Replacing Tires on my GMC

Michelin®
Defender LTX M/S

Shop around for price....I went with Costco.

X2

My neighbor had a terrific blowout with Michelin LTX tires purchased at Costco.

Took out the entire side of the pickup bed of his GMC. Tires had just been rotated, so it is assumed that the blown tire was previously on the steer axle.

$3,500 body shop bill.

With GM vehicles, I replace with the original equipment production tire, if still available, that matches GM's OEM Tire Performance Criteria ratings.

Some people assume that OEM manufacturers award tire contracts to the lowest bidder, without regard for the tire performance criteria, and without vetting.

I don't think this makes much sense. With the light truck market as competitive as it is in the USA, consumer purchase decisions between brands are finalized on the test drive. Where the rubber meets the road. And that rubber is one of the most influential factors in ride and handling... and ride and handling is the most influential factor in affecting how prospective purchasers feel and experience that test drive. So for a vehicle manufacturer to simply put the cheapest possible tire on their trucks in order to save money, but lose the sale, doesn't make much sense.

The OEM tire has already been thoroughly tested and vetted by GM, in the Arizona desert, on the Colorado mountains, in the North Dakota winter, and on the Michigan test track. Why not take advantage of all the testing and vetting that you already paid for with the price of the truck?

Are you saying that Michelin tires have not be thoroughly tested?

downtheroad wrote:
Are you saying that Michelin tires have not be thoroughly tested?

I'm saying that the tires the vehicle manufacture selects for the vehicle in question are thoroughly tested by the vehicle manufacturer for the specific vehicle that those tires were specified for.

I assume that most tire manufacturers, especially a world leading tire manufacturer such as Michelin, independently test the tires they produce.

My post was referring to a second layer of vetting, by the vehicle manufacturer, where the combination of a specific tire matched to a specific vehicle is tested. That is the extra layer of engineering validation that is already paid for with the price of the truck.

Here's what General Motors, the OP's truck manufacturer, has to say about selecting replacement tires:

"Tires installed as original equipment (OE) on new GM vehicles for North America meet stringent performance requirements according to the Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) system. Nearly all OE tires have the TPC Specification Number (TPC Spec. No.) molded onto their sidewall. This TPC number will identify tires that meet GM's strict engineering requirements for area such as ride, handling, endurance, traction, noise, wear, uniformity and dimensions.

Each TPC numbered tire is developed for the specific vehicle on which it is installed. This ensures that the tire is integrated with the vehicle chassis to provide optimum balance of performance for each GM vehicle.

When new tires are needed, GM strongly recommends replacing OE tires with replacement tires that have the same TPC spec number. The TPC system will help to assure that the "right" tire is selected for a particular vehicle model. Replacing OE tires with replacement tires having the same TPC spec No. will assure the customer of getting tires compatible with his/her GM vehicle, while maintaining the same level of performance as when the vehicle was new. GM has not evaluated or test non-TPC Spec tires or their performance on GM vehicles."

I’d be really scared if my neighbor had a blowout....

There are much better tires than Michelin, especially if you need more than a highway tire.

Diesel?

Yes Diesel

I just had a blowout with a Michelin LTX MS2 that did $3450. in damage to my truck. I have the newer model Michelin LTX Defender on my other truck. They are not the same tire. I would buy the Defender again.