Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > THE CHASSIS CLUB FORUMS > Ford Motorhome Chassis Forum
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-06-2023, 06:04 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
computerguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FT on the Road
Posts: 3,831
New tires, existing vibration, suggestions, Michelin/Toyo?

Some may recall my fiasco with the engine replacement on my F53 (here). It was replaced (AGAIN) at Gator Ford in Florida. This time it seems to have gone well (fingers crossed). I had it up for sale but timing was just wrong with the market going totally soft. So I am keeping it. A couple of questions.

Michelin tires (235/80/R22.5) are dated mid 2015. I've always had tire covers when anywhere for more than a few days. Also had 303 on them for a good portion of their life. I've looked at the sidewalls and I see zero damage. I think if I keep an eye on them they are good for at another year maybe more. I've read post after post that 7 years is the limit for tires. These have 36,000 miles on them and I lived in this full time, moving every few weeks since 2017. I also read somewhere Michelin says to replace after 10 years. What is the official recommendation from Michelin for replacement? Not looking for opinion just the real deal from Michelin.

If I decide to replace them I am considering Toyo for the price difference. I do have a discount plan for Michelin but there is still $150/tire savings switching to Toyo. Because of the suspension on the F53 I don't want to get an harsher of a ride by switching. Yes, I make sure I am at a proper pressure on the tires. I am wondering if anyone noticed a firmer ride after switch from Michelin to Toyo?

I've always had a sporadic vibration in the steering wheel. It's not there all the time though so is difficult to diagnosis. I did put Centramatics on the front and it has helped. Any thoughts on what to look at to fix this?

Finally, outside the price of the tires, what is the going rate for disposal, removal/install and balancing per tire? I called a couple local places and they are all over the place.
__________________
I don't subscribe to threads I reply to so will not see your reply to my comment. Drop me a direct message if you want a reply from me.
Cheers!
computerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 02-06-2023, 06:14 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,870
Quote:
Originally Posted by computerguy View Post
I've always had a sporadic vibration in the steering wheel. It's not there all the time though so is difficult to diagnosis. I did put Centramatics on the front and it has helped. Any thoughts on what to look at to fix this?

Check wheel RUN-OUT. And, if I recall correctly, there was some play between wheel and studs such that there was a kit to help center the wheel on the hub/studs. Those with more F53 experience can probably go into more detail.
__________________
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38FDDS. Ex: 1997 Safari Sahara. Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
wolfe10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2023, 11:32 AM   #3
RRR
Senior Member
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 2,741
There was a quite long thread about wheel runout here but it has been several years ago.

I chased what sounds like the same vibration, with same tires, around with Northside Ford in Portland, OR. Did two roadforce balance one at a Michelin dealer for $$ and the second at a Goodyear dealer and retread plant for free...go figure. Had them do alignment a few weeks later. Ford finally did a vibration analysis which pointed to drivetrain.

Ford finally washed their hands of the problem and told me if I could find a new one of same model they would look into it more. I never got a reply when I told them if they flew me to Reno I would drive the one there.

To this day I still think it is the tires and like you I watch them close for cracking and pull them annually to check. I have learned to live with the vibration, I just run under when it starts or over it.

As for centering the wheels I bought a SPF 32111 wheel centering tool on Amazon. Both the tire dealers used centering tools when the did the roadforce.
__________________
2016 Bounder 34T Anniversary Edition
RRR is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2023, 06:12 PM   #4
Community Moderator


 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,186
The $$$ damage done when a tire blows is not worth the money saved by stretching another year or two.

Damage is not always visible from the outside. Cuts or punctures in the tread can let in water which rusts the steel belts.

Michelin recommends having the tires dismounted and inspected every year past year 5. Dismount/remounting tires costs money also cutting into your potential savings.

Toyo tires have been excellent in my experience so far. I haven’t experienced any rougher ride than the Michelin’s (but that is so subjective, and hard to prove).

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_0181.jpg
Views:	37
Size:	197.1 KB
ID:	385925
pasdad1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2023, 08:01 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 7,297
Hey compiterguy!!! I did wonder if you were going to be able to sell your RV with this soft market??

Very pleased you finally got an engine that works. Lets just hope it gets you 200,000 miles or more. For sure you deserve that at least!!

We switched from the stock GY tires at 45,000 with the TOYO tires. We went to a Southern Tire Mart shop in Tulsa, OK and were very pleased. I watched two guys throw on at least 3 complete sets of tires on some semi's. I've always been impressed watching them work those tires on and off just using metal pry bars. It's amazing what a LEVER will do.

