Off Roading Tires??

[mberry]

I'm trying to decise whether to go with the Michelin LTX/MS or the LTX/AT's and could use some help. I have the LTX/AS now and they pretty much suck for everything but dry asphalt.



It's snows and gets icy here during the winter and I like to find where logging roads end in summer. I get into the mud once in a while too. What's the best compromise between the two extremes of winter and summer?



I am partial to Michelin's simply because I have tortured several sets of them and took everything I dished out. My last set I had were MS's and I really liked them on the old truck. I would like your opinions on other brands and experiences you have had with them. TIA.



Mark.

 

[MJawsman]

Well I sold Michelin tires for a few years and went through several training sessions, so here's my $. 02.



The LTX A/T has a harder more cut resistant compound than the M/S. The M/S however uses silica based rubber and a much better sipe design. Both of these factors make it a better ice and snow tire. For hard packed snow or ice, biting edges are what counts. The M/S has millions of micro biting edges compared to the A/T, and therefore will give better traction in that environment. If however, you drive a lot down gravel or rock strewn roads, the A/T will be more cust resistant. The M/S may "chunk" up if driven for an excessive amount of time in that condition. One more word of advice, do NOT have the M/S siped by a tire dealer. Silica rubber responds to siping by peeling off in small chunks. Consider the tire to be factory siped.



Now I'm sure everyone has varying opinions and may disagree with everything I've said. To each his own. All I'm saying is this is what I've been taught by Michelin representatives. JMHO.

 

[milehiscott]

Other brands

Berry,

I have never used the Michelins, so I can't comment on them.

I've been running BFG/ATs for many years. I have found them to be a good compromise for all road/ weather conditions. They work well in most situations. Very deep mud is a problem, but they do well in light mud. Just don't stand too close. They will throw it every where.

I usually get ~40K miles on a set.

In addition to what Jaws said, you might look at the tread pattern of the BFG/AT and see which Michelin is similar. That seems to be a very good foot print.



Scott

 

[BK]

Mark,

If your stuck on Michelins, than BFG is a great choice. Michelins owns and makes BFG's.

The BFG's I've had were the best tires I've ever own. I've had the AT and the MT. I found the MT to be the best all around, but a bit noiser and wear faster than the AT. The MT's were far better in the snow than the AT and I had less hydroplaning in small and light trucks with the MTs vs the ATs.

I thinks on our Dodges, due to the weight, the AT's wont show any hydroplaning. . I had AT's on a 2wd Club wagon Ford van and had no signs of hydroplaning. I loved the MT's soo much in the snow, I had a set mounted on another set of rims for the winter for the rear of the van.

 

[mberry]

I'm definitely not stuck on Michelins. I just don't have much experience with other brands. I had a set of Goodyear RT/S tires on a toyota and they were great tires. I definitely would not get MS's siped at a dealership. They are already well siped.



Thank you all for your comments. It is appreciated.



What about the other brands? Cooper, General, Goodyear, Kelly, etc. . ? Anyone?

 

[Mutch]

I have the factory-supplied michelin M/S on my truck now. MJawsman may be right about snow and ice, we don't get much of that around here so I can't comment, but they DO suck in mud. I had michelin LTX A/T on my 2500 and was happy with them off road. I never went bogging in deep mud but never got stuck, even after digging down 6-8 inches into the goo. A little airing down and alot of right foot kept me going. They also wore very well, hardly any loss of tread after 40k miles.



I am still undecided between BFG M/Ts, michelin XPS traction, and LTX A/T. I rotated in my spare and and deferred the decision. I will probably end up going with LTX A/T again for the best balance between road manners, tread life, and cost.

see https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=38431



Drew

 

[MJawsman]

[QUOTE

I am still undecided between BFG M/Ts, michelin XPS traction, and LTX A/T.

Drew [/B][/QUOTE]



If they come in a size you want, the XPS traction is an awesome tire. It's one of the few light truck tires with a STEEL sidewall ply . They can also be recapped or sold to a capper. Just my humble $. 02.

 

[rwinslow]

My $. 02 for what it is worth . . . . early 91 CTD 4x4 used extensively in Search and Rescue Operations with over 100,000 miles in 4WD mode (271,000 total miles) . . . . I do not work for Toyo Tire but these have worked the best for this truck:



Toyo M55 10 ply rated M+S tire. This is a commercial grade tire, it has a very stiff side wall and hence a very rough ride . . . but it wears like iron (typically 50,000 miles) and has excellent traction in snow and mud. We have tried nearly every other brand and they all ended up with either short tread life or going flat due to rock punctures - these Toyo's do not go flat. The tire also works well for interstate driving and in rain. No noted mileage loss.



Most of the oil fields and mines that I have worked in use this tire.



I have also been told that Cooper tires hold up extremely well but cannot personally attest to that fact.

 

[mberry]

Thank you

I have looked at all of those that were used and still think the Michelin LTX M/S is the best for my needs. Thank you all for the replies and comments. It is appreciated.



I did like the Toyo's too. I'll check them out further when I visit my tire people next week.

