Anybody have a not so great experience with new Michelins? I've got new Defender LTX on the Expy and it has not had a smooth ride yet. I'm at Discount tire as I'm writing this for the fourth time since I bought them. They've already had to replace one this past Friday because it had a wobble in it and I'm back now because the ride still isn't right. Not for $1000!! So I'm talking to the guy doing the balancing and he says they have had a lot of problems with Michelins.

They ended up rotating the tire on the rim 180 degrees for two of the tires and he says that made a big difference in their ability to balance them. So I'm about to see if it's finally a ride I can live with.

Anyone have a similar experience with Michelins? Just curious.

 

Nope. I've had 3 sets and all have been great.

 

How recent were those purchased? Because I've had great experience with them as well on my cadillacs. But it's been a few years since I've bought them. I put the Primacy on my Bonneville and the symmetry on my Cadillacs and they were the best. But neither of those tires are made anymore. The guy at discount tire today told me they have been having a lot of problems with them lately though. I just hope they're not trying to get cheap on their Manufacturing like everything else!

Anyway I kept mine today, they worked hard at Discount Tire had to make some adjustments and I think they got them right. The truck is riding about 90% perfect. So I'm happy now. I'll stick with michelins for now.

 

I got Michelin's from Discount too. 60,000 mile warranty... I think last set lasted to almost 40,000. If it wasn't for the adjustments, I would have went to something else. This time they say, 70,000 mile warranty.... lol

I do lots of miles on National Forest roadways... maybe that wears them out a bit faster ?

 

Yeah I had to literally stand out there with them and watch everything they did as they explained it all to me. The guy today was very knowledgeable and helpful. That's why it's good to catch people in the morning when they're fresh. I was the first one there at 7:30 am. They had to calibrate the machine while I watched so we knew it was perfect. Then they had to rotate a couple of them on the rim to adjust for high spots and it made a difference because at first they couldn't get the machine to stop chasing weights. It just kept saying add this, add that, etc. But with persistence on my part I finally got a ride I can live with. Those young guys that work there don't care how your car rides just get em in and out.

 

Find a tire dealer that uses the Hunter 9700 Road Force balancer. It's the best one out there. It has the external wheel that checks for total roundness and digitally marks the high and low side and tells the installer where to match up the wheel and tire for best roundness, so there's no guessing. Almost all new car dealers have the Hunter machine as well as most Tire Kingdom stores. The Defender is a new tire for Michelin with a harder compound to add tire tread life but maybe the ride is going to suffer versus the older LTX M/S 2 line of tires. Time will tell.


-Mike


Hunter 9700 Locator

 

I'll remember that next time.....

 

I used to work next to a Discount Tire store, at a Jiffy Lube... Back when we did "Plus work" (basically anything and everything), you'd be surprised at how many times they sent us cars which needed studs replaced.

Your last statement of "get them in and get them out" isn't far off the mark. Discount does not always have the best of employees (worse than Jiffy Lube in many cases); they simply have people willing to work for the pay. And turnover there, from what I could tell, was bad (while not terrible, like Jiffy Lube).

 

Plus one !