Michelin LTX MS - Tread Squirm

[pparker]

Just wanted to share my experience ... . It was time to replace the set of Good Year Wranglers that were on my truck. I was not pleased with the wet traction so I search many of the forms and learned that the Michelins were usually perceived to be the best. So I bought a set of 4 load range E tires for my 1998 2500.



I pull a 30' car / living space trailer and it pulled rock steady with the old Good Years, in fact I didn't even need to use the sway bar unless there was a strong side wind. I bought the new tires and changed absolutely nothing else and now I can hardly stay in my lane with the swaybar installed and cranked down as tight as I can make it.



We've since replaced several of the steering components (since they were showing looseness), the shocks, and had everything aligned. This made a marginal improvement, but the results are not confidence inspiring. I'm told this will improve as the tires wear, but the primary use of this truck is to pull my trailer ... ... Who want to wait that long?



Has anyone else experienced a similar issue? Is there a better tire that doesn't squirm all over the place when it is new?

 

[B.G. Smith]

I ran the first set of those on a 99 72,000 miles but it was a dually. what air pressure are you running? bg

 

[pparker]

running the pressures on the door plate - I think it is 50 in the front and 80 in the rear.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Have you weighed your axles on truck with load attached?



You may be under inflated in the front. How much weight on the rear axle?

 

[pparker]

I have not weighed the truck with the trailer attached so I'm not sure the actual weight distribution. (The truck sits level with the trailer and equalizing bars attached)... . Nothing else has changed, I'm running the same tire pressures (the pressures stated on the door panel), the same hitch setting, the same load distribution in the trailer, etc. The only difference is the new truck tires and now I can hardly keep the thing on the road.

 

[RVPILOT]

tires

When I first used Michelins i experienced the same problem. there is a lot of rubber on these tires and you have to run pressure at least 70 lbs. When running without a trailer they rode just great but when hooking up different story. I get about 125,000 miles out of michelins. the best. stormy

 

[HBarlow]

I've ran nothing but Michelins on an '01, and an '06 when I was transporting RVs commercially. On each truck, after the OEM tires wore out at around 60k, I replaced them with Michelins and have always had 100k to 110k miles of service from each set. Have used them on ice and snow, wet pavement, towing heavy, unloaded, etc. Have never had even a nail puncture and certainly not a tire failure of any kind on a Michelin in about 300k - 400k miles of service. I figured out my cost per mile for running Michelin tires, six of them on a dually, was just over $0. 01/mile or actually, a calculated $0. 013/mile.

I have no connection with Michelin and receive no compensation in any form from using Michelin tires but I am a believer based on my very positive experience with them.

It is always possible that you somehow bought a bad one with a bad tire carcass but I would be very surprised if that is the case. I'd take it back to the tire store where you bought the tires and ask for them to be inspected.

 

[champspa]

yep , under inflated , 75 to 80 front and rear unless it's a dually then 65 rear. 65k is all I have been able to get from a set of m&s michelins , I tow a lot.

 

[B.G. Smith]

I would try putting more air in the front and letting the equalizer out a link or two to put more weight on the rear. bg

 

[CRuth]

100k out of a set of michelins? Mine were crap at 35k. I'll never buy another set of those again. And I ran mine at 70-80 psi.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I've got well over 60K on the OEM Michelin LTX's that came with the truck on the front end - will easily last another summer to RV towing, probably about 70K by the time I pull them off late this Fall. NEVER had any issues with steering or unusual wear problems, and the truck has never had the front end aligned, or seemed to need it! I run 70 PSI on the front, 80 PSI on the rear - too lazy to lower PSI when not towing - so run them that way all the time. Our 5er is only a 24 footer - about 14K GCW - but towed my buddy's 33 ft Alpenlite once when his FORD broke down on a RV trip we were on together - and at no time has steering been unusual...



I just wish Michelin made the LTX's in the 285 size in E rating...

 

[jgillott]

I agree with the others. In my opinion, you are between 15 and 20 psi low in the front. I used to run 70 psi in the front on my former '01 and I never had any issues, empty or loaded.

 

[pparker]

I'll try the higher pressure in the front tires and post the results back here. I won't have a chance to take the rig out until Friday.

 

[MMeier]

running the pressures on the door plate - I think it is 50 in the front and 80 in the rear.

I'd put at least 70 PSI in the front also. Have well over 100k on my set of LTX/MS's and never had any issues at all with them, when they went on or now. Contemplating another set or something else, now that I'm not hauling like I was.

 

[MMeier]

100k out of a set of michelins? Mine were crap at 35k. I'll never buy another set of those again. And I ran mine at 70-80 psi.

Which Michelins did you have?

 

[Darrenf]

I purchased a set of Bridgestone Revos Load Range E and was shocked by how "squirmy" they were too. Figured they were going to be horrible pulling a truck camper and heavy car hauler. I wound up giving them back to tire shop and asked to have a new set of Michelins LTX's put on again. Surprisingly they weren't much better right off the bat. Not sure if i got used to them or if they're better with some miles on them but I don't notice it now, and there's not that many miles on them. So hopefully with enough air pressure and miles they should straighten out for you. good luck!

 

[WestTN]

The posted pressures are for the truck alone loaded to maximum rating in the bed. The weight transfer from the trailer will fluctuate more than a load in the bed. Air the fronts up to at least 65 and try it. I run my Michelin's at never less than 60 psi even empty. The first set got 91,000+ miles before replacement and I now have 50,000+ miles on the second set. They are very stable and tire wear is PERFECTLY even.

 

[surfbeetle]

I used to run Michelins, 245 70 16s, always had 80 psi on the front end. I would adjust the rears down if empty and run 80 if towing. Then I changed up to 265 70 16s, I had Khumos, then I think bridgestones. It had too much sidewall flex with those tires. My current set is some Michelins, I think they are 265 65 17s. I put some third gen rims on my truck with 17s. The overall diameter stayed the same as the 265 70 16, but with more rim and less sidewall as well the Michelins, my handling improved tremendously.

 

[ILIANBG]

Michelin's LTX A/T2 is available in LT285/75R-16 E rated.
I recently got the A/T2, but in 265/75R-16 E rated. So far very happy. My first set LTX M/S lasted 60000 miles with no issue, it could've done more, but decided to replace.
I do think that around 70 psi in front is normal.
Ilian

 

[CamarosRus]

I have 265 LTX A/S's on a 2WD 3500 QC Single Rear Tire... ... ...



I will be pulling a 10,000GVW enclosed car trailer ..... and may "someday" place moderate camper in the LONG bed... ... .



I've been trying to make something of the Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels reviews ???? The A/S evidently leaves something to be desired for wet traction... ... I live in rainy Western WA state.



On this 2WD Highway Truck what other tire should I consider, besides MICHELIN ???