Light Truck Tires on SUV?

[sailnbike]

I have a Toyota Highlander towing an Escape 19. I find the OEM car type tires to "wallow"more than I would like. I am considering going with Michelin XLT light truck tires to get I assume stiffer side walls.
The current tires are great when not towing which is the vast majority of the time. I am trying to get a feel for how much more noise and rougher ride to expect if I make the change. Any experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

[GPS]

I run light truck 8 ply tires on my t & c minivan for towing and load purposes. Could not tell any difference in driving feel or comfort. But it's not a performance car

[gbaglo]

When there was the Explorer/Firestone recall, Ford specified passenger tires as a replacement. The dealer I dealt with fudged the paperwork and sold me Yokohama Geolander Light Truck ( I paid extra ).
Over time I regretted that decision. As they wore, my new tires became extremely loud. When I could justify it, I replaced them with Michelin tires and discovered I could hear the engine ( and the radio ) when I hit the gas.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

... I am trying to get a feel for how much more noise ....

IME tire noise is a very difficult thing to meaningfully convey and varies greatly depending on road surface.

Of the many types and brands of tires I've had over the decades, every one of them was quiet as a mouse on some pavements and noisy as heck on others (talking all 'smooth' pavements - not conflating this with consideration of 'grooved' or other special traction pavements). Asphalt (not all the same), concrete (again not all the same), every tire had its 'preferred quiet surface' and it was often different for different tires and virtually impossible to characterize to others in meaningful terms.

My point is, when I hear it said that a particular on-road tire is "quiet" or "noisy" I take that with a huge grain of salt and try to hear them myself on different surfaces.

Just for your consideration, Good Luck!

[7Gentex]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

I have a Toyota Highlander towing an Escape 19. I find the OEM car type tires to "wallow"more than I would like. I am considering going with Michelin XLT light truck tires to get I assume stiffer side walls.
The current tires are great when not towing which is the vast majority of the time. I am trying to get a feel for how much more noise and rougher ride to expect if I make the change. Any experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

Curious - What pressure do you run the Highlander tires at when towing AND what are the inflation specs shown on the Tire Loading sticker (Yellow sticker on the driver's door frame) as compared to the tire sidewall max inflation value? (believe those tire loading sticker pressures are for max payload which is also shown on that sticker)



Because............. I had a F-150 SuperCrew that "wallowed" when towing unless I ran the tire pressure up to the max shown on the tire sidewall, though it was a #6k trailer with about a 800# tongue weight..........."twitchy" best describes the feeling unless fully aired up.

[Brian B-P]

Lateral stiffness (the tendency to not "wallow") depends more on inflation pressure and details of the sidewall and tread designs than sidewall strength; a higher-capacity or "light truck" tire may not provide improved stiffness.

The notes about inflation pressure are good (although I'll note that excessive pressure for the load makes ride worse, decreases traction, and causes uneven wear), but if a different tire is used looking for a more performance-oriented rather than ride-oriented model is probably more useful than looking for an LT tire. It may also be difficult to find an LT tire in the stock size used by the Highlander.

[John in Santa Cruz]

My Tacoma came with P series XL tires, which i replaced with proper LT tires, both were BF Goodrich All Terrains, but the originals were probably more Mall Terrain, the LT tires were KO2's, which are, IMHO, awesome.

the LT rated tires can typically hold MUCH more air pressure than your vehicles axle loads require, and if you pump them up that hard on a lighter vehicle like a Highlander, they will run very hard and noisy and harsh, and not have very good traction. Stick with the vehicle factory specified pressures, or maybe a few PSI over if you're towing, as llong as you stay under the tires max rated pressures, and you'll be fine.

Not sure I'd try and find a suitable LT tire for a Highlander... That is basically a crossover SUV based on a beefed up Camry platform. If you had a 4Runner or similar, then I'd say, sure, especially if you want to offroad it on rocky roads that are more likely to slash the softer/thinner sidewalls of a P tire.

Now, my F250 diesel, that *REQUIRES* LT tires, in load range "E", but its a 8800 lb GVWR with a 12500 lb hitch tow capacity.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Not sure I'd try and find a suitable LT tire for a Highlander... That is basically a crossover SUV based on a beefed up Camry platform.

It's a car.

Given mine travelled less than 5,000 kilometres since I got it a year ago, I don't think it even qualifies as a tow vehicle.

[Effie]

Tirerack.com have few AT tires for the highlander, depending on year and model.

[sailnbike]

Originally Posted by 7Gentex

Curious - What pressure do you run the Highlander tires at when towing AND what are the inflation specs shown on the Tire Loading sticker (Yellow sticker on the driver's door frame) as compared to the tire sidewall max inflation value? (believe those tire loading sticker pressures are for max payload which is also shown on that sticker)



Because............. I had a F-150 SuperCrew that "wallowed" when towing unless I ran the tire pressure up to the max shown on the tire sidewall, though it was a #6k trailer with about a 800# tongue weight..........."twitchy" best describes the feeling unless fully aired up.

