Tow Vehicle Replacement Tires

[Foiled Again]

It's time to do it again, and I'd like to get better wear then the original equipment tires or the replacements.

Chevy 2500 Longbed quad cab Diesel - EATS Tires

I fulltime, this is also my daily driver. So What would you replace them with for the longest wear & best traction?

Paula

[overlander64]

Greetings Paula!

I have been very satisfied with my Michelin LTX tires on my '99 GMC K2500 Suburban. The first set that I bought went over 88,000 miles, and the second set now has over 70,000 miles. The tires are rotated every 6,000 miles and inflation is checked at least once per week.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by overlander64

greetings paula!

I have been very satisfied with my michelin ltx tires on my '99 gmc k2500 suburban. The first set that i bought went over 88,000 miles, and the second set now has over 70,000 miles. The tires are rotated every 6,000 miles and inflation is checked at least once per week.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

x2...

[SteveH]

I have some Michelin LT/X MS2's on my 2500, and with only 48,000 they look like they need to be replaced (wear bars are showing in the outer grooves). They are supposed to be a 70,000 mile tire, but no way will they go that far. However, about 98% of those miles are towing miles.

[Phoenix]

See tire reviews on "www.tirerack.com". We have bought Michelin LTX M/S2 several times for two different pickups and have been very pleased with them. If you need extremely long wear and put enough miles on tires annually to wear them out before they age out, take a look at Michelin XPS Ribs, which are all steel construction, even the sidewalls. These are very strong tires and will run many, many miles. However, they are not recommended for snow/ice. Be forewarned, XPS Ribs are probably the most expensive standard size tires you'll ever buy; but they are worth the price!

Note: We have Michelin XPS Ribs on our 19-foot Bambi (225/75x16, load range E).

[JBinKC]

My truck's simillar to Paula's. It gets about 12K a year, 80% towing. After 25K the original Bridgetones look brand new. They live in a garage when not camping, they're filled with nitro, rotated every 5,000, balanced annually and rarely see 70 MPH. That's life in a truck tire spa. So they'll probably be changed because of age not miles, like me. Why replace them with anything except tires just like the originals? Save the bucks for big, expensive tires and extend their life by protecting them from UV damage, under-inflation, high speed and misalignment.

[overlander63]

Paula, I put Firestone Transforce HT tires on my Silverado the day I got it. I kept it 3 years, put 35,000 miles on it, rotated the tires 3 times, and they still had 8/32" of tread on them when I traded the truck in.

[Kevin245]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Paula, I put Firestone Transforce HT tires on my Silverado the day I got it. I kept it 3 years, put 35,000 miles on it, rotated the tires 3 times, and they still had 8/32" of tread on them when I traded the truck in.

I run these on an F350 SRW 4X4 and have had great success with them.

[Pat Conway]

I have a 2500 Diesel short bed that made it to 50,000 with the original Bridgestones. I switched from Bridgestone LT245/75R16 to Michelin X-Radial LT2 (size LT265/75R16 All SEASON). They are a quiet ride and I needed the more aggressive tires to get up the gravel hill at my daughter's place in New Mexico high evelation country (posi but no 4x4 on the truck). The 265 tires clear the wheel wells without modification to the fenderwells, but they are a taller tire and I now have to run up an extra 2 mph or so before the truck will shift into 6th gear when tow/haul is engaged.

. I bought the tires at Costco in Feb 2011 and paid $915 which includes 7% tax, tire mount and balance. They were having a $70 discount for Michelin tires at the time. I am no longer a member of Costco, but they say I can continue to get free tire rotation every 7500 miles (we'll see).

So far I only have 15,000 miles on these tires, but they seem to be wearing pretty well.

[xrvr]

I also run the Firestone tires, very good, and made in Canada. Jim

[AirsDream]

Paula:

I have the same truck, but a GMC - an '08 2500 Duramax crew cab. It came with Bridgestone Duravis tires, and I was disappointed, 'cause I wanted Michelins - I had lots of experience with their LTX tires (have em' on the trailer now also) and was happy. But the salesman said a.) he couldn't switch them; b.) he had the same tires on his own personal truck and c.) he was certain that I'd like them. Last week, getting ready for a tow to Alaska, I decided it might be time to consider replacing them, though they look fine. So I went out and measured the tread depth with a tread depth gauge, and at 60,000+ miles, they have just exactly half of the original tread left.

This means that they have a pretty hard rubber compound, which will result in less traction capability than a softer compound ... that's why they wear so well. I've had zero difficulties with them, in Arizona heat, deep Michigan snow, etc. The truck also goes off road a lot on farm property we own and while on fishing and hunting trips, and I've never (yet) been stuck with it. Rotated every 5,000 miles, pressure check every day with the TPM system, etc.

