Ride transformed

[thebishman]

Like many of you I have been unhappy with the ride charactertics of my '16 Denali on the 22" wheels with the Bridgestone tyres. I had taken to decreasing the psi from the 35 psi recommended to around 30 psi. This helped the compliance somewhat, but over low and medium speed irregularities, the ride was not acceptable. I never had a wheel imbalance btw, although the Bridgestones are very prone to flat-spotting when the truck is parked for just a couple of days.

I have 12K miles on the truck and yesterday I replaced the OEM tyres with Michelin Defenders in the OEM sizing. The difference is staggering IMHO. The low and medium speed compliance over road imperfections is so much better; tyre noise is decreased; handling is better, and since these are Mud and Snow rated tyres, I'm sure they will be far better in bad weather. I increased my psi back up to 33 psi cold btw, and I always get a full 'Road Force' balance using a Hunter machine.

GM needs to stop using the Bridgestones immediately and stop spending huge amounts of money on warranty concerns for poor ride characteristics with these vehicles. Even though the Michelins are no doubt more expensive than the Bridgestones, overall GM would save far more money by switching the OEM tyres on the truck.

We occasionally get a decent snow here in the Kansas City area, and I have a job where I need to be able to get to work, hence my choice of the Michelin Defenders. For those of you in areas that don't get really bad weather, the Michelin Latitude, whilst still being an all-season tyre, may be an even slightly better choice.

Bish

 

[DennisT]

This week my dealer installed a set of Michelin Premier LTX tires trying to correct my balance and ride issues. It has helped the balance but the ride is still rather harsh. You feel every blemish in the road including crosswalk lines.

 

[thebishman]

Are you on 20"s or 22"s?

 

[Ralph Varick]

Its not the tires but the V4

 

[cardude2000]

Its not the tires but the V4

How does V4 mode make road imperfections more pronounced on 22's vs 20's?


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[thebishman]

It is NOT the V8/V4 change that causes the poor road compliance. That's what I'm referring to. I don't suffer from 'buffeting/booming', just a crappy ride until I changed to the Michelins.
Bish

Its not the tires but the V4

 

[fiatdale]

The Michelin is a superior tire, but also at a superior price. Never had any issues with the Bridgestones and found the ride on 22s perfectly acceptable.

 

[Fifty]

Part of the problem is everyone crying about mpg and the number of miles they can get out of a set of tires.
Manufacturers put rock hard compound tires on these trucks. Anytime you see an "eco" tire, that means it rides like crap, stops like crap and turns like crap.

But it will get you that extra 2 mpg on the EPA mpg rating (it is after all estimated).

Changing the tire to a type of tire that fits your driving style or perceived driving style will cure a lot of the problems. Just if you put a stickier tire, or a more complacent sidewall tire, expect your mileage to suffer.

I'd rather have a safer ride than an eco tire.

 

[sickk23]

Part of the problem is everyone crying about mpg and the number of miles they can get out of a set of tires.
Manufacturers put rock hard compound tires on these trucks. Anytime you see an "eco" tire, that means it rides like crap, stops like crap and turns like crap.

But it will get you that extra 2 mpg on the EPA mpg rating (it is after all estimated).

Changing the tire to a type of tire that fits your driving style or perceived driving style will cure a lot of the problems. Just if you put a stickier tire, or a more complacent sidewall tire, expect your mileage to suffer.

I'd rather have a safer ride than an eco tire.

Well then we can all agree, thank you Obama and global warming freaks.


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[thebishman]

The change to ridiculously 'hard' tyres began years before President Obama took office, and even before people started paying attention to the effects of climate change. At this point, most owners would be pissed off that their tyres won't last for >60,000 miles, and they couldn't care less about the ride characteristics. Which is a huge shame.
Personally I want a tyre that handles well in all weather conditions, and one that gives me a 'comfortable' ride. If it only lasts around 25,000 then so be it.
Bish