Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 Review
When it comes to winter tires, there are a few names that dominate the space, but there are also a few little-known but excellent options. The Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 is just such a tire.
PROS
- Excellent on-snow grip
- Plenty of grip in colder temps
- Good pricing
CONS
- Could use more handling capability
- Not studdable
This excellently-capable tire doesn’t get a lot of press. Part of that has to do with the brand’s ownership, which you can read more about here.
The Winter Maxx SJ8 is a purpose-built winter tire for trucks, SUVs and crossovers and is designed to deliver impressive traction as well as durability on larger vehicles.
Dunlop uses what it calls a “Nano-Fit” tread compound which is designed to resist freezing in lower temperatures giving this tire good grip on clear or icy roads when the temperature drops. The physical make-up of the tread features a center tread section that aides in highway stability and turn-in response on clear roads.
Once the snow begins to fly (and build up on the road) the Winter Maxx SJ8 features plenty of siping on all tread blocks to help this tire grip the snow and use it a a friction material against snow-covered roads. Numerous owners report trying these tires after having run Bridgestone Blizzaks in the past (one of our all-time favorite winter tires) and being quite surprised at how comparable they are in on-snow driving – especially at a more attractive price point.
One area where these tires don’t quite match up to the Blizzaks is in overall handling, as the tread is really designed for grip under acceleration and braking.
Four large circumferential grooves easily evacuate water and do a solid job on slush too.
As for the tire’s internal construction, it makes use of a two-ply polyester casing and dual steel belts wrapped in a two-ply nylon reinforcement to ensure the tire can hold up for years under the weight of larger trucks.
Overall, this tire is a surprisingly good winter option that is little talked about, but highly rated by owners.
Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 Price
Pricing for the Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 ranges from roughly $150 to just over $250 per tire. Below we’ve linked to TireRack for pricing, although lately they offer a limited selection of sizes. You can see more sizes and buy direct from Goodyear here.
Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 Warranty
As a winter tire the Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 is not covered by a milage warranty. The standard limited warranty protects owners by offering a free replacement for tires deemed defective within the first 2/32-inch of tread life. After that point, Dunlop will replace defective tires down to the last 2/32-inch of useable tread on a pro-rated basis.
Dunlop Winter Maxx SJ8 Sizes
16-inch sizes
215/70R16
215/65R16
225/75R16
235/60R16
225/70R16
235/70R16
245/70R16
265/70R16
245/75R16
17-inch sizes
225/65R17
215/60R17
225/55R17
225/60R17
235/65R17
235/60R17
245/65R17
235/55R17
245/70R17
265/65R17
265/70R17
18-inch sizes
235/65R18
235/60R18
225/60R18
235/55R18
245/60R18
225/55R18
235/50R18
255/55R18
265/60R18
265/65R18
275/65R18
19-inch tires
235/55R19
245/55R19
255/50R19
20-inch tires
255/50R20
245/50R20
265/50R20
285/50R20
275/55R20
275/60R20
21-inch tires
275/50R21