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Michelin 12.5 R20 XL Tyres


neil0841

Question

I need to replace some tyres and have been looking at Michelin XL tyres advertised. The tyres that I have on the truck are labelled Michelin 12.5 R20 XL but I have noticed that there are others I've seen advertised that are labelled the same, however while the tread type is similar in appearance, it is not exactly the same. I was wondering whether anyone can explain the difference - are these sub-variants of the XL model tyre type, or what is the case? The photos below show the different tyres in question. The one shown vertically is the type I have, and the two shown side by side are the ones I've seen for sale. Notice that in the second case, the displacement of the block tread sequentially to the left then right, is much more pronounced than on the other tyres shown. I want to be able to distinguish between the two types when making enquiries so if anybody can explain the difference, I'd be interested to hear. Many thanks. Neil

Michelin%20XL_A.jpg

Micehlin%20XL_B.jpg

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I agree with Mike.

On the basis that things usually start off simple and get more complicated I would say that the two tyres together are the later design. Note that there are no blocks that are pure rectangles unlike the top tyre. That is a difference that you could ask a seller about that is pretty clear.

 

Most modern tyres have a code written on the sidewall that defines exactly what design they are, often with 5 or 6 letters/numbers. That is much more usefull than the "XL" style name but gets overlooked because it has no obvious meaning and can be confused for date codes etc. Try comparing the tyres you have and see if any codes show up on all of them. This might be a way forward, it has helped me in the past.

 

Good luck, David

Edited by David Herbert
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A bit belatedly, but many thanks to those who replied to this thread.. on the basis of the feedback I think it might be better for me to steer away from this type of Michelins especially given these being an old tyre pattern now, and difficult to come by in 'as new' condition.

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There were also XLB (which is what these look like) and I recall XLAs too, but they may have been designated A when the B came out.

 

Just be aware some earthmover tyre applications had much lower max. speed - probably from use of softer compound rubber, the speed restriction being due to limited ability to dissipate heat build-up.

 

Best to look carefully at the sidewall writing to be sure.

Edited by N.O.S.
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