Micheline tires

are they xza3 or xza3+?

There is a difference...

 

How many miles did you get, and what kind of pulling were you doing?

 

I have Bridgestones. Last time I bought steers, I went to 16 ply rated tires and it has made a big difference in wear. They are probably going to go 200,000 or so. I also think pressure and a good 3 axle alignment are key.

 

295/60 will weigh less, lower your front end 2.5 inches, cost ~$25 less, but require a 9" wide rim & are probably going to be limited to 7390 lb

295/80 can be installed on 8-9" wide rims and may have load limits up to 7830 lb.

 

Tires are always much debated in here. What I have found to work well on my truck I see lots of complaints from drivers in here who say they are crappy tires. For steers I've tried Bridgestone, Yoko, and Goodyear. On my truck Bridgestones and Yoko's are garbage and Goodyear is the best tire I've ever run. Every truck is different. You just have to try different brands and see what works. What works on mine might not on yours, vice versa. Although I've never had Michelin tires I don't think they are a bad choice based on prevailing sentiment here from guys who run them. They are probably the most cost effective tire out there. Maybe one of these days I might try them but I hate to change what works and have good luck with goodyears.

 

Rc, for what it's worth I also had the best luck with Goodyear. Never had a problem getting over 200k on the steers. This last time I decided to give Michelin a chance cause with Mercer the national account pricing made it a better gamble. So far I am even more impressed than I was with the good years. 90k milesoso far and they are wearing absolutely perfectly. Can't wait till my drives wear out so I can try them.

 

What ever tires you drivers choose adding a set of centramatic tire balancers, will make a big difference on wear and tear. They make a believer out of me.

 

Had really good luck with XZE wearing evenly.

 

Had great wear from my last set of Michelin drives. Over 300k and my alignment is way off. Into my second year with this set. Just had them flipped about 2 months ago. Still loads of tread. Would expect the same life again. Expensive, but worth it.
I met an insurance agent for Hartford who had Michelin as a client. Visited the plant. Top secret stuff he said. Massive investments in r and d in the compounds.