When I was thinking of replacing them, I scouted around a little and found that the Duravis in my size also is available in a "heavy duty" version for almost the same price as the original tire, but this HD one weighs some pounds more per tire than the original, so it must be heavier duty yet ... can't quite imagine what that means, but you might look into it.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Our 2500 Burb came with a tire up-grade....Michelin LTX M/S LT 265/75/16 Load E. Quiet, long lasting with enough traction for our nasty Winters.

POI...did have to re-program the PCM for the larger diameter tires.

Bob

[Gene]

Paula,

We've used Michelins for many years—smooth ride, good traction even when worn, long wear. We have LTX Load Range E on the trailer and LTX A/T2 LR E on the Tundra. The 4Runner has LTX, probably LR C. All are doing well. The 4Runner came with a Michelin tire between M+S and all season and that lasted about 70,000 miles, but replaced them with LTX's. Michelins are expensive, but since they last and last, cheaper over time.

Steve,

If your tread is wearing on both sides and not the middle, sounds like there isn't enough air in the tires. Put more than you should for a while to even them out. A tread depth gauge helps me keep track of how they are wearing before I can see it by just looking. It tells me if an alignment is necessary of only one side is wearing.

Gene

[thecatsandi]

what tires are currently on the truck?

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Paula,

Steve,

If your tread is wearing on both sides and not the middle, sounds like there isn't enough air in the tires. Put more than you should for a while to even them out. A tread depth gauge helps me keep track of how they are wearing before I can see it by just looking. It tells me if an alignment is necessary of only one side is wearing.

Gene

Yes, Gene, I know that is the rule, but I have always carried 65 PSI in the front tires, and either 75 or 80 PSI in the rear tires. ( the manufacturer calls for 60/72) Don't know the width, but I'm thinking the wheels may be a tad too wide the the tire (265/70)

[Gene]

Steve, I thought you'd know that, but in case you didn't….

I run the truck tires at 45 front and 48 rear on the Tundra for towing and 3 lbs. less (when I remember to change it) for driving around. They have worn evenly, but they are wearing faster than I am used to. With 53,000 on the Michelins, probably 30,000+ towing, they look like they have 5-10,000 miles left in them. So towing may increase TV tire wear given our experiences. I'll have to look at your tires at the Balloon Fiesta.

Remembering when tires and brakes barely lasted 20,000 miles, things have improved.

Gene

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Steve, I thought you'd know that, but in case you didn't….

I run the truck tires at 45 front and 48 rear on the Tundra for towing and 3 lbs. less (when I remember to change it) for driving around. They have worn evenly, but they are wearing faster than I am used to. With 53,000 on the Michelins, probably 30,000+ towing, they look like they have 5-10,000 miles left in them. So towing may increase TV tire wear given our experiences. I'll have to look at your tires at the Balloon Fiesta.

Remembering when tires and brakes barely lasted 20,000 miles, things have improved.

Gene

Yes, do doubt they are much better quality now than in years past. We have it planned to make it to the International Rally this year in Sedalia, MO, (our first ever) with a stop on the way in Branson, and then after the rally, on over to Colorado for some cool weather. So, these tires may not make it to Albuquerque in October. If I thought they were unsafe, I would replace them tomorrow, but for now, I'll just keep an eye on them.

[Foiled Again]

I currently HAVE the Michelin LTX tires - I haven't rotated them as I should have and the back ones are seriously worn. Shame on me. The front ones could probably do another 10-20K except that the little old lady who recently decided to share a turn lane with my truck got up close and person with the front tire's sidewall. Worse than just a scuff but I missed it on inspection. Also knocked it a bit out of alignment too. So I'm just gonna replace all four...

and set reminders to have the tires ROTATED.

Paula

[Gene]

Paula, I just noticed you and Steve both have Chevy 2500's, perhaps both diesel. Both trucks seem to wear tires faster than anticipated, though I don't know how many miles you've gotten from your unrotated Michelins.

Maybe the problem is the truck, not the Michelins. But AirsDream has a similar truck with Bridgestones that sound a bit like Michelin Ribs and has gotten good mileage. Don't know what the Suburbans tell us, if anything.

The one fair Michelin can be a spare anyway. A tire tread gauge also tells me when to rotate them. I keep a record of tire wear and check the tires every 5,000 miles or so. Drive tires always wear faster than steering tires (assuming rear drive). Often I only have to move 2 tires rather than all of them.

The other variable is the driver. Wheelies? Midnight drag racing?

Gene

[SteveH]

Yep, that may have caused it.....all those passes down the drag strip with my 7000 pound Diesel pickup!