Thoughts on Lemans A/T Tires

kspageddie · **Posted:** Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:08 am

While my Liberty is in the body shop I have been shopping for some 245/70/16 A/T Tires. I contacted my local Firestone Dealer and they quoted me Lemans (Firestone House Brand) 245/70/16 A/T Tire for 95.99 each. They are also running a buy 4 get one free. This is a bit cheaper than Discount Tire quote on Geolanders (same size), they quoted me 130.00 each.

I have never seen any information on the Lemans tires and I was wondering if any one had experience with them.

Thanks in advance!

kspageddie · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:14 am

Wow! All these people and no thoughts or opinions. What is the world coming too... :lol:

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:57 pm

I don't think I have ever heard or seen anyone using those brand tires. If you are thinking of getting new, and deal with Firestone already - than get the Firestone Destination A/T's... One of the better A/T's out there IMO

InCommando · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:31 am

I think maybe Firestone ( & others) have different house brands. I have not seen the LeMans A/T

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:25 pm

well what do I think about those AT's
the same I think about all AT's

They are a tire that does NOTHING great and every thing 1/2 assed
if you plan to wheel get MT's ,great for off road fine for road use
if you plan to keep it on the road get road tires ,great for road use suck off road

I see guys running around in 2wd F150 pick ups with Nitto Mud graplers $300+ per tires
and here we have guys with 4wd Jeeps that dont want to run a good MT
what is this world coming to

InCommando · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:04 pm

Jason, there is a little more to it than that. Not everyone has the climate that you do.

In areas that get ice & snow , most M/T's range from sucky to downright deadly on pavement in those conditions. The large void areas and the relatively small contact patch of smooth-surfaced lugs that do touch the road are not ideal. Off-pavement snow that can conform to the tread pattern is fine for M/T's. On-pavement is a different story. The Trxus M/T's ( which I run on my '79) are an M/T exception because they are heavily siped. There are others,too, but most M/T's put nothing but smooth rubber onto the pavement. Compound mixture and temp. range also play a big role in icy pavement traction, and I'll bet that few M/T's are optimized for cold weather in either of those.

I am a veteran of the "monster mudder on icy pavement" wars and try to be realistic about such details for a daily driver with limited trail time. I do agree that A/T's are a waste of time on rigs that see solid trail time.

Around here, we call those guys with the F150's you describe "posers."

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:10 pm

The other side of it is...if you buy a $95.99 tire, you still have a $95.99 tire. if you're serious about getting GOOD tires on the KJ, get Bridgestone Dueler AT Revos if you want an AT, and if you want a street tire, get BFG Long Trails. if you want a mud terrain...look up what's available in a 225/75-16.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:54 am

opinions on tires are like belly buttons ...every one has one! :wink:

I started out back before all the fancy new tread designs and oh my gosh even before radials! Mudders and Ground Hawgs were about it, ran them everywhere, but get them on snow and ice....look out.... after you got going they were great, trying to stop...hang on. Me today..well since I drive so dang much its really stupid to run a true mud tire, so if I am not a true Jeeper for not, so be it, but what I have works for me now and thats what people have to look at, what works for them in the area that they live in and where they drive to.

and that's my opinion! :lol:

Rush345 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:15 am

Well put Tom, but being on the subject. What would you reccomend for a Daily Driver occasional off road foot print for a KJ, after all you have played with a tire once or twice :wink:

modular · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:44 am

tommudd wrote:

and that's my opinion! :lol:

BUT, do you have a belly button??? :lol:

kspageddie · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:59 am

Thank you all for your thoughts, views and opinions. I really enjoyed getting called out (Thanks Jason) for not looking at M/T tires. I am sure M/T would come in very handy on my 100 mile highway drive back and forth to work and the Central Ohio rainy season. I am sure that one day I will put on my big boy pants and put M/T tires on every car I own.. :lol:

For the rest of ya, thanks for your feedback.

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:39 pm

kspageddie wrote:

Thank you all for your thoughts, views and opinions. I really enjoyed getting called out (Thanks Jason) for not looking at M/T tires. I am sure M/T would come in very handy on my 100 mile highway drive back and forth to work and the Central Ohio rainy season. I am sure that one day I will put on my big boy pants and put M/T tires on every car I own.. :lol:

For the rest of ya, thanks for your feedback.

