Hi all,
The Michelins are wearing out. A few mm (ok maybe 1mm!) left but anyway, they're past their best.
I have a quandry. I have a downer on 'make' tyres. Not that I buy lilong etc but Khumo, Federal etc are fine for me. On the merc I get the same grip, mileage etc from my £70 Federals that I got from £150 Continentals and Bridgestones. I originally bought the federals as an experiment that I fully expected to fail. So I was as surprised as anyone when they matched the big brand performance.
But thats the merc, not the FL2.
I know that "factory fit" has way more to do with marketing and backroom deals than it has to do with suitability so I'm not swayed by what the factory 'approves'.
On our previous Jeep, we ran on Goodyear Wranglers but I never got more than 12 months from a set. I was always in the garage changing tyres. This, on a car that did 5-6k pa!
The Michelins that came with the fl2 on the otherhand I assume are original and the car has done over 20k. Michelins are known for longevity so it makes some sense, but they are also £150 each, compared to say Toyos which run at £90. Thats £240 per set difference and according to tyretest.com, they both get similar reviews - in grip as well as life.
What's your experience? Is it really worth paying over £600 for a set of Michelins or are fl2's simply lighter on their tyres than Jeep Cherokees? Anyone running more reasonably priced tyres and what's your experience? 07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!

I can recommend Pirelli Scorpion Zero for summer driving and Michelin Latitude X-ice for winter driving

However before you make your final decision, pay a visit to your tyre dealer and ask to see a (cut) cross section of a Michelin tyre compared to a cheap brand. I was shown this on my last visit and also explained what can happen if you “curb front on” (similar to the effect when off roading) with the cheaper brand. I was amazed and convinced by the explanation . At the time I was not buying just getting my winter wheels fitted so they were not tying to sell me anything either . 2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

My original Wranglers still have life left at 48k miles (all +4mm), so originals can be OK.

But I too am sceptical that a brand name always implies a level of performance.

Not sure that too many folks have replaced yet, so maybe your choice will be of interest to others in future.

I won't get a choice in my replacements, that decision will be taken by the accountants in the fleet office  Stornoway Grey GS ... What a fine motor ... but not any more ... ... psst look at my gallery!
Company cars ... a thing of the past - May 2013.

avtur wrote:

My original Wranglers still have life left at 48k miles (all +4mm), so originals can be OK.

But I too am sceptical that a brand name always implies a level of performance.

Not sure that too many folks have replaced yet, so maybe your choice will be of interest to others in future.

I won't get a choice in my replacements, that decision will be taken by the accountants in the fleet office

Ah so your'e looking forward to getting some remoulds then.

I'm almost certain that I'm going with the cooper discovery ATR tyre when I need to change mine in a month or 2 ( I want to get them before winter, but I recon I can antoher 2 months from the current ones, decisions decisions ). Anyway, These are slight offroad, about 40% off to 60% on rated, but I think they should work well, and give mileage, I will post when I've done it.

Rich

I have trawled back to the start of this section of the forum and cannot find info on tyre wear, so apologies if this has been covered before, somewhere else.

I am on 27,000+ mls. and the rear tyres have no more than 2mm tread left. (Am replacing on Monday)
They are std 17" Wranglers. The fronts are both fine with at least 5-6mm.

I would have thought that with the weight of the engine, most of the driving power and steering on the fronts, they would have worn out first?
Don't think that the stealers swopped front to rear at the 15k service.

With Avtur on 48k and 4mm I am feeling a bit concerned that Mrs Dougden is using it as a breeze block delivery truck behind my back

Any thoughts would be appreciated  FL2 TD4 XS Santorini

Sometimes it's how you drive that can affect tyre wear

In the service it says to swap wheels to opposite sides of the axle unless they are uni-directional meaning they can only drive in one direction 07my Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Baltic Blue,Privacy Glass,Ebony black leather,Land rover detachable towbar,S/S Side bars,Climair wind deflectors,Bramble Rash,

my mad mother scrubbed the fronts tyres off her yaris in 4000 miles  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

snappa wrote:

Sometimes it's how you drive that can affect tyre wear

Thanks Snappa, really useful feedback - I must stop lighting up those rear tyres on the drag runs I do through the Blackwall tunnel every day
I wonder if anyone with a TD4 has actually managed to wheelspin away from a standstill - I certainly haven't although I am sure my son will have tried

Mine is on a 3 year personal lease, but I treat it with care and respect because I intend to make an offer to buy it off the leasing company at the end of it's term.

Not sure why I posted really as I don't pay for the tyres anyway, but it's nice to share.......... FL2 TD4 XS Santorini

Quote:

I certainly haven't although I am sure my son will have tried Rolling Eyes

Aha detective snappa spots evidence

I wasn't suggesting you did wheelspins etc but sometimes different people driving the same car can cause more or less tyre wear.
It's also the cornering/braking etc.

It's the only way you can explain it, otherwise we would all get exactly the same mileage from tyres off similar cars unless there was a geometry/suspension problem.

Now to see if I can break the quarter mile record in me TD4

avtur wrote:

My original Wranglers still have life left at 48k miles (all +4mm), so originals can be OK.

But I too am sceptical that a brand name always implies a level of performance.

Not sure that too many folks have replaced yet, so maybe your choice will be of interest to others in future.

I won't get a choice in my replacements, that decision will be taken by the accountants in the fleet office

48k?
That is very impressive. I take it your fl2 spends most of its life on the motorway? Sadly ours is a local shopping trolley cum horsebox lugger so I reckon 20k is pretty good going. I'm particularly surprised at the wranglers. I had these on the jeep and the most regular memory of that car was of replacing tyres. As I said above, a set lasted me around 1 year if I was lucky.

But, from what I am getting from you guys, whilst Michelin is indeed a well made tyre, it isn't staggeringly any longer living than the wranglers on the fl2.
So I'll throw it open.
99% supermarket driving, a bit of towing (<1k per year) and a 1k on the motorway per year. I don't want to break the bank ideally but I want it to run as quietly as it does now (seems quieter than the merc at 70), handle well but still grip ok on the odd off road excusion which is more likely to be across a muddy field at a horse trial than than crossing some flooded ravine . So basically a road tyre.
What would you go for? 07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!

20,000 miles on Continentals, > 10,000 miles towing a 1.5 ton caravan. Front tyres are +5mm and rears are +4mm

Just coming up for 20k miles on original 17" Continentals - just under 4mm on the fronts and about 6mm on the back.



Grumpy Grumpy

Sorry folks .... 51,500 miles and counting on the orignal Wranglers

(Oh and ... last tankful 590 miles on 67 litres .... ) Stornoway Grey GS ... What a fine motor ... but not any more ... ... psst look at my gallery!
Company cars ... a thing of the past - May 2013.