Michelin LTX M/S or Falken Wildpeak AT3W

flyinghigh · Oct 14, 2019

Live in NW ND. Hard pack snow and icy roads for 6 months a year...started last Thursday.

Need something that will feel planted and secure on 2016 ram laramie with 6-4 bed. Have it narrowed down to these 2...would really appreciate some real world feedback on them.

I have 30k on my factory OEM and have doubts about trying another winter with them.

Thanks in advance!

pacofortacos · Oct 14, 2019

You do realize that those are radically different tires?

The Michelin will last and last and last, is more of a summer tread, is quiet, won't hurt mpg.
The Falken are just about the opposite but will be great in deep snow or off road.

kurek · Oct 14, 2019

You don't find a lot of people who dislike the LTX's.

I had them on an Escape, they were superb. Silent and the passage of time or miles seemed to have no effect on them, never short on grip. I didn't take the Escape through mud but every other kind of surface that one can drive on they left me with no complaints.

Dodge 1500 4X4 · Oct 14, 2019

I had the Michelin on my past F-150 truck handled great, no road noise at all they replaced Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude
there is no comparison between the 2 I plan on putting them on my truck they are 20 in polished aluminum,they are going to cost more

rexdog · Oct 14, 2019

I had the Falkens last year and they were fantastic. I had no complaints during the winter in Michigan. They were confidence inspiring and seemed to wear very well. Sold them to a friend because I wanted new wheels but plan to buy em again if I can ever decide on wheels...[emoji15]

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MidTennMtneer · Oct 14, 2019

The Michelin’s will last forever, are quieter, and more expensive. Also have a very tame stock look. My Dad has them on his.

I’ve had the Falkens on a truck before. Easily will go 45-50k. Especially if you stay P metric. Has a much more aggressive look and is much cheaper.

Can’t go wrong with either really. Just depends on your pockets and desire for looks.

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Steve Cloud · Oct 14, 2019

I've had zero issues with the Michelin LTX M/S (now called the Defender) in snow. We were in my wife's FWD Explorer last Christmas, and got caught in a huge snowstorm (24" in less than a day). Had no problems navigating the snow. Obviously, I grew up driving in snow and new the vehicles limits and didn't push it. However, with good tread, the Defenders are still amazing in snow. That is if you're mainly on paved areas. If you're planning to do much off-roading in snow, that would be an entirely different set of tires (or maybe even vehicles, lol). The Falkens look more aggressive, but I would imagine that they would perform about the same in these conditions.

Cableman · Oct 14, 2019

General grabber apt! And they look nice! I Believe theres 100 rebate going on for 4.
I have general Hts60 on wifes highlander and they are great, cant even tell they have 12k miles on them.

kurek · Oct 14, 2019

Cableman said:
General grabber apt! And they look nice! I Believe theres 100 rebate going on for 4.
I have general Hts60 on wifes highlander and they are great, cant even tell they have 12k miles on them.

General's the light truck brand for Continental and it seems the General APT and Continental TerrainContact A/T are made to fit the same market, certainly a lot of visual similarity on the tread and service description. I've got the Continental ones my Ram and had them for a long time before that on my other 4x4 - they were good enough I bought them twice.

For anyone trying to decide on tires it's impossible, everyone's got favorites and even if we were sensible creatures who worked with facts exclusively a tire that works great in Florida might not work great in Minnesota.

This video's kind of cool for practical demonstration of some different tire types - puts numbers on it so you can see just how much better a highway tire stops on pavement vs. a mud tire.

flyinghigh · Oct 15, 2019

Thanks everyone...really appreciate the comments.

Cableman · Oct 15, 2019

kurek said:
General's the light truck brand for Continental and it seems the General APT and Continental TerrainContact A/T are made to fit the same market, certainly a lot of visual similarity on the tread and service description. I've got the Continental ones my Ram and had them for a long time before that on my other 4x4 - they were good enough I bought them twice.

For anyone trying to decide on tires it's impossible, everyone's got favorites and even if we were sensible creatures who worked with facts exclusively a tire that works great in Florida might not work great in Minnesota.

This video's kind of cool for practical demonstration of some different tire types - puts numbers on it so you can see just how much better a highway tire stops on pavement vs. a mud tire.

