New Agilis tires installed first drive

[booster]

Like many others, we really liked our Michelin LTX MS2 (predecessor to the similar Defender), but they had aged out and so needed replacement. This is on our 07 Roadtrek C190P that has a spring lift and essentially all the handling improvements we have discussed on this forum for the Chevies so it drives very well and the tires were certainly a part of that, IMO.



We were hesitant on the Agilis as they were touted as a more robust and stronger sidewall tire for the most part and seemed focused on heavy tradesman vans. Concerns of ride quality were the top one for us with noise next.


We have upsized tires to 265-75-16 so were were tied in to the Cross Climate M&S version because the LTX highway version of the Agilis appears to only be in 245-75-16 size.



We took a ride yesterday of about 100 miles of mixed 2 lane, 4 lane, some curvy but not like in the mountains, in 75* weather with 10-15mph winds. The van was light with no stuff or water. The tire pressures were set to 61/75 which is one psi lower than our norm would be but it was cooler by a bit in garage where I set them.


All in all we were pretty impressed to this point based on the drive. Didn't appear to be any harsher ride, and we did get on some fairly rough roads, maybe a bit more slap on expansion strips but that might be because they are new so not certain. Handled very well in corners and held turns well. Center tracking about the same as the old tires with that new tire feel that has already started to go away. Not noisy with the slightly more aggressive all season tread pattern.


We went varied speeds up to 70+mph and the tire pressures went up 5psi in the front and 7psi in the rear which is also about what the MS2s ran at. This would indicate very similar tire temps front and rear which is also the same and quite low increase in temp.


We will know more later on in the summer as we have a moderate trip coming up that will be probably close to 2K miles in some hot, some hilly, some curving, some gravel and certainly windy. The guess is that they will do just fine.

[rowiebowie]

Chaulk up another good review for the Agilis.

I got one of the last sets of the older load range E Defenders LTX MS2's back in May '19, so I hope to not try the Agilis for several more years. Since they ride and handle the same as the previous Firestone Transforce's (which I replaced a 3 yrs. due to sidewall cracking), and the Agilis ride like the Defenders, it makes me think maybe the Chevy Express is forgiving of whatever tires it rides on.

I'd be curious if you notice any change is MPG. When I went to the Defenders, I noticed an immediate 1 MPG decline that has persisted. I made no other repairs or modifications, same air pressures, same fuel, and driving habits.

[booster]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Chaulk up another good review for the Agilis.

I got one of the last sets of the older load range E Defenders LTX MS2's back in May '19, so I hope to not try the Agilis for several more years. Since they ride and handle the same as the previous Firestone Transforce's (which I replaced a 3 yrs. due to sidewall cracking), and the Agilis ride like the Defenders, it makes me think maybe the Chevy Express is forgiving of whatever tires it rides on.

I'd be curious if you notice any change is MPG. When I went to the Defenders, I noticed an immediate 1 MPG decline that has persisted. I made no other repairs or modifications, same air pressures, same fuel, and driving habits.

I do think the Chevies are more tolerant of tires than the Fords and Dodges, maybe Sprinters. Can't say on Promasters. We did notice a quite large difference in ride quality when we switched from the OEM Bridgestone V-steels plus a bit better tracking, but we also had a size and wheel offset change at the same time so not certain if it was all tires. I forgot to check the mileage on the Scangauge but it should still be there I think if I do it today.

[DaveWA]

Originally Posted by booster

Like many others, we really liked our Michelin LTX MS2 (predecessor to the similar Defender), but they had aged out and so needed replacement. This is on our 07 Roadtrek C190P that has a spring lift and essentially all the handling improvements we have discussed on this forum for the Chevies so it drives very well and the tires were certainly a part of that, IMO.



We were hesitant on the Agilis as they were touted as a more robust and stronger sidewall tire for the most part and seemed focused on heavy tradesman vans. Concerns of ride quality were the top one for us with noise next.


