Another tire question
My Michelin tires are just starting to show some barely detectable cracking. tire dates are 24/12 so a little over 5 years old. I keep them cover whenever stored. Any idea how much long I can run ...
Forum Discussion
Have thought for many years as a forum member and full timer, that the Michelin's were and are a scam more than anything.
The cracks are due to their rubber formulations and they can change that any time they want. Of course they don't because there a far too many who swear by Michelin's even though they don't deserve it and they tend to get replacements far too early. Others are tricked by unscrupulous dealers who don't point out all the other brands that have a similar enough size that it can be a direct replacement.
To avoid that trap, here's sizing chart you can use to compare sizes of tires: Tire Size Calculator
I've set it up with a common Michelin size compared to a competing brand - note the slight differences in actual sizes. Not enough difference to ever worry about. Toyo's at $291 currently on Amazon have that 245-75r22.5 size.
I've read some of the Michelin specs and white papers about their RV products and they give a length and depth of cracks that are acceptable (smaller and shallow are OK), and also give a procedure for how old is too old (I forget...8 years I think? Then you are supposed to have them checked by a professional once per year up to 10 years, I forget the details, but there's no need to toss them at a magical 7 years like some do). If they are within specs, then I believe they'd be fine. You can come to your own conclusions.
The cracks are due to their rubber formulations and they can change that any time they want. Of course they don't because there a far too many who swear by Michelin's even though they don't deserve it and they tend to get replacements far too early. Others are tricked by unscrupulous dealers who don't point out all the other brands that have a similar enough size that it can be a direct replacement.
To avoid that trap, here's sizing chart you can use to compare sizes of tires: Tire Size Calculator
I've set it up with a common Michelin size compared to a competing brand - note the slight differences in actual sizes. Not enough difference to ever worry about. Toyo's at $291 currently on Amazon have that 245-75r22.5 size.
I've read some of the Michelin specs and white papers about their RV products and they give a length and depth of cracks that are acceptable (smaller and shallow are OK), and also give a procedure for how old is too old (I forget...8 years I think? Then you are supposed to have them checked by a professional once per year up to 10 years, I forget the details, but there's no need to toss them at a magical 7 years like some do). If they are within specs, then I believe they'd be fine. You can come to your own conclusions.