Living with mud terrains is NOT hard. turn up the radio. Get the Kumho KL71s if you're worried about noise...one of the quieter MT's on the market. available in 225/75-16 and 245/75-16, so stock and lifted KJ's alike can enjoy. If you want, my next time through C-bus, I'll stop by and take you for a little ride. My KJ rides like a Cadillac with MT/R's and a lift...it's spoiled me to the point that I can hardly ride in a TJ or XJ on the trail :lol:

Seriously...I was in the all-terrain boat before I got my MT/R's. Anything I own that goes off road from now on will have an OFF ROAD tire, just like any performance cars I own will have a terrible-wet-traction, short-lived sport tire...

And I don't want to hear about commuting...I do 20-25k miles a year. in Oct of '05 my KJ had 50,228 miles...it currently has 103,830 on it.

If you off road at all, you will NEVER go back...and if you don't, get some Toyo Open Country HT's, or Michelin Cross Terrains, or Goodyear Forteras

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:51 pm

Actually, I just have two Jeeps.

My CJ2A was a driver with 11-15 mudders ( showing my age ) with no doors and no heater in Ohio during the winter. Does that mean mine is bigger than your brother's???? :lol:

Jason, go ahead and post a video of the next time you just open the doors on your KJ and hose out the interior like a REAL ( your words) jeeper does.

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:57 pm

Don't make me whip mine out...I drove my 'glass bodied CJ7 with a cammed/ported/11.5:1 304 with NO CHOKE on the 750 carb in the winter without a functioning heater, and half the time without functioning lights. Granted, I had doors and a hardtop, but that don't help when they aren't insulated, since I also lived in western Michigan. pouring gas in the carb was part of the ritual in -10 to -20 degree mornings...sometimes accompanied by a fire that would help warm us up. On a dark morning, it wasn't uncommon to hear a *POP* accompanied by a flash of light between the cowl and the hood:D

I'm old enough to know better now :lol:

open top toys stay in warm weather...

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:06 pm

ThunderbirdJunkie wrote:

pouring gas in the carb was part of the ritual in -10 to -20 degree mornings...sometimes accompanied by a fire that would help warm us up. On a dark morning, it wasn't uncommon to hear a *POP* accompanied by a flash of light between the cowl and the hood:D

I'm old enough to know better now :lol:

open top toys stay in warm weather...

I was too young then to know better. But your post had me laughing out loud. I remember too many "pops & flames". But the warming you up part..classic.

And just for the record, I am researching the lift & tires thang now. Timberline M/T's may win out. Gateway Gumbo Monster Mudders ( more memories & age reference) will not.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:00 pm

Well before this thead gets locked down for shear stupidity about what a real Jeep is...

Dear Original Poster:

I stand by my recommendation that if you are interested in an All Terrain tire that will turn your Jeep into a Half Jeep, I sugguest that you read the reviews from TireRack.com. You should see that either the Bridgestone or Firestone Tires rank pretty high as far as the catagory goes. Sure you'll have a half Jeep because you put brand new tires on it and you'll get stuck driving too and from work on pebbles because those tires have less traction than most, but the important thing to remember is that this is your Jeep. Do your research and buy what you feel is the best fit for your driving habbits.

Gotta go. My Jeep just got stuck in the mall parking lot and I spilled some coffee on my seat.

meh_kick · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:24 pm

Toyo Open Country A/Ts - LT245/75/16 Load Range C-6 ply

Excellent tire in the mucky Midwest rain/snow and very agreeable in the summer time.

durangotang · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:56 pm

IMHO... just wheel the crap out of it with whatever you have. I guaruntee whatever tires you are looking at are better than my Wrangler "Severe Terrain's" haha

for the others, if you need to vent some steam go to IMDB :lol:

Edvalencia · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:15 pm

This thread has been cleaned in order to remove unnecessary bashing and to bring it back on topic.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:42 pm

$95 per tire is a decent price for an A/T of that size. I paid $110 for my Yokohama A/T's and love them.

Nothing wrong at all with running an A/T. My Jeep sees mild snow and ice along with tons of onroad driving. Im a college student so Mud tires just were not practical for my needs. They cost more, are loud on the hw, kill mpg, and usually do not last as long. I hate mud so I do not offroad in it much(I stay on rock).

Whats the use in getting something you dont need?

Thoughts on Lemans A/T Tires

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