New Tires

[volshooter]

I am fixing to buy new tires for my 2004 Ford Explorer. Factory size is 235-70-16. There is lots of room for larger tires. What do you think about putting bigger tires on it. Not talking Ladder to get in, but it looks stupid with factory size. Would like to hear from ya'll.

 

[BlkHawk73]

I prefer to go with what suits the driving needs not what "looks cool". Not sure about all places but I know some disallow inspections if improper sized tires are on the vehicle due to something with the anti-lock braking system.

 

[Xsales]

As long as there is room for proper turning width in the wheel well, usually not an issue going larger

I am 4 sizes bigger on my Toyota Tacoma

Larger looks better and raises mine approx 2"

 

[Cholo]

I've done it. Your speedometer and odometer will be off. You're going faster than your speedometer indicates so be careful.

Xsales, your tires are 4" taller than stock? :shock:

 

[mjpchief]

Had a couple of tire shops here refuse to put different size tires on my car. They claim insurance problems. A lot of fuel and timing issues are set by your speed. May throw off fuel mixtures and effect how your engine performs. Check with your mechanic.

If it is just a size issue with the tire shop, take the wheels off at home and take them to the tire shop and tell them they are for a trailer.

 

[APEXDUCK]

The biggest drawback to bigger tires is the gas mileage for me. I drive a 99 F250 SD and a 05 Excursion both 4x4 with V10's. The pickup has the largest I can fit without a lift and my local shop put them on. Sam's Club would not. I no longer do business with Sams Club for tires. The Excursion was to have the same tires but the shop messed up and put the smaller 265 it. Better gas mileage (for a V10) but not much better and the truck looks odd with the smaller tires. They cut me a great deal when I pointed out the mistake, but did offer to take them back and exchange them for the size I wanted.

Check Ford Truck Enthusiast for what the largest size you can put on a stock Explorer and know you will loose some mileage if you go that way.

APEXDUCK

 

[Xsales]

I've done it. Your speedometer and odometer will be off. You're going faster than your speedometer indicates so be careful.

Xsales, your tires are 4" taller than stock? :shock:

Cholo

The total height is approx 2" taller now
Larger tires added 1 1/4"
I also went with 75 series VS stock 70 series which added 3/4"
Right at 2" total height

Speedometer: checked by radar, mine right now with bigger is exactly 1 mph difference
If my speedometer says 75mph I am actually going 74 mph

Gas Milage: this has alot to due with the series of tire, the type, the brand as well as size etc...

With what I have there is zero difference in my mpg

 

[mjpchief]

Smaller tires will make your odometer register more miles than you are traveling. Looks like you are getting more mpg. Larger tires=less miles. Looks like less mpg.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I "grew up" working in a tire store, but I stick very closely to the factory
sizes. I also have a six month old Subaru Forester that runs 17 inch tires.
They don't look very big until they are off of the vehicle. I bought a separate
set of factory rims for it and mounted the same size studded snow tires.
On the vehicle they do not look out of the ordinary. Off of the car they are
HUGE!

I'll stick with factory sizes. 8)
YMMV

 

[redhawker]

Most modern vehicles can have their computer "adjusted" (probably not the right word, can't think of what the "official" word the dealers use is) to make the odometer / speedometer register correctly for the tire size. I did it with my '04 Ram. BTW - good site to compare time sizes...

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Size-Calculator

 

[powder smoke]

Everything works better when things are stock, Acceleration, Braking, Fuel Economy,Handling, and Speedometer.
if you live in a cold climate with snow they are like skis you will slide around. Stick with stock.
Remember it takes more HP and Braking to turn or stop them and lets not forget wear on front end
parts and brakes! It is your choice, May also be Wareenty isues if thta applies. ps

 

[volshooter]

My reason for wanting a larger tire is that I cannot find a more aggressive tread in recommended size.
We do not have vehicle inspections here.
I have put oversized tires on other trucks and understand the drawbacks.
There might be something on the size vs. drive train as mine is auto 4 wheel. I will have to look at that.
I am not looking for "big" tires.

