Tires: Michelin LTX M/S vs. BFG RT T/A
 

OK. I will need tires to replace my BFG Rugged Trail T/As (Load Range E) in about 30 - 60 days. I am seriously considering the Michelin LTX M/S (Load Range E).

I would like to hear from those out there who have done the same thing. Was it worth it? Do you have any more issues with "wandering" than before?

I hear lots of good things about the LTX and I am leaning toward putting them on. My tire dealer did, however, tell me that some customers did not like how the X handled after installing the Michelins.

The original BFG RT T/A's have been pretty good for this truck. They are at 65K miles right now and can go to 70K. I don't like to go too low on tread depth for those heavy rain events or snow we may get this winter. My only thought is that the Michelin may ride a bit better and perhaps provide a bit more steering feedback.

LTX...best tires I've ever owned

I would probably go with the LTX M/S they are a good decent tire its what I'am using for steer tires on my 95 450 and my previous 450. They are a little expensive I paid 224 dollars each for 235/85R-16s thats CND price.

I should get hopefully 20,000kms (12,428 miles) out of them which is okay with me my last set was 18,000kms (11,185 miles). The tire shop said 30,000km (18,642 miles) I may hold him to that :-D

The only tire that lasted was the Firestone SteelTex R4S they are hard which made them dangerous in wet weather even in dry weather you could make the front end on a F-350 drift.

I used to complain about the price of the Michelins untill I tried a set of M/S they did make my 89 450 handle better so I put a set on my 95 F-450. They do take a little to break in then once they do the truck should be good to go.

I have to be a little carefull with the Michelins I get a little spirited driving with a 8000lb truck through the twisties I forget I'am driving a 8000lb truck :-X14

I've run both on my PSD- The LTX is a far superior tire in every category-
I will say that the LTX seems a bit softer ride but is also better in absorbing the bumps etc. Proper inflation is critical- I run 60lbs in the front & 70lbs in the rear.

I would guess that some of the folks that do not like the LTX might be running D rated 285's and that would certainly be a softer tire than the 265 E's.

Any Excursion owner comments out there? Excursion seems different in terms of directional stability. Wondering if this gives anybody issues. I will definitely stay with load range "E" and 265 tread width.

A Excursion shouldn't handle much different from a F-350 crew cab long box except for the suspension is a little softer on the X. I don't think you should have any problems with the Michelins especially if you do allot of highway travel.

if i were you,i would go to tirerack and read the reviews on the tires you are considering,,you may also want to take a lloooonnnggg look at the bridgestone revo at's--i've got-em,wouldn't go with anything else,the michelins get hard and slick at higher miles same-same with the bfg's,just my opinon tho!!

Go with the LTX`s I have two trucks running them right now. One set has been on for over 60k miles and are 6 years old. Never had to rebalance them, smooth at all speeds, no cracks or dry rot.

I'm with GONE4X4... I replaced my Dunlop Rover ATs with the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo. I should have done it long ago. Great traction, wet or dry, road or dirt, empty or pulling 9000 pounds.

I had Michelins on a Crown Vic and a Grand Marquis and I couldn't wait for them to wear out. They had terrible wet road performance. If you believe TireRack survey results, the Bridgestones are far superior to the LTX A/T's for hydro resistance and wet traction.

My wife loves her Michelin's but I'd never buy another pair. But, what does she know... :-X02 she hates Fords, but loves her Sebring convertible. :-X25

i with gone! i got 285-d rated and they are great, i had mich's-n-bfg in the past and was never impressed with wet weather traction,, and that feeling! ya know? revo at's, blackwallls out! all the way

And I completely agree with that statement regarding the Revo A/T's- Although the LTX A/T mentioned above are not available in his required size & load range. He is looking at the LTX M/S which is an all-season highway tire.

For the record: I don't run the Michelins all year round- In the winter, I use studded & siped mud terrain tires which IMO exceed the traction capabilities of any A/T tire.

Thanks for the input, but I beg to differ. From what I can tell, the Excursion handles differently from the pickups. Nobody with the F250/350 SRW seems to complain about "wandering" like you find on the Excursion sites. The "X" 4x4 is soft in the rear suspension, and also has a shorter wheelbase. This, combined with the great torque from the diesel, seems to exacerbate the "axle wrap" issue.

So, my question remains pretty targeted: On the Excursion (esp. 4x4)--How do the Michelin LTX M/S compare to the BFG Rugged Trail T/A in the "E" load range?

Michelin
 

First I'll get the part out of the way where I tell you I've replaced the original tires on all my vehicles (even a Navigator and a couple of Expeditions) with Michelins. Those tires just last and last (except for the weird TRX supension stuff from the 80's).
Right now I'm on my second set on my 00 Excursion Ltd 4x4 (but only because I ruined one from the first set by not changing warped rotors quickly enough). The only other tires that have been on the Ex were the original Firestones (I got to enjoy one of those coming apart on the freeway at 70mph. Yay.), so I have not experienced a lot of variety of tires on the Ex. But IMO the Michelins have improved the ride (as they have done on all my vehicles) and I expect to get plenty of extra wear out of them.
I have the LTX, E rated and run a similiar size with the same rating on my 89 F-250 and I'd have to say that on the pick-up, I probably went through 3 sets of tires of various brands the first 8 years I owned it, and with this second 8, I'm only on the second set of Michelins with lots of tread and most likely a couple of years left on them.
LTX, E load range for the Excursion, definitely the way to go.

Bill4042,

Thank you for the input.

Question: Do you have (or had in the past) any issues with "wandering" on the Excursion?

Wandering? What Wandering?
 

I must have a good one, because after more than 5 years, I can still just about finish a hamburger on the freeway without touching the wheel (ok, maybe a little left knee support).