I stayed in the shop and watched the guys. I stayed out of their way but nobody asked me to leave the shop either. They did everything I asked them to do. That included just adding a small amount of weights to the front tires and allowing the Centramatics to do the final balancing. That worked out just fine.

The TOYO's cost about $1,500 less than GY's would have. That was 2 years ago so I'm sure the prices will be higher but so will all other decent quality tires. We also got 6 tires that were within 4 months of manufacturer build date. I asked them if we could get the 6 tires close to the same date and they said they could and would. I verified the dates after they got the RV into the shop.

On our 100 mile trip back home I did notice the TOYO's were softer riding. Much better than the GY tires.

When searching local places I was told by an RV truck shop the RV GY tires were $100 more expensive per tire because they had more UV resistant chemicals in the rubber mix. We keep our RV under roof when at home and most often are in shaded campgrounds when traveling. I didn't think the extra $600 was worth it.
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
TeJay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2023, 10:57 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
DFord's Avatar
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Near St Louis, MO
Posts: 578
I just bought 6 Kelly RSA 245/70R19.5 LR G, to replace my tires from 2014. I made sure the dealer (Purcell Tires) use a Hunter Road Force wheel balancer on the new tires. The Hunter machine will tell the installer if the wheel high spots and wheel are matched correctly to start with and will then test the surface of the tire for any high or hard spots to make sure the tire won't bounce down the road. I had the Centramatics already so I had them put back on to double down on a vibration free ride. Keep in mind that every time you stop, the beads in the Centramatic all drop to the low spot. You have to get up above 40-45 mph before they find their sweet spot again. By the time you get up to 50 or 60 mph, the ride should smooth out again and stay that way until you slow down again. The Kellys replaced the same size and LR Dunlop tires and give me a much better ride. Maybe because they're new or maybe because the sidewalls are more flexible but I'm happier now with the Kellys than I was with the Dunlops. Of course, there's no substitute for good highways and that's been a problem I haven't figured out how to fix. The Koni's helped too.
DFord is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 06:08 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,965
Michelin tires have a useful life of 10 years according to their website. However, they should be inspected to assure there is no excessive sidewall cracking. We changed out the Michelins on our 2013 Adventurer last year at the 10-year mark. The build date was 2012 so it was time to let them go. At the time of changeout they had over 55,000 miles on them and still had about 1/3 the original tread.

Here's a link to the Michelin RV tire brochure. Page 7 has a section about the expected service life of their RV tires.

https://www.michelinb2b.com/wps/b2bc...s_Brochure.pdf

Personally, I would stick with the Michelins even though they are more expensive. They are the only ones to my knowledge on the market that put in writing the fact that they will last 10 years with proper care. That's 3 years beyond what other manufacturers are recommending.

As an FYI we had different brands of tires on our previous motorhome. When we traded it off it had 110,000 miles on it and was on the 4th set of tires. That's less than 30,000 miles per set. None were damaged, they just wore out.
__________________
Hikerdogs
2013 Adventurer 32H
Hikerdogs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 06:52 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Houston TX.
Posts: 2,349
I had same sometimes vibration, shimmy in front end after installation of centramatic balancers. Got size they recommended and had weights removed during installation. In the end to fix I had wheels/ tire assembly rebalanced and my problem went away. Good luck


Enjoy the journey

Safe travels
__________________
Full timed in 2008 Newmar Essex. Currently part time in 2020 Entegra Esteem 29v tow Jeep Wrangler
Trapper2022 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 07:03 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
yeloduster's Avatar
 
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 2,131
Bridgestone/Firestone also states that tire life is 10 years. A statement very similar to the statement Michelin makes about tire life..
__________________
2003 34' Georgetown on W20 Workhorse Chassis. UltraRV power mods. Doug Thorley Headers and MagnaFlow 12589 mufflers. Front Sumo Springs, Rear P32 Sumo Springs, UltraRV Track Bar.
1998 Jeep Toad.
yeloduster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 08:34 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
computerguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FT on the Road
Posts: 3,831
Thanks for the replies. So if I go with Toyo, is this the correct replacement?
M-154 245/75R22.5 131L