 

[graygun]

My 2004 Sierra had stock tires/wheels which looked small on it but I stayed with stock. You'd probably have to get some reprogramming to the computer. Your speedo is not mechanical and by 2004,everything is hooked to electronics one way or another. You could check some Ford truck forums to see what guys have to say...some of them will know a lot.

 

[Fox Mike]

I've done it. Your speedometer and odometer will be off. You're going faster than your speedometer indicates so be careful.

Xsales, your tires are 4" taller than stock? :shock:

Like he said the speedometer will be off. Her is a 'calculator' to determine how much.
http://tire-size-conversion.com/speedometer-calibration/

 

[Dan in MI]

It can affect shift pints on an auto trans too, depending on where the trans gets its output speed.

 

[wizofwas]

Seeing the size of tyres that you're running, I'd say taller and skinnier would be the way to go for normal everyday driving. Moving up or down a size or 2 should be no problem. (Key word, should.) Also, see what other sizes of tyres were offered on other models of Explorers of the same generation. If they are the size that you want, then I'd feel real comfortable using them. One word of caution. Since it is an All Wheel Drive, you must change all 4 tyres at the same time if you change sizes.

 

[VHunter]

My opinion is that it really depends on your vehicle. On my wife's Subaru I stick with the stock tire size, and on that car with all wheel drive and low horse power there is plenty of traction.

On my Dodge Magnum RT, I went with a wider tire and lower profile to keep the same diameter. I went from a 225 to a 255 width. Even with the wider tires I still have traction issues. My speedometer is off by 2 MPH at 75, when it shows 75 I'm really doing 77.

On my lifted Jeep I go with the biggest tires that will fit. Driving on mountain trails, I'll take all the extra ground clearance I can get. I go with more aggressive tread so even with wider tires it still drive well on snow and ice.

Each vehicle is driven differently so I get tires suitable to how it is driven.

 

[Number9]

On my Jeep I went a size larger because the stock size was $75 more a set!
.. no problems.

 

[cadillo]

My reason for wanting a larger tire is that I cannot find a more aggressive tread in recommended size.
We do not have vehicle inspections here.
I have put oversized tires on other trucks and understand the drawbacks.
There might be something on the size vs. drive train as mine is auto 4 wheel. I will have to look at that.
I am not looking for "big" tires.

Last set of tires I bought was another set of Michelins. The dealer did not have in stock the street tread that I wanted and I settled for the more aggressive tread Michelin that he had in my size for the same or comparable price. What a mistake! I will be lucky to get half the life out of these compared to the Michelin normal street tread tires I've had in the past.

Aggressive treads wear a lot more aggressively!

 

[cadillo]

Seeing the size of tyres that you're running, I'd say taller and skinnier would be the way to go for normal everyday driving. Moving up or down a size or 2 should be no problem. (Key word, should.) Also, see what other sizes of tyres were offered on other models of Explorers of the same generation. If they are the size that you want, then I'd feel real comfortable using them. One word of caution. Since it is an All Wheel Drive, you must change all 4 tyres at the same time if you change sizes.

Good advice. I've also found that a tall narrow tire can be balanced a lot more accurately and hold that condition for a lot longer, which means less wear on the suspension and the nerves.

 

[volshooter]

I checked with my mechanic and he suggested to stay stock.
Problem solved! I found General Grabbers AT2 and Hankook Dyna Pro tires with more aggressive tread and both had great reviews for $128 and $123 respectively. Guess where.......................
WalMart.
They do not stock them but can order them.
The reviews on the Generals was outstanding. At least one posted his were still useable at 80,000.
Any one have experience with General tires? The reviews made them sound better than ice cream.

 

[whichwatch]

There's a young guy here at the office who just got 2014 Chevy 4x4 pick up and put a lift kit and giant wheels and tires on it. Since then, nothing but problems. We tried to tell him that anytime you alter something from the factory you cause problems, in addition he also voided the warranty. Also rides rough and is noisy.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

There's a young guy here at the office who just got 2014 Chevy 4x4 pick up and put a lift kit and giant wheels and tires on it. Since then, nothing but problems. We tried to tell him that anytime you alter something from the factory you cause problems, in addition he also voided the warranty. Also rides rough and is noisy.

