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Is any one here on this board familiar with the Michelin XML it is evidentially a development of the old and discontinued XL and still in production XZL It is supposedly according to Michelin far superior to the XL in terms of traction in soil or mud etc. The XZL is of course a General Purpose Tyre.

Do you know if Michelin XML are available at 9.00R 16? Or the more likely metric equivalent, 255/100R16 ?

I know that they are commonly thought to be available in these sizes
Flat ledge rim Dropped centre rim
325/85 R 16 TL 13 R 22.5 TL
12.00 R 20 TL 405/80 R 22.5 TL
14.00 R 20 TL
475/80 R 20 TL
395/85 R 20 TL
395/90 R 22 TL
12.00 R 24 TL *


The 325/85 R 16 TL is the smallest size that I know for a fact is produced. The only thing is I would need either new wheels or to have mine banded, that is widened. I was informed by someone who seems to retain all sorts of fact concerning off road vehicles, that is WMJ, that this size of tyre has been fitted by the Swedish army to Volvo C300's 7 1/2 inch rim though not using this particular tyre. The recommended size would be a 9 inch rim.

I was trawling around very hard on the WWW the last couple of days , when I saw an image of a genuine Michelin site that also showed 9.00R16 and 11.00R16. indicating the possible manufacture at this size. It was an Australian Michelin site perhaps it was just a poorly lade out information chart

http://www.michelin.com.au/tyres/off_road.asp

This is a NATO supply tyre I was wondering if their might be a shortage of them, as the Gulf Wars take a lot of extra stock and this is a NATO supply tyre would that make them difficult to get hold of, ie a long waiting period?

I am not yet ready to buy just yet but I am planning ahead and also looking at one or two other possibilities but I have always liked the Michelin XL and derivatives.

Here is an image of some American Armour showing the old XL on one vehicle and the new XML on an other for comparison

I have the XZL on my truck. Size is 8.25 R 16C made in the united kingdom. I bought the truck with them on already.

Scooter

Yes I also have the XZL 9.00R16 on my 101, a very strong tough General purpose tyre, it is still available. Tread is more towards an All terrain pattern.

The XML is a Mud Terrain tyre much like the XL which was a directional Mud terrain. The XML is non directional and is superior and offers much better traction in mud and soil. It is also much wider offering more floatation as well.

As far as I know there is no shortage of any military tires.I have Michelin's 900r 16 on my Hummer build.Interesting thing is that military designed these tires to be tall and narrow, so they could be fitted to lot of vehicles without big fuss.I installed them on stock GM rim, and they fit nicely under the fender .Here is link to one site if you want to learn more.
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photos5.htm

Thank you for posting that site, I have seen it before but I could not find it, I have bookmarked now. Their was a shortage of military tyres and it said so on the link that you gave, perhaps that is not the case right at the moment.

Military tyres were once tall and narrow, my Michelin 9.00R16 XL & XZL are just so in fact in an emergency I fitted a Michelin 9.00R16 on my Volvo which is shod with the more usual 285/80/16 the 9.00R16 is far, far taller and much more narrow, it is in fact smooth in line with the rims were as the crossly bulge out significantly.

The Michelin XML is a significantly wider profile 325/85R16 and is the tyre shown on my link above on the Armour the other tyre is the 11.00R16 both the same height but the XML is much wider.

I think that their was a requirement for more floatation from the military so Michelin has produced this, it goes in line with the trend in civilian vehicles and agricultural vehicles as well.

I suppose that it would be too much to ask that the GM HUMVEE has the same PCD as the VOLVO, I think it has a smaller PCD?

Can wee also se he rest of your vehicle?

You want to see the rest? Here you go...

http://h1forum.tremormuv.com/viewtopic.php?t=2117

I am very sorry that you have received such a traumatic injury. I hope that your recovery continues.

That is a very interesting way that you tackled your project, its very innovative and thrifty. You have very good problem solving skills and mechanical ability.


The wheels, what is their PCD?

In your link to your project, you hinted that the pace where you purchased your tyres had a large quantity of similar tyres, do you have a link for them? Perhaps they have good used examples of the XML.

One thing has been pointed out to me by WJM on another website http://www.c303.de/c303-forum/index.php, that The Australian site I linked above to above does not imply XML availability at 255/100R16 it is the poor way the tabulators set out the page and at low magnification I did not pick this up. So the smallest XML is 325/85R16

Evidently Michelin makes these tyres in the US, I did not know that Michelin had facilities there.