Tires: new rubber, yokohama geolander hts, bf goodrich

Question
I have a new Toyota 4x4  tacoma access cab.So am buying  rubber.I live in
Washington state in the mountains.I need a good snow tire! Occasionally I
load the truck to the max.GVW 5350#.My driving is all highway. My tire
professional , a guy who has put quality rubber on my various trucks for 1/2
million kms. with no problems,installed as  winter tires 4,BF Goodrich LT245
75R16 1160 M S( load range E). I thought they were kinda beefy,cost a tad
more,on his say so I had them put on my winter wheels and took it for a test.
At 200Km they  handled excellent.
Uh-Oh-Today at, consumer affairs. com website is a slew of complaints for
just this tire. Now,I am aware if you do not constantly check a heavy tire for
correct inflation/load issues you can destroy it in 10,000 k.or less in just the
way these complaints describe.I also know winter tires due to the soft
composition should be driven only in winter. But the roads up here are
dangerous and this brand is new to me - if there is an issue out there I would
like to know about it.Before I show these printouts of tread separation woes
for my tire man to see next week( I am returning to get a set of Yokohama
Geolander HTS for my summer wheels which I have had before, and love) , let
me ask when it comes to winters, what other choices are there for the job?

Answer
John,

 First, I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of Michelin or their affiliates(BFG, Uniroyal).  As for your particular BFG you would have to indicate what style it is.  I am not aware of any tires by BFG at this time that are causing any type of serious problems.  I will, however, check out the website you mentioned ,as well as, some others that I use.

 If the GVW of your truck is 5350Lbs then I question the use of a 10-ply or load range E tire.  Seems like overkill to me.  A 6 or 8 ply tire is more than adequate for your application.

 If your pleased with the performance of the Yokohoma HTS then I would recommend the Yokohoma A/T for your winter use.  I have installed them and have enjoyed very pleased customers on many occasions.