Ok, here's the story...

I bout a set of 17" wheels/tires off a Dodge 3/4 ton truck - the look great, and had Michelin LTX A/S tires on them. The Michelins were a bit noisy on the highway and the wet/snow traction was terrible. In 2wd if there was any snow on the ground - the only direction the truck would go is sideways! So after posting the Michelin's on Craigslist to sell them - which they are gone now...

I went out and bought a set of 265/70/17 Bridgestone Revo tires - and yes they are LT tires with load range E. The revos are a bit quieter, but the noise quality is more wooshing than a constant hum. That's not the concern, my concern is that on the highway if I steer the truck it feels very unconnected to the road and there is a lag to the steering response. It's feeling like there is a ton of sidewall flex and I'm no longer in control of the road.

I have not pulled a trailer yet, but I feel like there would be the potential for huge sway problems. I read thru a lot of the reviews on www.tirerack.com and many of the survey reports were very good, but once I looked closer the people with 3/4 ton or 1 ton trucks were saying the same thing - that the tires felt squirmy and unconnected.

I was basically looking at the Revo's and Silentarmours - both in the same price range, and after reading the reviews - some people were talking similar problems with the Goodyears...

The other high rated tire is the Pirelli Scorpion ATR... but they are pretty new and don't have a lot of reviews.

I'm almost wishing I could go back to the michelins - they had WAY more cornering stability and road feel, and that's what I want out of a tire, but I also want snow/ice traction along with a quiet ride. Is that too much to ask for>??

Comments??

I had a similar experience with the Revos. They either get slightly better or I became more tollerant of the feeling. Still there but not as bad. While I know people love these tires, I wouldn't buy them again. (that should get some comments to your post) There is IMO too much sidewall flex but if you increase pressure to compensate the tires ride rough. My next tires will probably be the michelin ltx at2 (new version). I like the AT for snow and wet grass/dirt on farms otherwise the ltx M&S would be quieter. The goodyear silentarmors might be interesting because of the warranty. I also think the same brand tires can perform totally different due to balancing, out of round, mounting issues. This is my second set since the first couldn't be balanced right.

I'm strongly considering the GY Silent Armor, and I did look at the Michelin LXT A/S... And the Pirelli...

The local tire store had both the GY and Michelin in a load range E - the Gy seemed the stiffest overall - sidewall and tread. The Michelin was quite a bit softer tire on the sidewall and tread than the GY, so I wonder if that's any indication of how it feels on the vehicle??

I'll tell you I'm NOT tolerant of how the tires feel. Emergency handling in my opinion is greatly sacrificed...

The stiffer a tire is, or feels sitting there without a rim on it, is not really indicative of how it will feel on the highway. Also, The stiffer tire will not flex as much which will cause it to ride more harsh. Harsh is not good, because that means it is more unforgiving when encountering objects in the road, or irregularities in the road surface. The more a sidewall flexes, the more contact patch you have on the ground holding you to the road. Obviously, there is a point to which if you are grossly underinflated, then that is not good either. I am speaking of a properly inflated tire for the load that is on the tire.

I have never used Bridgestone tires, so I can't comment on the feel of them, but if the sidewall is flexing and moving, more than likely the tread is staying planted on the ground giving you the grip you need. Now, some knobby type treads can have some tread squirm when they are new because the lugs are not tied together with one another so they will twist and move. That usually subsides as they wear down.
IF you have these tires properly inflated for the loads you are carrying, then you should be okay. I know they may feel different, but unless they are defective, they should not cause you any issues.
I have run the BFG All Terrain A/T, and the Mud Terrain T/A, Michelin LTX M+S , and am currently running the Michelin LTX A/T.
I liked the mud traction of the mud terrains, but not really anything else about them.
The All Terrain T/A's were my least favorite tire. I thought they were loud, rough riding, and just felt course to me compared to MX. Wasn't all that impressed with the tread. They were the toughest tire I ever ran with the 3 layer sidewall. That is what made them rougher riding.

The LTX M+S was the best all around tire I have ever run. They were quiet, good in rain and modest snow, very good riding. NOt good in mud.

The LTX A/T are a little noiser, and not particularly good on wet pavement. A little noise, but wear is fantastic and resistance to gravel is amazing.

I know what you mean about tread squirm, but this is much more than that in my opinion. I also got similar remarks from people that posted on Tire Rack's website - if they had a Ford/Dodge/GM 2500 or 3500 most of them noted the sway or lack of response from these tires. Almost everyone with lighter weight vehicles don't complain about the tires - they praise them up and down.