 

[Plowboy]

I just got to try out my Goodyear MTR's today. WOW. I'd have to say they chew the mud like... WOW. Before I bought them I talked to others who have them and the only bad thing I've heard about them is the price. They have a 3 ply sidewall (more resistant to sidewall damage) and are pretty quiet for such an aggressive tread. (who could hear road noise over the CTD anyway?)



I also looked at the Geolander (yochohama) before I bought the MTR's. They seem to have a good "in between" tread pattern. I just saw a set on a truck a few day's ago, and asked the owner how he liked them. It seems that they do well in the mud, and on the hiway. If I recall they also have a very good tread warranty. (?80000 km?)



Carl

 

[SOOT]

A friend of mine has about 35,000 miles on his 36" super swamper TSL radials with about 30% of the tread left.



I don't know what size your looking for, but he ran his all winter Wyoming and still has them on

Just a thought!Oo.

 

[Forrest]

I know someone who test drove Hummers. Hummer is in tight with BFG & had a course set up. Sand, mud, river, etc. The driver had to let off the gas so that the LTX/MS wouldn't beat the BFG Mud's in the river!



I then saw them on his truck. Soon afterwords, mine as well. Oo.



Prev posts say they are great on longevity.

 

[athompson]

Go with the Goodyear MT/Rs

I have the TSLs on my Sami. They are very noisy and like to yank on the steering wheel. Other than that, they work very well off road. I wish I had gone with the MT/Rs.



My previous 4X4 full-size truck had the MT/Rs. Not only do they handle mud and snow very well. They handle the rocks wonderfully. The street ride is even better than the Goodyear AT/Ss I replaced.



The Michelins on my Ram SUCK. This is the second set of Michelins I have had and didn't like either. One of the first changes I am making to the Ram is going to be a set of MT/Rs.

 

[K_Arts]

A word of caution about the BFG AT's. I went out and got set less then 1000 miles ago... and I already hate them.



They seem like good tires, they have decent tread, but they just can not handle the torque of my truck. It is a ton easier at a stop light to break these things loose then what it was for my Michelin LTX/AS's.



Don't get me wrong my stock michelins suck!!! But as far as my truck goes... I'd choose them any day over the lousy BFG's. I am just so sick and tired of breaking these things loose at stop lights, with just moderate throttle. I don't dare go WOT.



When it comes time to put tires on my truck again. . and the wifes truck. We are sticking with Michelin LTX/MS's!!!!



Kev

 

[Pit Bull]

I have the BFG AT/KO's on my 95 Toyota Landcruiser and the Michelin LTX/MS on my CTD 3500 4X4. I like both tires on these vehicles. I live on a private road on top of a very steep hill. When we get snow in the winter the Landcruiser is what I drive and it can go any where with the BFG AT/KO's, of course it has locking front and rear diff's (that does help). The reason I leave the 3500 at home is that going down that hill (it has a couple of sharp turns) I think the CTD 3500 would just keep going straight no matter what type of tire I had on it. Bottom line the dually is not much of a snow vehicle Compared to the LC. I would recommend either tire for our trucks, both are quality tires.

 

[wcjp]

I work for a local phone company. All of our trucks run the Toyo's Open Country. They seem to be a decent tire. I'm buying mine on Friday in Oregon to avoid the sales tax.

 

[C. Harlan]

I would never recommend buying BFG All terrains... They are worthless!!! They turn to slicks in mud, work somewhat decent in snow, blowout pulling trailers..... I would recommend Michelin's, or anything else. Stay away from BFG... Its just my experience.





-Chris-

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I guess there's two sides to every story. I've put 285/75R16 BFG AT KO's through everything imaginable and have been nothing but impressed by them. Sand dunes, snow up to 3 feet deep, deep mud in a corn field (where I was SURE I was going to get stuck because I was following Stack'd'n'Jack'd who was running 35" M/T's - the farmer that owned the field said he thought we were going to get stuck for sure as he had his 4wd quad stuck in the same field in the same area a couple of days earlier - took me 2 hours at the pressure wash to clean up the underside of the truck), rock crawling, drag racing, towing my 8,500 lb TT (with 1,200 lbs in the bed - 18K GCVWR), towing up to 30K on short distances between fields, etc - never ever have my BFG's let me down and I have never gotten stuck with them (well, not quite true, I did get stuck once when I high centered at the top of the steepest hill at the sand dunes because of extremely high winds). In 70,000 miles of running them I have never had one leave me stranded due to a tire failure, etc. I run them down as low at 18 psi in the front and 12 psi in the rear when off roading and as high as max inflation pressures which is 65 psi when towing the trailer. I got 45,000 miles out of my last set and that was with a couple of weekends at the drag strip with burnouts. JMHO

 

[C. Harlan]

Lucky you!! I know there is always a good side and a dirty side to each story... . I didnt get very many miles out of mine (45K), but have to say I put them through every type of terrain imaginable, and then some. I am just not happy with them, bottom line. As long as you are, that's all that matters!





-Chris-

 

[kevincook]

For my self I am looking for a good 265/75-16 E. Anything larger and I cant park at work in the parking garage. I would like a good all around tire. Snow, Mud and road driving?



KC