Tires for the Tow

[skiman]

Getting time to replace Goodyear Wranglers on my Silverado. Wranglers get pretty poor reviews. Thinking Michelin defenders. Alaska on the agenda in couple of years. I want something mainstream that can be matched in a pinch. Ohio has plenty of icy and snowy days.

Thoughts?

[Iowa Dave]

I had defenders on the 2012 Highlander when I sold it. They were good to us having run 40K miles and still at about 6/32. The new Highlander has Michelin Lattitudes which are running fine at 10K. I’ve had good luck with Michelin’s. On the other hand I also had good milage and performance out of Wranglers on my 02 Dakota. I was not that impressed with Toyos that came with the 12 Highlander. Not that impressive on wet paving or snow.
Iowa Dave

[ericw]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I’ve had good luck with Michelin’s.

Ditto on the Michelin's. Everything else has been "pretty good" to "pretty bad" and never as solid as the Michelin's. YMMV

[Brian B-P]

My only suggestion regarding the Defenders (or any tire brand) is to ignore reviews that don't apply to your specific tire, even if it has some of the same name. I put Defenders on our Sienna (as the summer tire), but they're the Defender XT (from Costco), which has a different tread pattern than the Defender sold by other tire dealers in the same size (the Defender XT isn't even directional, while the regular Defender is). The Defender XT doesn't have great traction or handling; if I had to do it again, I would go back to my regular tire store and get the regular Defenders or similar... although the non-directional pattern has been convenient at tire change time. The Defender LT - in sizes typical of pickup trucks - is yet a third tread pattern... and possibly different in every detail of design other than part of the name.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by skiman

Ohio has plenty of icy and snowy days.

Do you find "all-season" (we call them three-season here) tires adequate in winter? I don't, and I wouldn't even consider driving the Sienna in winter conditions on our Defenders.

If you don't want to have two sets of tires, there are a very few truly winter-worthy tires which can withstand summer use for a reasonable life. The Nokian WR (in various versions) is the classic example. I tried WRs on our Sienna and found them barely adequate as winter tires (much better than 3-season, but not a serious winter tire), a little squirmy on dry pavement (due to the deep siped tread and soft rubber), and fast-wearing. Any or all of these might not be a concern to other drivers. I went back to two sets of tires.

[Iowa Dave]

I bought our defenders at a Goodyear tire store that I’ve dealt with for many years. Since the vehicle is gone now, I can’t tell you exactly what they were. Sorry. I bought a new spare for the 21 there the other day to match the Endurance trailer tires I bought last August. Rex said
“Same price, same deal”. I was good with that. 15 minutes, out the door. Weights on the inside of the wheel for a clean look. I like the smell and dirt in a real tire shop. Discount Tire is too clean for me.
Iowa Dave

[davidmurphy02]

I've used Michelins for 15 years, after the first set I've stuck with them and had nothing but good experiences with them. Our new truck came with Goodyear Wranglers, can't wait to get Michelins on it. The Goodyears seem rather soft, no doubt designed specifically for a smooth ride, and are not rated nearly as well as the Michelins - not sure how they will do towing.

[Devil Dog]

Mud and snow ? this is the tire for you .

https://www.4wheelparts.com/Tires/Je...nt=KO2%20-%20P

[Mike Lewis]

In September 2015 I bought a set of Michelin Defenders at a Pep Boys in Pensacola. I don't have that receipt handy so I don't know the exact type of tire. They were warranted for 70,000 miles and I got it, including 20,000 miles of towing. Last December I replaced the first set of Michelins with a second set-- Defender LTX purchased at Costco. They seem okay to me.

[StarvingHyena]

As stated in another thread, I like my BF Goodrich All Terrain K02's … bought at Costco. Because they are an all terrain tire, Costco wouldn't give me a mileage warranty… other warranties did apply. They are a bit rough riding and a little noisy. For my next set of tires, I'll look for a little less aggressive tread. My last two sets of tires were Michelin's and they both had wires sticking out of the sidewalls before they were worn out. Perhaps I got a bad batch … They were replaced under warranty. Good ol' Costco.


Tom

[cpaharley2008]

I did not know you could replace tires without replacing the entire vehicle? Learned something new today, propane and tires are replaceable...... Do not tell me brakes are on that list...what a deal....