Michelin LTX Force tyres

[Lakey]

Anyone know anything of Michelin LTX Force tyres? Looking at tyres at Costco yesterday and I saw them, $232.

Tread looked okay but not sure of the load and speed rating, I think both are a bit low relative to the Dueler or Toyo ATs I have been looking at. Not sure what they are off the top of my head to compare.

https://www.michelin.com.au/AU/en/tires/products/ltx-force.html

[old Jack]

These are a passenger construction tyre with a mild AT tread pattern, OK for on road and mild off bitumen as long as you are not travelling or towing heavy or doing series off road work.

OJ.

[Lakey]

Thanks OJ, tread didn't look too much different to some others such as Toyo AT but I hadn't heard of them. Michelin used to make some decent tyres back in the 7.50 16 days so wondered.

[erad]

I am a Michelin man from way back (sadly, these days I even look a bit like him as well)! A friend of mine has them on his Toyota Playdo, and he reckons they are good, but very noisy. Not sure what he compares them to.

Eventually, I reluctantly steeered away from Michelins when I needed new tyres because when I was in Kakadu some years back, I shredded a Michelin LT on a newly graded track. I was told that I couldn't buy a Michelin tyre in the NT. I had 3 Michies with 84000km on them, one unused Yokohama (the spare tyre) and I bought another unused Yokohama in Darwin to replace the dead Micho. The Yokos were on the rear and I swapped the 3 remaining Micho's around on the front. Eventually I had to buy new tyres - the Yokos had worn out before the Michos. The Michos had 125000 km on them and were still legal.

Because of the NT experience, I reluctantly switched to Hankook AT's. They are quiet and appear to be wearing well - time will tell, but they look as if they will do over 100000 km for me

[Lakey]

The few reviews I've seen on these seem to be from several years ago and people were talking of well over 100K mileage and long life in years also. Must say they were saying quiet also but then that can be relative to what you've had before and 10 years ago there were not that many to choose from. My big concern and the main reason why I wouldn't get them is availability as you have experienced Erad. Suspect Costco may be bringing them in from the states directly.

[gazza11]

Michelin LTX Force

Yesterday I ordered 5 Michelin LTX Force 265/60r18 tyres from Tyrerpower Newcastle. They arrived today and I am booked in on Monday. I have done many searches re reviews but keep on getting very little info apart from Michelin and Field Day Tests they have conducted. There is a very good review in the VW Touareg forums. I'm biased towards Mitchelin, having had several sets previously, but this is the first LT tyre. The costs were $300 each fitted-balanced etc with $100 voucher. Offer ends this month, and the build date DOT 0818, so they are fresh tyres. I will give an update in a few weeks.

[Seigried]

Would love to hear how these go.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[gazza11]

Michelin LTX Force

Update on tyres. Firstly, these tyres replaced the original Dunlop AT20's that were fitted to my 2009 NT Pajero Exceed. As they were 81/2 yrs old I felt they needed replacing. They had done 65k's and there was 5-6mm of tread left. They were getting hard and I felt more noisy. I choses Michelin as I don't do a lot of K's but wanted a tyre that had good longevity, and would last 10yrs (hopefully). When driving home from having the Michelins fitted I immediately noticed the steering was very light and the tyres bumped badly over Railway Crossing. When home i checked the pressures and they were all about 40psi after requesting 32f and 34r. Typical of Tyre Fitters. Once I adjusted them to 34F&R they rode much softer over road repairs and badly repaired pot holes. As I said, I can only compare the Michelins with the Dunlop AT20, and so far they are a little noisier, and giving about the same ride over different bitumen surfaces. They turn in much better and don't have that pushing feeling when going around sharp corner and bends at speed, they turn in well. The ride is better at 80ks than 60Ks and are no noisier the the Dunlop At20 on the Expressway at 100k's The sidewalls of the tyres were covered in wiskers and looked terrible. Once I had cut all these little stubbles off the tyres (I had to it as it was so annoying to look at) look much better, more of a course HT tyre then the typical AT one. Michelin state they are an on road tyre which can go off road, suitable for dirt and gravel and will give 35% more milage than the Pirelli ATS and stop 2m less. The tread compound is derived from there Rally Force Tyres. Time will tell, and I will give another update in 3months. At $300 each + $100 Gift Card, I thought they were a good buy.

