News: Putting FUN and FRIENDLINESS, FIRST into owning and learning about AMC small bodied cars, primarily Eagles, Spirits and Concords as well as vehicles built in AMC's Mexican subsidiary, VAM.

The AMC Eaglepedia can now be accessed using the buttons found below  This is a comprehensive ever growing archive of information, tips, diagrams, manuals, etc. for the AMC Eagle and other small bodied AMC cars. 

Also a button is now available for our Face Book Group page.


Welcome to the AMC Eagles Nest.  A new site under "old" management -- so welcome to your new home for everything related to AMC Eagles, Spirits and Concords along with opportunities to interact with other AMC'ers.  This site will soon be evolving to look different than it has and we will be incorporating new features we hope you will find useful, entertaining and expand your AMC horizons.

You can now promote your topics at your favorite social media site by clicking on the appropriate icon (top upper right of the page) while viewing the topic you wish to promote.


  • November 21, 2024, 10:33:25 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Best snow tires for Eagle  (Read 6557 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Zoro

  • Eagle Limited
  • *****
  • Posts: 661
  • Thumbs Up 35
Best snow tires for Eagle
« on: November 04, 2014, 09:53:58 PM »
Hey guys wondering what you guys consider to be the all out BEST snow tire for the AMC Eagle? So far I've run BFG AT's and studded General Grabber AT's and wasn't really impressed, gonna be going to a tire that's designed from the ground up as a snow tire and I will be running studs.

I'd like to stay with a 215/75/15 but my Eagle can run up to 235/75/15 no problem.

Also where do you recommend buying tires online?
« Last Edit: November 04, 2014, 09:54:09 PM by Zoro »
84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline vangremlin

  • Administrator
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ******
  • Posts: 4485
  • Thumbs Up 216
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2014, 11:00:51 PM »
They aren't exactly snow tires, but I'm running Toyo Open Country A/T's on my Kammback.  I just got them last December and there really weren't any snows deeper than about 6" last winter to give them a true test.  But I really like them, and run them year round.
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline 1985amceagle

  • Global Moderator
  • Eagle Sport
  • *****
  • Posts: 458
  • Thumbs Up 18
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2014, 08:47:46 AM »
Last year I ran some sort of firestone. But I think the biggest advantage is the select trac transfer case  that most of the eagles and wagoneers received.
1985 Eagle Wagon

Offline twoslowinwyo

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 212
  • Thumbs Up 29
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2014, 11:35:51 AM »
hankook I-pike winter tires w/studs. I have found they are the best ones where I live. (Wyoming) and actually last a while. my current set will be on there third winter. (about 9 months here.) they also work great without studs.  :) LAZ
LAZ
1984 wagon
1984 wagon-daughters car
1985 wagon- parts car
1984 wagon-working on
1983 SX/4- working on
1974 matador- future vintage racer

Offline eaglefreek

  • Moderators
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • *****
  • Posts: 4011
  • Thumbs Up 209
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2014, 11:46:06 AM »
hankook I-pike winter tires w/studs. I have found they are the best ones where I live. (Wyoming) and actually last a while. my current set will be on there third winter. (about 9 months here.) they also work great without studs.  :) LAZ
I just got back from Montana a few days ago and I noticed a lot of vehicles had the I-Pikes.
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
1981 AMC Eagle Wagon As Seen On TV  Lost In Transmission


 

"I know he'd be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky mountain high"  John Denver
Click for Fayetteville,TN Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150

Offline 1985amceagle

  • Global Moderator
  • Eagle Sport
  • *****
  • Posts: 458
  • Thumbs Up 18
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2014, 12:30:30 PM »
just looked, had firestone winterforce mounted last year, and they did not seem to wear at all. they will be going back on this year for another round, unless they go on the jeep instead. they were sort of noisy at highway speeds, but I think they performed well in the snow.
1985 Eagle Wagon

