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Michelin Tire Issue

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q-U1 (F53 26K chassis) with Michelin 255/80R 22.5 XRV tires on both axles. The MH has 11,000+ mostly interstate miles on it. After pulling into our current park a few days ago the parking assistance noticed that the two front axle tires were severely worn on the outer edge with the left front tire being the worst...the steel belts are just about ready to show. This is my first experience with Michelin tires as well as with 22.5-inch tires. Both of our previous MHs had Goodyear tires with which we were very happy and gave us excellent service and miles.

I noticed no excessive handling issues leading up to the discovery. I did have a steering stabilizer (Blue Ox TruCenter) installed just before we left on our current trip (early March). Pressure is set per inflation tables. From what I can see the dualies on the rear axle seem ok.

Several folks in the park who claim they have the necessary experience tell me it is not an alignment issue, not the fault of the steering stabilizer but rather a poor tire. One urged me to get Toyo tires, another suggested BF Goodrich. One of the local tire shops that deal in 22.5 tires suggests going with Michelins. Since I had good service from Goodyear I am leaning towards the G670s but the shop says while they will sell them to me they will not warrant them. A quick search of the forums seems to suggest that the Michelins are a poor tire but there are those who love the Michelins and hate the other brands. Needless to say the options, along with what might have happened had the discovery not been made, are spinning in my head.

I'm looking to replace these tires with a quality tire. Price is not an issue as I don't believe in scrimping on tires but I do believe in value.

Questions:

- looking for thoughtful, reasoned opinions on the replacement tires.

- I'm planning on having the 4-rear tires examined and if OK I'll leave them be. Any reason not to?

- I'm going to have the front-end re-aligned post tire purchase. I'm also having the Blue Ox TruCenter examined to make sure it was installed correctly and is operating properly. Is there any reason to suspect a bad alignment or the TruCenter as the proximate cause of the tire issue?

- We're currently in Phoenix (Mesa) until mid-April and have spoken with Robert's Tires and will be speaking with Danny's Big Rig Resort in the next couple of days. Does anyone have any experience with either shop or have any other dealer recommendations that deal in 22.5-inch tires?

Thanks for reading.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle
37 REPLIES 37

msmith1199
Explorer
Explorer
When I first bought my motorhome it had Michelins on it. Way before 11,000 miles I noticed an uneven wear in the front tires starting to develop. I took it down and had the alignment checked and it was off quite a bit according to the guy running the machine. So he fixed the alignment, we moved the front tires to the outter rear position and moved those up to the front, and we all lived happily ever after until the tires were about 7 years old and I replaced them all just because of age, not because of tread wear.

2021 Nexus Viper 27V. Class B+


2019 Ford Ranger 4x4

Ivylog
Explorer III
Explorer III
I bought my DP almost new and at seven years I replaced the front tires that did not have any uneven wear so I didn't have it aligned. Six years later and 35K miles they are wearing evenly so when I replace I will not have it aligned.
This post is my opinion (free advice). It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Sold 04 Dynasty to our son after 14 great years.
Upgraded with a 08 HR Navigator 45โ€™...

Executive45
Explorer III
Explorer III
Rk911, IMO you will know if you should have the alignment looked at. In my case, I noticed the moho would pull slightly left when I released pressure on the steering wheel. You'll get some right pull simply from the crown in the road. Anyway when we got to Mesa for the winter, I took it into Spectrac and had it aligned. It was way out. What a difference when I got it back! If you have a toe in condition pretty much even on both sides you may not have any pulling but the tires do know. Let us know what you ultimately find out...Dennis
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rk911
Explorer
Explorer
10forty2 wrote:
Do I need to say it too? Probably not, but I'm going to anyway... ๐Ÿ˜‰

Alignment issue, most likely tow-in adjustment. Your tires are riding on the outer edge and not the full contact patch as with a proper alignment. That's what's causing them to wear out prematurely on the outer edge. It's not the tire's fault.


