Help please for a non tire guy buying his first tires after OEM

[Bob902]

I am a Falken Wild Peaks fan. Will most likely replace this set with the same but they are wearing very well. I could also look at Firestone or Cooper.

I’ve had mine for over a year now. Still look brand new. I will definitely look at Wildpeaks again.

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[Hickesy]

Nothing like a good old tire thread discussion to bring everyone together

 

[Maxacceleration]

Lol tires, ya like oil.
I have had good luck with Falkens, Toyos & Nitto. All good tires in my experience.
Great AT tires all and similar in design.
I base my purchase these days on the 3 Peak rating as my climate with snow & ice require it.
And for this smallish Ranger I am also basing my purchase on tire weight. There are 40-50 lb tires out there vs getting into 50-60+ pound tires. Heavy tires suck mpg’s & power.
I consider the Ranger not needing E rated tires unless you bang rocks, do g-outs or pull a heavy trailer. There are a few non LT tires if you look hard.
JMHO ymmv

 

[RMD3819]

Are these the Michelin tires everyone is recommending?

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-defender-ltx-m-s2/p/127489#treadwell-data

What does the M/S 2 mean? Mud and snow? 2?

 

[Frenchy]

Are these the Michelin tires everyone is recommending?

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-defender-ltx-m-s2/p/127489#treadwell-data

What does the M/S 2 mean? Mud and snow? 2?

That is correct. Though it is a HWY type tire, it is rated for light mud and snow and handles it well. When I lived in Michigan years ago, it was what my parents put on their vehicles and it did well. Keep in mind they only had 2wd vehicles and did not use snow chains in the winter.

I will also add that the 2 means it is the second version of the tire. The first was the LTX M&S

 

[Ranger Mel]

Keep in mind that their store brand tires are made by mazama tires. Mazama tires are made in Taiwan. Most tires made in Taiwan and China are absolutely horrible. They're cheap at best. They are also overpriced.

Let's assume you're looking at an All-Terrain from them. Take the same size tire in compare it to a Firestone Destination XT. Now of course the Firestone is going to be in LT. Depending on the size you are looking at it will be either a load range C or load range E. I can promise you the Firestone will be lighter, stronger, and a lower price while being made in either the US or Canada. To my understanding that particular tire in all sizes are made in Canada versus Taiwan or China.

Did some more checking and my mechanic shop can get the Toyo AT/III for about $500 less ($1,089 mounted & balanced) than the Open Range with an alignment included. I will likely be getting these instead. As far as I can tell they are made in Georgia.

 

[Brianj67]

Are these the Michelin tires everyone is recommending?

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-defender-ltx-m-s2/p/127489#treadwell-data

What does the M/S 2 mean? Mud and snow? 2?

Same tire, new version. Also, it is now an XL rated tire. 114 not a 110. It can carry more weight essentially. The new version also has a higher mileage rating.

Over the last 6 years with the Ranger and my Frontier before that, I had Cooper and Falken brands. The Michelin is a fantastic tire and it performs in snow as well.

 

[RMD3819]

Update-

I bought the Michelins!

Thanks for everyone’s input.

I compared the suggested tires with Tire Rack and Discount Tire. In almost every case the pricing was within a few dollars from either vendor. I went with Discount Tire as I have used them before and been very happy.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Update-

I bought the Michelins!

Thanks for everyone’s input.

I compared the suggested tires with Tire Rack and Discount Tire. In almost every case the pricing was within a few dollars from either vendor. I went with Discount Tire as I have used them before and been very happy.

For future reference, Discount Tire owns Tire Rack.

Congrats on the new tires.

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