Yep i noticed that also, got a pic of yours mounted on the ram?
Buddy has 275/55, they look wider with the square corner lugs. You have 275/60r20s?

gofishn · Oct 15, 2019

I live in Iowa. Got family in Wishek North Dakota and been there in Winter a few times.
Been running Michelin M/S since before they started to call them Defender series. Can get Firestones for practically free and still buy my Michelins.
Every vehicle has a set on them. Except for my Son-in-law, who works at Firestone, but He will earn, with age though.
HE will figure it out too.

kurek · Oct 15, 2019

Cableman said:
Yep i noticed that also, got a pic of yours mounted on the ram?

I don't have a beauty shot. Just this incidental one where I was showing how the OE tow hooks fit in with a slightly modified bash plate & ICI Trophy bumper. 285/70R17 (33x11") on 17x8 (OE from 2003 Ram) wheels. The ones on my Montero in the background are 265/70R17 but I have since put the same size 285's on the Montero.

As for the Continentals themselves I think they're equivalent to LT rated Michelin Defender(LTX).. last forever, silent, tons of grip anywhere but mud, really planted and predictable on the highway loaded or not. I think if the price was identical I'd flip a coin. Continentals have a slight edge on beefy looks but I can't see the tires from the cab so looks aren't a big factor for me.

Glen OS · Oct 15, 2019

I have the Falkens on both my trucks. My 95 k2500 plow truck did very well this past winter. I got my 15 Ram in March and put them on in April. Looking forward to them doing well this winter.

pacofortacos · Oct 15, 2019

I had the LTX's (10 ply) when I had my 17's on, when I went with 20's I went with General Grabber HTS60 - mainly for the XL load rating which isn't available on the LTX in the stock 275/60/20 size.

The General also wear well, but I think the LTX (at least 10 ply version) still wins here.
The Michelins were ever so slightly quieter.
MPG is similar.
Mud traction is better with the Michelin, probably snow also but I haven't noticed much difference - I also am not in deep snow often as the truck isn't driven daily.

flyinghigh · Oct 16, 2019

OK, LTX it is. Thanks guys!

Pull Ya · Oct 16, 2019

Please let us know how they work out
Jay

ram1500rsm · Oct 16, 2019

Why not have dedicated winter tires in your situation? You can find 17” wheels dirt cheap and winter tires in 265/70/17 can be had for $120 brand new, let alone finding a good used set in Craigslist even cheaper.

Also you managed somehow to get 30k miles of of the crappo SRA's, but if you have 2 set of tires and wheels, you could get even more of another set. For example somebody local to me is selling a set of SRA in factory 20's for $100 all 4.
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/wto/d/el-toro-goodyear-sra-4-tires-all-4/6997827837.html

I sold my Jeep Wrangler SRA's for the same price with maybe 500 miles on them hahaha, i wouldn't pay more than $100 for the set but you know what... if the SRA's work out for you and what you do with the truck you could manage 6 months with them, and 6 months on winter tires, and all this could be cheaper to have than 4 Michelin sissyX any day of the week

Kidding asides with the tire names is all for fun hahaha, Michelins are great tires. But in your situation you could get better tires for the winter if your winters are really that brutal. just giving you another option to look at.

Have fun.

gofishn · Oct 17, 2019

actually, North Dakota Winters are not that harsh, for tires anyway.
little to no Ice and it never stays. No Shade, since there are only 3 trees in the entire state and they are only about 24inches hgh.
Almost all the roads are set up with extremely wide shallow ditches for catchign snow and for hay gathering. Roads are h ighisest point so snow difts off to the the side of them adn not on top.

so, roads tend to not have huge snow drifts, rarely ice coverd for more than a day ro so since almost all main roads are black top and never in any kid of shafde. gravel can be bothersome and drift but again, ice is not reallly an issue.

only draw back to north dakots winter is alberta clipper can move feet of snow, iliterally over a few hours, cold as you canot imagine, wind and lots of it and , off pavement, snow in piles and piles.

most of the farmers plow to town and their own locally used roads.

foudn drving in north dfakot, during wi=nter muich easier than Iowa.

flyinghigh · Oct 17, 2019

Hey guys...I would love to get another set of 20 inch rims so I can do dedicated snow tires. Guess I better start looking around CL. Really appreciate the idea!

Michelin LTX M/S or Falken Wildpeak AT3W

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