ChrisCosta416
Well-known member
In the "Overlanding" world excess is the new normal. I am sure you have all seen your fair share of clean traction boards, molle panels, and amber fog lights at your local cars & coffee event! Under all those rigs are these massive all-terrain and mud-terrain tires with copious amounts of tire shine ready to hit the trails (or the local coffee shop)
Jokes aside, being in Southern California I often see 4wds with the latest all-terrain/mud-terrain tire in the (whats the) "biggest tire size" (they can fit without a lift). Hardly do I ever see rigs with big tires out on the trail (with the exception of jeeps). Now, I will say seeing a old school Land Cruiser with big all-terrains looks so cool and makes for great photos.
Over the recent years "Overlanding" or whatever you want to call has grown exponentially in the United States, what once was all about the journey has turned into who can bolt the most stuff onto a vehicle. Tires also continued to grow in size, more and more forum posts I see are asking "what's the largest tire I can fit without a lift"
I watched so many owners purchase brand new offroad trims of new 4wds and immediately take off the stock all-terrains that came with them and throw on big tires without proper gearing or even clearances. Sure they ride nice in the parking lot but on full compression you will be eating those fender wells. .
Ok I got that off my chest whew...
I wanted to talk about function over form and my opinions on why I think the Michelin Defender LTX is one of the best "all-terrain" tires out these for a majority of 4wd enthusiast/Overlanders...
Before I begin let me cite a few sources on why I have these opinions.
Sources/References
- My use (I have over 10k miles on the Defenders and have wheeled them in different terrain, I will touch on below.)
- https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/perfect-off-highway-tire-ltx-what.206567/ - (This is the thread that really turned me onto this)
- https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/400-000-miles.404359/ (Another great thread on real world use)
- Watch any Deadliest roads video from this channel - https://www.youtube.com/@FreeDocumentary
The Michelin Defender LTX
Pictured above is my 2011 LX570 and about a year ago I ditched my Falken Wildpeaks (due to them being way to heavy and generating too much road noise) and set out to find the lightest wheel and tire setup for my 200 series.
I came across the Michelin Defender LTX M/S which came in a tad under 54lbs a tire 285/70/17 (32.8 inches) (E load)
My first thought was "ew street tires" but then I remembered my friend ran these on his 2wd 3rd Gen 4Runner (whom at the time I said again "eww street tires", if you see this Tyler I apologize you had some damn nice tires).
He took that truck everywhere and never got stuck plus riding in the truck was a dream.
I then stumbled upon the links above and here we are today. I have logged about 10k miles on these tires and have taken them all over California in rain, snow, rocks, dirt, sand, and even some mud. They ride quiet, balance easily, wear slowly, and most importantly have tackled pretty much everything I have threw at them. From trails all over the Eastern Sierras to Anza Borrego these were slid against rocks, in deep soft sand, and driven on rain, ice, and snow. I have aired them down to as low as 12 PSI and never had an issue. When aired down they do burp occasionally. I should note I did gash the sidewall on Little John Bull in Big Bear, CA. The tire still held air though the cords were showing. I drove it back home and swapped in my spare. We do not know if I hit a steel fence post that feel or if it was a rock...
Sure they look plain and boring but the performance you get from them especially TO the trail is well worth it. I spend most of my time on the highway driving to and from work and driving to and from the destinations we all enjoy. I would assume most of us also spend lots of time on the highway which driving to the places we love to explore which is why I think these are the perfect all-terrain tires. With the amount of time we spend of the highway we should consider it a terrain as well.
These tires will get you to your destination smoothly and truly quietly and are also tough enough to hit the trails and get you back home. Now, I doubt these tires will do great in deep mud... but any tire sucks in mud, even mud-terrains. In my opinion these tires are perfect tire for what most of us use our vehicles for, Weekend trips with the occasional backcountry discovery route here and there.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying there is no place for a true all-terrain tire I am just saying choose the tire that suits what you do or plan to do. Do not simply go for the meanest largest all-terrain just because an IG influencer says so. Just bought a brand new 4wd? Use the tires that the mfg put on it and push the vehicle to its limits. See what you can do and want to do before going out and spendings a $$$ on new tires.
Obviously these Defenders are not for everyone, those who rock-crawl and hit deep mud bogs often will need an aggressive tire to suit their needs, but I think for the casual Overlander you will be pleasantly surprised by these tires.
TL;DR
The Michelin Defender LTX is a fantastic all terrain tire that performs well in most situations with the exceptions of deep mud and hardcore rock crawling. This tire will get you to your destination quietly and smoothly and is tough enough to take you back home. Do not underestimate it looks.
