LTX M/S2 vs XPS Ribs/Recall

j-d wrote:
Got no dog in this hunt, what with our several-year-old and problem-free Duravis tires.
That said, and if it were me... That LTX/2 is looking good. It's from the world's premier tire maker. Still there are spotty complaints about LTX and it's a price-pointed OEM tire. On the other hand the XPS series enjoys a near-perfect resume and seems to be a much better long-term product.
If I could put the pennies together, I'd pay to upgrade to XPS series.
And I'd pony up for custom stems Tire-Man or Borg while I was doing it.
Buy a matching spare! Rotate Spare with the two Front Tires.
For $few100 you go from OEM to Gold Standard. Whale of a Deal!

Excellent advise!

I prefer the Michelin XPS on the motor home. I run the LTX M/S2 on the family truck and SUV. But I am biased, having worked for Michelin for 23 years.

Got no dog in this hunt, what with our several-year-old and problem-free Duravis tires.
That said, and if it were me... That LTX/2 is looking good. It's from the world's premier tire maker. Still there are spotty complaints about LTX and it's a price-pointed OEM tire. On the other hand the XPS series enjoys a near-perfect resume and seems to be a much better long-term product.
If I could put the pennies together, I'd pay to upgrade to XPS series.
And I'd pony up for custom stems Tire-Man or Borg while I was doing it.
Buy a matching spare! Rotate Spare with the two Front Tires.
For $few100 you go from OEM to Gold Standard. Whale of a Deal!

If they'll give you XPS instead of LTX tires, it is a fantastic deal. The XPS line is almost $100 a tire higher, at suggested retail.

My experience with Michelin LTX over 30,000 miles, six years, lead me to replace the LTX with the heavier and tougher XPS Rib, though the price difference was all mine to take care of. My RV off road driving, rough highway driving, and just sitting, was beating the lighter tires to death well before 50% tread life.

Tried to get all-steel Silent Armors (with extra aramid belt) but they were simply not available in my size in my area at the time I was buying. Michelin, however, will not be supplying any Goodyear branded tires as replacement under warranty or recall

I couldn't run Ribs, need mud/snow traction. Here is the XPS Rib tread:



There is also a XPS traction tire:



Here is the LTX M/S2:




I run Bridgestone Duravis M895 M/S:



These are great tires. Once broken in a couple of thousands miles they track well, handle well, and do not slam over expansions joints as much as previous tires. They have an all-steel casing like the Ribs.

ratfink09 wrote:
For those with the XPS Ribs, how is the ride? The ride in our 28` class c is rough enough with the old LTX`s.

Not much difference, maybe a little firmer. Just make sure the pressures are set according to the Michelin Load and Inflation guide.
Too much pressure will lead to a much rougher ride and handling problems.

Beverley and Ken

Just guessing here, Michelin will probably charge you the difference in price between the Ribs & the LTX's. Still a darn good deal, IMO, if you never drive on low-traction surfaces.

Jim, "Struggling hair farmer."

For those with the XPS Ribs, how is the ride? The ride in our 28` class c is rough enough with the old LTX`s.

ratfink09 wrote:
When I called Michelin regarding the recent recall of LTX MS tires, I asked if I could replace my tires with XPS Ribs covered by the recall despite them being more expensive. They said I could. I`m not sure that can be correct as the LTX M/S2 seems to be the tire most people are getting. Also it seems too good to be true. Is the XPS Rib that much of a better tire than the LTX M/S2 for a 30ft Class C?

The XPS Ribs Michelin are very rugged tires also used for delivery vehicles like the UPS dually van trucks. They may ride a bit stiffer than the LTX MS tires, but are darn near bullet proof. I've been running them for years on my Class C. They may not be all that good for mud and snow driving, but I am mostly confined to the extreme heat of Texas and the Southern States, and don't drive in ice and snow anyway.

A new set with tax and insurance coverage for (6) from Discount Tire would run close to $2,500.00 a set, just so you know. They aren't cheap, but are the real deal in truck highway tires, with bulletproof 'Ribs' in their sidewalls. They have very, very deep rubber treads for many, many miles of driving wear.

If they are offering the XPS Ribs at no extra cost, jump at it. I would do it even if we had to pay the extra. When we replaced the oem Michelin LT? a couple of years ago, we got the Ribs, much better handling for our 29' c-class. The ribs are a heavier constructed tire, with steel sidewalls as well as steel belt.

Beverley and Ken