First Winter with a Pickup

The BFGs in CO may be OK b/c the air is drier the snow is more like “cold sand” vs. what we get in Midwest or northeast where things go from dumping 18” to a raining sleet to below 0 temps freezing everything up & then repeat the cycle- that’s where the BFGs will really not fair well, in hard packed snow & certainly ice, & in colder temps in general b/c the compound isn’t engineered for it (the BFG KO2 on factory raptors is not the same as off the shelf KO2s- which actually get a snowflake designation for winter duty)

FWIW I live in MA, drove my Raptor for 2nd 1/2 of Feb & March & could tell even then during the tail end of winter that the BFGs were serviceable but not ideal in winter conditions. I already spoiled myself previously running studded snows on a 2.5” lifted 4x4 GMC truck & wound up getting a set of Nokian studded snows in stock size to run this season.

To break it down in simple terms- you’ll be nearly unstoppable in a raptor on studded snows vs anything else in the winter- but part of what makes it good in winter conditions also hurts it when not equipped w/ the best tires- that being high ground clearance/big power/torque & all the different settings that may or may not make sense depending on the tire & conditions you run in.

You don’t need weight in the bed if you run snow tires & I wouldn’t recommend doing it anyhow in a raptor b/c of the soft suspension - the kinda weight you’d need to add to really “feel” a difference is 250 lbs+ & that alone is more than 20% of max payload to begin with.

Engine block heater isn’t a bad idea if you’re in extreme low temps for extended periods. Chains I see in use a lot more when I travel out west for skiing- good idea but as other mentioned tough on clearance for the front unless suspension is modified. Studded snows are better overall best of both worlds.

I’ll leave you w/ this- if I was transporting my family in bad winter conditions & had to choose between my old modified RWD V8 Pontiac G8 GT on studded blizzaks vs. a 4x4 pickup on crappy fleet vehicle “all season” or “all terrain” tires I’m
Taking my old sport sedan on studded snows that had the additional benefit of 50/50 weight distribution, narrower footprint, and mechanical limited slip.

to be safe, put it in winter/snow mode

to have fun, sport mode, tc/sc off, whoop whoop

had 2 big snows of 14 and 12 inches last year. Raptor on stock tires in 4x4 mode was unstoppable...... literally....could not stop

But i sure could go!!!

Drive it like a sane person and it was very forgiving. If the back end did step out, it was very predictable.

Badgertits said:

(the BFG KO2 on factory raptors is not the same as off the shelf KO2s- which actually get a snowflake designation for winter duty).

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My factory KO2s have the snowflake on them and I bet yours do too.

The Ko2's are good in fresh snow but suck on ice. If you want uncompromising winter performance the Nokian Hakkapeliitta's are your best option. You put these tires on and in 4A you can let it rip in horrid conditions.

Thanks for all the great info! I am thinking I will keep the Evo with blizzaks ready to go for the slick stuff and the raptor for the deep stuff for the first season.

SilverBolt said:

Tire pressure I do not change. The factory tires are OK in fresh snow, adequate in hard pack, and suck on the ice. I would suggest a set of Nokian winter tires or studded Goodyear Duratracs. I do not add any weight in the bed however I do have the weight of a spray in bed liner, rubber bed mat, and a hard bed cover. So in a roundabout way I have added about 150 lbs. A block heater and a battery blanket are both good ideas. If my temps dropped that low I would run them. Chains, some will clear the rear just fine. I use these https://www.tirechain.com/Tire-Chains-Diamond-Installation.htm. For the front you are screwed unless you change your wheel offset and possibly upper control arms. There just isn't enough room for the chains to fit up front. Locking the rear is not the best idea. If you are going slow in deep snow on a straight road it may help. The rest of the time a locked rear will likely get you in the ditch.

Every aspect of the truck handling is going to be much different than your Evo. The steering is way slower, the high center of gravity works against you on slick surfaces. Once 6000 lbs gets sliding it is very easy for it to get away from you. Find a snow covered empty parking lot and play around with it.

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Exactly what I was looking for! Even with how low profile those chains are on the inward side, you can’t fit them in front?

Thanks for all the great information! I can’t wait to hit a freshly covered parking lot!!

TurboTJ said:

Thanks for all the great info! I am thinking I will keep the Evo with blizzaks ready to go for the slick stuff and the raptor for the deep stuff for the first season.



Exactly what I was looking for! Even with how low profile those chains are on the inward side, you can’t fit them in front?

Thanks for all the great information! I can’t wait to hit a freshly covered parking lot!!

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I am running aftermarket wheel with a +25 offset vs the factory +34. This is enough for the chains to clear but it is so close I am not willing to risk it. If the chains move at all they will contact the upper ball joint and control arm. Best case it makes an ugly noise and scuffs up the control arm. Worst case it snags the control arm and rips it off. If you are off roading and at 4-Lo/crawling speeds you might get away with it but not with factory wheels. Reach in the inside of your front tires and feel how close the sidewall is to the control arm. It is tight.