Pros
- Excellent tread wear and tread life
- Smooth and quiet on the highway and off-road
- Light
- Extremely durable for a "street tire"
Cons
- Limited sizing, best to be had in an 18 inch as it can go up to a 34 inch size
- High cost of entry compared to other tires, even all-terrains
- Does not look cool for your cars and coffee events
Here are some photos of others using these tires -
Jokes aside, being in Southern California I often see 4wds with the latest all-terrain/mud-terrain tire in the (whats the) "biggest tire size" (they can fit without a lift). Hardly do I ever see rigs with big tires out on the trail (with the exception of jeeps). Now, I will say seeing a old school Land Cruiser with big all-terrains looks so cool and makes for great photos.
Over the recent years "Overlanding" or whatever you want to call has grown exponentially in the United States, what once was all about the journey has turned into who can bolt the most stuff onto a vehicle. Tires also continued to grow in size, more and more forum posts I see are asking "what's the largest tire I can fit without a lift"
I watched so many owners purchase brand new offroad trims of new 4wds and immediately take off the stock all-terrains that came with them and throw on big tires without proper gearing or even clearances. Sure they ride nice in the parking lot but on full compression you will be eating those fender wells. .
Ok I got that off my chest whew...
I wanted to talk about function over form and my opinions on why I think the Michelin Defender LTX is one of the best "all-terrain" tires out these for a majority of 4wd enthusiast/Overlanders...
Before I begin let me cite a few sources on why I have these opinions.
Sources/References
- My use (I have over 10k miles on the Defenders and have wheeled them in different terrain, I will touch on below.)
- https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/perfect-off-highway-tire-ltx-what.206567/ - (This is the thread that really turned me onto this)
- https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/400-000-miles.404359/ (Another great thread on real world use)
- Watch any Deadliest roads video from this channel - https://www.youtube.com/@FreeDocumentary
The Michelin Defender LTX
Pictured above is my 2011 LX570 and about a year ago I ditched my Falken Wildpeaks (due to them being way to heavy and generating too much road noise) and set out to find the lightest wheel and tire setup for my 200 series.
I came across the Michelin Defender LTX M/S which came in a tad under 54lbs a tire 285/70/17 (32.8 inches) (E load)
My first thought was "ew street tires" but then I remembered my friend ran these on his 2wd 3rd Gen 4Runner (whom at the time I said again "eww street tires", if you see this Tyler I apologize you had some damn nice tires).
He took that truck everywhere and never got stuck plus riding in the truck was a dream.
I then stumbled upon the links above and here we are today. I have logged about 10k miles on these tires and have taken them all over California in rain, snow, rocks, dirt, sand, and even some mud. They ride quiet, balance easily, wear slowly, and most importantly have tackled pretty much everything I have threw at them. From trails all over the Eastern Sierras to Anza Borrego these were slid against rocks, in deep soft sand, and driven on rain, ice, and snow. I have aired them down to as low as 12 PSI and never had an issue. When aired down they do burp occasionally. I should note I did gash the sidewall on Little John Bull in Big Bear, CA. The tire still held air though the cords were showing. I drove it back home and swapped in my spare. We do not know if I hit a steel fence post that feel or if it was a rock...
Sure they look plain and boring but the performance you get from them especially TO the trail is well worth it. I spend most of my time on the highway driving to and from work and driving to and from the destinations we all enjoy. I would assume most of us also spend lots of time on the highway which driving to the places we love to explore which is why I think these are the perfect all-terrain tires. With the amount of time we spend of the highway we should consider it a terrain as well.
These tires will get you to your destination smoothly and truly quietly and are also tough enough to hit the trails and get you back home. Now, I doubt these tires will do great in deep mud... but any tire sucks in mud, even mud-terrains. In my opinion these tires are perfect tire for what most of us use our vehicles for, Weekend trips with the occasional backcountry discovery route here and there.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying there is no place for a true all-terrain tire I am just saying choose the tire that suits what you do or plan to do. Do not simply go for the meanest largest all-terrain just because an IG influencer says so. Just bought a brand new 4wd? Use the tires that the mfg put on it and push the vehicle to its limits. See what you can do and want to do before going out and spendings a $$$ on new tires.
Obviously these Defenders are not for everyone, those who rock-crawl and hit deep mud bogs often will need an aggressive tire to suit their needs, but I think for the casual Overlander you will be pleasantly surprised by these tires.
TL;DR
The Michelin Defender LTX is a fantastic all terrain tire that performs well in most situations with the exceptions of deep mud and hardcore rock crawling. This tire will get you to your destination quietly and smoothly and is tough enough to take you back home. Do not underestimate it looks.
Pros
- Excellent tread wear and tread life
- Smooth and quiet on the highway and off-road
- Light
- Extremely durable for a "street tire"
Cons
- Limited sizing, best to be had in an 18 inch as it can go up to a 34 inch size
- High cost of entry compared to other tires, even all-terrains
- Does not look cool for your cars and coffee events
Here are some photos of others using these tires -
