Michelin LTX on a 4th gen??

[RickyCRX]

Okay, so I'm going to need new tires for my 2WD V8 4Runner Sport soon... I had Michelin LTX M/S tires on a previous vehicle and they were pretty decent, except in the wet they were pretty slippery when you'd get on the throttle or turn. I have the stock Bridgestone's on the 4Runner right now and they've been okay for the last 40k miles, but standing water is starting to make things hairy when it rains.

So, I am looking at possibly getting the LTX's due to how many miles I put on the vehicle (about 15-20k/year) and given the fact that I tow a decent amount, etc... Has anybody had any issues with putting the 265/70R17's on a 4th gen 4Runner? Has anybody put these tires on a 4th gen? I raelize that the speedometer/odometer will read about 3-5% too low, but I can adjust to that. My main concern is if they rub or if you notice a significant slowdown in acceleration or worse braking, cornering, etc, due to putting these tires on?

Ricky

 

[Koz]

If you tow often, stay with the stock size. 65s are wider and 70s will raise the final gear ratio and (slightly). You may want to upgrade to an "E" rated tire for more stability when towing and it has a higher load rating.

Koz

 

[RickyCRX]

Well, I know the 70-series tire will effectively give me a taller gear ratio, but the only problem is that I don't see where I can get a load range E tire without going to an LT tire and it seems like most of those are all 70-series tires. I regularly (at least 1-2 times per month) am towing a trailer weighing about 4500-4900lbs. Sometimes that same trailer can be loaded up to 5,500-6,000lbs. So far the stock Bridgestone Dueler's have been decent tires. I've gotten 40k out of them so far, but in the wet they never have seemed to grip very well. For instance last night I was coming home, pulling my trailer weighing around 4,600lbs (with electric brakes), and as I was coming to a stoplight off of the highway, the ABS pulsed a few times and I wasn't even really on the brakes all that hard even though the streets were wet. Just the extra weight behind me was enough to overcome the traction of the tires pretty easily and I'd rather not be towing a lot in conditions like that when it rains.

So....I guess the general consensus is that 265/70R17's seem to fit just fine without rubbing -- I guess at this point I'm trying to figure out what I should get based on my driving needs. I do mostly 75% highway/25% city driving and probably 5-10% of my driving has been while towing on the highway at 70-80mph. I want a tire that will last somewhat decently, but most importantly will have good all-around grip in the wet AND the dry as well as be stable while towing.

I've been going back and forth between getting the Michelin Cross-Terrains in the proper stock size, getting the LTX's in 265/70R17, and then just cheaping out and getting the same tires I've had for the last 40k that seem to have served me "fairly" well, although sometimes I've wished for more grip in all aspects (acceleration, cornering, and braking), in both wet and dry.

Based on that, can anybody give me a suggestion on what I should do? I do absolutely zero off-road driving, so I don't really want to go with something like the Revos and sacrifice the quiet highway ride just to have some tougher off-road tires.

I wish we didn't have this funky 265/65R17 size, or else this would be an easy decision to just throw on the LTX's and be happy.

Ricky

 

[Thai]

I do mostly 75% highway/25% city driving and probably 5-10% of my driving has been while towing on the highway at 70-80mph. I want a tire that will last somewhat decently, but most importantly will have good all-around grip in the wet AND the dry as well as be stable while towing.

Based on that, can anybody give me a suggestion on what I should do? I do absolutely zero off-road driving, so I don't really want to go with something like the Revos and sacrifice the quiet highway ride just to have some tougher off-road tires.

Ricky

For you, i would go with any LT-rated tire, probably Load Range D and up (C will probably be OK). I would NOT get P-rated tires.

As for brands, i would think that REVOs and Goodyear SilentArmor are good choices since they ride well and last a long time. They don't make too much noise either. Another tire that i would seriously consider is the new Michelin LTX A/T-2: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28814. This new LTX A/T-2 looks like a real good tire that should satisfy all your needs well. Other than that, i would either get Michelin LTX M/S or maybe Goodyear Fortera series if you really want to stick to highway truck tires with low noise.

Good luck...again, GET LT-RATED TIRES.

