So, with Michelin being so darn good (rep wise), i emailed Michelin asking about their sidewall.

This was my question to Michelin:

“I am shopping for tires to replace my OEM (Bridgestone Dueler
HT). I am interested in Michelin Defender LTX M/S. But i have a few
question. Defender has 2 steel, 2 polyester, and 1 polyamide for the tread.
Sidewall has 2 plies. My question is...the POLYAMIDE layer...is that just
the cap (tread area only)?? Or does the polyamide reinforcement extend to
the SIDEWALL too?? In other words, is the sidewall on the Defender
reinforced with anything other than 2 polyester plies?? One last
suggestion......can you make Michelin AT-2 in more sizes?! (Is the sidewall
on AT-2 tougher than Defender?) Thank you in advance. (I do plan on going
off-roading a little, nothing extreme...thus, concern about sidewall
strength.)“



This is Michelin response: (great response time too!!)

“Thank you for reaching out regarding the Michelin Defender LTX M/S. The polyamide (nylon) layer is placed above the top steel belt and is directly below the actual tire tread. This layer does not extend to the sidewall of the tire. Sidewalls of a tire are generally non-reinforced, with the exception being Ultra High Performance tires. UHP tires use steel or fabric cords to help strengthen the sidewall for stability in high speed cornering.

The Michelin LTX AT/2 is an all-terrain tire so the actual tread is designed for more off-road usage but the sidewall of the AT/2 isn't necessarily any stronger than that of the Defender LTX. Both tires are available in Load Range E (10ply) strength and have the ability to carry heavy loads and have good light off-road ability.

We hope that your issue has been addressed to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 866-866-6605 (toll-free) between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

Sincerely,
Craig
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert”