Snow Tires for the 21s (and chains and socks)

[jwardell]

Not sure what you mean. I think we all knew that options would be limited for the 21s. Also the 22s are probably limited by load rating but there appears to be plenty of options in an LT275 65 R20 that have have a load rating more than sufficient for the R1T, the speed rating may suffer but that is always typical of winter tires in my experience.

Or did you just mean no Nokian tire options due to supply issues caused by the war in Ukraine?

He said there was nothing available that met all the ratings for the 20s, but I too found options on tire rack a few weeks ago. Unless they've disappeared or maybe they only have Nokian. Regardless, Rivian won't sell rims, so now I guess I'm going to get some chains.

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[jjswan33]

He said there was nothing available that met all the ratings for the 20s, but I too found options on tire rack a few weeks ago. Unless they've disappeared or maybe they only have Nokian. Regardless, Rivian won't sell rims, so now I guess I'm going to get some chains.

Chains that work with the Rivian is still an open question too as far as I have heard, something low pro for an SUV is probably your best bet. I'll be out of luck with the 20s when it comes to chains, not relying on a snow sock that is for sure. TBD if I try and stick with the stock tires or go to the local shop for some snow tires. I've done ok with 'all weather' tires (like the stock 20s) in the past here in Oregon but I spend a lot of time in the mountains in the winter and definitely don't want to slide off hwy 26 headed up Mt Hood, that would make for a bad day.

There are certainly aftermarket options for rims available but they are either expensive or require effort to ensure compatibility.

Either way good luck and report back what you figure out.

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

Rivian continues to refuse to sell me a 20" set of wheels for use with snow tires, so I am now researching options to swap the tires on my 21" road for the season.
The problem is NO other tires are made in their 275/55-21 size.

I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions.
For example digging through Nokian's site, they have Hakka 9 SUV tires in 275/50-21 which would run 3.3% small...is that doable?

I recommend buying the 20" wheels and replacing them with 275/60R20, which is just about the same size as the 21's, should get better mileage than the spec 275/65R20, and have lots of options. If you want wheel options... don't get the 21's. (Sorry)

 

[crashmtb]

I recommend buying the 20" wheels and replacing them with 275/60R20, which is just about the same size as the 21's, should get better mileage than the spec 275/65R20, and have lots of options. If you want wheel options... don't get the 21's. (Sorry)

Nokian has tires in that size with appropriate load ratings

 

[jwardell]

So with no apparent snow tire solution and winter approaching quickly, I decided to go with chains and wheel socks to at least hold me over till next season where hopefully a tire option becomes available.

These are not a great solution because they can only be used below 30mph, have a chance of damaging your suspension or brake components, and you need to go out in the snow and mud and install and remove them on dirty tires. But it beats getting stuck and not making it up the icy hill to get home.

I wanted to decide between chains and socks so...I researched then ordered both.

I went with Peerless Auto-Trac as I had done the same research last year for my Tesla Model 3, and these were by far the easiest to install, least chance of damaging things with self-tightening and centering, low profile but still durable chains vs the coils on some of the cheaper ones. Practicing in the driveway, I had it installed on the rear wheel in just a few minutes.

Peerless 0232805 (for 275/55-21) on Amazon

Likewise auto socks seem to get good reviews and are just fabric so hopefully can't do as much damage as steel chains. Their advantage are super easy install and light weight, they are just elastic, mesh, and fabric. The fabric feels smooth though so I think they will only help a bit on hard snow and ice and not so much deep snow and mud like the chains.

AutoSock 870 (for 275/55-21) on Amazon

Both are sold in sets of two and come with a bag to carry them. The socks are super light and probably worth keeping in the truck at all times just in case. Rivian warns against chains and says to only use low profile chains on the rear wheels, and I do agree while they don't appear they will hit anything up front if properly installed, their are a lot more delicate lines very close by on the front wheels. In both cases you install both over most of the wheel, then pull forward a half rotation to finish. The chains definitely take more care in installing but were easier than I expected.

I will need to report back after I have some snow and ice to test these on. I actually ordered two sets of socks because I can see myself more likely to stop and install them than adding the chains. And with the chains on the rear, I might also have socks on front. While the chains seem very robust, I don't think the socks will last for many miles, and reviews seem to back that up. And neither are going to help you at all on the highway or when icy conditions catch you by surprise, we really need proper snow tires for that.

 

[Aardvark]

So with no apparent snow tire solution and winter approaching quickly, I decided to go with chains and wheel socks to at least hold me over till next season where hopefully a tire option becomes available.

These are not a great solution because they can only be used below 30mph, have a chance of damaging your suspension or brake components, and you need to go out in the snow and mud and install and remove them on dirty tires. But it beats getting stuck and not making it up the icy hill to get home.

