Michelin Pilot LTX on 18s

[Big MAK]

Just ordered Michelin Pilot LTX 285/60r18 for my 18 inch Weld/KORE Wheels... here's to hoping they look ok! Have never seen any on this setup.



These are same height as stock tires but 1. 4 inches wider (stock are 10. 4 these are 11. 8) -- thinking they'll look fine. I'll post some pics Tuesday next week.



Stock: 10. 4 wide 31. 4 high

Nitto: 12. 7 wide 33 high

LTX: 11. 8 wide 31. 3 high



Decided to go to a less aggressive "highway" tire for travel and towing season... atleast it's still an 18 so I can use my wheels!

 

[Big MAK]

fyi;



Towed with them this last weekend. They are rated at 3095lbs each. Stock tires (BFG Rugged Trails) are rated 3195lbs.



The sidewalls end up parallel with the ground loaded (not good!) and ROLL OVER when cornering (really not good!).



These tires don't hold anything even close to their rated load. Trying to get Michelin to take them back. Only took a SHORT trip (thank goodness) almost all left hand turns. Tire on the right (weight shifts right turning left) is scuffed all to heck from riding the sidewall -- about 2" up the sidewall. Tires were at proper inflation.



Stock wheels and tires are back on for now.



Anyone have experience with Continental tires? I may go with their 275/70SR18 125/122S E rated for 3640lbs (time for some overkill).

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Man that's a bummer Mark. Would not have guessed the 3095 lbs Michelins would be so lame. Did you look at the sidewall to confirm the weight rating? I've heard sometimes tires are advertised incorrectly sometimes.



I don't know anything about Continentals.



Vaughn

 

[Big MAK]

Double checked everything. I think they are just over optimistic about the weight rating. They need a lot more sidewall. They only have 50psi; which should be ok -- my mud tires were about that and had very little sidewall flex so I didn't think much about it. But since they were made for withstanding sidewall puncture I think the mud tires are just a heck of a lot stronger. These weak Michelins are surprising.



I'm considering Goodyear Wranglers if not the Continentals. The Wranglers are rated at 3415lbs size 275/65sr18. So it's going to be those or the Continentals. I don't understand the Continental Contitracs though... so INEXPENSIVE! Which is GOOD... but... haven't found any positive reviews on them so it scares me away. Someone here told me about the contitracs; apparently stock on many of the Fords.

 

[ohnoitsyu]

According to what I read on Michelin's site, that's a tire or for light duty trucks. The weight rating is less than what you mentioned, but there was an asterisk next to that size. This is what I was reading:

http://www.michelinman.com/catalog/tires/MichelinPilotLTX.html?tiretype=5&tire=5



and



http://www.michelinman.com/assets/pdfs/doc_pilotltx.pdf



Although I didn't find the load rating (different than weight rating), I bet they are only a C or D rated tire.

 

[jjdiesel]

Double checked everything. I think they are just over optimistic about the weight rating. They need a lot more sidewall. They only have 50psi; which should be ok -- my mud tires were about that and had very little sidewall flex so I didn't think much about it. But since they were made for withstanding sidewall puncture I think the mud tires are just a heck of a lot stronger. These weak Michelins are surprising.



I'm considering Goodyear Wranglers if not the Continentals. The Wranglers are rated at 3415lbs size 275/65sr18. So it's going to be those or the Continentals. I don't understand the Continental Contitracs though... so INEXPENSIVE! Which is GOOD... but... haven't found any positive reviews on them so it scares me away. Someone here told me about the contitracs; apparently stock on many of the Fords.

That was me... I have no complaints with the Contitracs... . ride great, good in the rain... . no problemo... I am running them with KORE Welds, they feel just like the stock tires, I don't think you would be dissapointed.

 

[p-Bar]

Hey Big Mak ,What have you found in tires, I am going with 18" wheels and hard to find anything in "E" rating.



Don

 

[jjdiesel]

Don, check out the Continentals, the Contitrac is the oem tire on the Ferd King Ranch, 18" wheel... I'm liking mine so far, nice ride, wear looks real good.

 

[Big MAK]

Sadly; I gave up. The mud terrains had the sidewall strength to hold the load but the only all terrain that looks good is the Toyo -- and those are on infinite backorder world wide.



Right now I haul/tow with the dually so I dropped the search.



The contitracs looked worth a try if I was still trying to find a tire for my 2500.



On the 2500 I'm presently running Dick Cepek 35" all terrains on my stock 17s and they work fantastic -- but they aren't rated high enough to want to tow with them.



My gorgeous 18" KORE/Weld Cheyennes with Nittos back on are sitting in the garage...



btw I towed my 5th wheel with the Nitto mud grapplers and they held up fine. I was looking for a less aggressive tread.



Those michelin pilot LTX's have a "X" model which stands for 'extreme load' that are supposed to have the higher weight rating I refer to (I had the X's). imo they have it wrong since they did not hold up. Maybe the 'X' model is supposed to get a couple extra ply for the sidewalls and they screwed up.

 

[p-Bar]

Don, check out the Continentals, the Contitrac is the oem tire on the Ferd King Ranch, 18" wheel... I'm liking mine so far, nice ride, wear looks real good.

Thanks JJ I will have a look at them



Looked at them nice but largest is 32" dia I need 33"