Michelin LTX A/T2 or LTX M/S2

Not true. Those are just the "defender" version... more heavy duty. So, for example, 245/75/16's come in SL load rating and E load rating... they're keeping the lower load rating SL tires as is

 

That last review I wasn't expecting. Looks like these are decent off road tires as well!! There are some quite rocky areas they were going over.

 

I have the new Defender LTX. Love them in the rain so far. Haven had any snow

 

Haha I know your AT2's do great I was just surprised at the defender MS's. I have a couple PM's to respond to from
Some guys who use the MS2's and do off roading. Man this is making my decision so much harder!!! Grrrrrrr. I love how all your buddies are standing there just looking in awe it's like they can't believe your michelins actually made it.

 

Take them off road yet??

 

FWIW I had MS/2's before the AT/2s. They're really the same tire essentially.

 

Really!!!! Ok more questions. Why change to the AT2's then? Don't you get better/quieter ride on the MS's. I know your AT2's are great but there must have been some reason for the change.

 

These are the MS/2s


When I first lifted the truck I got some old MS/2s off craigslist for cheap and threw them on. They were about 10yrs old and starting to dry rot. That's a common problem with these tires because they last so long.

I put a set on my old Ranger and when I sold it they had 118k miles on them and I would've ran them for another year.

As for why I got the ATs this time around.... I figured "why not" just decided to check them out.

Having run them both on the same truck now, I'd bet you could switch them out and never know the difference in any conditions.

I am running 285s though so there's a bit more sidewall than you'd have with 265s so maybe the difference would be more noticeable in the smaller sizes?

 

Im a city boy. Off road to me is dirt and muddy roads. Or driving in a field to get to a pond for fishing. With 4x4 I've never even come close to a problem. Hasn't even crossed my mind if these tires can handle it.

But, serious off-roading? Im sure you'd want more than either of the Michelin options. My Defender are rediculous quiet on the highway. And that's mainly the road my truck is on.

 

HAHAHA...well damn it there you go bursting my bubble. Ok so now that you've had both and clearly are a bad ass at the off road thing which one do your prefer?

Your MS2's were also E load? I found out my dad had E range MS's on our trucks years ago so growing up as a kid I remember what the ride was like.

 

More what?

mileage? - doubt it's out there

ride quality? - same

traction? - maybe if you got some ridiculous paddle tires that you couldn't hear yourself think if you ran them on pavement

big blocks of rubber on the sidewall for looks? - ok, there's lots of those out there

 

And as most people have said, or pictures have shown. You can go to your tire shop and put the AT and MS2 tire next to each other. And from about 10ft away you really can't tell a difference. Up close the AT is more agressive. But super similar tread pattern.

 

More of a dedicated Off-roading tire. Im not saying the Michelin can't handle it. But if I were doing more off-roading than driving on pavement id get a nice AT tire like the BFG AT KO

 

I posted these a few pages back. I love them. But definitely not for extreme off roading would be my guess. Maybe they can handle it? But I woudnt.

 

In all honesty, if I thought or had experienced any drawbacks to these tires offroad, I'd probably get another set of wheels and tires to throw on when I went wheeling.

I'd do the same if I felt I needed a better tire for the Colorado winters.

I don't like compromise if I can avoid it and I wouldn't hesitate to get something "better" if there were any advantage to it.

But the fact is, I've wheeled right along side others with tires that are considered "dedicated offroad" and never had less traction than them.

Any limiting factors have been other things like 35" tires or a front locker or things like that but never tires.

 

Awesome. Good to know.

 

Having raced motorcycles with slick tires, I know firsthand what a vast difference there can be between tires with no tread at all.

My theory is that carcass construction and rubber compound make way more difference than tread pattern. At least for any "streetable" tire. Paddle tires and mud boggers would be an exception.

Typically, you give up grip for wear. A softer compound will give better grip but wear faster.

How Michelin has managed to create a compound that gives such excellent grip while wearing longer than anything else, I have absolutely no idea. But I'd say their engineers nailed it for sure with these LTXs.

 

The articles say this new Defender will "replace" the MS2. So does this article:
http://www.tirebusiness.com/article...solidating-lines-under-premier-defender-names
What makes you think otherwise? I'm not arguing... You might be right. But the articles don't lead me to believe that's the case.

 

I run MS2's for summer tires so they see a lot of time on old deactivated forest service roads and trails in the woods with lots of rock and minimal mud. They are terrific on solid rock. The tread compound and pattern that makes them perform so well on pavement does the same on off road rock. I have crawled up lot of steep wet rock sections with perfect traction that had people with MT's and AT's spinning out. If you're using them for off road at all (especially rocky areas) get the E rated LT version because they are extremely tough and will resist puncture with the best of them.


I would run MS2's unless I was really concerned with deep mud performance but any AT tire is going to suck in deep mud anyway. When I venture off road I throw a pair of chains in the tool box because I know the only thing my MS2's won't get me through will be a mud hole and I know my chains will do the job.