Yeah, this was what I woke up to one morning in the White Mountains…. Plates old and cars sold so not worried about it.
So I think the Michelin Defender is the perfect all-terrain tire... (For most of us) (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter chriscosta416
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
In WI I have driven in 10-12” of heavy snow (on purpose) and the tires were great, I did learn to put the transmission in ETC 2nd it really makes a difference.
We had the snowiest winter here in the Sierras and we were up there a bunch, these tires are great for ATs in the snow. Hype the sipes
De nada
I have a 2016 LX with Defenders LTXs in 275/60R20 and they don’t rub or anything. They come with 12/32” of tread depth and it’s a true 33” and the size fits easily in the spare well underneath the car, so I get to do a 5 tire rotation…maybe I can get 120k miles out of them before they dry rot
I added a 0.75” spacer this week and they just barely kiss the front mud flap now, but it’s so minimal that it’s not even worth getting out the heat gun.
Also for reference I’m using the stock 20” rims off a 2009 LX. Not sure of the offsets and stuff, but I’m sure you can get that info on here somewhere.
Anyone running the Latitudes instead?
AT2's here. I didn't know that they were wearing poorly and I'm really surprised to read this. No lugs broken off or tire wear so far but they've gone to the Arctic Circle twice towing my trailer. Pretty quiet I thought. I have always thought that Michelins were the Toyotas of the tire world. All my driving has been in B.C. or Yukon so maybe they've been spoiled? Maybe our snow and mud and pavement up here babies them? Two trips up and back on the Dempster highway without complaints. I think that I'm around 60k miles and they are just starting to look like they are wearing.
bloc
SILVER Star
Hard to say those have any "Terrain" in all terrain. That is a very road-focused tire.
Latitudes come (or came) as OEM on the Highlander. They were nothing special and I would not have taken them off pavement.
- Thread starter
- #50
I haven’t used em so I’m just echoing what I heard, I have seen other folks use em offroad too!
- Thread starter
- #51
Santiago Peak, soft silt/sand and rocks. Averaging 20 mph on the way up to the peak. Not aired down, did a bunch of uneven offshore like pictured with great success.
No lockers
No lockers
Last edited:
Wheels and tires are next on my to-do list and this thread is giving me an existential crisis.
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
I put a set of these on mine a little while ago. All I can say at the moment is that they're an absolute dream on the highway. As for off-road, well our idea of off-road doesn't even come close to what I've seen in these forums. Heck, what's been shown in this thread is probably farther than we'd go off-road-wise unless we had to.
REF:
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-200-series-this-week.818471/post-14908263
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-200-series-this-week.818471/post-14908423
REF:
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-200-series-this-week.818471/post-14908263
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-200-series-this-week.818471/post-14908423
I'm sure this has been covered elsewhere, but while this thread is fresh...
I'm currently running 285/50r20 LTX XL's on my 570. I have some 18" LC take off wheels that will receive 275/65r18 LTX SL's one day. We do occasional light camper towing (Intech Explore trailer). Empty weight is 1750lbs, loaded weight is prob under 2300lb. I don't know exact tongue weight yet.
I'd like to stay with SL for daily driving comfort. Are there major concerns with "downgrading" the 20" XL's to 18" SL's for occasional towing? Mostly tow to area state parks for camping (10-100 miles), with one annual 1,600 mile long haul to the mountains.
I'm currently running 285/50r20 LTX XL's on my 570. I have some 18" LC take off wheels that will receive 275/65r18 LTX SL's one day. We do occasional light camper towing (Intech Explore trailer). Empty weight is 1750lbs, loaded weight is prob under 2300lb. I don't know exact tongue weight yet.
I'd like to stay with SL for daily driving comfort. Are there major concerns with "downgrading" the 20" XL's to 18" SL's for occasional towing? Mostly tow to area state parks for camping (10-100 miles), with one annual 1,600 mile long haul to the mountains.
Last edited:
I have had P rated 275/65R18 Michelin Defender LTX M/S on my 2016 LC for around 40,000 miles now. I regularly tow a 21’ boat on a dual axle trailer, total weight is probably near 5000lbs. There have been no issues whatsoever with the tires. I usually up the pressure to 35-36 when towing. This is in Florida with high heat and strong thunderstorms daily in the summers. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them again. Much better in rain than the stock Dunlops. Quiet and seem to be wearing like iron. I am doing 5 tire rotations every 5,000 miles. I have Firestone airbags to prevent sag from hitch weight. Love these tires for trailering.
Last edited:
Both of those tires in the Defender LTX M/S are 116, but one with the XL denotation (ie 116 SL vs 116XL). That means their ultimate weight carrying is the same. I suspect that the lower profile tire has to be built stronger to carry the same load as the higher profile 18" tire hence the XL denotation. You have to run higher pressure on the 116XL to carry the same max load.
The AT/2s were the factory tires that came on 2nd gen Tundras for years. They are a great tire. Here is a video of a bone stock 2015 TRD Pro (on the AT/2s) doing things that most forumites think you need at least 35s for. He tackles Moab obstacles and the Sand Dunes. He even has to reset the bead on one tire in the sand using only a portable air compressor. Kind of impressive, really. Great video, and pretty much the reason I bought a Tundra:
I still have my stock wheels with these tires. I put them back on the truck for long highway trips. The tread pattern is definitely quieter than a true AT on pavement, but you can hear a minimal amount of road noise. I imagine if these were on my LX, I wouldn't hear a thing. I don't think they're a bad tire at all. That said, I will probably go with another set of Defenders on my LX.
I still have my stock wheels with these tires. I put them back on the truck for long highway trips. The tread pattern is definitely quieter than a true AT on pavement, but you can hear a minimal amount of road noise. I imagine if these were on my LX, I wouldn't hear a thing. I don't think they're a bad tire at all. That said, I will probably go with another set of Defenders on my LX.
I have run LTX and Defenders in Colorado winters and ski trips to Summit County for 20yrs and always gotten through snow very well.
Never been stuck in the snow and always pulled through. I have seen reviews that comment they are not great on ice/wet conditions, but I have never
slide or had any problems myself. Also, I don't let the tread get low on them because you can get a hefty ticket in CO if you are not running in excess of 3/16th in. of tread depth.
I had the A/T 2's on my prior half ton truck. They didn't last 30k before needing to be replaced. I thought Michelin was all hype. Thankfully, my tire guy talked me into the Defenders. Not aggressive like most A/T tires, but sure gets the job done for me.
I've been running my 265/65/18 Defender LTX tires since I pulled off the OEM Latitudes. MAJOR improvement in highway performance and road noise. I have also wheeled them at Big Bend NP and Barnwell Mountain OHV Park and had zero issues.
For those of us in very wet environments (I am in Houston) you really can't beat the performance in rain. I love these things.