We have upsized tires to 265-75-16 so were were tied in to the Cross Climate M&S version because the LTX highway version of the Agilis appears to only be in 245-75-16 size.



We took a ride yesterday of about 100 miles of mixed 2 lane, 4 lane, some curvy but not like in the mountains, in 75* weather with 10-15mph winds. The van was light with no stuff or water. The tire pressures were set to 61/75 which is one psi lower than our norm would be but it was cooler by a bit in garage where I set them.


All in all we were pretty impressed to this point based on the drive. Didn't appear to be any harsher ride, and we did get on some fairly rough roads, maybe a bit more slap on expansion strips but that might be because they are new so not certain. Handled very well in corners and held turns well. Center tracking about the same as the old tires with that new tire feel that has already started to go away. Not noisy with the slightly more aggressive all season tread pattern.


We went varied speeds up to 70+mph and the tire pressures went up 5psi in the front and 7psi in the rear which is also about what the MS2s ran at. This would indicate very similar tire temps front and rear which is also the same and quite low increase in temp.


We will know more later on in the summer as we have a moderate trip coming up that will be probably close to 2K miles in some hot, some hilly, some curving, some gravel and certainly windy. The guess is that they will do just fine.

We bought our 2014 LTV Free Spirit / MB Sprinter 2500 in August 2021. It came with the original Continental VancoFourSeason LT 215/85 R 16. After doing a bunch of research, including reading user and objective reviews on Tirerack.com, I bought Michelin Agilis CrossClimate LT 215/85 R 16 tires to replace the Continentals. While I really liked how the Continentals rode and handled, they were extremely noisy. Reading reviews and evaluations on Tirerack.com, other users of the Continentals concurred about the road noise. I chose the Michelins primarily because very low road noise performance noted in the reviews on Tirerack. I was shocked and very pleased with the huge reduction in road noise when we installed the Michelins! It was like a different van. Handling is very good and ride is smooth. The only issued that I have had is getting the front tires balanced. All is good until about 70 mph and then the steering wheel vibrates a bit and the handling is light. I had the installer rebalance the tires and it was much better, but still present. I will be moving to Counteract balancing beads in the front tires to see if this resolves the issue. I don't believe this to be a tire problem, but just a balancing issue.

[mkguitar]

the paint dots on a new tire are there to help the installer balance with the fewest weights possible


they may mark the lightest point on a tire - in which case put 180º from the valve stem ( which now often has a sensor too)




on my 60's cadillacs, the shop manual has the brake drum removed and installed on the wheels and tire- all balanced as an assembly- the shop manual goes on to instruct the tech how to get best balance with as few weights as possible. it's lengthy but describes best practices







on recent installs at discount tire - the 72 Eldo tires were mounted randomly on the wheels and a huge number of weights were applied...which were knocked off by the calipers as the car was backed out- the eldo has close clearances on the inside



a redo which took them a couple of hours to figure out.


on my van the techs did it right on 3 and required a redo on my rt front


I am happy with the agilis


mike


https://hollisbrothersauto.com/are-y...hey-should-be/

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

the paint dots on a new tire are there to help the installer balance with the fewest weights possible

That's what I once heard. But I never met a tire installer who had the slightest idea when I mentioned it to them.

So I gave up mentioning it.

[DaveWA]

Front tire balance problem solved. I removed the wheel weights that Discount Tire installed when they balanced the new tires and installed 4 oz of Counteract beads in each tire (the recommended amount per Counteract's application chart). I found that there was still a bit of a shake at 65 to 70 mph. I called Counteract's support line and discussed this with them. They said to up it to 6 oz per tire and if that does not do it, add another oz.. They did caution me to not add much more than that as if there is too much bead weight, the tire can move from an unbalanced vibration to a "bounce" situation. I added 2 oz of beads in each tire and took it for a test run. Very smooth to 80 mph.

