help with my drive tire choice

I understand exactly what ur saying. There are too many variables, however I tend to look at the bigger fleets who spend tens of millions of dollars on research to benefit them, not the manufacturer's product to be sold. Like WalMart. They install Michelin XDN-2s on their trucks for drives. Michelin didn't do the study for Walmart, Walmart did, under variable conditions and variable psi. With all the tires they tested They found the Michelin XDN-2 was the best in mileage and cost/32cnd. Other companies have done the same. Personally the XDA-Es came with the truck when I bought it. I found that the tires were very squirley in inclement weather. Even loaded on wet roads you could break loose if acelorating too quickly. When I took them off and put continentals on, mileage decreased immediately by 6/10 of a mile under same load and driving conditions. I can't explain the drop in mileage other than the tires. I did take the liberty to look up the mileage on the XDA-Es, 437628 and the yokahama y103 217124. I rarely drive over 62, take on and off ramps in the low 30s, no jack rabbit starts and rarely ever panick stop. I do align my truck twice a year and run centramatics on all axles. Air pressure is checked twice a week. Based on fuel mileage drop alone, over the life of the Michelin tire, i calculate I saved over 5100gals of fuel over the 31/2 years they were on the truck. The continentals, I have 6-8/32s left and I just broke 200k on them at a cost installed of 335/tire. Based on my own facts, it's an easy decision on what is going to be my next purchase in drive tires.

 

I am going to break from the pack I guess.

I am in the process of having a set of 8 Michelin XZA cases recapped with Bandag B710 caps. These will also be fully siped as well.

The B710 cap is the bandag cap for the Bridgestone M710 case. We were hoping to put it onto a M710 case, but there just aren't any available right now.

 

Walmart's tractors that work in the upper Midwest use XDN2s for drives. No surprise why.

 

Actually I stand corrected, this is what happens when you post extremely tired.I'll have to refrain from posting at the end of my day, which is wee hours of the morning.

 

Probably because they like throwing away money? Obviously kidding & is why I bought them. Do not have anyone else to rely on if the truck is stuck, slips off the pavement etc.

But was also thinking that the Michelin XDN2 275/80R22.5 & the Bridgestone M710 295/75R22.5 are the exact same diameter at 40.6". One could (in theory) have grip on one axle & the RR number on the other if that trips their trigger.

 

Open shoulder is better off road...closed shoulder should give you better wear & more longevity on the highway, though. If you never travel off the pavement, you don't need the open shoulder.

 

You really don't want to mix tread designs. If you decide you need XDN2s, then you need them on all 4 corners.

I'm really pleased with mine. 7/32nd left after 357,000 miles. If I pull them at 3/32 I should get 428,000 out of them. Hopefully. Mind you this last winter the traction advantage was non existent.

 

Why was there no traction advantage?

Wore down enough to have no siping left?