hmmmm...I'm getting the sense that the alignment could be bad and that Michelin is the preferred tire for this MH. :B that was my first thought but I did wonder if the steering stabilizer had a hand in the problem. we're not new to motorhomes...this is our 3rd since 1986...but I've never heard of or been advised by the dealer we've used to have the MH aligned post purchase and after loading up as we would for a trip. I have the front end re-aligned on our cars whenever we purchase new tires which isn't all that often. same rule-of-thumb for our MH or does the alignment need to be re-checked every so often? how often? I followed my rule-of-thumb on our previous motorhomes and had no issues. the tire shops I've spoken with all say they can do the alignment but I'm now wondering if a shop that specializes in that should do or at least check that work. comments?

as for now, no, I noticed no handling or ride issues. MPG is a bit low at 5.5-mpg (gas V10, 24k combined rolling weight) but I attributed that to the weight and my tendency to run at 68-mph.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
Executive wrote:
rk911, I've run Michelins and Goodyears. Both performed well. Had one GY suffer rivering but all others are good. Since you're experiencing uneven wear on both sides, that indicates an alignment issue. While bad shocks will wear your tires too, usually that will result in bump on the tires that you can feel. Before you make the decision on tires, I'd invest in a alignment check. Fix the problem before you give up on any tire mfg. I'm not knocking Roberts Tire, but use caution when purchasing from them. Especially the Power Rd. shop. A lot of those tires sit in the hot Arizona sun for a long time. Insist on fresh tires.

I'd also recommend Spectrac Alignment shop, 405 E Baseline Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85233
Phone: (480) 545-5533. I've used them twice and found them to be reasonable and very knowledgeable. They are on Baseline just off Mesa Drive near La Mesa RV. Call them and explain your situation, or stop by with some pictures and get their opinion....BOL....Dennis

thanks, Dennis...I will contact them.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle

10forty2
Explorer
Explorer
Do I need to say it too? Probably not, but I'm going to anyway... ๐Ÿ˜‰

Alignment issue, most likely tow-in adjustment. Your tires are riding on the outer edge and not the full contact patch as with a proper alignment. That's what's causing them to wear out prematurely on the outer edge. It's not the tire's fault.
1999 Holiday Rambler Endeavor, 36' Gasser
Triton V10, Ford F53 Chassis
-----------------------------------------

jmtandem
Explorer II
Explorer II
Several folks in the park who claim they have the necessary experience tell me it is not an alignment issue, not the fault of the steering stabilizer but rather a poor tire.


That type of tire wear is generally an alignment issue. Get it re-aligned when getting new tires.
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed.

BB_TX
Nomad
Nomad
There are multiple definitions of "expert" including someone from out of town, someone more than 100 miles from home, etc. Have that alignemt and Blue Ox installation checked.

Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Explorer
There was a time when Michelin had trouble with a 'zipper' issue where the side of the tire would split.

We had excellent service out of our Michelins on our '08 Dynasty. It had dates codes from 2006 to 4306 and I had them replaced in 2013 with Michelins less than a couple of months old date codes. The tire shop gave me $50 per tire trade-in (Pete's Tire in Coachella, CA).

Our new coach came with Michelins from the factory. We have 365's on the steer and tag and 315's on the drive axle. Michelin is the only tire company making the 365 which is a very wide tire and can carry the 19,000 lb. front axle and where I can run 105-110 psi.

I will replace with Michelins again when the time comes.

Safe travels,
MM.
Mr.Mark
2021.5 Pleasure Way Plateau FL Class-B on the Sprinter Chassis
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crasster
Explorer II
Explorer II
Something is wrong. Michelin is a great brand and should not do that especially on TWO tires. Are you noticing any probs driving?
4 whopping cylinders on Toyota RV's. Talk about great getting good MPG. Also I have a very light foot on the pedal. I followed some MPG advice on Livingpress.com and I now get 22 MPG! Not bad for a home on wheels.

Hikerdogs
Explorer
Explorer
It sounds like you need some new tire wear experts. Wearing on the outside edges is a classic toe adjustment problem. The fact that both front tires have the problem and none of the rears have the problem suggests it was never aligned properly when when the completed motorhome left the factory.