 

[Koz]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...false&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=67R7ATREVOWL10

Koz

 

[Thai]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...false&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=67R7ATREVOWL10

Koz

Wow...when did REVOs get knock off from being #1??!!:awais: Koz, there goes your argument all this time!! It's ranked 4th now?!! It just goes to show that these TireRack surveys are unreliable...the newest tires are usually ranked the highest because of people's need to justify their recent purchase and the fact that most of them are comparing a new tire to their old worn out tire.

I would bet that once Michelin LTX AT-2 establishes itself, it will be #1 on TireRack ranking until another new tire comes along.

This is the same for TireRack's ranking of Mud-Terrains. I think that my Firestone Dest. M/Ts are good, but i would not rank it #1 nor BFG M/T all the way down at #7.

 

[Koz]

Wow...when did REVOs get knock off from being #1??!!:awais: Koz, there goes your argument all this time!! It's ranked 4th now?!! It just goes to show that these TireRack surveys are unreliable...the newest tires are usually ranked the highest because of people's need to justify their recent purchase and the fact that most of them are comparing a new tire to their old worn out tire.

I would bet that once Michelin LTX AT-2 establishes itself, it will be #1 on TireRack ranking until another new tire comes along.

This is the same for TireRack's ranking of Mud-Terrains. I think that my Firestone Dest. M/Ts are good, but i would not rank it #1 nor BFG M/T all the way down at #7.

Thai,

Please do me a favor and not reply to my posts because when a debate starts and someone disagrees with your opinion, you start getting nasty (the rules don't apply to you, being the site's creator). Also as soon as you THINK you are losing a debate you simply close the thread or delete posts.

Koz

 

[Thai]

Thai,

Please do me a favor and not reply to my posts because when a debate starts and someone disagrees with your opinion, you start getting nasty (the rules don't apply to you, being the site's creator). Also as soon as you THINK you are losing a debate you simply close the thread or delete posts.

Koz

Didn't you get OWNED recently?? And now this...the infamous KOZ TireRack argument is now trashed by your own TireRack surveys!! Sorry, i had to laugh a bit there.

I think that you got owned several times if i might add. Do you want to see the links where you got owned?? All your arguments of late have gone down the tube because you simply do not see or fail to acknowledge the truth.

BTW, i would take any disgreement with me to PMs. This is off-topic. Sorry to original poster.

 

[pipspeak]

So, I am looking at possibly getting the LTX's due to how many miles I put on the vehicle (about 15-20k/year) and given the fact that I tow a decent amount, etc... Has anybody had any issues with putting the 265/70R17's on a 4th gen 4Runner? Has anybody put these tires on a 4th gen? I raelize that the speedometer/odometer will read about 3-5% too low, but I can adjust to that. My main concern is if they rub or if you notice a significant slowdown in acceleration or worse braking, cornering, etc, due to putting these tires on?

Ricky

Look into the LTX A/T2... they come in far more sizes than the M/S or original A/T including the stock 265/65/17 size. They look to be somewhere between the two in terms of performance (at least that's where Michelin seems to be positioning them). Only drawback is the lack of reviews cuz they're so new.

 

[Kmvreter]

I would go with your first choice as the thread title suggests. The Mich LTX M&S is an excellent wearing and riding tire that is also a workhorse on many trucks.

 

[Lone Ranger]

For your uses, I suggest looking into the Yokohama Geolander G051. They are highly rated over lots of miles and can be had at a very attractive price.

 

[wolfgang]

I do mostly 75% highway/25% city driving and probably 5-10% of my driving has been while towing on the highway at 70-80mph. I want a tire that will last somewhat decently, but most importantly will have good all-around grip in the wet AND the dry as well as be stable while towing.
Ricky

Man, I'm glad you're in TX vice east coast towing a 5k trailer at 70-80 MPH! I'd be more worried about the tires on the trailer than on the tow vehicle! I tow an "ultra-light" Forest River TT (still 4k+ #)and keep it below the 65 MPH speed limit - even then have had some hairy experiences with 18 wheelers whizzing by and wind gusts. Real exciting when a Carlise trailer tire blows at 50 MPH.

