Pirelli AS plus 3 vs Michelin Defenders LTX M/S

[gooffeyguy]

Stock 8.5" 31mm wheels.

Any rubbing, or did you have to do some trimming to the plastic liners?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Any rubbing, or did you have to do some trimming to the plastic liners?

No rubbing. I did insert a couple of push pins along the bottom of the liners in the front on both sides, so that they were flat against that plastic honeycomb backing.

 

[rbromm]

How wide are your wheels, or are they the stock 8.5"

Not totally positive but believe they are wider. The tread width is 10” on the ground. The main issue is the aspect ratio of 45. Skinny sidewalls transmit every road imperfection plus curbs can easily damage the rims. Already had to repair one for scraping a curb. The larger sidewalls the stock 20” wheels afford a much smoother ride and also protect the rims better. My other car is a Corvette with 285/35R19 tires on it and it actually rides better than my Yukon.

 

[shekmark]

The one thing missing from this discussion that is highly relevant, is the wheel size. If you have larger wheels than stock or even the larger 22" wheels offered by GM, it will make a huge difference in balance and ride. Mine are 22" 285/45-22 GM wheels and the LTX tires are great, but betting the ride would be much better on the 20" wheels. I personally hate the large wheels with skinny sidewalls but mine came with them.

I also don’t like trucks with low profile tires. I get it, it’s a look, just not for me. 22 is not that bad and the Escalade V is one truck that they fit. My Z71 not so much. Very happy with my 20’s. My ride is really unbelievable. I think it is the best I’ve ever had and I have said before it is really close to my friends S class Benz.

 

[Delta33]

Update on my Pirelli. They are absolutely amazing. They needed a little breaking in , but I’ll get them again and again. The handling is significantly better , the ride is much more comfortable and the sound went silent. They do need a few hundred miles of breaking in tho. Highly recommend them

 

[NavyLCDR]

Thread necromancing a little bit here. I'm glad to see you love the Pirelli AS Plus 3. I just picked mine up from Walmart, date code 4722, so only 15 weeks old! Having them mounted on 20" GF-X TR-21 wheels in a few days. I hope I didn't make a mistake on the tires, I use my Yukon to pull my 26' travel trailer with.

 

[MrMonte]

Update on my Pirelli. They are absolutely amazing. They needed a little breaking in , but I’ll get them again and again. The handling is significantly better , the ride is much more comfortable and the sound went silent. They do need a few hundred miles of breaking in tho. Highly recommend them

How many miles has you put on your Pirelli? I thought the 1st 10k was great then they got noisy but that was several years ago so they might be better now.

 

[BADRIDES]

Defenders

 

[JayceeP]

Update on my Pirelli. They are absolutely amazing. They needed a little breaking in , but I’ll get them again and again. The handling is significantly better , the ride is much more comfortable and the sound went silent. They do need a few hundred miles of breaking in tho. Highly recommend them

Would love to hear how you’re making out with the Pirelli’s and if you still like them?

 

[MrMonte]

I ended up going with General Grabber UHP 305/45/22 and have over 3K miles on them. These are a summer tire but stick to the road even in snow. Much better ride than the factory tires as well.

 

[91RS]

Almost anything is better than a Bridgestone. I had the Dueler Alenza on my 08 for exactly 24 hours to see if I liked some used wheels I bought, and I literally thought the truck was going to roll over when I hit the interstate on ramp like I do every day on my Michelins. Absolute trash. They ride like crap, too. The Michelin is still the best (the new Defender LTX 2 is even better) but the Continental TerrainContact H/T or even the Pirellis (and I do not like Pirelli) would be a big upgrade over the stock Bridgestones.

 

[Stbentoak]

I'm within a few months of getting rid of these terrible Alenza's and still on the fence about Defenders or AS plus 3's. But either one would be a big improvement!

 

[Polo08816]

I'm within a few months of getting rid of these terrible Alenza's and still on the fence about Defenders or AS plus 3's. But either one would be a big improvement!

Defender LTX M/S2 if it's available in your size.

 

[JayceeP]

I'm within a few months of getting rid of these terrible Alenza's and still on the fence about Defenders or AS plus 3's. But either one would be a big improvement!

I’m kinda leaning toward the AS plus 3’s. I’m getting the 22” black OEM wheels put on my XL SLT…. Concerned the Defenders will ruin the look.

I also hear the Defenders can hurt fuel economy a bit… and also that the Pirelli AS plus 3’s ride great, they are quiet, and handle well. They’re also like $100 cheaper per tire (in Canada anyway).

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

I’m kinda leaning toward the AS plus 3’s. I’m getting the 22” black OEM wheels put on my XL SLT…. Concerned the Defenders will ruin the look.

I also hear the Defenders can hurt fuel economy a bit… and also that the Pirelli AS plus 3’s ride great, they are quiet, and handle well. They’re also like $100 cheaper per tire (in Canada anyway).

Can't say I've ever bought a black sidewall tire for the "look". Not like the stock Bridgestones are hot looking or anything.
What is wrong w/ the Defender "look?" (Not being critical of your thoughts, just curious why you have look concerns?)

 

[91RS]

I’m kinda leaning toward the AS plus 3’s. I’m getting the 22” black OEM wheels put on my XL SLT…. Concerned the Defenders will ruin the look.

I also hear the Defenders can hurt fuel economy a bit… and also that the Pirelli AS plus 3’s ride great, they are quiet, and handle well. They’re also like $100 cheaper per tire (in Canada anyway).

The new Defender looks very different from the old one.

 

[JayceeP]

Can't say I've ever bought a black sidewall tire for the "look". Not like the stock Bridgestones are hot looking or anything.
What is wrong w/ the Defender "look?" (Not being critical of your thoughts, just curious why you have look concerns?)

No all good. I was actually rocking the Defenders on my 4Runner Limited that I just traded in for the Yukon.

I’ve just seen some comments that the defenders look a bit truck like and maybe don’t suit the 22” wheel look. Having said that, I still haven’t been able to get a picture of what the defenders look like on the Yukon on 22” wheels or even the 20’s.

I think they’re an awesome tire overall.

 

[JayceeP]

The new Defender looks very different from the old one.

In general, or you mean the new Defender 2 tire?

 

[91RS]

In general, or you mean the new Defender 2 tire?

The Defender 2. I thought I had a picture of mine after I put the 2 on but I guess I don’t.

 

[JayceeP]

The Defender 2. I thought I had a picture of mine after I put the 2 on but I guess I don’t.

Would love to see what they look like on your truck if you get a chance to snap a pic.