Why did they stop using Michelin?

I have noticed Tundras don’t come with the Michelin anymore. Anyone know why they stop using them? Michelin are great tires. Are Wildpeak just cheapest?
If so, I would have never thought Tundra would put quality on the line.

 

Don’t really know the reason why they switched but I can tell you that Wildpeaks
are not cheap anymore. They’ve become very popular. They are a very good A/T tire that also has nice quiet stable road manners, with excellent wet and snow traction. At least in my experience.

 

Are they as good as the Defenders?

 

Usually the car manufacturers make a deal with the big tire companies for a quantity that meets their specs at a price. It's more than likely a bidding process.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

 

Defenders have excellent reviews. But I don’t think they would be considered an A/T tire. Apples to Oranges.

 

If Michelin were such great tires on the gen 2.5 - why were so many so quick to ditch them ?

I have a set of takeoffs sitting in my basement - acquired a good used set of Wildpeak A/T here on the forum and swapped them out - never regretted the move.

Looks better and rides just as well with better handling in the rain.

Not that Michelin doesn’t make some good tires for certain vehicles/applications - but overall I’m just not a fan of their product. Tend to be very soft (good for ride - long for tire life) and absolutely suck in the rain.

I guess if I lived in the desert and had a smooth highway and a car - their product might fit needs better.

Cost is certainly a consideration- but keep in mind it might be more - capacity and performance chief among other factors. If it cost Toyota $22 more a set - but the manufacturer could guarantee 100k sets where another manufacturer struggled to get them 50k and if the performance ranked higher on testing - I’m sure they realized a minor savings wasn’t the best move overall.

 

From what I’ve heard the sidewalls of the Michelin tires aren’t very thick. wild peaks on the other hand have a more ply sidewall.

 

My 22 came with Michelin tires, so I'm a little confused on this post.

 

People ditch the michelins because they are street tires. People want a more aggressive and better looking tire. I like how the OE michelin drives, they just look pathetic

 

This.

I'm guessing Michelin didn't apply or bid on the contract.

 

The VAST majority of those taking Defenders off their truck is to put some type of All Terrain or Off Road tires on. Defenders are one of the best street tires made, and even perform pretty well in snow, based on input from this forum.

 

I wondered about the switch to Falkens, too. I'm not knocking Falken and don't think they make a poor quality tire, but every one that I've looked at has been considerably heavier than most any other reputable brand in the same size and category. The guys that I know that run them say they all get noisy and lose considerable traction as they wear. But I have no direct experience with them. I'm told the one's that come on the tundra lighter but also thinner skinned than what you get a tire store.

I actually really liked the OE tundra specific LTX AT/2's from Michelin. I picked up a pair of takeoffs from a pro several years ago and ran them though everything. They did feel a little soft but I've been running E rated tires on my truck so I expected as much. The michelin's put up all of my heavy loading and towing, off-pavement job site access, forest road flogging, snowy slushy icy muckety winter driving, etc, and didn't let me down. My only gripe was that they only lasted 30k. But, being an OE tire, that's what I expected; my OE Rugged Fails only lasted 26k and were 26k miles of not-awesomeness. And I don't run tires down to 2/32's of tread cuz I like to not die because I wanted to save a few bucks by running them down to nothing. I agree that most guys that pitched them did so aesthetics rather than function.

 

Michelin ain't all it's cracked up to be. Lot of tires are better IMO.

 

The Bridgstone's that came on my Platinum were crap. I found a set of Takeoff Pro rims and the Michelin A/Ts. The Michelin A/Ts are no match for Wild Peaks off road. That being said, I rarely drive off road, so the Michelin's worked great for me. When they wore out, I replaced them with Michelin Defenders. Not an A/T tire, rather a more highway tire to suit the driving I do 98% of the time. And boy do they wear and ride well! It's what you do with your Tundra and or the "Look" your going for with the Tundra. I will do the same again, after I get my 23' Tundra in the Fall.

Randy B

 

The TRD Off Road trucks in Canada come with Michelin LTX Trail tires. They're garbage and a total street tire. They have no business being on a TRD Off Road. The Sport maybe. It pisses me off to no end that the same truck in the US gets the good Falkens.

