Most Michelin tires I have seen tend to be designs focused on long tread life being a very high priority. As tires are compromises in many ways the long tread life makes for other short comings. Wet traction and tire noise are some of the compromises. Otherwise with the long tread life and resulting stiff compounds the tires last long enough to fail in other ways.  

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Don Hanson
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 9:43 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: tiresla

Sets of Michelin tires I have encountered in the past few years have all had some problem, despite appearing OK and having decent tread left..
I've found tread separations, bulges, sidewall splitting and checking on
almost every set of Michelins that have come my way..   I've been given
multiple stock steel 14" wheels with Michelins and found them on used
vehicles,  almost always with some dangerous condition.   In my experience,
they suck. (a scientific term)...

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 10:03 PM, Jeff <vw.doka@gmail.com> wrote:

> Yeah… I left out the part about someone selling them as a wheel/tire 
> package for the Vanagon.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Loren Busch [mailto:starwagen@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2015 8:39 PM
> To: Jeff Schwaia
> Cc: Vanagon
> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] tiresla
>
>
>
> ​ Jeff, the problem with sidewall cracking on the Defenders may be 
> from either of two causes.  First, under inflation.  But if I recall 
> the Defender is NOT rated for the load of a Vanagon, the same problem 
> that occurred when people were putting on he Michelin Hydroedge tires.
>