Michelin LTX A/T 2 sizes?

[Foy]

Gents,

After much agonizing and hours of online study, analysis, and reading of reviews, I am leaning heavily towards putting a set of Michelin LTX AT2 tires on my truck. She's an 02 F350 SRW Crew Cab, long bed 7.3 diesel, stock except for a "leveling kit" (2.5" front lift). I will require a Load Range E with something like 3,400 lb or greater load capacity. While I don't yet have one, a lightweight popup truck camper is in my future. I got +70,000 miles out of a set of LTX M/S rubber, including much in the way of city driving, and replaced them with Nitto Terra Grapplers (305/70 R16) when I installed the lift. I've gotten 40,000 miles out of the Nittos but that includes 30,000 miles of pure straight-line highway and very little around town. They've been the devil to keep balanced and I am ready to switch back to a less aggressive and quieter tread in hopes of maintaining some off-road capability, getting much longer tread life, and recovering the 1.5-2.5 mpg cruising fuel economy the bigger rubber cost me. Dang, diesel is stupid expensive!

There IS a question here, and it is this: I am not able to see listings for a 295 or 305 size in the LTX A/T2. The biggest rubber I have found in this tire, for a 16" wheel, is 285/75 R16, and the spec tables show this to be a Load Range E w/ a weight capacity rating of 3,750 lbs @ 80 psi, 17/32nds tread depth, and standing 32.83" tall. I have also seen the same tire part number described as having 16/32nds tread depth @ 32.7" diameter (tall). I wonder if anybody has seen a 295/75, a 305/75, or a 295/70 or 305/70 Michelin LTX A/T 2 listed, and if so, from what source.

Thanks for any input.

[CA-RJ]

285/75-16 is the largest size offered for the AT2.

[Devin W]

The Nitto Dura Grappler comes in the 305/70/16, but it's only wider, not taller than the 285/75. Is that what you are trying to get?

I can't speak for the durability as I only have a few hundred miles on them, but so far they are comfy, quiet, and didn't seem to take much weight to balance. Cosmetically they are a decent looking tire and actually have two different side-wall designs to choose from (just by reversing the tire like you would with a raised white letter tire) depending on whether you want a more commercial look or something with more flair. The tread siping appears that it will work well in wet/snow conditions (but I haven't had any of that yet either - living in Colorado, it's just a matter of a few days...or hours!). The tires are rated as a pretty high mileage tire, too.

Load range on the 305's is 3525 ea (E load).

http://www.nittotire.com/Tire/duragrappler#size

[Buliwyf]

The Mich LTX AT2 looks like a street tire to me. We have those on a few of our work trucks. They aren't good on any sloppy jobsites or wet dirt roads at all. My Goodyear Silent Armors work a ton better. The Duratracs that others have, are better yet.

LT285 75 R16 Goodyear Silent Armor has a 3700 pound rating.

Jumping up to an 18" wheel seems to open up a better range of larger AT tires with higher weight ratings. Keep in mind that many E rated tires are only rated to 3100 pounds. Plenty of large D rated tires that match that weight rating. And 10% over on pressure is OK according to the tire engineers I've talked to. 10% over is 71.5psi on the oversize D rated tires I've worked with. Plenty stiff for towing. Still not as good as an E tire, but if your loads are small......

[crossbowme]

As soon as I wear down the POS stock tires on my PRO-4x I'm buying a set of these. I have had these on other trucks and they're great! Most people like to think abpout themselves plowing thru the jungles of South America but forget that they have to drive on the open road to get there. Are there better off road tires - yup! Are there better highway only tires - yup! Is there a better combination of the two - absotuely not! Take a look at the ratings on Tire Rack and you'll be impressed. The only caveat is make sure you get the commercial version. I'm told there is a consumer version though I have never seen them.

[78Bronco]

275/70/18/e is available for 18" wheels. Slightly taller by 0.5".

[Foy]

Thanks, gentlemen, for the input.

Severe off-roading capability doesn't come into play here. My old girl is 8,000 lbs without much in the way of passengers and gear, and fully rigged with a FWC or similar, I'll be dead on top of the 9,900 lb GVWR. Add the fact that she's nearly 21' long and has the turning radius of a tractor-trailer, and sticking her into difficult places gets way, way down on the list.

I decided early on to forgo the temptation to change wheels, so getting something at or close to the 33" tall, E-rated, 3,500 lb capacity, some sort of more aggressive tread than A/S was my goal. That, and getting rubber which I believe will last and be fairly trouble-free during the process.

The best set of tires I ever had were the Michelin LTX M/S set. I ran them forever, they always stayed balanced, and I never had a puncture. That experience pushed me to the LTX AT2.

I ordered a set yesterday at Discount Tire (America's Tire for the West Coast guys). Mounted, new valve stems, lifetime rotation and balancing, $70 Michelin mail-in rebate, zero sales tax promotion all ka-chings out to a net of $1,030.44 for the 285/75R16 E rated LTX AT2 rubber. If they last anything like the LTX M/S did, I'm good for 3-4 years.

Foy