[jkwpajero]

The "rubber" compound in a typical tyre will usually only last around six years. After that the heating/cooling cycle and UV will have seen the best of it gone. There may be plenty of tread depth left but the handling characteristics and road holding abilities will rapidly decline. Ten years out of a tyre is hoping for too much. When you need them the most they will let you down, and it may cost a life.


James

[gazza11]

Michelin LTX Force

Michelin has a warranty of 6yrs from date of sale or usable tread and they state on their web site that after 6yrs tyres should be inspected annually and replaced after 10yrs. On their Web sites Michelin are requesting that tyre tests be conduced on worn tyres not new tyres to get a better test results. They also want to reduce the wear bar, to what point I can't remember. They say their tyres perform consistently with wear. Perhaps its the quality of the additives and oils they use is why they are a premium tyre?

[starfungi]

Looking at buying these this week. How have they gone since you bought them?

[gazza11]

Michelin LTX Force

Hi, I have another car as well as the Pajero (Michelin Tyres also) so I share the two vehicles. Also the wife has her car. I have done about 7000ks and just recently the Pajero had its annual service. The tyres were rotated and the spare, a new tyre was included in the rotation. I have a Tyre Depth Gauge, and they all showed 9mm including the newly rotated spare. When fitted they ballenced well with small to moderate amounts of weights. I drive on bitumen roads and I live in a Rural area and travel a bit on the expressway between Medowie and the Central Coast. I run 32psi in the front and 34 in the rear and to date i have not towed the caravan. The tyres which are 265/60r18's are no noisier than the Dunlop AT20's on the express way, and are pretty quite around town, perhaps a little bit noisier. I have noticed I used to have to radio volume set on 14, now it's set on 16 around town. They do roar a little on coarse bitumen roads and are a little more harsh. I have recently replaced the front rotors with DBA slotted ones and replaced front and back pads with Bendix 4x4 pads. The combination of the new brakes and tyres is excellent. The tyres grip well, turn in far better then the Dunlops and so far have been excellent in the wet (Hasn't rained much). The steering feels positive perhaps a little bit heavier, but feels solid and direct. Overall I think they are a good tyre for the price, and there is always someone having them on Special and Michelin do have $100 cash back or vouchers as well. They are an on road/gravel/dirt road tyre with light off road use. Overall I am very happy with the tyres. I hope this helps.
Cheers.

[starfungi]

Thanks you for the reply. We are just off to WA in August and really dont do any off roading but always had ATR tyres. So I would like to have a better highway tyre and perhaps a softer ride. These are about $265 . I have been disappointed with the AT20 but they are about $245 and I wish to change. I did like Mickey Thomsons but the Deegan 38 are a bit too chunky for me. At the moment, I am going between the Cooper AT3 4S and the LTX. Again I had a bad time with a set of Coopers but I believe they have improved. Its never easy as being pensioners we think this will be our last set of tyres for caravanning.
I run the AT20 at 39 front and 41 back with the caravan and have airbags too. The caravan is only 120kg ball weight so that shouldn't be too heavy for this LTX tyre. I'll think over the next few days before getting new tyres. Did you have a front and rear re-alignment with the new tyres?

Thanks

[gazza11]

Hello, Yes I had a 4 wheel alignment done with lots of adjustments to the rear about 3 months before getting the Michelins. This was the first alignment the car had. When the Michelins were fitted the did a front wheel alignment. I had them fitted by Tyre Power. I paid $300 each with $100 gift card sent in the mail from Michelin. The tyres do bag a little in the walls, more then the Dunlops and are rated at 110T. If you Google Michelin ltx Force reviews, there is a very good review by the VW Touareg Forum showing pictures crossing very rough rocky road. I am a pensioner also, and wanted a good tyre that had good longevity. Michelin are noted as being the leader in tyre Development and spend more money on R&D than other manufactures. The tyres I bought are made in Brazil in a newly developed Factory. They have been on the market for some years, but only been available in Australia sine mid 2017. The tyres I bought were made in the 8th week of 2018. Some Michelin tyres for Australia are made in Asia and China. On the Internet the reviews from Michelin show the tyres being used by the Mining Industry in Brazil, and also tyre comparison tests carried out in Asia. Michelin own BFG and this is their main AT tyre. I needed a tyre mainly for sealed roads but with the advantage of knowing it could handle the occasional dirt road. Michelin is a premium tyre, and is readily available. I agree with comments that years ago it was only a selected few dealers who sold them and could have been hard to get. I have not heard anything negative about them other then dealers who don't sell them saying they are very expensive. I think you would be happy with them.
Cheers