Michelin X-one for Mercedes Diesel - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rsl007 · #1 07-18-2002, 07:11 PM

I have a 1998 Mercedes Diesel which comes with 215/55-16 tires.
I like the Michelin X-one but the closest size match is a 215/60TR-16. Can this tire be used on my car?
Thank you....Richard

#2 07-19-2002, 06:44 AM

I really don't think you would be happy with a taller profile tire on this car.

I had a '96 version of your car and had great luck with the Continental CH95. Continental is one of the few tires I will buy besides a Michelin. They are constructed with the same mold type as Michelin, take minimal balance weight and have minimal road force variation (stiff spots) like a Michelin.

The closest thing you will find to the X One for your size is the XGT 4. The X One is meant as a long life passenger car tire for non aggressive drivers, it has more flexible sidewalls which makes it handle with less precision.

I am a real "believer" in Michelin tires, but they have become much more expensive than past years and there are others who have finally started constructing tires with similar methods.

Whatever tire you decide to put on this car, BE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY DYNAMICALLY BALANCED. It is very common for the kids at the tire stores to set their balancer in "static" mode and use weights ONLY on the inboard lip to prevent scratching the outside of the wheel. Don't settle for anything less than the weights being on the inboard AND outboard planes of the wheel and the machine being set for dynamic balance. If you let them have their way you will be guaranteed a vibration problem.

My $0.02,

#3 07-19-2002, 03:23 PM

Dear larry:
Thank you for your prompt and informative answer.
I think I will go with the OE 215/55-16 Michelin MXV4 plus... it now has a treadware rating of 400 now and Costco sells them for $136 complete. Any last suggestions?
Thank you,
Richard

#4 07-19-2002, 04:40 PM

Yes, as if I've never said it before, MAKE SURE THEY ARE DYNAMICALLY BALANCED WITH WEIGHTS INBOARD AND OUTBOARD.

Have a great day,

blackmercedes · #5 07-19-2002, 09:27 PM

I personally wouldn't put anything less than an H-rated tire on that turbo. Even if you don't want to go fast, the dynamics of the car are designed to use a performance tire...

oldfrt46 · #6 07-19-2002, 09:47 PM

I think you will be really happy with the MXV4-plus. I've been making Michelin tires for 26 years and I can tell you these guys are nuts!! I've personally seen them scrap a thousand tires for the POSSIBILITY of a defect. And many hundreds for a cosmetic defect. I'm not beating my own drum here. I run a production line with the capability to kick out an incredible number of tires a day. The company's commitment to quality has been an incredible pain many times over the years. I'm not implying I don't take my job or the safety of others seriously. The fact that someone could die because I didn't do my job correctly is a constant worry. But some of the stuff is redundant and unnecessary.
Anyway, I've ran the MXV 4 several times and, in my opinon, beats the tar out of anything Goodyear makes. Every time I buy a car I can't wait until the OE tire wears out (which usually isn't long) so I can replace it with a superior tire.The X-one you mentioned is 21.5 millimeters taller than your OE tire which is about 3/4 of inch. Won't afffect you a whole lot.Might hinder off the line performance a touch. Get a small gas mileage increase. Throw your speedometer off a touch. But overall the MXV 4s are a much better idea.My 2 cents.

rsl007 · #7 07-21-2002, 06:54 AM

MXV4 plus is on the Diesel! Thanks all for the interest.
rsl007

#8 07-21-2002, 09:58 AM

oldfrt46,

You work for an incredibly impressive company. I have too many Michelin company stories to tell here.

My favorite is the fact that when I visit the Michelin Engineering facility in Claremond Ferand, France, they take my passport away from me at the guard station and give it back to me only when I return my visitor badge.

They ask lots of questions about our software but they NEVER show us the applications that they have developed with it. Their secrecy and the quality fanaticism you describe is what provides their consumers with an ABSOLUTELY SUPERIOR product.

The ONLY problem with Michelin tires has become their pricing scale has inched higher and higher relative to other manufacturers products. Up until about 8 years ago, I would occasionally try another brand one time, then go back to Michelins for a long time. I have finally come to a point where I do buy Continentals and Michelins. This is because the tires I use now are usually speed rated tires which don't last long regardless of brand.

In the days of running 75 series tires, Michelins ABSOLUTELY could not be beat in any way. I once got 90,000 miles out of a set of 195/75/14's on a 240D. These were 95% highway miles and I was willing to run them very thin. In spite of that, the tires still ran to top speed with NO VIBRATION whatsoever.

Keep up the good work,

rsl007 · #9 07-22-2002, 05:37 AM

Dear Larry:
The posted tire pressure for my MXV4s' is 27 front and rear for normal car weight. What is the optimal pressure for best handling and longevity? I thought is was 32psi all around. What is your opinion?
Richard

#10 07-22-2002, 08:00 AM

The tire pressure posted inside the fuel tank door is the MINIMUM pressure.

