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Moflash · 12-15-2011, 09:05 AM

Bought my wheels from tredittire.com in KC (T03's)they shipped them right to my office.I used the steel valve stems that came with my TPS .If you choose not to have TPS just use a good steel vave stem available at any parts store.Do not use rubber valve stems.The TPS system from Tire Rack as I mentioned works great as I just have tandem axels so I only needed 4 senders ,just call them I would imagine there is something available for triple axles.

Moflash · 12-15-2011, 09:06 AM

By the way our standard hub covers fit the new wheels perfectly no need to buy new ones.

Air-Texas · 12-15-2011, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moflash

By the way our standard hub covers fit the new wheels perfectly no need to buy new ones.

I just wanted all new...I bought the Orange Electronics's TPMS..

2dabeach · 12-19-2011, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krlajwvater

which michelin 16" tires did you go with, LTX M/S or LTX winter? what is the difference between the M/S and winter tire. Why didn't you use the XPS rib, which is an all season tire, price?

I've been looking into upgrading my 2007 25' Safari from Goodyear Marathons to 16" Michelin's. I was on the Michelin site XPS Rib | Michelin Tires looking at the XPS RIB and it listed the tire as a "Summer Tire". When you hit the "Summer Tire" it comes up with the following: "Summer tires are primarily designed for high-performance vehicles and provide optimized dry and wet performance levels in a temperate environment. Summer tires are designed for year round usage but should not be used during winter season where the temperatures are colder and approach freezing consistently as their performance would be less than optimal" I then called Michelin and was told that they did not recomend the XPS Rib for temperatures under 45F. What is real funny is here is a copy of the picture they show of the XPS Rib. It sure makes this process a little confusing.

steverino · 12-19-2011, 10:31 PM

I've read enough Marathon woes to be fairly nervous with my 3 year old Marathons, despite the fact they've got low mileage.

dumb question. How about replacing the 4 alloy wheels with 16" plus michelins, and keeping the 15" steel with zero mileage marathon as a spare? it's just there for emergencies to get to the next tire repair shop down the road.... saves a little money and no worries about the spare fitting in the carrier.

dznf0g · 12-20-2011, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steverino

I've read enough Marathon woes to be fairly nervous with my 3 year old Marathons, despite the fact they've got low mileage.

dumb question. How about replacing the 4 alloy wheels with 16" plus michelins, and keeping the 15" steel with zero mileage marathon as a spare? it's just there for emergencies to get to the next tire repair shop down the road.... saves a little money and no worries about the spare fitting in the carrier.

That's what I am doing.

SilverCottage · 12-20-2011, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steverino

I've read enough Marathon woes to be fairly nervous with my 3 year old Marathons, despite the fact they've got low mileage.

dumb question. How about replacing the 4 alloy wheels with 16" plus michelins, and keeping the 15" steel with zero mileage marathon as a spare? it's just there for emergencies to get to the next tire repair shop down the road.... saves a little money and no worries about the spare fitting in the carrier.

I thought about that but in 4-5 years time do you really want to be installing an 7-8 year old Marathon if you get a blowout? As well, you can rotate the spare to get longer mileage and more even wear. Also, if you happen to scuff a tire or rim you can use the spare and it will match.

There really isn't any issue to get the larger spare in the carrier. I put a deep socket on a long handle ratchet and pulled down a bit. It couldn't have taken more than 1 or 2 pulls on each post to make it wide enough. That part was simpler than I thought it would be.

Air-Texas · 12-20-2011, 06:49 AM

Would the smaller tire touch the ground firmly enough to help support the trailer’s weight?

Gene · 12-20-2011, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2dabeach

I was on the Michelin site XPS Rib | Michelin Tires looking at the XPS RIB and it listed the tire as a "Summer Tire".

That is strange. I think of the Rib as a commercial truck tire designed for delivery trucks traveling relatively short distances.

Gene

Lance M · 12-20-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Air-Texas

Would the smaller tire touch the ground firmly enough to help support the trailer’s weight?

The overall tire diameter difference is less than an inch, so only half of that for the radius. You would not have any problems.

2dabeach · 12-20-2011, 07:59 PM

I received the following from Michelin regarding their website remarks that the XP Rib is a "summer tire" and showing a SUV in the snow on the page for the XP RIB.
"Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.
The picture on the website is misleading. The XPS Rib is a commercial tire and would not be used on an SUV.
We have notified our website administrator to make corrections.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Sorry for the confusion.

Gene · 12-21-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2dabeach

I received the following from Michelin regarding their website remarks that the XP Rib is a "summer tire" and showing a SUV in the snow on the page for the XP RIB.
"Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.
The picture on the website is misleading. The XPS Rib is a commercial tire and would not be used on an SUV.
We have notified our website administrator to make corrections.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Sorry for the confusion.

I guess that means it would not be appropriate for a travel trailer either.

Gene

dznf0g · 12-21-2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

I guess that means it would not be appropriate for a travel trailer either.

Gene

I wouldn't necessarily say that. I think when most folks state "SUV tire", they are refering to a P metric tire. Most SUVs are road vehicles, 1/2 ton and are produced for the "car" market.