Ford recommends a front end alignment with the motorhome fully loaded with everything you normally travel with. That includes fresh water, propane, fuel, food and any personal possessions you normally take.

Ford sells the stripped chassis to the motorhome manufacturers. The manufacturer then adds several tons of house, appliances and systems. Depending on the weight distribution it can have an effect on front end alignment.

For nearly 30 years Ford has recommended having the front end aligned when the vehicle is completed. Most manufacturers come close, but don't do a very good job at it. There have been a couple Ford technical bulletins on the subject over the years. The problem got so bad in the late 1990's that Ford issued Technical Service Bulletin Q-59 "Clear Vision TSB" It outlines the procedure for aligning the front end and centering the steering wheel. It also includes a paragraph stating Ford will no longer warranty tire or other damage caused by a misaligned front end. While the procedure for straightening the steering wheel has changed in the last few years the alignment procedure is still the same and is still required.

We have the same Michelin tires on our 2013 Adventurer. It was aligned at our local Ford truck dealer with about 300 miles on the odometer. It now has over 33,000 miles on the odometer with no signs of excessive wear on any of the tires.

As a side note I would stick with the Michelins unless you can watch the mounting and balancing process when the Goodyear's are installed. Let me say at this point I had always been a Goodyear fan. Over the years we've had a couple dozen sets on our cars and trucks without any problems. However the G670's were another story. We had 3 sets of G670's on our previous Adventurer in 115,000 miles. The first set lasted only about 30,000 miles. They vibrated constantly and could never be balanced to the point the vibration would go away.

The second set didn't last much longer. They were supposedly balanced with Equal balancing powder when they were installed. They never did seem perfect so on one of our trips I stopped at a tire dealer to have the powder removed and conventionally balanced. That's when we found the balancing powder had never been installed. The worst tire now needed over 12 oz. of weight to bring it into balance. The other tires took between 6oz. and 10 oz. to balance them. The tires went about 45,000 miles, but the ride was never much better. We finally replaced them, not due to being worn out, but rather due to the poor ride quality and constant thumping from flat spot worn on them due to improper balance when they were new.

Being a slow learner we replaced them with another set of G670's while the ride was better it doesn't compare to the ride quality of the Michelins on our current motorhome.

Be careful to check the manufacturing location if you choose Goodyear's. The last set I bought for our truck were made in China. They're advertised as being 50,000 mile tires. They currently have about 15,000 miles on them and I doubt they'll make it to 30,000 at the rate they're wearing. Over the years the quality has certainly slipped as has my confidence in their products. I have gone from a total die hard fan of Goodyear tires to wondering what I should buy the next time one of our cars' or trucks need tires
Hikerdogs
2013 Winnebago Adventurer

Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Explorer II
I had nearly the exact same issue with my Michelins on my Prevost. I had to have some tie rods replaced and the coach aligned. The new Michelins are preforming perfectly. Best riding/handling tires I have even had on the coach. Mine are 12R/22.5, however.
What I post is my 2 cents and nothing more. Please don't read anything into my post that's not there. If you disagree, that's OK.
Can't we all just get along?

phillyg
Explorer II
Explorer II
I highly doubt it's the tires. Got to be an alignment issue.
--2005 Ford F350 Lariat Crewcab 6.0, 4x4, 3.73 rear
--2016 Montana 3711FL, 40'
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Ivylog
Explorer III
Explorer III
I talked with a new bunkhouse gasser MH owner this past summer that wore out the outside edges of his front tires in 10,000 miles. The toe in was 1.5 inches out from the factory and the dealer was hassling him for not having an alignment done after he purchased the new motorhome.

You can check the toe in yourself with a tape measure from the inside edges of the tires, measuring front and back. Michelin's are noted for their longer tread life but they are also noted for serious cracks long before they should have aged out.
This post is my opinion (free advice). It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Sold 04 Dynasty to our son after 14 great years.
Upgraded with a 08 HR Navigator 45โ€™...

Busskipper
Explorer
Explorer
ONE WORD

ALIGNMENT

No need for a lot of discussion on this - just IS.

JMHO,
Busskipper
Maryland/Colorado
Travel Supreme 42DS04
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