressive traction during off-road applications while adding stability on paved roads.
Staggered Block Edges and Centre Hook Edge Design
- This combination in the centre blocks helps to grab onto mud, slush and snow to improve traction during braking and accelerating.
Increased 3D Sipe Density
- Increased sipe density throughout the tread blocks add edge grip on ice and slippery surfaces.
- Toyo’s Multi-wave 3D sipes reduce the chance of block movement for better wet and dry performance with less chance of irregular wear.
Wide Evacuation Grooves
- Helps to quickly propel dirt, mud and snow from the centre of the tire for added traction.
Optimized Pattern Arrangement
- Distributed at variable pitches the tread pattern is designed to optimize traction and reduce road noise.
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