My current tires are Michelin
XRV 235/80/R22.5
__________________
I don't subscribe to threads I reply to so will not see your reply to my comment. Drop me a direct message if you want a reply from me.
Cheers!
computerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 08:51 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
computerguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FT on the Road
Posts: 3,831
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeJay View Post
...
The TOYO's cost about $1,500 less than GY's would have. That was 2 years ago so I'm sure the prices will be higher but so will all other decent quality tires. We also got 6 tires that were within 4 months of manufacturer build date. I asked them if we could get the 6 tires close to the same date and they said they could and would. I verified the dates after they got the RV into the shop.
...
I am an Escapees member and they have a Michelin discount plan. Toyos are available on Amazon for $402 The difference in price is about $700 more for the Michelins. That is not the $1500 you mention but still significant. I'd have to go to a fleet dealer that deals directly with Michelin to get that price. The Toyos I can go pretty much anywhere and install prices vary ALOT from what I am seeing. I also want to go to a place that has the Hunter Road Force Elite to make sure the tires are balanced as best as can be and rule out any out of round issues.
__________________
I don't subscribe to threads I reply to so will not see your reply to my comment. Drop me a direct message if you want a reply from me.
Cheers!
computerguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2023, 10:34 AM   #12
US1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,805
Last summer I went with the Toyos in my 33'Bounder. They were a smoother ride over the Michelins I felt.
But I also read somewhere that as the tires age, they will become a little more stiffer giving a harder ride. Just what I read.
1st RV I paid $50 each for R&R and balancing for tires I supplied.
The Bounder I purchased the $100 tire tool and did the R&R myself and then installed Centramatics all 4 corners. Probably 3-4 min per tire to change out once off the RV, and no scratched rims from careless workers. Gave old tires away to farmer.
The new 36 Bounder will be getting Toyos this summer, also being changed over by yours truly.
US1 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2023, 08:39 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
AKIQPilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Alaska in Summer Snow Birds in Winter
Posts: 2,073
Quote:
Originally Posted by computerguy View Post
Thanks for the replies. So if I go with Toyo, is this the correct replacement?
M-154 245/75R22.5 131L

My current tires are Michelin
XRV 235/80/R22.5
Yes, that is the correct tire to replace the Michelin XRV's with. I replaced the Michelins on our Adventurer in 2017 with Toyo M-154's in 245/75R22.5. The Toyos ride way better than the Michelins. I used Dynamic balance beads and no wheel weights. I've added 5psi to one tire one time in 6 years. The Toyo M-154's are great tires.
__________________
Tom and Sherry W.
06 Winnebago Adventurer 38J Workhorse W24 Lots of motor and suspension mods in the works
02 Itasca Suncruiser 35U. Workhorse W22 w/Safe-T-Plus, Koni FSDs, UltraTrac, etc, etc.
AKIQPilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2023, 12:18 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
bruce91's Avatar


 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Port Orange, Fl
Posts: 884
Quote:
Originally Posted by computerguy View Post
Thanks for the replies. So if I go with Toyo, is this the correct replacement?
M-154 245/75R22.5 131L

My current tires are Michelin
XRV 235/80/R22.5
I had the exact michelin tires on my coach, XRV 235/80/R22.5 5 1/2 years old. I was at a campground for a week in 2021 when after 3 days sitting still...... BOOM the right front tire exploded. It was on the wall between the rim and tread so no accidental side damage. Scared the bejesus out of us. I got the coach from someone who had a barn and i always covered them and used 303. I bought the toyo 154 245/80/r22.5 which was the correct replacement for the michelins. I bought them thru motorhometires.com a supporter on this site. They came to my storage yard and installed all 6 in about 2hrs. Very profesional and prompt. I had centramatrics so wasn't concerned about balance. I would use them again in a heart beat.

As for the ride difference my perceived impression was they rode bit smoother.
__________________
Bruce Hotaling, Lori Jones
2009 Thor Magellan 36R 37' F53 w/5 star tune
Toad 2010 Ford Ranger and 2012 Ford Fusion hybrid
bruce91 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
michelin, tire, tires, vibration



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Toyo Tires to Michelin XZE Tires Travel8 MH-General Discussions & Problems 13 07-13-2016 06:52 AM
Tires - Michelin/Toyo/Bridgestone tomclayton1 Workhorse and Chevrolet Chassis Motorhome Forum 9 05-21-2015 09:36 PM
Michelin VS Toyo Tires dicktater Workhorse and Chevrolet Chassis Motorhome Forum 32 11-06-2014 10:11 PM
TOYO verses Michelin steer tires Mr.Cleane Class A Motorhome Discussions 42 03-28-2013 06:29 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:19 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.