JasonH
Full Access Members
More stable, less squirm and wiggle. Plus reduced risk of blowouts. I towed with them, but not particularly far yet. The improvement was apparent even over short (under 20 mile) distances.
Time for tires, Michelin Defender LTX vs Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
- Thread starter Fasttimes
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More stable, less squirm and wiggle. Plus reduced risk of blowouts. I towed with them, but not particularly far yet. The improvement was apparent even over short (under 20 mile) distances.
shinysideup2
Full Access Members
LT tires will generally be more durable, but much heavier than their P-metric equivalents. Your fuel mileage may suffer.
For some reason, I thought the Michelin Defender LTX in our stock 20" wheel size was an LT tire, but I see now that it's a P tire. They do make LT variants, but not in our stock size. No use in upsizing if you're not going off-road... especially if you're towing, in which case stock (or even smaller) size will put less strain on your drivetrain and sap less torque (bigger tires reduce torque, acceleration, braking power).
https://www.michelinman.com/tires/defender/defender-ltx-m-s.html
One downside of an All-Terrain tire (vs. All-season / H/T) is that there are bigger voids between the treads, so on-road non-towing dry traction will be somewhat compromised. This has never bothered me, even being a lead-footed / ham-****** driver. While towing my 6500 lb trailer, I've smashed the brakes a couple times (oops!) and have never engaged ABS, so tire-traction doesn't appear to be the weak link, even with All-terrain tires...
I personally really like the Cooper AT3 XLTs - they look nice, they're durable (LT rated, Load Range E), they're surprisingly quiet on-road, and they are capable enough off-road to keep my family and me from getting stuck in most situations - even some that are uncomfortable.
If brand value and your trust in the Michelin name is important to you, and you're not doing any off-roading, then the Defender LTX look like a good choice. It's just not for me.
For some reason, I thought the Michelin Defender LTX in our stock 20" wheel size was an LT tire, but I see now that it's a P tire. They do make LT variants, but not in our stock size. No use in upsizing if you're not going off-road... especially if you're towing, in which case stock (or even smaller) size will put less strain on your drivetrain and sap less torque (bigger tires reduce torque, acceleration, braking power).
https://www.michelinman.com/tires/defender/defender-ltx-m-s.html
One downside of an All-Terrain tire (vs. All-season / H/T) is that there are bigger voids between the treads, so on-road non-towing dry traction will be somewhat compromised. This has never bothered me, even being a lead-footed / ham-****** driver. While towing my 6500 lb trailer, I've smashed the brakes a couple times (oops!) and have never engaged ABS, so tire-traction doesn't appear to be the weak link, even with All-terrain tires...
I personally really like the Cooper AT3 XLTs - they look nice, they're durable (LT rated, Load Range E), they're surprisingly quiet on-road, and they are capable enough off-road to keep my family and me from getting stuck in most situations - even some that are uncomfortable.
If brand value and your trust in the Michelin name is important to you, and you're not doing any off-roading, then the Defender LTX look like a good choice. It's just not for me.
07navi
Full Access Members
Tires are trade offs, just get what you require the most and have a good name.
2010ELExpy4x4
Well-Known Member
Cooper ATP or AT3
See major recall by Cooper Tires today.
ExplorerTom
Full Access Members
Recalled tires were made between Feb 1, 2018 and Dec 1, 2019.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cooper-recalls-430k-light-truck-tires-due-sidewall-76133291
Any tire purchased today will not be made in that window.
Not if it’s been on the shelf for a while. And you don’t know about the update on the recall.
ExplorerTom
Full Access Members
True. But every tire I’ve ever bought has been just a couple months old. And all 4 tires have been within a couple weeks of each other.
I have 3 vehicles. All have Coopers. 2 of them have tires made during the noted timeframe. None of them are affected by the recall.
What updates?
Nah. Buddy of mine was saying sarcastically that they’ll come out and expand the batch of tires updating the recall to all their tires kinda like what happened to Firestone years ago.
shinysideup2
Full Access Members
https://recallinfo.ustires.org/TireRecallSearch/ListRecalls/60
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Joe S
Well-Known Member
I'm currently looking for a new set of A/T tires...I'm on my second set of Michelin’s Defender LTX M/S but I'm done with Michelin...My first set lasted 45.000 miles and now this second set only lasted 35,000. I religiously rotate my tires at every oil change so the wear & tear on these Defenders is not from abuse on my part....I just don't think there made as good as they used to be....SO, the search continues. I've narrowed it down to 3 possible brands. Toyo Open Country A/T III, Falken WildPeaks A/T3W & BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO 2....I do pull a 22ft Travel Trailer so I want to make sure I get the right Load rating although my trailer only weighs 6000lbs fully loaded... ANY THOUGHTS??
I have the bfg ko2’s on another truck. At 35k miles they are singing pretty darn good on the highway. They are heavy, but imo look fantastic.
My wife has the Michelin at tires on here expo and I love em. They are wearing like iron and did really good in a recent snow storm. In the premium segment, Michelin makes the best longest lasting tires. My buddy has the falkens on his truck and loves em, but they used to be a lot cheaper than the competition; their prices went way up.
My wife has the Michelin at tires on here expo and I love em. They are wearing like iron and did really good in a recent snow storm. In the premium segment, Michelin makes the best longest lasting tires. My buddy has the falkens on his truck and loves em, but they used to be a lot cheaper than the competition; their prices went way up.
JasonH
Full Access Members
It's a tradeoff. You get stiffer sidewalls and more puncture resistance at the expense of increased weight. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Just have to decide which is more important to you. For me, the benefits of the puncture resistance, better towing, and more stability at high speeds outweighed the mpg and acceleration hit. Most of the time I'm not romping on it in the Expedition, because I have others with me. But, with all the construction in my area, not worrying about punctures while towing or even during daily driving was a substantial benefit.
JamaicaJoe
Full Access Members
Noisy tires would drive me batty.
I have the Defenders on my 01 and the ride is fantastic and quiet. I am in Florida and drive on paved roads mostly.
I have the Defenders on my 01 and the ride is fantastic and quiet. I am in Florida and drive on paved roads mostly.
Currently running 265/70/17 Cooper AT3 on the Expy and LOVE them!
First set, I Finished off the Michelins that were on it when we bough it and i did not like them at all, loud and rough.
Second set, I Installed Falken Wildpeak 3 and HATED them, trash tire wore like garbage, rough, and loud, they were toast within 20k miles.
Coopers are great, smoother than the other 2, quiet, and so far wearing way better and consistently.
I have a set on my 2500 Cummins Ram, as well as our EL expedition. they have been a great tire so far.
First set, I Finished off the Michelins that were on it when we bough it and i did not like them at all, loud and rough.
Second set, I Installed Falken Wildpeak 3 and HATED them, trash tire wore like garbage, rough, and loud, they were toast within 20k miles.
Coopers are great, smoother than the other 2, quiet, and so far wearing way better and consistently.
I have a set on my 2500 Cummins Ram, as well as our EL expedition. they have been a great tire so far.
bloodhound
Full Access Members
I have Michelin LTX Defenders and LTX M/S 2's between 4 vehicles, love em.
drbr0b0tnik
Active Member
I put some of the Toyo Open Country AT/3s on the expedition last year. I've enjoyed them so far. Went to Flagstaff for Thanksgiving and got a bit of snow while there. They performed great. I got them in 285/55r20, but in 114T and SL. I don't tow anything.
crashkid1982
Member
you mind sharing a picture of those 285/55r20 shoes?
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