I was just wondering if anyone is doing anything to their jeeps to get them ready for winter? Winter is coming soon and I thought this mite be a intersting thread.  

This is the time of year I pull off the safari top and soft doors. On goes the soft top, side windows and hard doors. I don't put in the back window until it gets really cold. We're talking northeast (New York). Just got a tinted replacement window kit from Bestop. I'm looking like Batman !  

My yj has already begun mutating: Bikini top off. Hard top on. Upper doors on.  For the last two years Ive been buying a roll of this rubber sealer at walmart. Its like 1/2" by 1/2" with glue on one side. Right now I start seeing where the air is coming in and slap this sealer in every where. Just remember you have to be able to get out of the jeep when your done, dont seal yourself in!!! It may seem early to start doing that, but you'll be happy that u did especially if you have crazy weather like PA. When it gets a little colder I put the floor plugs in(except the front, the water still gets in some how) and the carpet. If your in North East PA and you see a big ass jeep swerving over in you lane, its me trying to get that tricky air leak on the passenger side!!!  

I wonder what offroad tire would be the best for winter?  

I dont now whats the BEST.   But my favorite was BFGs 31-10.50 All Terrains.  I loved tearin ass on snow covered roads with them.   If they didnt suck so bad in mud Id be running them now (only in a 33" ). 

Ive had procomps 31-10.50 Mud Terrain ( not too bad ), 33-12.50 baja claw radials ( they suck...bad. foget backin up, they turn in a slick  and currently run BFGs 33-12.50 Mud Terrain. 

definetly a narrow tire is better. instead of hovering on top of the snow, they dig down and find traction.   I have no Idea why the all terrains worked better than the muds, but they did.  youd think the bigger lugs on the M/Ts would move more snow....

narrow is definately better.  no question.  comes down to pounds per square inch.  the more weight you can get on the contact patch, combined with the correct tread ... the better.

also, more sipes and softer compound.  just look at an ice tire ... the lugs are full of sipes, and it's a softer compound.  that's for road driving.

if you're wanting to hit trails in the winter ... i suggest that the access road to your favourite summer trail will be challenge enough in winter.  early winter wheeling is better (imho) then later winter wheeling.  you will notice the snow banks and trails will have thawed once or twice,  piled up and refrozen.  might as well be cement at that point.  a big tire with floatation might pull you through better at times, but if you drive your jeep on the road at all ... the wide tires will spell disaster.  one patch of ice and it's game over.

one final note, if your winter is anything like mine (ontario, canada) ... pack a decent winter safety kit.  blankets, candles (they can actually keep the vehicle somewhat warm), socks, boots, chains, sand or kitty litter, blankets, etc.  also, if you are stuck without help.  use your carpets or floor mat's to help with traction.  some kind of device to help with jack placement and stability would probably be good.

it's a great way for newbies to wheel ... just an unmaintained road can be fun.  breakage is not likely ... since everything just slips, but the potential to get stuck is huge.  just watch the temp guage if you are stuck.  even at -30 you can overheat easily ... if you're pounding on it.

Pete

i'm wondering ... could some of the ice tires we have up in canada be a good choice for rock crawling?  soft compound, sipes, grippy.

has anyone tried it?

Oh, and some of our winter tires use ground up walnut shells for grip.  also, i think there is some funky messing with the compound.  micro bubbles.  driving at speed on ice ... the ice liquifies.  the micro bubbles in the tread aid with traction.

Pete

I live in NS Canada so winter is almost here! I'm running 235 supersports right now(never in winter yet) but around feb or march I'm getting my 3.5 inch lift and Pro com 31" AT's on......I know they have sips so I'm hoping they'll be ok on some ice as well.......  

Next week I'll be swapping out the Geolanders for my winter Thornbirds.  I know alot of people frown on thornbirds but for running in frozen mud ruts and tread lines their performance is unmatched.  Also pulling out the block heater cables as it was 29 degrees last night. 

If anyone lives in an extreme winter location like myself, tell me if you would be interested in this: a t-case wedge.  It's basic perpose is to brake and reroute the ice and snow from under your t-case, kind of like an ice braker ship.  It is cut to install through your t-case skid plate holes and from the fwd bottom edge a 60 degree up angle forms the point of the wedge.  It can be cut for t-case drop kits as well.  This item is still in prototype, it was tested last winter (a few months ago) and worked very well.  It hasn't been retested since the mods we made to it.  The test vehicle was a 86 cj-7 w/ a 4.5" RE lift, the wedge pushed the snow out to the tire tread line where it was then run over by the back tires.  Of course this will not work with a belly up skid plate.  Please give me some feedback and I'll try to get some specs or pics posted.

Thanks

I was wondering if my zj (^ 4.0 would also have bloc heaters....I have never checked.  

Up here a block heater comes as standard equip.  If you have one you would notice a small length of a black ext. cord (male end) most likley comming through your lower right grill.  If not, they aren't too expensive to install, or you could go just about any where and get an engine oil heater.  Same idea just not quite as effective.  

If it ever stops raining here I'll have to look into it.  

definatley the 31 10.50 bfg all terrain  

I have 31 PRO COMP AT. This will be the first year I'll try them in the winter.  

Any opinions on GoodYear's MT/R 33" for basic road snow use?  I'm currently deciding between GY and MT's Baja Claw ... I'm in Chicago and this will be my first winter with my '00 Sahara with an Inline 6/auto tranny....