Michelin Side Wall Cracking XZA2 Energy

[505scott]

Life is short, we’re not getting any younger. Put on some new tires and get out there!

[CFXCH]

I have the same tires and they cracked just like your picture shows. I know of other Michelin tire owners with the same XZA2's and most are going to Toyo tires. Not only do they give the same ride but nearly at half the cost of Michelins and no sidewall cracks after 3 years.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by noserider

Thanks for all the comments guys. As for now I'm leaning toward not replacing at this time. I will monitor the cracks for any changes. I also ordered a tread gauge to measure the depth. Pictures can be deceiving. I'm not sure any of the cracks are large enough to get the tiny gauge's blade inside the crack. I'll report back on my findings. I still plan to have a dealer inspect for a warranty replacement to get some feedback. I can't explain why Michelin tires seem to crack more than others but it does seem to be the case. I'm not educated enough on tires to draw any conclusions as to why. I did review the blow out procedure just so it was fresh on my mind . Everyone who has not done that should. You don't need sidewall cracks to experience a blowout. It's counter intuitive to step on the gas and not the brake when your startled from the noise of a blowout, experience vibration and loss of control. At the very least I'm glad this thread had me review those procedures.

Did you get last years inspection so that the warranty was extended to the 6th year already? I was under the impression that the first inspection needed to be done before the 6th year started and if you missed it then the warranty was over.

What is the cost of dismounting the tires, inspecting them, putting them back on the rims and balancing them verses the value of the tires if they fail and they give you their prorated value? Will they cover any damage to the coach if the treads separate?

When viewing the pictures enlarged it does look like a bit of oxidation and dry rot has begun and the cracks appear to be raised in places appearing to extend all the way to the tread belt area but that is just an impression from a small picture and not a physical inspection of the tire.

Personally I would not trust them in the Deep South and would err on the side of caution and simply replace them since they are going to have to go through the same amount of labor to dismount and remount them as replacing them along with do the additional work of inspection so I would just put that money towards replacement instead of trying to squeeze a few more years out of them.

[2aktravelers]

Originally Posted by noserider

I spoke with the Michelin factory rep in SC on Friday. We had a good conversation. Seemed like a reasonable fellow and he understood where I was coming from. I also believe after speaking to him a warranty would most likely be approved if the cracks met their 2/32 criteria. His name is Cody by BTW. I'm posting that as a note to myself.

We had the same issue on our Winnebago Tour, only ours didn’t look quite as bad as yours. Michelin covered them under warranty but it’s pro rated based on tread wear and it does not cover costs of mounting and balancing. But still getting two brand new tires for around $400 and the peace of mind was worth it. Something to consider is those cracks open up when they are at the bottom under weight. Ours didn’t look too bad until under weight and then we could really see how deep they were.

[RM Art]

Can't help but wonder...???

What is the annual number of RV "on the road" blowouts?

Anyone have access to stats on this??

[falconview]

The travel trailer crowd's rule of thumb for the trailer and tow vehicle is 7-year max on tires. I have never worn out tires on either one. My tow vehicle isn't a daily driver so I'm always hitting 7 years on the tires.

[Larrikin]

Try Strouhal Tire, on 288 south of Houston. They were very good years ago when I lived in Galveston County. 8 Michelin 275's on an Allegro Bus.

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by edegenhart

I have a 2015 Newmar Baystar with a Ford F53 Chassis. The tires are 22.5 Michelin X and I had to replace the steer tires due to wear at 3 years 24k miles. I had uneven wear and was going to transfer them to the drive axle however the shop manager pointed out to me that the sidewalls had cracking in them and if the dismounted them and remounted them on the Rear that they would fail from the dismount and mounting process. I bought two new tires same brand and rating. I was unaware Michelin had a 7 year warranty. I just had my rear tires inspected and the sidewalls are all cracking at 5 years 30K miles. I'm going to call Michelin and see what they say.

Why would they need to be dismounted and then remounted? Just run the tires/rims to the rear, take one of the rears to the front.

[OlJB]

Have you checked the manufacture date of the Michelins? This may be the problem.

[pjb]

When I purchased my 2005 Fleetwood Providence in 2008, it had Goodyear tires. Maybe 7 years later, we were planning on heading out on a summer trip through the desert. The mechanic on our job site wanted to change my oil and filter, lube everything, do an inspection, etc. I said go ahead. He called me later on and wanted to show me something. What he showed me were the Goodyears had severe cracking on several of the tires. We checked the dates, and they were all 9-10 years old. I was shocked how crappy they were. He recommended that I replace the tires at a local truck repair, tire shop. When there, we discussed tires and the recommendation was Michelins. It was a good decision. I didn't realize how hard the Goodyears were. The overall ride improvement greatly. I have been very happy with them. Next spring, it will be time to replace them again and right now, I will say it will be Michelins again. Also, I think it's important to NOT use tire cleaner, tire black that has petroleum products in them.

[Bodean56]

Originally Posted by databack

Toyo does make tires that will work on your MH, but maybe it depends on your size needed. I have 295/75/22.5 on my MH all around. They are rated G with up to 110 lbs on my 40' Monaco Dynasty. They have been great.

These are the exact same tires/size I put on my MH over a year and a half ago and I couldn’t be more pleased with the ride. I too had the Michelin ZXA3+ 275/80R 22.5 that were put on by the previous owner in 2011 and they definitely had sidewall cracks I wasn’t comfortable enough driving with my family at stake. For me it was an easy call to make. $3,000 later I could breath a little easier as well as my co-pilot.

I searched this forum extensively for recommendations on what tire people purchased and if they were happy with them and found the vast majority had purchased Toyo’s and were more than pleased with theirs so how could I go
wrong.

[Going2town]

Several years ago I put Michelins on my Dodge Caravan, they cracked and weather check before the tread wore out. Decided then I was not a Michelin fan.

[RM Art]

Soon as I see "notable" [in other words easily discerned with my eye and no magnifier used] cracks in tire sidewall and/or in the recesses between the tread... I change the tires for brand new ones - no matter how old the cracked tires are.

The difference is between injured or dead persons. The difference is between many hundreds to thousands dollars damage due to tire failure - In Comparison to a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars for new tires!!!!!!!

Everyone - Please, Please Think Clearly On This Super Important Topic...

[Louie0913]

When tires sit they dry rot. They do that because there are no heat cycles to bring the oils in the rubber to the surface. Once they get like that the reliability of that tire is gone