The door sticker is 36 psi and the tire max is 51 psi. I usually go up to 40 when towing. I do have a load distributing hitch so all the trailer weight is not on the rear tires.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

I have a Toyota Highlander towing an Escape 19. I find the OEM car type tires to "wallow"more than I would like. I am considering going with Michelin XLT light truck tires to get I assume stiffer side walls.
The current tires are great when not towing which is the vast majority of the time. I am trying to get a feel for how much more noise and rougher ride to expect if I make the change. Any experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

On my 2018 Highlander we had Michelin Latitudes as the original tires. When I got the vehicle home I increased the tire pressure to 41.5 rear and 40 in the fronts. I liked the way it
towed and ran with those pressures. I thought the Latitudes wore fine and pulled fine and in fact backed the Escape out of a very soft campsite through some mud and flooded grass at the vintage rally in Ontario without breaking a track. I never had any problem with the Latitudes and ran them down to 4/32 tread at 64,000 miles when I replaced them last Fall. I replaced them with Michelin Defenders. I like them a little better on snow and wet pavement. I have 18,000 miles on them now. I am running 42 rear and 40.5 front pressures when towing and 40 rear and 40 front when not towing. They have very good sidewall stability in my opinion. We do run the Anderson WDH when towing and have a 500 lb tongue weight. It takes a little experimentation to get the load in the trailer balanced and the proper tension on the hitch but once established I’ve found towing to be no problem.

I helped a friend load a Mercedes Benz Unimog on a tandem axle trailer a few years back. The tow was a RAM 3500 flatbed. He moved the Mog a couple inches at a time till we were happy with the balance. It is that close. Strapped down, he towed it home about 125 miles without a problem. That’s my experience with tires on tow
rigs in the last three years. The other 55 years were training I guess.
Hope this helps and you get a better experience soon.
Iowa Dave

[sailnbike]

Thank you everyone for the input. I decided on the Michelin Defenders and made an appointment to get them installed tomorrow.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

I decided on the Michelin Defenders and made an appointment to get them installed tomorrow.

There have been various Michelin tire models using "Defender" in their name, and I don't know what tire size you have... so this is a guess, but are these the Defender® LTX® M/S? I'm guessing 235/65R18 size.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Brian
That’s what I’m running on the 2018 Highlander XLE AWD I read reviews about road noise but I can’t hear an appreciable difference between these and the Latitudes. I will admit I don’t hear as well as I used to though. But haven’t heard a comment from any passengers either.
Iowa Dave

[gbaglo]

Mine were Yokohama Geolander LTs. My mechanic, who did maintenance of ambulance, fire and police vehicles told me that the municipality replaced all Yokohama Geolander LTs on their vehicles ( I don't recall with what ).
This would be many years ago.

[sailnbike]

Brian
They are the version of the Defender that Michelin brands for Costco, XLT A/S 245/60R18. I was assured that they are exactly the same as the LTX.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

Brian
They are the version of the Defender that Michelin brands for Costco, XLT A/S 245/60R18. I was assured that they are exactly the same as the LTX.

Thanks.

It seems strange to build the same tire under two names, but it might be one of those retailing stunts to avoid having to match prices - "it's not the same model" - like with appliances and mattresses.

My van is currently running one of the Defenders from Costco Canada a couple years ago, and they're definitely not the same tread as the Defenders supplied by normal tire at the same time.

The Canadian Michelin website show both the Defender LTX MS and the X LT A/S; they are similar but not identical, with the LTX being flagged as "latest generation" and the X LT description including "exclusively for Costco members".

So are you thinking that these are"light truck" tires?

[sailnbike]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Thanks.

It seems strange to build the same tire under two names, but it might be one of those retailing stunts to avoid having to match prices - "it's not the same model" - like with appliances and mattresses.

My van is currently running one of the Defenders from Costco Canada a couple years ago, and they're definitely not the same tread as the Defenders supplied by normal tire at the same time.

The Canadian Michelin website show both the Defender LTX MS and the X LT A/S; they are similar but not identical, with the LTX being flagged as "latest generation" and the X LT description including "exclusively for Costco members".

So are you thinking that these are"light truck" tires?

From what I read the Defenders have undergone a series of redesigns over the years with the current one essentially the same as the Costco branded ones. This is likely why you found a substantial difference.
I am sure that there are more truck oriented "light truck" tires but the Defender is the one Michelin with a fitment for my car that does say that it is for light trucks and SUV's. That is what I had in mind.

[Oldtimer]

I’ve been using the Defenders on my trucks for yrs and I also use them on our Subaru Outback they made all the difference in handling and Road noise. Much quieter ride now when we drive up to Grand junction when visiting family and not pulling trailer with us in our truck.


David

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by sailnbike

From what I read the Defenders have undergone a series of redesigns over the years with the current one essentially the same as the Costco branded ones. This is likely why you found a substantial difference.

What I was comparing were not described as "light truck / SUV", and both had names including "Defender"... that name doesn't mean much.

Originally Posted by sailnbike

I am sure that there are more truck oriented "light truck" tires but the Defender is the one Michelin with a fitment for my car that does say that it is for light trucks and SUV's. That is what I had in mind.

That sounds good... as long as you weren't expecting tires following the specific "LT" standard.