As the title implies. Always tow using gooseneck. Average 6/7000 pds. Always highway no off roading. Looking for recommendations for a good sturdy and supportive tire. Ive had michelin on it but did not think they offer the lateral support id like. My poll are the tires suggested to me by tire places

Appreciate any input

 

I've had no issues with my Michelin LTX AT2 until recently (50K+ miles), but I suspect my issues are due more to some steering components with the death wobble rather than the tires. I gooseneck tow about 12K lbs. I plan to go back with the same tire as soon as Costco gets them back in stock.

 

Cooper every day, and twice on Sunday. Just make sure you get the right load range, and match your inflation to the weight.

 

Sold them for 20 years, Michelins out tow and out wear everything else we sold. I was always a fan of the ltx ms2 for most people unless you need the Offroad extra grip of the at2 and in that case I always recommended the bfg k02. The new agillis {Michelin} was looking to be a good HD tire and the Bridgestone Duravis as well. For a budget Hercules ch4 towed well and have a good road hazard included. Hercules are made by Cooper I worry about the quality of both Hercules and Cooper since Goodyear bought them.

 

thanks , I appreciate the input

 

When you say the Michelin Agilis "was" looking to be a good HD tire, does that mean you changed your opinion and it is not a good HD tire?

 

It read to me like he "retired" from selling tires just about the time that Michelin introduced and/or expanded their Agilis brand in North America, so while it looked to be a good HD tire, he retired from the tire business before experience could bear this out. Just another possible interpretation.

 

I have read good things about it the agilis cross climate - seems like a tough tire and good for hauling and transport

 

What about the Michelin Defender LTX M/S? It's the #1 rated tire on Tire Rack. Any users here with experience?

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compa...tireIndex=null

Oddly enough, the LTX AT2 is the lowest rated of the Michelin tires...yet the most expensive.

 

I would install the Michelin Agilis Cross Climate over the Michelin Defender LTX M/S.

In fact, I did just that, on a DRW Ford, at a cost of over $2K.

But Michelin uses the Agilis brand name on various light truck, van, and SUV tires that are all radically different from each other. And to be clear, I mean that the various Michelin Agilis tires themselves are radically different, in compound, tread design, snow rating, siping, sidewall features, etc, depending on tire size and rating.

For example, late last year, Michelin (in either a lapse of reason or a fit of insanity, or both in my opinion) abandoned their well renowned, highly regarded "XZE" tire brand in the 19.5" truck tire size and renamed that tire "Agilis".

Virtually the exact same tire as the retired XZE that it replaced, the Agilis HD Z is a radically different tire than other tires that Michelin brands as Agilis, such as the Agilis Cross Climate. Why Michelin marketing is calling more and more of their tires "Agilis"? I have no idea. What is important to know though is that they are doing it.

This materially effects decision making and comparisons of tires made by Michelin. One cannot, and should not, consider the "Agilis" model of tire as one type of tire, versus, say, the Defender, or the XPS Traction, etc.

An example of this difference is illustrated by the Agilis tires that I recently bought for a dual rear wheel E-350 CutAway earlier this year... which were LT225/75R16.

Michelin offers the Agilis Cross Climate in both LT Metric as well as C-Metric sizes, in North America, even though C-Metric sizes are essentially ETRTO / ETRMA (European) standards, as opposed to the TRA / RMA standards of the United States. The concurrent size standard offering is due to all the Euro style vans (Sprinter, Transit, NV, ProMaster, etc) that have proliferated the US landscape over the last 20 years.

So, in the 225/75R16 tire size, I had a choice of two different Michelin Agilis Cross Climate light truck tires that would fit the wheels and the load rating of the vehicle.
1. LT225/75R16 LRE
2. 225/75R16C

At first glance, it appears as if option #2 is a load range "C" tire, that is perhaps a "P" rated tire instead of an "LT" rated tire. But actually, the "C" in this case is the European code letter for "Commercial", and believe it or not, the 225/75R16C Agilis Cross Climate has a higher weight rating (at the same pressure) than the Agilis Cross Climate LT225/75R16 LRE.

The Agilis 225/75R16C also has a slightly higher running pressure rating of 83 psi (which results in an even higher weight rating if cold inflated to that pressure) than the 80 PSI for highest weight rating of the LRE version of the Agilis.

Yet, I still chose the lower (still higher than vehicle GAWRs) weight rated LT Metric version of the Agilis Cross Climate, because the tires themselves are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT, despite being branded the same by Michelin.

The C-Metric version of Agilis is uni-directional, and can only be run one way for the first 50K miles. The LT Metric version can be run either way, at any mileage. This is an important distinction for service and emergencies. Since I wanted any tire to be able to be placed in any position on any side of this vehicle, that was a deal breaker. Do the online comparisons and reviews of the Agilis take this distinction into account?

The LT Metric version of Agilis (in this particular size) is pressure rated to 90 psi, and is marked as such on the side of the tire. The 90 psi pressure rating does not add any additional weight carrying capacity over the LRE rating at 80 psi, but it is interesting to note that the C-Metric version maxes out at 83 psi. One must always keep in mind that the wheels themselves also have a pressure rating limitation that must be adhered to, but modern TPMS systems are very educational to operators, showing how temperature from operation increases actual tire pressure over and above cold inflation pressure. I have seen up to a 7 psi increase in pressure due to an increase in temperature from operation.

Both the Agilis LT Metric and the Agilis C Metric tires were marketed as having a 3PMS Mountain Snowflake rating, but alas, Michelin misspoke, and this year, voluntarily recalled an entire slew of Agilis C-Metric tires, as that type of Agilis tire did not pass the test requirements to receive the 3PMSF rating. But the LT Metric tire did in fact pass, and thus were not recalled.

https://business.michelinman.com/why...all-april-2023

That is how different the tread design is between different light truck tires that Michelin calls "Agilis Cross Climate".... which confusingly covers several different types of tires.

So, whenever you find yourself trying to read reviews or online tire seller "comparisons" or affliate marketing summaries written by ChatGPT and hosted by websites in India hoping to skim a quarter off of your click through to purchase... be sure to consider the exact tire size that is being compared, because not all Agilis Cross Climate tires are the same.

 

Excellent information. Thank you.

 

wow , so on the Agilis Cross Climate
I haul no more that 8000 pds, no snow to speak of , and I want a tire with a sturdy feel , no sway , no give on turns
So I want to look for the "c"? in the 275/65/18

 

So I go to Michelin website. Reviews pretty much suc on this tire from not being stable to poor handling. My search continues

 

The reviews for the Agilis are certainly all over the place on the Michelin site...

Looking at the dates of some of the purchase dates and disregarding the first couple of reviews (not suggesting to do that), I wonder if Michelin has changed the design.

 

The next question, one review states the LTX M/S is now discontinued. Is this the case for the LTS AT2 also? Is this why Costco shows no stock for these two tires (I haven't called them yet)? Yet the Michelin site shows several locations that have stock for these two tires. Are these old stock?