I wanted to decide between chains and socks so...I researched then ordered both.

I went with Peerless Auto-Trac as I had done the same research last year for my Tesla Model 3, and these were by far the easiest to install, least chance of damaging things with self-tightening and centering, low profile but still durable chains vs the coils on some of the cheaper ones. Practicing in the driveway, I had it installed on the rear wheel in just a few minutes.

Peerless 0232805 (for 275/55-21) on Amazon

Likewise auto socks seem to get good reviews and are just fabric so hopefully can't do as much damage as steel chains. Their advantage are super easy install and light weight, they are just elastic, mesh, and fabric. The fabric feels smooth though so I think they will only help a bit on hard snow and ice and not so much deep snow and mud like the chains.

AutoSock 870 (for 275/55-21) on Amazon

Both are sold in sets of two and come with a bag to carry them. The socks are super light and probably worth keeping in the truck at all times just in case. Rivian warns against chains and says to only use low profile chains on the rear wheels, and I do agree while they don't appear they will hit anything up front if properly installed, their are a lot more delicate lines very close by on the front wheels. In both cases you install both over most of the wheel, then pull forward a half rotation to finish. The chains definitely take more care in installing but were easier than I expected.

I will need to report back after I have some snow and ice to test these on. I actually ordered two sets of socks because I can see myself more likely to stop and install them than adding the chains. And with the chains on the rear, I might also have socks on front. While the chains seem very robust, I don't think the socks will last for many miles, and reviews seem to back that up. And neither are going to help you at all on the highway or when icy conditions catch you by surprise, we really need proper snow tires for that.

I've been using Auto Sock on my Tesla X since 2017 and have been impressed with both performance and ease of use. I definitely plan to get a set for the R1S.

 

[lolmpg]

Wow, it seems like there are not a lot of good options with the 21" wheels. I was going to sell my 2021 Chevy Bolt now that I have the Rivian, but with already having a set of snow tires for the Bolt and a cost of $325/mo, it's considerably cheaper to keep that for bad days in Vermont than to buy tires for the Rivian!

 

[jwardell]

Just to update, after months of begging Rivian finally started selling 20" packages, so I bit the large bullet and now have a lot less anxiety for the winter.

 

[jwardell]

Today I got stuck in my driveway for several hours. The 20s are OK in deep/fresh snow but no good for hard/slippery surfaces. So I ran for my 21" chains and socks to put them to the test.

For the record, there is no hope of getting the 21" chains on the 20s, they just won't stretch around the larger diameter. (I suppose I might sell them if anyone is interested)

The 21" socks are difficult but do eventually get on the tires. Instead of the 7 minutes it took me on the 21s, it was more like 40 minutes and lots of muddy knuckle scraping pulling them on. They do help a little on those hard slick surfaces, but they are no replacement for real snow tires.

 

[windblowlc]

I replaced the Pirelli AT tires with a set of 275/60R20 Hankook I*Pike X winter. They're XL with a T speed rating, and same diameter as the 21" and 22" RIVIANs. These are 42 lbs a piece, a lot lighter and quieter than the AT (48-52 lbs,) or the LT tires (54-58 lbs). I find these excellent on road and on snow.

You can also use these easily with the chains/socks you already have in extreme weather.

 

[Phrogz]

The 21" socks are difficult but do eventually get on the tires. Instead of the 7 minutes it took me on the 21s, it was more like 40 minutes and lots of muddy knuckle scraping pulling them on. They do help a little on those hard slick surfaces, but they are no replacement for real snow tires.

Wanted to share my alternative experience last weekend. I have 20" tires, bought AL69 socks for them. I was unable to make it up my steep and slick driveway on good-tread tires alone. (I slid off twice, my wife with studded snows slid off twice.) I got the truck unstuck and onto a flat-ish spot of the driveway, and put two snow socks on the front wheels. I'd estimate it took me about 30 seconds for each tire, then get in and drive forward 4 feet, and another 10 seconds at each tire pulling the last of the "fitted sheet" over the top. It literally took longer to figure out how to open the package without a knife (it's sealed shut with a tough sticker, and beyond that the plastic handles are hard to separate) than it did to put them on.

I then drove up the driveway--that I could not summit before on multiple attempts--with zero slipping. I later drove a mile down my steep mountain road--that I had slipped and slid on coming up an hour prior--with no slipping or sliding. Got to the bottom, popped them off in less time than it took to put them on, and drove away happy.

I can imagine how frustrating and what a struggle the wrong-size sock would be, and I also cannot imagine succeeding to install the socks if I was actively stuck, and could not roll the wheels a few feet.

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