I did notice that I would get some vibration initially as I get to highway speeds while the beads are positioning themselves. When I came to a stop and then started another highway speed run, the same would occur. There was no noticeable unbalanced effect when driving at slow speeds.

[GroupB]

Tire manufacturers recommend the correct positioning of the red and yellow dots with respect to certain “landmarks” on both steel and alloy wheels. These dots can be used to mount tires for optimum initial balance and minimum ride disturbance – where the dots go depends on which dots – and which wheels you have.
First, if the tire has a red dot, the yellow dot is ignored! The red dot is then lined up with either the “low point dimple” (on steel wheels) or next to the valve stem on alloy wheels. Regardless of the type of wheel, if there is no red dot, the yellow dot is positioned next to the valve stem.
Why do the tire dots go where they do?
Simply put – the tire is a bit lighter in the area where the yellow dot is located, and a bit thicker where the red dot is located. On an alloy wheel, the valve stem marks the heavy point of the wheel. By matching the light point of the tire with the heavy point of the wheel it’s likely to give the best initial balance.

On a steel wheel the low point dimple marks the thinner part of the wheel – so it makes sense to match the red dot to the wheel dimple.
Abiding by these guidelines results in a precise – uniform placing and usage of wheel weights when balancing your vehicle’s tires.

[W9TR]

Another Agilis success story.

Removed the OEM Nexen Roadian LT 225/75R16 115/112 from my RAM Promaster 3500 @8000 miles and switched to the Michelin Agilis Euro 225/75R16C 121/120R.

Quieter, less roll, a definite upgrade.

[booster]

One last update on our new Agilis tires.


We just got back from a near 3 week trip to Custer State Park, SD from the Minneapolis area. 1650ish miles with about 1200 miles of 4 lane and freeway and the rest on the very winding and hilly Black Hills roads.


On the freeways and highways they are very similar to the MS2s we had and handled very well. Winds were high for much of the trip from various angles and up to 30+ mph. We never felt uncomfortable driving whatever speed we wanted from 55-75mph.


In the twisties, with curves that are no more than 20-40 mph range, often off camber and up or downhill, we did see one thing different from the MS2s. When pushed fairly hard through the corner, the Agilis appeared to be noticeably better at holding the front without the feel of it starting to lose traction. It just continued turning well and responsively with no drama, and I was not gentle on it in trying it.


Hard to tell if mileage changed as we always drive various speeds and in weird winds, but got 14.4 mpg overall, which is very similar to past trips. We know that the hills driving in third or second gear sucks gas, as does the 72-75 mph freeway driving, so overall not surprised at all.


Tire temps were very good, checking with the IR gun. On a 93* day at 65-70mph the front and rear tires were all at 110-120*F with little difference front to rear.


No disappointment with Agilis for us.

[W9TR]

We’re about 8000 miles in on our Agilis tires. Great upgrade, very satisfied.

[rowiebowie]

The Agilis line had just come out when I last needed tires. No reviews yet, so I got one of the last sets of discontinued Defenders. Two years later I'm satisfied with ride, handling, tread life. But will definitly replace with Agiiis based on all the favorable reviews in this forum and on line.

[Davydd]

New 2500 144 wb Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that was delivered with steel wheels, stock tires and A50 front axle reinforcement. Having two dually Sprinters for 11 years I have no reference other than the stock Vanco Four Season and upgrading to Michelin Defenders both times with a noticeable improvement after about 40,000 miles.

Tires and wheels were upgraded off the bat with the Michelin Agilis on Black Rhino rotary forged aluminum wheels. Also upgraded shocks, all metal valve stems, Sumo springs and two inch MB lifts. I didn't get ARV's VB air suspension this time. That I think was primarily for taking out the bounce when riding on back sofas. I couldn't afford the extra weight in my build anyway. I don't miss VB as it didn't take out the effect of going over railroad tracks with the front end.

