Tire valve stem failures

mockturtle · Post by **mockturtle** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:07 pm

I have Michelins on both my BF and my Honda CR-V. Only problem I've had was with one valve stem extension.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:06 pm

Angela, I'd be interested in what particular Load Range E Goodyear Wrangler you have installed on your coach. You can see on the link below that there are models rated by reviewers as fairly poor and other models as higher. The Michelins, on the other hand, are some of the tires consistently rated high by reviewers.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearc ... kage=false

FYI, I am on my 2nd set of Michelin LTS M/S (original equipment tire) with nary a problem.

Hope this helps.

Bill

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:41 pm

Angela,

Attached is a tire inflation graph that applies to all brands of LT225/75R16 Load Range E tires. Your coach should be equipped with load range E tires and not load range D. Load range E tires have a maximum cold inflation rating of 80 psi but that does not mean that all 6 tires on your coach should be inflated to that maximum.

After weighing my 2002 26' RSB coach to determine the weight on both front and rear axles, I used the graph to determine I needed to inflate my front tires to 65 psi and my rears to 75 psi.

65 psi in the front tires will support a front axle load of 2335 x 2 = 4670 lbs and 75 psi in the rear duals will support a rear axle load of 2355 x 4 = 9420 lbs.

On a side note, my first 1999 24' RB coach came factory equipped with Firestone Steeltex tires and I ran them 70,000 miles with no tire problems or failures. My 2nd 2002 26' RSB coach now also has 70,000 miles on it and is on its 2nd set of Firestone tires again with no problems. However, the rubber valve stems and flexible valve stem extenders can and will cause real problems. I have used a PressurePro TPMS now for 6 years and its has caught several rubber valve stem failures that would have destroyed a tire if not for the TPMS. Several years ago installed a complete set of Borg metal valve stems to finally elminate that ongoing problem.

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:38 am

Thank you thank you - I'll get the tires replaced with Michelins. I've re-ordered a new set of the Borg metal valve stems for the front and rear

Would you concur that the Michelin XPS Rib 's are the tire model to use...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... mpare1=yes

I mainly drive in California/Oregon - no snow, some bumpy freeways, some hills and often will drive 400 miles in a day.

The GoodYear Wrangler tires left on the coach are rated E and I'll double check the stated weight limits tomorrow and let you know since that was printed on the tire. I see what you mean by these tires getting a low user rating!

Thanks once again. You are a wealth of information. I very much appreciate your help.
Angela

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:32 pm

While I definitely concur with Michelin; I think the xps is perfect for a heavier model but in my case - a 23RK on a 450 chassis - it made for a rather stiff ride, in my opinion; so I went for the lighter Michelin. It might be good for the 24'.

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:07 pm

Thanks ! Do you recall which Michelin tire you used?

mockturtle · Post by **mockturtle** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:38 pm

I have the Michelin LTX on mine.

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:28 am

I have the Michelin LTX on my 23 RK - 450 chassis. Since you have the 24' you might want hear from a few of those owners as it is a heavier coach with a different wheelbase ratio, which result in different handling characteristics. I see one poster above with a 24 also uses the LTX.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:49 am

And as I said above, I had the Michelin LTX. The tire is a little cheaper than the XPS, and I believe gives a better ride with the same solid performance.

I purchased my last set from Discount Tire (http://www.discounttire.com/), they have stores throughout California.

Good luck,

Bill

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:20 pm

Thanks -- The big debate - LTX vs. XPS Rib.

Is the LTX these days more prone to sidewall cracks than the XPS

I noticed on one of the older BornFree forums circa 2006 that the LTX's had some sidewall cracking issues but understand that the ride will be better on the XPS Ribs...

I put at least 1000 miles on my rig a month on major highways.... and live in hot CA. I don't care about cost difference...

Thanks once again
Angela

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:39 pm

Angela,

No, the Michelin XPS Rib tires will have a noticeable harsher ride due to the fact that this tire features steel cords in the sidewalls whereas the LTX M/S tires uses fabric cords in the sidewall construction.

Currently on the Tire Rack website, the LT225/75R16E Michelin LTX is priced at $198/each and the Michelin XPS Rib is priced at $292/each both with a $70 rebate on the purchase of 4 tires. The LTX M/S tire is what currently comes as standard equipment on Ford E350 and E450 Class-C chassis.

The XPS Rib is a really rugged tire but rides harsher and is quite a bit more expensive.

I am on my 2nd set of Firestone Transforce HT LT225/75R16E tires and the current Tire Rack price for those is $157/each.

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:10 pm

Thanks Bill - Typo on my part - I meant that the LTX's had a better ride, as you had mentioned...

Thanks a million -- I'll get the LTX's ordered and installed next week!

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:57 pm

I installed 4 Michelin LTX's on the rear of the coach. A noticeably smoother ride! Thanks for the recommendation!

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:23 pm

sutton wrote:I installed 4 Michelin LTX's on the rear of the coach. A noticeably smoother ride! Thanks for the recommendation!

And hopefully a trouble-free ride.

Bill

sutton · Post by **sutton** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:24 pm

Indeed !!