vrod02 : Best tire?

Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 22, 2006, 5:25pm

So whats the best "funtional"tire for the original rims/stock engine? Heard alot about the xl's.They seem extreme for a stock setup IMHO.

Re: Best tire?
Post by gimpyrobb on Oct 22, 2006, 6:47pm

They are available at good prices right now, and are stock tires on some mil veh. In addition they are great tires by a great manufacturer.

Re: Best tire?
Post by firefightinsam on Oct 22, 2006, 6:53pm

I just put on a brand spankin new set of Xls, on my 2nd M715 the've worked great on my 1st M715. They fit well, look great, and ride nice.

Re: Best tire?
Post by luckypabst on Oct 22, 2006, 7:01pm

Yuh, excellent tires and rather mild in my opinion. Once you're used to seeing them, they make the visual effect of stock tires seem way too small.

Chris

Re: Best tire?
Post by shooter68 on Oct 22, 2006, 10:14pm

I also hear they are better with the stock gearing for gas mileage and highway drivability. Maybe someone that has them will chime in on this. I think I'm probably going to use them on mine.

Re: Best tire?
Post by binfordm715 on Oct 22, 2006, 10:42pm

XLs rule. Never driven on the freeway, but they do fine on local 50mph roads. 'Cept hills, of course!

The stance is excellent with XLs, I believe.

Re: Best tire?
Post by compexp on Oct 23, 2006, 6:43am

They help on the highway, a couple of guys at the Iowa FE had them and liked them.

I personally like the tread pattern on the XZLs better, but as my swampers have plenty of tread left, that's what I run.

Re: Best tire?
Post by sermis on Oct 23, 2006, 8:03am

I'm running the XZL's. Spent too munch on them but really like the ride and look. they fill the opening and to me look better than stock 9.00's.

Re: Best tire?
Post by barrman on Oct 23, 2006, 8:07am

I drove a little over 500 miles a year ago to the 2005 Texas FE with NDT's on the truck. The front tires lost a lot of rubber. I got between 12-13 mpg with my 396/NV4500 combo.

This year I drove a little over 500 miles to the 2006 Texas FE with XZL tires on the truck. I also pulled another M715 the entire distance. I got a little better than 9 mpg. But, my tires look exactly the same as before the trip. I was very impressed with the handling of the truck with the really heavy trailer attached. It felt more stable than the '98 D2500 I used to get to the 2006 National FE.

All the above driving was done at 50-55 mph due to NP200 care. Yesterday, I was towing an old Wagoneer and wanted to see if the truck handled as good at a faster speed. I took it up to 70 for the last 6 miles of my highway run on the way home. The only difference was the wind noise and the windshield moving a little bit more. The Michelin tires are awesome!

Re: Best tire?
Post by fastfrankie on Oct 23, 2006, 9:15am

What scares me with the Michelin XL's is that the only two sets of four I have seen that were in MINT condition with less than a few hundred miles on both sets already had the signs of dry rot and the tiniest of cracking starting. You had to have your face six inches away from the tires to see the minute cracking but it was just starting. Both sets were on trucks that were garaged - and one was a show truck.
Does anyone know if these tires are still being produced? If not, I wonder when the last XL's came out of the Michelin mold? I am afraid to buy these tires sight unseen because of my experiences. I see that one guy on Ebay in San Diego sells them everyday on there. I wonder if those tires are any good or are they like the ones I had an opportunity to buy?

Re: Best tire?
Post by elwenil on Oct 23, 2006, 9:39am

I looked at my XLs and while a few of them do have a little bit of cracking, I think it is more from the stress of the extra thick carcass flexing than dry rot. I have a nice set of BFG ATs and they even have the same cracks in them and they aren't that old at all. Also, the XLs are designed for an armored vehicle and I'm quite sure will stand up to just about anything a 715 can throw at them. That's just my opinion but I have seen this a lot especially on older bias ply tires like Ground Hawgs (yuck) and similar crap.

Last time I checked with Michelin, the XLs were no longer produced since they were phased out in favor of the XZL which I think is still the current production.

Re: Best tire?
Post by snuffy on Oct 23, 2006, 10:23am

You have to get them out of Canada - they aren't available in the U.S. anymore.

The small 'cracks' - you have to remember these are load range E tires. The walls of the tire are thick!!

Re: Best tire?
Post by gimpyrobb on Oct 23, 2006, 11:09am

Frank, where are you located, that would help us point you in the right direction for purchasing a set.

Re: Best tire?
Post by fastfrankie on Oct 23, 2006, 12:24pm

I live in New Jersey right outside Philadelphia. If I have to spend $800 on any tires, they better be like new with absolutely no dry rot or tiny (almost invisible to the eye) cracks.
I would rather spend $600 and get brand new Power King Super Tractions/Spur Grips fresh out of the mold in 9.00-16.

I looked at two sets in the last year (XL's) and even though they were like new and on sweet trucks, they already were in the dry rot infancy. I am a bit fanatical...I know even with the tiny cracks, the XL's could last 10 years....but I just can't come to terms of spending almost a grand between tires, new tubes, and mounting tires that are several years old, and are starting to break down/rot. Just my opinion. I want something fresh...new...maybe the XZL's are a better option for me.
Anyone know someone on the east coast in my area with XZL's etc? LOL

Re: Best tire?
Post by binfordm715 on Oct 23, 2006, 12:42pm

We'll keep an eye on my XLs. I'll let you know as soon as they're shot.

