Michelin Defender LTX

[pstroke]

Because of a road hazard incident I had to replace the OEM Hankook tires. I had about 46,000 miles on them and figured since I would have to put a new set on before the Bronco comes in anyway, go ahead and replace the entire set.

That being said, I am a huge fan of Michelin tires. Like the ad says, when so much is riding on your tires. I installed the Defender LTX M/S in the OEM size, 265/60R18 110T.

Well, it seems like my fuel mileage has dropped by at least 2 miles per gallon since I put them on. They are the same size but my real question is tire pressure.

The factory Hankooks were supposed to be run at 32 psi per the label in the door and that is what I ran those tires at. The new Michelin have a max of 44 psi. I think that running at 32 may be part of the reason for the decreased mileage. I have bumped that up to 38 psi to see if there will be a difference.

Anybody have any other idea why the mileage would drop? Does the resistance of the new rubber on the road have any impact? Thank in advance for any wisdom or insight that you may have,

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[GTGallop]

It's not the pressure - it's the weight. Michelin Defenders are indeed amazing tires. I usually get 80K+ out of them on our cars. I think they are the best possible tire for an affordable price you can put on a vehicle. But that durability comes with a caveat - the carcass is a little heavier. And that goes towards two factors:

1. Unsprung Weight
2. Rotational Mass

Rotational Mass is the part that's shaving your MPG. It takes just a little more energy to get the tires to turn in a circle and roll forward because they are heavier.

Car designers know this and that's why factory tires are usually pretty weak. The manufacturer needs to eek out the highest MPG possible to meet Federal Regs so they go find the lightest tire to be the stock tire. Basically any tire you put on that isn't the Factory Stocker is going to cause that but even more so with the Michelins because they are a tad heavier than most.

It's still a great tire and I still put them on every chance I get (cars not trucks) because I know the 2 MPG over 80K+ miles is cheaper than the three or four sets of tires that I would have put on in that time. I've also had punctures close to the sidewall on the Defenders that a tire shop told me they wouldn't repair in a normal tire but because Michelin extends their tread fibers so far around they could plug and patch the Defenders. So there was a savings there too.

 

[THLONE]

How many tank fills did you base this on? How do you measure your gas mileage.? Did you drive the same route? Was the temp the same?

 

[dtech]

B

Anybody have any other idea why the mileage would drop? Does the resistance of the new rubber on the road have any impact? Thank in advance for any wisdom or insight that you may have,

I run the defender LTX on Hyundai Sante Fe - went with them because Michelins I've found rate their tires more accurately than many other brands - as Gt Gallop says it is a well constructed tire and that can mean it's a bit heavier - sidewall construction in particular is more robust than many competing brands, my tires have an XL load rating.

But in some cases a new tire even it's the exact same as a tire it replaced may cause a small decrease in mpg - it has a larger circumference and more tread = more weight, albeit small. Over time you may see your mpg return.

The only thing I do not like about the Defender is they are noisier than the Continentals they replaced, on the Ranger it's likely far less noticeably.

 

[pstroke]

How many tank fills did you base this on? How do you measure your gas mileage.? Did you drive the same route? Was the temp the same?

3 tanks so far. Number of miles driven divided by the gallons added. Pretty close. Pretty close. I will definitely keep an eye on it.

 

[Frenchy]

If the tire is a P rated tire run them at the door placard pressure. If they are an LT i belive they are supposed to be at 38 PSI if the factory size. Also understand that Michelin tires stick better compared to most streer tires.

 

[dtech]

Because of a road hazard incident I had to replace the OEM Hankook tires. I had about 46,000 miles on them and figured since I would have to put a new set on before the Bronco comes in anyway, go ahead and replace the entire set.

That being said, I am a huge fan of Michelin tires. Like the ad says, when so much is riding on your tires. I installed the Defender LTX M/S in the OEM size, 265/60R18 110T.

Well, it seems like my fuel mileage has dropped by at least 2 miles per gallon since I put them on. They are the same size but my real question is tire pressure.

The factory Hankooks were supposed to be run at 32 psi per the label in the door and that is what I ran those tires at. The new Michelin have a max of 44 psi. I think that running at 32 may be part of the reason for the decreased mileage. I have bumped that up to 38 psi to see if there will be a difference.

Anybody have any other idea why the mileage would drop? Does the resistance of the new rubber on the road have any impact? Thank in advance for any wisdom or insight that you may have,

This article may help to explain what I mentioned in my previous post - common with new tires even if they are the same make and size.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...y vehicle odometers aren't,old, worn-out tire.

 

[THLONE]

Aint science wonderful. Then you still have to allow for temp changes overtime and barometric pressure and the big one, the attitude of the brain of the foot operating the gas pedal. LOL
Your experience may vary.

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