IMHO, a commercial or an LT is appropriate for an SUV, but most folks would complain of a rough ride, etc.

Also, IMHO, a commercial and an LT is appropriate for an AS (providing all the load requirements, etc are taken into account).

Air-Texas · 12-21-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dznf0g

I wouldn't necessarily say that. I think when most folks state "SUV tire", they are refering to a P metric tire. Most SUVs are road vehicles, 1/2 ton and are produced for the "car" market.

IMHO, a commercial or an LT is appropriate for an SUV, but most folks would complain of a rough ride, etc.

Also, IMHO, a commercial and an LT is appropriate for an AS (providing all the load requirements, etc are taken into account).

I just put new Michelin LTX M/S 2 P275/55R20 tires on my 2010 Toyota Sequoia, and the ride is about the same, in fact, if I had not been anticipating a change, I might not have known I was riding on truck tires instead of the original Dunlop passenger tires. I changed to the truck tires because of the higher weight that I now tow.

xrvr · 12-21-2011, 11:20 AM

The P means these are passenger car tires---no? jim

Air-Texas · 12-21-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

The P means these are passenger car tires---no? jim

Not according to the tire guy...He said that these were light truck tires...
So, I am not sure..

Air-Texas · 12-21-2011, 11:39 AM

Dec 12, 2011 ... Michelin Tires - LTX M/S2 Tires - Our Best-Selling Light Truck Tire.

The MICHELIN LTX® M/S2 tire offers an exceptional combination of performances for light
trucks and SUVs. ...
LTX M/S2 | Michelin Tires

dznf0g · 12-21-2011, 11:39 AM

It's in that "gray area" that all the tire mfrs seem to be going. It's not a true LT tire....although they market it as a "light truck" tire. I BELIEVE it to be more like an extra load P metric tire with a 2185lb max load.

This is a market that opened up when truck buyers quit wanting a truck by virtue of it's total capability and wanted a carlike ride in a truck's skin. Just compare an SUV or 1/2 ton pickup today with one say, 20 years ago.

As long as these tires meet the load rating of the front and rear axle as labeled on your door jamp...and you don't exceed the ratings with your trailer and toys, you're OK.

Gene · 12-21-2011, 12:13 PM

The appearance of P tires on SUV's and pickups instead of LT tires has confused the question. Most such vehicles are not used off road and though the vehicles are often advertised as climbing Mt. Everest (slight exaggeration), they mostly stay on the highway. So, they often come with the cheapest tires the manufacturer can find.

Our '07 Tundra came with Goodrich P tires. Like too many OEM tires, they wore fast and rode badly. We replaced them with Michelin LTX A/T2 tires and they have lasted 50,000 miles with at least 10,000 more and they ride much better than the P tires. Michelin markets a couple of different versions of the LTX—usually one or more for highway travel and another is more for off road (A/T = all terrain)

This doesn't prove P tires ride better than LT tires. It does prove Michelin is better than Goodrich—Goodrich is Michelin's cheap brand.

The Rib has steel cords in the sidewall and is designed for one or more retreads. The target consumer is a company that does a lot of deliveries in a metro area. The tires are not used frequently at highway speeds and clock a lot of miles around town. Retreads extend the life of the carcass. It seems to me speed is the enemy of retreads, but these tires usually are going 25 or 35 mph.

But are they good for a travel trailer? It seems like overkill to me. They are unlikely to be retreaded as they will be pretty old before almost anyone with a travel trailer will need to do so. Will the stiff sidewall be appropriate for a travel trailer? There are two times when a stiff sidewall makes a difference—one concerns sway and some contend a stiff sidewall reduces sway. I don't know of any proof of this. It seems logical, but in real life it may make no difference.

The other thing is backing. Backing at maximum angles puts a lot of pressure on the tire sidewalls. A stiffer sidewall can cause the tire to skip sideways but a solution is to avoid backing at such severe angles (that also is good for tail light lenses). ST tires have stiffer sidewalls than P tires, and maybe more so than LT tires. I believe the stiffer sidewall was to prevent sway and prevent tires from separating from the wheel during backing. They were considered an improvement from the bias ply tires that used to come on trailers. Michelin Ribs have stiffer sidewalls than the LTX, but I don't know how they compare with ST tires. If ST tires were reliable (another point of contention) and had a high speed rating like LT's, then people would probably stick with them.

I think a good argument can be made for the Rib's, but a better argument is made for the LTX. Both are, in my opinion, superior to the ST tires.

One thing that I am totally sure of is that the tire threads will go on forever.

Gene

dznf0g · 12-21-2011, 12:46 PM

I agree with Gene on all points EXCEPT the mfrs statement, "So, they often come with the cheapest tires the manufacturer can find."

In the case of an entry level vehicle or base truck, yeah sure. But I hardly think that p metric Michelins and Continentals, etc on Denalis, Escalades, Lincolns, Lexus etc. are used for price point pressures. It is done for ride quality and suspension tuning for "Concrete Cowboys" (Truck drivers who never use their vehicle like a truck). Many of these tires cost substantially more than an LT.