The only reason I won't be instantly switching to a proper all terrain tire is because it will only be 3 months after getting my truck that I'll be needing to buy my studded winter tires. The Michelins will be sold and next spring I'll be putting tires on that are actually worthy of being on a truck.

 

At terrains they are geared for sure. It is hard to beat michelins on the freeway in the rain. They feel glued to the road

 

I've loved Michelins for decades, for quiet, sure traction, and wear. But the ones that came on my Tundra (2020) were too street for me. When they got to 59k and I saw the wear stripes, I replaced with Nokian Outposts...but, any other vehicles I'll have will *probably* get Michelins.

 

Whether it be for mileage, ride, noise, traction, wet or dry, I much prefer Yokohama over Michelin for the highway. To each his own.

 

Michelins for mileage and if the truck is being used as a "hauler"....

We've run them on the Ridgeline , Pilot and now this Tundra.. All pulling trailers of different sizes for work & play ..

The Taco' ran BFG's and Bridgestone's for Off-roading BUT the Tundra will only see small amounts of "Sugar sand" and pasture's, depending on load...

 

My micheline all had dry rot after about 6 yrs..so I swapped them out for yokohamas..hopefully they'll last longer

 

I feel the Defender LTX is the pinnacle of street truck tires. I do really like the AT2 as well.

There are two things the strongly attract be back to them every time I need tires.

1.) I have yet to find another manufacturer that has a consistent performance through the life of the tire. They simply perform the same whether they have 10, 20,30,40k miles. I find that remarkable because many tires start strong and fizzle off quickly.

2.) This applies to the Defender LTX particularly…. This highway tire has handily outperformed many of the AT tires I have used in wintery mixes, in ice, and moderate snow. Blizzards and REAL off-roading…oblivious there are better choices.

 

This. People are not ditching the Michelins because they are bad tires. They are excellent road tires…where almost all Tundras drive 99% of their mileage.

 

I would love to get a set of aggressive looking off road tires for my Tundra but 99% of the time its on pavement and pulling a horse trailer. The Michelin LTX AT/2 that came on it are the perfect tire for that use. I have 55k on the stock set and they still have tread to go. I will be getting another set by winter.

 

Probably just for looks. But the wildpeaks tend to balance better than the Michelins too. Who knows.

 

You must not have gotten the ones I have. The Geolandars I put on my truck about 6 months ago are *THE* softest tires I have *EVER* put on any vehicle I've ever owned. They're like driving on marshmallows with a small amount of tread. So soft, in fact, they almost counteract the rear sway bar I had installed a few months before the tires.

 

i suppose whether or not the Michelins were really "good tires" depends a lot on where and how you drive. For example, where i drive we get decent amounts of snow and icy roads for basically half the year and I wouldn't consider leaving the road with them. If i was highway driving on roads that never saw snow they'd probably be a decent option.
For these reasons the MIchelins lasted about 500 miles before i had enough and bought a true A/T tire.

 

6 years is about normal. You are suppose to replace tires by then regardless of tread left. I learned my lesson on trailer tires on my boat. Plenty of tread left but started blowing out between 5 and 6 years. When the 2nd one blew I replaced all 4. Age is more critical on trailer tires because they normally sit for longer periods.

 

Michelin Defenders are hands down the best truck tire one can buy for a truck SUV that stays on the roadways.
Get them much off the road and there are better options.

I went with the LTX A/T 2s in a 33 on my Tundra as I was slowly building it up for off-roading.
They are great tires for a truck that sees mostly highway. They are DECENT in mild off-road situations even though they don’t look the part at all.
They A/T 2s are absolute beasts in rain, snow, and ice on paved roads.

I’ll be going more aggressive on my next set of tires. I would very much like Michelin to make a true off-road competitive tire.

The A/T 2s don’t look aggressive and aren’t overly aggressive they were/are a good choice for most Tundras sold and in reality were a poor choice for the TRDPro trucks from the factory.

 

They got rid of them because everyone complained about them including YouTubers. They are actually very good road, wet, and snow condition tires. The wild peaks are a great more aggressive tire, but other than the TRD Pro, they are not the same Wildpeaks we all buy