Hey Mike, what kind of tires do you have on that Ramcharger?
I just put new tires on my Jeeps and they are awesome!
Goodyear all terrain with kevlar reinforced side walls for both. They are not exactly the same tires from one Jeep to the other, but they are both aggressive tread, kevlar reinforced sidewalls. My good friend works at my Goodyear now and gave me the lowest price that he could on the top of the line Goodyears.
These babies are so good, that my oldest son invited some of his friends over on Superbowl Sunday and went to pick them up and drop them off afterwards. We got over a foot of snow that day, and my son's Jeep tore it up like nothing. His friends were so impressed at how well the Jeep with the tires went through the snow, that they want one like his now....
Here's the XJ (Cherokee). Look at how much snow packed in between the spokes of the rims. That was from driving on Superbowl Sunday, the snow was that deep... :
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Check out this tread! (Don't tread on me... LOL!) :
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Here's my ZJ:
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Here on the ZJ tires, you can see the Kevlar name molded into the tires. Argh, argh, argh... (Tim Allen grunts...)
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I believe that you don't skimp on tires or brakes. They are your weakest link to traction on the pavement. The best traction you can get is what I go for in wet and snow (Nothing will grip on black ice..). If you get tires with good traction in wet and snow/slush, then you will get good traction dry. The increased safety is worth the extra $$$ (it could save someone's life).
If I spend the extra money to get the best tires that I can, and they save me or my kids from getting into an accident, I'm way ahead. When the tires grip and prevent an accident (think of deductibles, dealing with insurance companies, car in shop for a few weeks etc...), where the cheaper tires would not have gripped and caused a wreck, you're way ahead.
You will never know if the better tires saved you, as it was prevented, but as long as they have the best tires on it, I know that if they do wipe out it's because of the way that they were driving and not their equipment. I have taken them both out and taught them how to drive in the snow and slush for best traction and keep from sliding, as long as they keep a level head, they should be ok.... (Slow down and keep off the brakes if you feel it start to slide - if it starts to slide, let off the gas, DO NOT HIT THE BRAKE, and steer out of it. If you hit the brakes or gas, the tires will slide, where if you just coast, the tires will get their grip back. Go to an empty parking lot with snow in it to practice not hitting the gas by reflex. Get the car going about 30 MPH, then suddenly hit the brakes and turn, then let off the brakes while still turning, and the car will start to turn. Repeat this until you become comfortable to not listen to your first instinct to hit the brakes, but to let off them and get the car back under control). Make sure to locate all of the light poles in the parking lot where you pick to practice, so you don't end up crashing into them like the drifter guys on youtube....