Offline drock87

  • Eagle Sport
  • ****
  • Posts: 267
  • Thumbs Up 11
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2014, 01:05:54 PM »
I have Firestone Winterforce's on my car, and I have also had them on my Grand Marquis and Town Car. I had the rears studded on the Fords, but do not on my Eagle. As a winter tire, they are FANTASTIC. I have been completely impressed with them on every car....and I can really speak for them on the RWD Fords (because I always had two sets of tires for those cars). My Grand Marquis with no ABS or Traction Control kept up fine in Northern Michigan roads with my friend's Avalanche; I was never not able to keep up. On the Eagle they have been equally tremendous, and the tread design helps a lot with braking too. They are also VERY affordable in the world of snow tires

This brings me to the BUT......

Notice up top I wrote that it is a tremendous WINTER tire. They are awful on dry pavement. They are extremely soft, so they are miserable in normal temperatures, and they are extremely noisy. This is why your Blizzaks, Winter Sport 3D, etc command the premium the do is because they are NOT miserable to drive in all conditions. I would never put the Winterforce's on my Mercedes because I wouldn't want to see how they change the way that car drives on pavement that does not have snow. (That being said, I'd like to not have to put snows on my new Mercedes because, well, I have an Eagle  :eaglebig:   ;D

Hope this helps!!
My list of my cars/toys (or toys at my disposal!)

1985 AMC Eagle Sportwagon
2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic
1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
2016 Triumph Bonneville
 1962 Cruisers Inc Mahogany Outboard

I like to to tell people my Eagle is like a Ferrari. It's quirky, tempermental, border-line exotic, and something you don't see everyday.  See? Makes perfect sense....

Click for Akron, Ohio Forecast" height="90" width="160

Offline Eagle Groupie

  • Eagle
  • **
  • Posts: 54
  • Thumbs Up 2
  • Allentown, PA
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2014, 07:18:12 PM »
Seems to me like the biggest problem is just finding something in the right size. Most performance tires are for larger wheels and shorter sidewalls... And those just don't look right on an Eagle at all.

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2014, 02:09:10 AM »
The best tire I have found for all around traction is Trailcutters. I run the 33/9.50/15s on my Comanche and wish I could've afforded them for the Eagle (in 235/75/15s), but I got a decent set of tires for it last year for $350 already mounted on TJ rims. On my MJ I got 40,000 miles on a used set.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline 1985amceagle

  • Global Moderator
  • Eagle Sport
  • *****
  • Posts: 458
  • Thumbs Up 18
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2014, 12:30:21 PM »
The best tire I have found for all around traction is Trailcutters. I run the 33/9.50/15s on my Comanche and wish I could've afforded them for the Eagle (in 235/75/15s), but I got a decent set of tires for it last year for $350 already mounted on TJ rims. On my MJ I got 40,000 miles on a used set.

i assume the trailcutters were badged as being made by Eldorado? im looking at the same type of tire for my mj, even though it wont see much winter driving
1985 Eagle Wagon

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2014, 01:23:28 PM »
Actually, they are under several different brand names. Originally made by Big O tire under the Kelly Safari MSR name. I see them under Telstar as well.

http://simpletire.com/CatalogBrowse/item/93/2461/34881
« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 01:24:48 PM by carnuck »
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline Zoro

  • Eagle Limited
  • *****
  • Posts: 661
  • Thumbs Up 35
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2014, 02:24:28 PM »
Went with the Firestone Winterforce II's and had them studded.

All I will say is they're WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY!

This car has always been phenomenal in the snow and I've always run knobby AT's and some with studs but these tires are just that good for this car. Stopping power wise the car actually stops true and in line in the snow and slush compared to with the NEW BFG AT's and Studded General Grabber AT's I ran in years past where the front end washes out or rear end wipes out.

Only real down side is that they're loud on the HWY, right up there with mud tires on a Jeep.

84 Eagle Wagon aka 'Zoro II'
263,000 miles and counting!

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Best snow tires for Eagle
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2014, 04:29:43 PM »
I liked the Aquatreads I had on my wife's Subaru. It made the car point and go in pretty much anything (and it was the lowered version)
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk