Yoda have you ever looked into these? https://spikes-spider.com/pages/vehi...-spikes-spider Colorado State Patrol uses them on their vehicles and that is where I first saw them. Used them years ago on a rear wheel drive car and they were great. Socks are the new thing now. Have not used them but have heard from those who have that they work very well also.

Ran across this when I searched tire socks: https://autosock.us

Company is right up the road in Colorado.

Only issue I see is the speed is limited to 30 mph.

Just cuz I know you're a guy that loves a deal, I found from time to time tires would be cheaper online here https://www.discounttiredirect.com/ than at their shops. But their discount tire shops will honour the price.
My experience is in Mnpls/StPl...maybe different in CO.

OK I thought I would update this and close out what I did.

I just bought a set of 4 Ford OEM 18" rims to be sure things would fit. The OEM rims have a 40mm offset https://www.ebay.com/itm/145422581302 the price come out to about 236 per rim. New rims - if you can find the correct offset run 350 or more. The 18" rim are the OEM stock size for the base 2022 F350 - xl,xlt etc.
Tires will be these https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tir...tudded/p/42741 I am getting a price break though.

In case your wondering about an accurate spedo this calculator says I will be going 3 mph slower than indicated. If spedo says 75 mph my ground speed will be 73. I can live with that for the convenience of having the snows already mounted. Stock tires are 275/65/20 snows will be 275/70/18. Also with the 18" rims snow tires are a bit cheaper with a wider selection.

Thanks for everyone's input

Keith

Keith - I'm curious. What is the difference between the load ratings of the 18" and 20" tires? I assume the 18" have a higher load rating?

Never mind.... I just looked up those sizes on Michelin Defender tires. 18" have a load rating of 125, 20" is 126. So about 90 pounds more capacity on the 20s.

Jim

So am I OK ???? Been a long day here - the back is killing me right now and the new hot tub is down - Needs a flow switch

Those tires are close enough in capacity. I don't believe you'll be trying for max payload with studded snow tires - right?

Jim

The the Force must be with you. Yes this is just solo for winter driving, but I think I can tow with them to if the situation requires.. I need to get Carol to Mississippi this Christmas.. Lets just say health issues with her parents take priority. Both are in thier late 80's., possibly 90's. Her Mom has major heart issues ( testing the end of this month) and her Dad just fell in a Walmart parking lot and really messed up his knee.

Over our 44 years we have made many trips from Colorado and have taken many different routes and know the snow and Ice are a factor in every trip. Not to mention the fog down there.

Given the situation this will be a very important trip. Rims are shipped and I have thew snow tires on hold.. TJ at my local Discount Tire has me covered and also has the Ford compatible TPMS sensors on hold too.

Ill let you know if what I got off of E-bay was worth the price. I rarely buy from E-bay as I have had bad experiences in the past,. It was critical to get these rim and tires for this trip.

BTW prayers for her parents are appreciated

Keith

Keith, I made the trip from Denver to Houston in April through that last really bad spell. Luckily I did not have the trailer in tow. Best of luck with the trip and hopefully all turns out well with her parents.

I don't know your route, but if it's possible to make a more southern route say I10 (yes we all hate it) vs I20 it may help to keep you out of some of the ice and snow when traveling. I know I left Craig on a Wednesday and it was snowing. Thursday when I left Denver it was raining, then snow white out blizzard (my opinion of it) between Denver and Co Springs and when I stopped in Co Springs it was clear and dry. Friday when I left Co Springs still clear, another blizzard over Raton Pass, then clear but high winds for a long time, just south of Dallas thunderstorms until I got home south of Houston. LOTS of white knuckle driving. In 3 days I drove 2 blizzards, 30+ mph cross winds, rain and hail, and sunshine.

I would second the plug for Discount Tire Direct. We seem to need one or more sets of tires every year with our cars and the kid's cars. I buy all my tires from them or Simple Tire. There are also amazing sales going on right now coming up to Black Friday. It's easily possible to get 1-2 tires free if you watch the deals and pick specific brands. I then haul either the car that the tires are for to the Discount Tire or just take the wheels and tires in my truck over for mounting and balancing. There's allot of money to be saved if you shop smartly for tires.

Joseph. I used to live east of Denver and know exactly what you went through, White Knuckle is not the half of it when visibility drops to zero from blowing snow. Thyen it is time to stop and wait it out somewhere.

My normal route is from Durango 550 to ABQ then East on I40 to Amarillo, then 287 down to Henreita then 82 East and then 69 southeast to I 20 near Tyler then east (this 82 to 89 bypasses Dallas) then at Vicksburg we go cross country south east to her parents house. Most of the really bad weather is ABQ to Amarillo and then down 287 to Dallas although I have had black ice on I 20 as far east as Vicksburg.. Lots of ice storms through there. I have taken I25 from ABQ to I10 at Las Cruces then east on I10 If I know it will be storming along I40/287.. If Dallas weather is OK we jump on I 20, otherwise stay on I 10 at the Y and visit San Antonio. . However going south like that adds the better part of a 3rd day of travel. otherwise it is a 2 day run. We usually stop in Childress for the night on 287 if we go that way..

Now not having the trailer means I could run through Dallas, but I would only do that on a Sunday morning. Traffic there is nuts. The bypass is a nice drive. Texas does a nice job of maintaining those two roads (82 and 89).

Keith

Rims arrived that I bought off of Ebay - well packaged and in new condition (take off from a new 2023 truck)


The hub cap was in a separate bubble wrap ban under the rim



​Not a scratch on them. Now to get an appointment at Discount tire.

Keith

Dropped the rims off at Discount tire today and learned something new. If you look at the photos these rims take a flat lug nut, while my 20" KR rims use an acorn conical lug nut.

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Image from Ebay just an example. I don't have a picture of the back.
So now I need new lug nuts - its the way the cookie crumbles The center caps attach to the lug nuts. with clips, so the need to match the OEM ones Ford used. Discount tire will source what is needed. These are 2023 Lariat rims BTW.

I do remember on the back of the rims being a bevel on the back side of the center bore, (it also looks Ike a steel center insert in the alloy rim as there is a bit of rust color on the surface) so these must be Hub eccentric rather than Lug eccentric. They should fit, but I have found nothing in the Ford information base other than they have the same bolt pattern and offered on the Lariat trim level with the same axles, etc.

In addition the spare is supposed to need the acorn cone lug nuts, but the steel rim has no chaperoning of the holes that I would expect. I wonder if the flat lug nuts would work too. No chamfering for the center hole either. Makes me wonder if the spare rim is universal fit to be used with either style. I cant see Ford having a different spare on different trim levels. Anyone have any information on this? Otherwise I need to carry 8 of the acorn cone lug nuts with me when I have the snow tires on in case of a flat.. Thoughts?

Example of flat lug nuts the new rims need https://www.amazon.com/Closed-Washer...67a8e3cc2&th=1

Example of the Acorn lug nuts I have with my 20" KR rims https://www.amazon.com/M14x2-0-One-P...700112039&th=1

Thanks
Keith

Keith, If my memory serves me somewhat correctly, modern trucks us both hub and nut centering methods for several years. I can attest that GM has been doing this since 04 (I think my 02 gasser was the same since the rims were the same).

I thought I would update this. My stock tires as I mentioned are Michelin TX^® A/T2 in the 275/65/20 E1 size. I had an appointment for Saturday with Discount to get them put on. I woke up to 4 plus inched of snow.. Thanks to the rapid heat option the truck totally thawed out in about 15 minutes. Started to back up in the drive an immediately lost traction. Tried the locking doff and all it did was move sideways, so into 4wd I went. Got out of the drive on to our plowed subdivision roads and had to take it out of 4wd due to binding. So off I went. However I had to really watch for ice as the A/T2 were terrible - just was not stable, especially on hard pack..

Got to Discount and as the place was a zoo had to drive around a bit. Their parking lot had not been plowed. Several times in the ruts I had to shift into 4WD. Once again Discount took careof me and price matched. I was in and out in an hour. All I can say is WOW. Driving over the same areas I got stuck in there was no hint of losing traction..

There is a reason why I went with the Nokian https://www.nokiantires.com/tires/by...res/275-70-18/

Hope this helps others in thier choices.
Keith

BTW I did not need the new lug nuts after all as the stock lug nuts are not conical and worked with the new rims.

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