Michelin Quality

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Gebo
I don't think this is fake news.

Some don't like Michelin because they cracked in previous years. I was told they had a bunch of problems when Obama killed coal as coal was used heavily in Michelin's formulation. This was why we saw Michelin's quality drop a few years back. Apparently it took them a few years to get things reformulated.

Is anyone still having problems with "new" Michelins?


While this is not political forum, I would like to know how Obama "killed" coal?
We get electricity here from coal plant, and I just flipped switch few seconds ago and we still have electricity.
Fake new+have no idea about energy policy and relations between natural gas and coal.


Maybe you should pay a visit to the great people of WV. Maybe you should talk with some of the local utility companies that had coal fire manufacturing plants on the east coast. However, my issue of "fake news" was not what the EPA was allowed to do to coal production and usage here in the USA. My issue is questioning what a person told me as to why Michelin's got a bad rap a few years ago. I am just seeing if any of you think it is true that Michelin's quality may have suffered do to their having to reformulate because of their lack of coal as an ingredient. That's all.

I am a Michelin fan boy. Only tire I buy as long as it comes in my sizes. After that I go with Mastercraft.

I have been in WC, TN, KY coal country, actually I worked as consultant on some "coal" issues.
It is not coal, it is everything else.
You see when Ford T saw light of day carriage industry was screaming how it is failed project.
WV problem is not coal (coal employed before Obama less people then Arby's) it is those states that did not invest in education to prepare population for different economy. And no, coal workers do not want to work in coal mine if they have better option. I grew up in town that had steel factory with 22,500 employees and five coal mines. I have never heard coal miner saying: I hope my kid works in coal mine.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
I was told they had a bunch of problems when Obama killed coal as coal was used heavily in Michelin's formulation. This was why we saw Michelin's quality drop a few years back. Apparently it took them a few years to get things reformulated.



Here people tell me that if you look at a crescent moon it will cut your ear.

I think that's about as likely.

Having been on a picket line once when Mrs Thatcher (who certainly did "kill coal") attacked the miners in the UK, I'd better keep off the politics, so lets keep it technical.

Why would Michelin put coal in tyres?

Even if it had desirable properties, (which seems fairly unlikely) its a variable naturally occurring material, and that variation would be likely to give them huge quality control problems.

IF they did put coal in tyres, it would likely be a tiny proportion of total coal usage, so the supply wouldn't be significantly affected by a reduction in total tonnage of coal produced.

There is carbon black in most tyres. NOT (AFAIK) COAL.

 

[bbhero]

I guess you missed the audio of that non basketball playing Champion talking about putting that business out of business from his "wonderful" policies. That is what that big ear fool stated clearly and unequivocally.

 

[Ducked]

Tiny, Tiny Grain of Truth?

http://www.carbonblack.jp/en/cb/seizou.html


"Furnace Black Process

This method forms carbon black by blowing petroleum oil or coal oil as raw material (feedstock oil) into high-temperature gases to combust them [that should presumably be "it", not "them"] partially. This method is suitable for mass production due to its high yield, and allows wide control over its properties such as particle size or structure. This is currently the most common method used for manufacturing carbon black for various applications from rubber reinforcement to coloring."

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: Gebo
I don't think this is fake news.

Some don't like Michelin because they cracked in previous years. I was told they had a bunch of problems when Obama killed coal as coal was used heavily in Michelin's formulation. This was why we saw Michelin's quality drop a few years back. Apparently it took them a few years to get things reformulated.

Is anyone still having problems with "new" Michelins?

Can't tell if this is serious, but I'm going to answer like it is, in case anyone reading it takes it seriously.

No, this is not fake news. But literally 100% of it is exaggerated, misleadingly put, and/or false.

Been running Michelin almost exclusively for 9 years now. Excellent without exception. Quality is better than anything else I have ever run, which is one reason why I keep coming back. I don't run their mainstream consumer tires, though.


Exact same situation here. Nothing but bliss, long wearing, road gripping, water defying, what's not to like? And we do use a few of their mainstream tires like the Defender LTX series...

 

[demarpaint]

I had this conversation just the other day with Trav, and we shared similar points of view about them. They have a great following and fan base, there's no getting around that. I won't ever buy them again. Over the years I had bad luck with them on a few vehicles and as a result I gave up on the brand. Getting into discussions about tires can end badly, like which car brand is best, or which oil is best. If you had good experiences with them then stick with them.

 

[ssamaroo01]

I have also experienced cracking on my wife's Michelins on her Escape. Luckily, Discount Tire honored their warranty even after she moved from MN to NY (we don't have Discount Tire in downstate NY). They shipped us a new set of Michelins that have held up well so far. This was back at the end of 2015.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: ssamaroo01
I have also experienced cracking on my wife's Michelins on her Escape. Luckily, Discount Tire honored their warranty even after she moved from MN to NY (we don't have Discount Tire in downstate NY). They shipped us a new set of Michelins that have held up well so far. This was back at the end of 2015.

