Michelin LTX A/T 2 LT265/70R17

[mwilson]

Opinions needed......I did not realize (or didn't remember) that Michelin discontinued my beloved A/S series tire. 2 sets of A/S tires have carried me 146,000 miles and I HATE to put something different on the truck but I guess there is no other option.

I want to stay with Michelin and the closest thing I can find is the LTX A/T 2......

Any comments before I order up (4)???

 

[BarryG]

I thought they were good tires. They were not aggressive enough for the mud I travel through on our property but were pretty good in the snow and everywhere else, got good mileage out of them. The only thing I didn't like about them was the oversteer and it may have been my truck as opposed to the tire but no other tires have done it nearly as much before or after them as you know they all do it to a degree. In the snow like the thicker stuff that accumulates on the side or between lanes and the same with soft dirt/gravel they would over steer significantly or if say the front tire went in it it would suck you over. I have never read of this issue with anyone else but it was a noticeable difference when I ran them. Once I realized they did that I just made sure to pay more attention in those driving situations and was ready for it. if they did better in the mud I may very well have kept running them.

 

[mwilson]

Just ordered (4)...will be here in the morning....

 

[Killgore]

I think you'll be well satisfied, Mike.

- Ed

 

[mwilson]

Thanks Barry and Ed!!

I'm anxious to see what they look like, the drawings / pictures didn't really look all that great.

Truck going to my SUPER fussy front alignment guy Weds....leaving old tires on so he can see the wear patterns before he lines it up. Then HE can mount and balance all (4) tires for me.....
I've never understood putting new tires on and THEN taking it for alignment..makes it a lot harder for the tech if there are tire wear complaints.

Hasn't been aligned since the last trip to Columbus in 2013, overdue for sure.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

Please update this post when you decide if you like these tires or not.
Thanks!

 

[mwilson]

Please update this post when you decide if you like these tires or not.
Thanks!

I will for sure. I hate starting out on a trip with brand new rubber on truck and trailer, it will be squirrely as can be until the tires settle down. I know some don't believe that but I sure do.

So after the 1600 mile round trip I should either love 'em or hate 'em.....

I am also loading differently. We took a bunch of normal camping crap out of the trailer on Sunday, I'll be carrying water, etc...plus I'll be running my new to me Airlift Air Bags so nothing will be as it was.....I like a challenge....

I have run out of time or my aux fuel tanks would be in as well....I'll get to those next month before we go to PEI...I'm not planning on buying much fuel in Canada if I can help it....

 

[BarryG]

While I have certainly had tires that were squirmy the first 1k or so I don't recall the AT2's being very bad at all in that regard.

 

[mwilson]

Truck is getting aligned right now, still haven't laid eyes on the tires....Tire Department took them over for me after I dropped the truck off.....Hope I like them because they are going on......

 

[BigPapa]

Good luck with them Mike. I think I'm going to try the Bridgestone R500HD's next time around.

 

[mwilson]

I have had excellent luck with both sets of the A/S series that I have worn out. No nasty habits, even tread wear and two of them being removed today have patch/plugs in them.

Drove a huge bolt through one in Indiana in 2013, the Columbus Wal Mart slapped a patch/plug in it and has held air ever since........

Gettin' misty eyed, gonna' miss 'em.......kinda' like having to put down your best dog....

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Truck is getting aligned right now, still haven't laid eyes on the tires....Tire Department took them over for me after I dropped the truck off.....Hope I like them because they are going on......

You will like them. I never noticed any initial "squirrliness" with my AT2's when I went on a 4,500+ mile trip with the travel trailer right after they were installed. They were very quiet and compliant. Great snow traction, too. I had over 65,000 miles on them when I replaced them with the Michelin LTX; they still had 4/32 tread remaining. I like the LTX, but I will be replacing with the AT2's which I like better due to 3 steel belts vs. 2 steel and one "mystery-fabric"...and a bit more grip in snow and off road goo. The only issue I had is they collected little rocks and... "click-tick-bang" for about a half mile when I got on the asphalt from our gravel road. The tread of the AT2's has been modified slightly since I had mine and from the looks, may not retain the little pebbles as the earlier design did.

 

[mwilson]

You will like them. I never noticed any initial "squirrliness" with my AT2's when I went on a 4,500+ mile trip with the travel trailer right after they were installed. They were very quiet and compliant. Great snow traction, too. I had over 65,000 miles on them when I replaced them with the Michelin LTX; they still had 4/32 tread remaining. I like the LTX, but I will be replacing with the AT2's which I like better due to 3 steel belts vs. 2 steel and one "mystery-fabric"...and a bit more grip in snow and off road goo. The only issue I had is they collected little rocks and... "click-tick-bang" for about a half mile when I got on the asphalt from our gravel road. The tread of the AT2's has been modified slightly since I had mine and from the looks, may not retain the little pebbles as the earlier design did.

Just brought it back to the shop and yes, I have little rocks stuck in the tread....

Came back one exit on the I-95 and put it up to 80mph. Raining hard as well. No squirm and very quiet so that's a surprise but no weight on it yet either.

Still not convinced on the tread, a straight tread wears better on a 4WD for all on highway use, am afraid that the edges will feather on these. Maybe not, time will tell...

Forgot to ask what they put in for air pressure, have to check them when I get home...


*

 

[mwilson]

120 miles later I'm warming up to them...settling down a little now. Still a little squirrel action but not as bad as last night going home. I'm taking it downstate this evening and will slap another 400 miles or so on it by tomorrow night.

Still have to check the pressures before I head out, raining too hard last night...

Plus I'm used to Hoopty and I'm pretty spoiled so that may be some of what I am feeling....plus everything is just arse backwards from the car including the cruise buttons.....:{

 

[mwilson]

Found some of the squirrelly feeling, all tires at 65 psi with the exception of the right front which was at 45psi....filled that up before taking off tonight...70 miles later it is feeling better...

 

[TFucili]

What did the front end guy do, Mike? Was it out of alignment? I wish I had an old school front end guy here. My truck is wearing the right front a bit more
than the rest. I hate to go to these places with some super-duper-laser-guided-ultra-galactic machine operated by a kid who doesn't truly understand front end work, and end up worse off than I started. It seems I gain more appreciation every day for crusty old geezers without a computerized version of everything.

 

[mwilson]

What did the front end guy do, Mike? Was it out of alignment? I wish I had an old school front end guy here. My truck is wearing the right front a bit more
than the rest. I hate to go to these places with some super-duper-laser-guided-ultra-galactic machine operated by a kid who doesn't truly understand front end work, and end up worse off than I started. It seems I gain more appreciation every day for crusty old geezers without a computerized version of everything.

I'm in Westbrook today but I do have the truck...I'll go get the alignment sheet and scan it so you can see it....

Still a little memory steer but I think that the ball joints are the issue there. When I took it out of storage last year I had to slap about a 1,000 miles on before they settled down......I'll jack it up tomorrow and grease the crap out of them to see if I can get by for another year....If I hadn't ordered seats..........they would morph into a set of DynaTracs....

 

[mwilson]

I can't find a color scanner down here, not familiar with all of the office equipment yet...

The LH camber is out of spec but I think it always has been.

View attachment Bangor Auto.pdf

 

[TFucili]

Thanks, Mike. Looks like just a small toe adjustment?

 

[mwilson]

Yes, it wasn't out as bad as I thought but this truck does not tolerate 0 toe in....I am about an hour away from home and it is starting to settle down finally...