Michelin XPS RIBS Tires

bobsallyh wrote:
One thing to remember is the Salum S637 is a G rated tire at 110 psi. Ribs are 80 psi, so if going to the S637 make sure you have 110 psi wheels.

Good advice - and...the G rated Saliun may also be overkill - and as you noted, require replacement rims.

"Me-again" - "Commercial -vs- auto shop" for XPS Ribs: In the past I have purchased XPS Ribs from Costco. Pretty much what I would term (mainly) an "auto shop"..:W

Also, I have found Michelin has a great distributor network. Not in stock, had to order = next day delivery!..:C

And, of course - there *are* other alternatives! Roll on!

~

One thing to remember is the Salum S637 is a G rated tire at 110 psi. Ribs are 80 psi, so if going to the S637 make sure you have 110 psi wheels.

A few things. Go to a Michelin commercial tire shop, not a retail car type store.

Second, also take a look a the Bridgestone Duravis R250. It is an all steel ply tire like the Rib, and normally in about $50 per tire cheaper. I ran both on our 29' trailer for years.

Another one to look at is the Sailun S637. It comes in two sizes now. ST235/80R16G and ST235/85R16G

sounds like Fasteagle tales :)
Actually Michelin still recommends them for trailer service.
What the problem is some folks ask the dealer or Michelin if they can be used as a replacement for a ST E with a 3400-3600 lb rating. Of course they can't.... as the XPS has only 3042 lb capacity. This backs the dealer/mfg into the liability corner. Michelin doesn't know if the trailer owner has the expertise to choose a tire with enough capacity for the size of the axles (axle loads).

And some tire dealers still think they can't mount a LT tire on a trailer that has a ST tire sticker....and vice versa. Or even mount a LT on a 1/2 ton truck that came OEM with P tires.

The only problem is they don't approve it for use on trailers anymore...according to my dealer...who I have known a long time and the Michelin website...so that can be an issue getting it installed...like I had when I tried to buy some. I went through the whole thing with I have 6,000 lbs. axle etc.

After personally using the Michelin XPS I firmly believe they are possibly the best tire line Michelin ever made, and that's saying a lot since IMHO their whole line is way ahead of the competition.

Only thing I fault Michelin and the XPS, they don't make it in enough sizes to fit many vehicles, especially RVs.

"In the tire industry 40 years; seen it all and done most of it"

I just replaced my Ribs with a new set of ribs after 10 yrs and about 23,000 miles. Still looked new with tread barely worn and no weather checking. And I add a couple pounds of air in the spring and am good for another year. Never a low tire.

And by the way, Michelin recommends yearly inspections at 5 yrs and replacement at 10 yrs so skip the lecture about the 5 yr rule.

I used to have a flat tire on the average of one per year until I switched to larger rims and XPS Ribs. Never had a flat since. They are big and heavy and expensive but I'd do it again.

I ran a set of Ribs on my last 5th wheel. Trouble free for 4 years then I traded it. Loved them.

B.O.