I think a set of Grip Spurs would do nicely, but they don't come any bigger than the stock NTDs. Interco makes tires roughly the same size as XLs, but usually too wide to mount on stock rims and I hear they wear incredibly fast. I'd heard nothing but good things about the XLs/XZLs, other than some distant (and now current) concerns about dry rot/cracking; they fit the stock rims like a glove; and look perfect in those big wheel wells. But in the end, to each his/her own.

Re: Best tire?
Post by over2land on Oct 23, 2006, 6:01pm

Frank, there was a guy in Woodbridge who sells military tires too.

I found him on ebay, but don't remember the user name right now.

He said he'd be fine with me coming by and looking at stuff before I bought them.

Hope that helps.

Re: Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 23, 2006, 7:51pm

Allrighty then I'm sold. Who's got a set in the Midwest?

Re: Best tire?
Post by gimpyrobb on Oct 23, 2006, 8:21pm

Check your pm.

Re: Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 24, 2006, 8:54pm

Well now that I bought a set off ebay who's got the skinny on Tubes and Flaps?radial.

Re: Best tire?
Post by gimpyrobb on Oct 25, 2006, 12:00am

Do a search. Barrman and PC have the scoop, they sent me in the right direction. They'll be along soon.

Re: Best tire?
Post by barrman on Oct 25, 2006, 8:05am

Call these people up. Talk to Rusty. He knows all about our trucks and putting tubes in Michelin tires. Right around $20 per tube.

http://www.innertubes.net/catalog/

Re: Best tire?
Post by gimpyrobb on Oct 25, 2006, 9:08am

Rusty! thats it, sorry I forgot.

Re: Best tire?
Post by rip68 on Oct 25, 2006, 11:08am

Sermis or Barrman, Are you running xlz's on stock rims with no mods? They fit good? Cause there's a guy that wants $200 each nearby for his xlz's in almost new condition. If they fit on stock rims I'll try and talk him down. They're on the original M998 rims, which I understand are a pain in the 'arse to remove. But I can probably have them removed from the local motor pool sargent.

Re: Best tire?
Post by barrman on Oct 25, 2006, 11:52am

Yes, I did no modifications to the stock 2 piece rims to mount the XZL's. Those tires fit the rims and the truck like they were made for it.

Re: Best tire?
Post by rip68 on Oct 25, 2006, 12:37pm

Great, now what would be a lowball offer on 4 xzl's with 90% tread remaining?

Re: Best tire?
Post by barrman on Oct 25, 2006, 1:37pm

I paid $135 ea for my 5. I think some when on gov surplus the other week for $110. Anything under $150 is a bargain in my opinion.

Re: Best tire?
Post by kwai on Oct 25, 2006, 2:38pm

I paid $100 each for new XZL's from gov surplus.

Re: Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 25, 2006, 5:54pm

I bought the xl not the xzl's. Whats the diff? Sent Email to thread from Barrman Thanks! How bad are the Flaps? Cost that is.

Re: Best tire?
Post by binfordm715 on Oct 25, 2006, 11:10pm

Flaps were what? About $12 or so? (Each)

XLs have the large square tread blocks while the XZLs have a zig-zaggy pattern sort of like you'd expect from a off-road M/T tire. I'm sure some XZL guys will post up some pics soon. But here's what the tread pattern on an XL looks like:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/7348/xls003agy4.jpg

BTW, I had the lugs siped. They did not come that way.

Re: Best tire?
Post by binfordm715 on Oct 25, 2006, 11:29pm

Why, here's Barrman's dirty XZL here, from another recent post:

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2...kelightmb5.jpg

Re: Best tire?
Post by fsjsuperswamper on Oct 25, 2006, 11:32pm

I'm thinking about 38x12.50 R16 SX super swampers, anybody running thoughs tires...

Re: Best tire?
Post by compexp on Oct 26, 2006, 6:49am

I have 36x12.50 swampers - do well off-road, little noisy on, tread wear has been ok so far ~2000 miles - i bought the tires used. Don't see enough driving to wear the tread off.

Re: Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 26, 2006, 7:41am

Heres a cool link with alot of different tire,specs and pics for comparision. Also has correct flap and tube #'s at the bottom.

http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photos5.htm

Re: Best tire?
Post by snuffy on Oct 26, 2006, 9:10am

XL and XZL specs:

http://www.tirecraft.com/commercial/michelinmain.asp

Re: Best tire?
Post by vrod02 on Oct 26, 2006, 5:32pm

Well I've gotten 4 diff. Tube and Flap sizes for the stock rims! Rusty just called and he seems the most knowledgeable.Internatinal tire and tube. His #'s for the tubes are 9001001100 15-16 /TR75a. Flap # is 16R8. Anybody? 4 diff responces has got me ?ing.

Re: Best tire?
Post by binfordm715 on Oct 26, 2006, 10:47pm

Trust Rusty. He's done half a dozen of ours, mine included. He's on.