Perfect off-highway tire = LTX? What?

[gwittman]

If you want high mileage tires that are great on pavement, it is hard to beat the Micheline LTX tires. I can't speak for the M/S2 but the M/S were great. I went through 2 sets. First got over 90K miles on them and could have gone longer but were getting marginal in wet traction. The second set had over 80K miles and still had good tread, but I wanted to switch of to BFG AT tires. I got tired of switching back and forth on street and off-road (MT) tires. I had used AT tires for both street and off-road when I started off-road adventures in 1973 and decided to go back to that.

I know many people believe the LTX tires are great for off-road, but I have found they don't perform well for the stuff I do. I believe they are suitable for light duty off-road though.

 

[STREGA]

If you want high mileage tires that are great on pavement, it is hard to beat the Micheline LTX tires. I can't speak for the M/S2 but the M/S were great. I went through 2 sets. First got over 90K miles on them and could have gone longer but were getting marginal in wet traction. The second set had over 80K miles and still had good tread, but I wanted to switch of to BFG AT tires. I got tired of switching back and forth on street and off-road (MT) tires. I had used AT tires for both street and off-road when I started off-road adventures in 1973 and decided to go back to that.

I know many people believe the LTX tires are great for off-road, but I have found they don't perform well for the stuff I do. I believe they are suitable for light duty off-road though.

The off-road driving that I will be doing will be easy forest service road type stuff. But you can still damage lesser/inferior tires on those kind of roads. My days of doing more technical off-roading are pretty much behind me now.

 

[Pskhaat]

I believe they are suitable for light duty off-road though.

What would be a scenario where you would consider them not heavy duty?

 

[gwittman]

I feel the side walls of the LTX M/S is not tough enough for even moderate rock crawling. It is easy for a sharp rock to puncture a side wall and it happens to tougher tires. Why take a greater risk with a tire with thinner sidewalls?

I have done the type of trials STREGA intends to run and the LTX M/S should serve well for that.

 

[80t0ylc]

I just figured out why this thread gets under my skin. I read Gary's (@gwittman) post #211 and I just knew the OP would chime in and what he would ask. I told myself that I wasn't going to get sucked in again, but I think I figured out what bothers me. First let me ask a few questions to get readers in the right frame of mind. Shooters, do you use the same grain of bullet (excellent brand of course) in a particular gun for all purposes and call it "perfect"? Or how about your rigs, do you use your favorite one for all types of driving and call it "perfect"? How about tools? Do you use your multi tool (Leatherman, for example) when doing a project because it gets the job done - sorta? It has screw drivers, pliers, file, knife, and maybe even scissors if you're lucky. It's handy to carry, but it's rarely the perfect tool for the job. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then I can see how you're a fan of this thread. But, most of us would answer no because we know the saying - "the right tool for the job" - and why we say it. Sure Michelin makes a great tire with the LTX and it survives most of the punishment dished out with excellent mileage. But those are the only things you can give it credit for. In every other off road category there is a tire that will out perform the LTX for that particular category. So, I guess, if high mileage and overall toughness is all you're looking for, the LTX is "perfect", if you can find the right size. I still don't like the title of this thread, though...lol

Edited for clarity.

 

[MontySquareo]

I feel the side walls of the LTX M/S is not tough enough for even moderate rock crawling. It is easy for a sharp rock to puncture a side wall and it happens to tougher tires. Why take a greater risk with a tire with thinner sidewalls?

I have done the type of trials STREGA intends to run and the LTX M/S should serve well for that.

I did plenty of moderate off-roading on 10 year old Michelin a/t2 tires, the sidewalls look similar to the ltx m/s of the same era. I did kill one by ramming it into a tree stump hidden in the sand, (I was foolin around near home) and a second one died a few months after I gouged the sidewall. the second one died with 200lbs of canoes on the roof and 3 friends in the backseat, while going 70 on the highway, and it was over 10 years old, so it was expected. the third one was thrown away because it had a slow leak and the 4th one is the spare now. I did the crown king trail on these tires, along with the sheep bridge (both well known trails in Arizona, neither are extreme rock crawling but there's still plenty of sharp rocks) so while they might not be that strong of sidewalls, they're strong enough for me. they're too expensive though, so I bough some dextero all terrains from wally world.

 

[Lance990]

Fascinating thread. I have a 1 ton dually 4x4 that hauls a 2,500 lbs truck camper sometimes and I am looking to replace the tires I am currently running: Continental TerrainContact LT245/75R17. My truck sees mostly pavement but I have done some mild off-roading like driving through Valley of the Gods in Utah. The TerrainContacts have been absolutely great. But, I usually wear out the front tires before the rears so I have brand new tires on the front and four rear tires with about 7/32nds on them. I went to replace the rears and the TerrainContacts are out of stock everywhere with a possible chance to get them in January. In the mean time, I am considering alternatives since winter has arrived here in KY. I am not looking for a super aggressive tire so the Michelin LTX Defender M/S2 is a viable option. I love traveling out west when I can so I put a lot of highway miles on my tires. I have gotten over 60k miles on the rear duals with the Conti's. They are great tires and super quiet on the road. I highly recommend them when they come back in stock.

However, since the TerrainContact is such a mild off-road tire, the LTX M/S2 seems like a viable alternative. My truck is about 8,800 lbs empty with my aluminum topper and that is how I use it 95% of the time. It is my DD but I do load up the Lance TC for trips out west. My recommended PSI for the rear tires is 60 PSI. Unloaded, I run them at 38 PSI and 60 PSI when hauling the TC. Unloaded the lower pressures improve the ride greatly. Having 4 tires spreading out the unloaded weight of 4,180 lbs (1,045 lbs per tire) improves the wear as well because 60 PSI makes them wear in the middle of the tire. I don't lower the pressure in the front because that weight never changes (75 PSI in all conditions). i am really liking what Scott is reporting on the LTX M/S tires and I thinking they might do well on my 1 ton. I am absolutely looking for a softer ride and less noise althought the Conti's are the quietest AT tire you can buy. They still make some road noise after they wear in, especially on grooved pavement.

Thoughts?
(photos are from when I first bought the tires)