The van drives like a dream. What effect the tires contributed I don't know. It has to contribute but it is like driving a car instead of a truck difference with the combination of all the factors.

[W9TR]

I just added Sumo Springs front and rear on our Ram 3500 ext. The Sumo/Agilis combination has made a big difference in handling with crosswinds, meeting semi’s on narrow two lane roads, and cornering on twisty roads. The Sumo DIY install was quick and easy.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by W9TR

I just added Sumo Springs front and rear on our Ram 3500 ext. The Sumo/Agilis combination has made a big difference in handling with crosswinds, meeting semi’s on narrow two lane roads, and cornering on twisty roads. The Sumo DIY install was quick and easy.

If you installed yellow Sumo Springs and the bump stops turn to a dark reddish brown, apparently it is normal. https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...ngs-12301.html

[W9TR]

Originally Posted by Davydd

New 2500 144 wb Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that was delivered with steel wheels, stock tires and A50 front axle reinforcement. Having two dually Sprinters for 11 years I have no reference other than the stock Vanco Four Season and upgrading to Michelin Defenders both times with a noticeable improvement after about 40,000 miles.

Tires and wheels were upgraded off the bat with the Michelin Agilis on Black Rhino rotary forged aluminum wheels. Also upgraded shocks, all metal valve stems, Sumo springs and two inch MB lifts. I didn't get ARV's VB air suspension this time. That I think was primarily for taking out the bounce when riding on back sofas. I couldn't afford the extra weight in my build anyway. I don't miss VB as it didn't take out the effect of going over railroad tracks with the front end.

The van drives like a dream. What effect the tires contributed I don't know. It has to contribute but it is like driving a car instead of a truck difference with the combination of all the factors.

I love those wheels - great looking combination!

[Arvie1]

Originally Posted by booster

Like many others, we really liked our Michelin LTX MS2 (predecessor to the similar Defender), but they had aged out and so needed replacement. This is on our 07 Roadtrek C190P that has a spring lift and essentially all the handling improvements we have discussed on this forum for the Chevies so it drives very well and the tires were certainly a part of that, IMO.



We were hesitant on the Agilis as they were touted as a more robust and stronger sidewall tire for the most part and seemed focused on heavy tradesman vans. Concerns of ride quality were the top one for us with noise next.


We have upsized tires to 265-75-16 so were were tied in to the Cross Climate M&S version because the LTX highway version of the Agilis appears to only be in 245-75-16 size.



We took a ride yesterday of about 100 miles of mixed 2 lane, 4 lane, some curvy but not like in the mountains, in 75* weather with 10-15mph winds. The van was light with no stuff or water. The tire pressures were set to 61/75 which is one psi lower than our norm would be but it was cooler by a bit in garage where I set them.


All in all we were pretty impressed to this point based on the drive. Didn't appear to be any harsher ride, and we did get on some fairly rough roads, maybe a bit more slap on expansion strips but that might be because they are new so not certain. Handled very well in corners and held turns well. Center tracking about the same as the old tires with that new tire feel that has already started to go away. Not noisy with the slightly more aggressive all season tread pattern.


We went varied speeds up to 70+mph and the tire pressures went up 5psi in the front and 7psi in the rear which is also about what the MS2s ran at. This would indicate very similar tire temps front and rear which is also the same and quite low increase in temp.


We will know more later on in the summer as we have a moderate trip coming up that will be probably close to 2K miles in some hot, some hilly, some curving, some gravel and certainly windy. The guess is that they will do just fine.

Hello Booster,

Thank you for your post of May 20,'21. We too have an '07 RT190 with the same LTX MS2 tires and have been very pleased. Sadly, they are 8 years old and only 40,000km, but the sidewalls are now very cracked. Certainly not much travelling in the last two years!

The tire dealer here has recommended the Agilis as a replacement and indicated that they will be a little noisier. It was great to be able to read your very detailed review and responses, so thank you very much. Definitely helpful and reassuring

Arvie