I run 35 rear and 32 front on all my MB's. I have had good luck with this. If you run too little, particularly in the right rear, the tire will wear in the middle. When pressure is too low the sidewalls carry more weight causing the middle to flex up, as the tire rolls this flex causes the tire to scrub in the middle, thus wearing the tire in the middle. This is against conventional wisdom. There is hold over of theory from the bias ply days. With those tires, wear in the middle indicated excessive pressure. This holds true with radials but only if the pressure EXTREMELY excessive, like 50PSI or something.

Good luck,

oldfrt46 · #11 07-22-2002, 05:18 PM

Larry, thanks for the kind words. The truth is we know our tires are expensive. We have been slashing, cutting, re-thinking, and trying all kinds of ways to reduce costs while at the same time striving to maintain or IMPROVE our quality. Cost is a painful struggle every single day. We've made incredible strides in the last few years. But, just like our quality initiative, cost is something we can never afford to ignore.
All of this is going on at the same time as our R & D process steamrollers on. This company absolutely will not stop trying to improve and innovate and be the leader of new technology. When I went to work there 26 years ago my idea of making a tire was pretty simple. Boy was I wrong. There is almost as much science in building a tire as there is in building the car it supports!! The sad truth is, for most people, tires are a necessary evil. They really hate having to buy them, especially the expensive ones. They don't think twice about buying an expensive car but get pissed when they have to put tires on it. Are you old enough to know what the average price of michelins was 20 yrs ago? About $100 bucks each. Compare that to the price of a car 20 yrs ago and look at how much each averages now and you'll notice something interesting.
Another point I'd like to make is that most people don't care for their tires after they've bought them. They will go to incredible lengths to wash, wax,change oil, tune up and baby their ride. But how often do they check tire pressure and rotate them? Honestly, tires are the red-headed step child of the modern automobile. One of the reasons I joined and enjoy mercedes forum is the fact that you guys are true enthusiasts who know and ENJOY taking care of EVERY aspect of your cars.It's obvious you guys want to make informed decisions on every detail of your pride and joy. If you don't know, then you'll ask. To me, that is great and I have a lot of respect for the guys on this forum. I'll stop ranting now.YOU guys keep up the good work.

#12 07-22-2002, 07:51 PM

oldfrt46,

I have been saying for a long time that tires are the opposite of fuel. Gasoline has quadrupled in cost while decreasing in quality. In the sixties, regular was almost 100 octane!

Tires are more expensive than they were in the sixties, but they are probably ten times better in every way, they grip better, roll easier, last longer and don't puncture as easily.

You are definitely right about maintenance. It absolutely amazes me how many cars I see on the road with a tire that is obviously low on air. I have been guilty of letting a few get away from me over the years. I used to check air pressure monthly because I read that somewhere many years ago. I have changed that to weekly. I don't always get it done, but I try.

Of these vastly improved tires, Michelin clearly leads the pack in quality. I believe, however, that there are a few others who have improved along the way as well. My current stint with Continentals has so far been successful and economically feasible. When the time comes that the Continentals fail me, I will go back to Michelins again.

If I only drove the average 13,000 miles per year, I would not even think about doing it on anything but Michelins. I, however, drive about 60,000 per year, and my wife and daughter about 30,000 each. This represents lots of dollars for tires. Since almost all these miles are highway miles, the Conty's are doing this for me for less money.

I hope you are not offended by my choice. My thinking is certainly subject to change, but at this point Michelins are like Snap On Tools. They are CLEARLY the best that can be bought for any price, but I just can't afford the price.

Keep up the great work,

oldfrt46 · #13 07-22-2002, 10:09 PM

Larry, no offense at all. I was just wondering how you had time to enjoy yourself and any hobbies logging so many miles!! Do you enjoy driving or does the mercedes just make it much more bearable?

Ken300D · #14 07-22-2002, 10:27 PM

Does anyone happen to know the Michelin brand name for the tire that Sears sells as Michelin "WeatherWise"? Even the Michelin USA web site says "Only available at Sears".

Is this essentially the MX4 RainForce?

Ken300D

stephenson · #15 07-22-2002, 10:51 PM

What does this mean?

"I personally wouldn't put anything less than an H-rated tire on that turbo. Even if you don't want to go fast, the dynamics of the car are designed to use a performance tire..."

What are "dynamics of the car?"

Dynamics of my 350SDL are not, well, SLOW. While I could cruise 90 MPH for some time, it is simply not a performance car ... why would H rubber be useful?

Not trying to be picky, just wondering if I missed something?