OT IMO that is an example of excellent customer service, going above and beyond. 'Afaik', no DT b&m stores in NY at this point. I did read that they are soon coming to the Pittsburg Pa area though.

As for topic, as it's previously been posted recently HERE and I already gave my opinion there, I won't repeat it. I would say that after the replies to it there, I'm surprised it ended up as thread starter now. Suppose I shouldn't be though.

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
I don't think this is fake news.

Some don't like Michelin because they cracked in previous years. I was told they had a bunch of problems when Obama killed coal as coal was used heavily in Michelin's formulation. This was why we saw Michelin's quality drop a few years back. Apparently it took them a few years to get things reformulated.

Is anyone still having problems with "new" Michelins?



This doesn't make sense.

First, in my 40 years in the tire industry, coal has never been mentioned as a raw material source - directly or indirectly. Crude oil, Yes!! Synthetic rubber and Carbon Black. and, No!, you can't just grind up coal to get carbon black suitable for use in tires. It's way more complex than that.

Second, the tire industry sources its raw materials world wide. A problem with one in a particular locale doesn't result in a loss of quality in that area. Finding replacements and alternative processes is what rubber chemists do. Example: Crude oil and reformulating rubber compounds to change the amount of synthetic rubber. Anyone notice a change in quality when the price of crude recently went back down?

Not to mention that shipping costs are fairly low nowadays. Does it matter if they are shipping a raw material or a finished product? There are tire plants all over the world.

Third, why would this only affect Michelin? Why wasn't Goodyear or Bridgestone affected?

Nope, I'm not buying it. The political connection makes it sound like a conspiracy theory.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: CapriRacer


Nope, I'm not buying it. The political connection makes it sound like a conspiracy theory.


You say that like its a BAD thing? I quite like a good onspiracy theory.

Unfortunately, the technical connection makes this one sound like bollocks, which it is.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

Exact same situation here. Nothing but bliss, long wearing, road gripping, water defying, what's not to like? And we do use a few of their mainstream tires like the Defender LTX series...


Precisely!

 

[MJ90]

.

 

[Bighorn2500]

I always get what I pay for when I buy Michelin’s, truck has AT2 & Jeep has defender ltx ms. As long as I check psi and rotate them they last beyond their mileage rating.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: rubberchicken
I have friends in middle management in West Virginia coal companies: The problem they describe is lack of demand: the coal is there for the asking.


You are 100% correct.

But is goes back to the EPA putting in more stringent requirements on coal fired power plants. 4 or 5 years ago, I'm guessing, American Electric Power (APCO) sent down a company executive to different areas in SW VA. He spoke at a local college in a forum explaining why all our electric bills were gonna be increasing in the coming years. In our area of the country we get most of our electricity from coal fired power plants. He said the Fed Gov had put in place new requirements requiring all coal fired power plants (maybe just our area of VA, WV, OH, ???) to reduce their emissions. He said some of their (AEP) coal fired plants could make the upgrades but some would have to be shut down. The costs to modify them was cost prohibitive. In some instances the cost to upgrade cost more that the building of a new facility. Therefore they would be converting to natural gas where economically feasible and shutting down the other coal fired power plants over time.

Yes, that did cut down on coal demand. It shut down some coal mines as a matter of fact.

People were so upset the VA state government had the AG for VA come to our local town (Cuccinelli) and do other forums in SW VA concerning the financial impact the reduction of coal burning power plants would having on electric bills. It was reported on local news as people packed the venues in anger. The public was outraged that the FED gov would do something that would hurt the fixed income group so much.

It basically translated in about a 15-20% increase in our electric bills here in SW VA.

Yeah, the far reaching EPA sure did cut down on coal demand.

It was such an outrage in the area I live that AEP sent Upper Level Mgt to a local college to meet with the public AND the VA state government sent out the Attorney General to help calm the people in all the local counties.

This I know to be a fact.

But my question about the lack of coal and supposedly Michelin bad quality, it appears that was fake news. That's all I was wanting to know. There are some very well informed people on this forum and I thought someone may have more info.

I will always use Michelin. I purchased my LS430 and the previous owner had put 2 new Michelins on the back while keeping older Michelins on the front. She had 1K miles on the new Michelins. I didn't really pay much attention until the next day as I went out to check the air pressure and noticed they didn't have the same tread design as the back even though they had the "same" name. I called the tire shop and they said what was on the back was the "old" design and what they sold me was the "new" design. I couldn't take it so I went and called Michelin Corp the next day. Guess what, I got 2 more of the "new" design for nothing. I just had to turn in the "old" new ones.

On top of that, I got a free mounting and balancing. I realize some of you have had problems. I have had nothing but favor with Michelin.

 

[4WD]

And this concludes another episode of — (Jeb says “please clap”) …