 

[RickyCRX]

Man, I'm glad you're in TX vice east coast towing a 5k trailer at 70-80 MPH! I'd be more worried about the tires on the trailer than on the tow vehicle! I tow an "ultra-light" Forest River TT (still 4k+ #)and keep it below the 65 MPH speed limit - even then have had some hairy experiences with 18 wheelers whizzing by and wind gusts. Real exciting when a Carlise trailer tire blows at 50 MPH.

Yeah, there's always got to be one of those on every thread where you end up going a little faster or tow a little more than somebody thinks is safe...

I towed quite a few thousand miles on some Carlisle tires on a single-axle trailer loaded up to about 95% of their rated capacity at 70-80mph with ZERO issues at all. I keep a VERY close eye on my trailer tires and check pressures before EVERY tow without fail. I had said trailer up to 90mph earlier this afternoon on my way back from an event with my '99 Miata on it and the back of the 4Runner loaded down with spare tires, tools, jack, jackstands, easy-up canopy, ice chest/cooler, and whatever else I can't think of right now.

I think for most of the 67 mile tow home this afternoon, I was averaging 70-75mph (of which the speed limit started at 75mph and went down to 70mph as I got closer into town...) with occasional bursts to 80mph while overtaking trucks (I refuse to sit next to a truck in its "wake" of wind -- that's EXTREMELY dangerous)... I'd rather overtake a truck very quickly to minimize the amound of time I sit in the air disturbance.

Oh, and towing even an EMPTY enclosed trailer that acts as a huge non-aerodynamic wall that catches every bit of wind is a COMPLETELY different ballgame from towing a flatbed trailer with a small aerodynamic sports car on it. Don't knock 70-80mph with a properly loaded/balanced car hauler with electric brakes, tandem axles, and PROPERLY maintained tires until you've experienced it.

So now that I got that off my chest, can we please keep the rest of this thread on-topic? I'd appreciate it.

Now, back to the topic at hand -- I think I'm going to go with the Michelin LTX M/S tires, but I'm still concerned about the larger sidewall of the 265/70R17 reducing tow vehicle stability and increasing my gear ratio to the point that I'm having to go even faster to stay in the V8 engine's powerband when in overdrive. I prefer to keep it at 2100rpm or better when towing, but also don't want to have to go down to 4th gear due to the HUGE reduction in fuel economy by towing in 4th gear.

Ricky

 

[RickyCRX]

Just an update: I finally got a set of Hypersilver Sequoia wheels for my 4Runner and ordered the Michelin LTX M/S tires in the 265/70R17 size about 2-2.5 months ago.

I've put close to 3k miles on them so far and have a few thoughts....

In dry weather, they don't seem to grip as well as the Bridgestone Dueler's did when they were new.

Fore-aft acceleration (acceleration and braking) grip is not as good as the Dueler's... I actually had to get on the brakes really hard this past weekend while towing (unexpected construction had two lanes of the highway closed right after a curve in the road and everybody went from 65mph to 0 very quickly)... I stood on the brakes and the front tires were howling pretty badly. Based on previous experiences with the Duelers and horsing around/getting on the brakes hard with a trailer behind me, I would have been able to slow down a bit faster with much less drama from the Duelers. While towing, with probably 300lbs of 'stuff' in the back of the 4Runner and another 400-500lbs of tongue weight, I still had trouble accelerating from a stoplight with a small amount of water on the ground. The traction control system kicked in before the 4Runner even started moving forward.

Overall the ride is okay, I have a little vibration at 65-70mph, but I need to just take them back to Discount Tire to get them rebalanced. I do notice the taller gearing slowing my ability to accelerate at lower RPMs...

Cornering seems fairly decent with these tires; and I do corner pretty hard in my 4Runner. I guess my only real gripe is just fore and aft traction being a bit lacking. In hard rain, the tires are amazing. Puddles, standing water, etc. doesn't do ANYTHING to the stability of the 4Runner at highway speeds now. We haven't had much rain for me to test the braking and acceleration in the rain, but we'll see what happens.

Ricky