Yeah . . . but it's KEWL!!!!!!!

:roll: :wink: :mrgreen:

 

[stevemb]

One size up, and look at Coopers.

 

[foxtrapper]

Gonna go with Hankook dyna pro ATM . The new consumer reports mag that just arrived had reviews for all terrain tires where the Hankooks were rated number one. I was set on the Cooper at3 ,which were rated number eight. they are the same price so.....size wise the stock are 265/65/17 .I am gonna bump up the height a bit so I'll go with 265/70/17.

 

[737tdi]

Volshooter: I think maybe you have made your decision but I will tell you what I think. Since you are driving an SUV I would probably stay with stock. If it were a pickup I would give you opposite advice.

I have a F350 4X4 that came originally with A/T tires that couldn't get you out of wet grass (size didn't make the difference, but tread did). I originally bought a cheap set of Mud type tires, larger and wider. I never got stuck but they wore out/failed quickly. 3 weeks ago I invested about $1300 on a set of Nitto •The Nitto Trail Grappler M/T , 275/70R17s. I will tell you for a mud tire they ride nicely and are not near as noisy as the set before. I haven't had any rain so, of course no mud, so can't tell you how they work but they have awesome reviews.

Nittos are a little expensive but if you are wanting off road effectiveness a A/T doesn't work most of the time. I don't go out 4 wheeling, just pasture/farm work and I hate getting stuck. Haven't had that problem since I went to mud type tires. I got my 4 wheel drive Kubota stuck a couple of months ago and the truck pulled it out without even a hunker. By the way these are about the largest I can put on without a lift.

Karl

 

[exavid]

I have 31" tires on my TJ Wrangler. I had to change the speedometer gear in the transmission to get the speedo and odometer back on track. In the case of the Jeep I wanted a bit more ground clearance without going with a lift which louses up handling more than the large tires. I probably lost a bit of acceleration and mileage neither of which my jeep is blessed with. But then I don't have a Jeep because it's an efficient, multiuse vehicle. It's my toy and transportation into the woods and hills of Southern Oregon.

 

[737tdi]

Gonna go with Hankook dyna pro ATM . The new consumer reports mag that just arrived had reviews for all terrain tires where the Hankooks were rated number one. I was set on the Cooper at3 ,which were rated number eight. they are the same price so.....size wise the stock are 265/65/17 .I am gonna bump up the height a bit so I'll go with 265/70/17.

A question, what was the review about? Road noise, tire life, handling, off road (I don't mean trail fun), mud control? I can not respond to which one of those is better but I have read CR before and they tend to rate tires due to road noise mpg, and life more then capability. To me if you are driving a 4X4 you want the to be able to drive through snow, mud, gravel, sand and give less importance to road noise, mpg and handling on the highway. Maybe I am thinking wrong? If I am buying a tire to get me out of mud I could give a hoot about mpg or road noise. If I am buying a tire to get me back and forth to work then I would buy an all terrain. I don't drive my big truck to work but once a month to shake the rats out of the engine compartment, I use it for farm work and hauling. I drive a VW Jetta TDI to work, to me it is a choice, for some it is not.

I won't compromise for A/Ts ever again on my F350, it is just horrible getting stuck in 2 inches of mud with this heavy truck. If yours is more of a daily driver then cool but don't depend on those tires to get you out of trouble if in a predicament. I learned the hard way. If the weather is bad the Ford comes out of the garage and gets on the road. I drive 120 mile round trip and there are some very sketchy areas I drive through in Dallas. Again, look at what you want in the tire, just not at the final judgment. Look more at the areas you want to be able to drive in a few times.

Sorry for the long rant but wow, I learned this with my 08 and I will never turn back on the aggressive tires.



Semper Fi:

Karl

 

[volshooter]

I rarely need aggressive tires, maybe twice a month. Except during the winter. I have Bridgestone's on it now and it is time to change. Round last month, when I was hauling a zero turn mower in the rain, my tires slid while trying to stop on a down grade. I do worry about hydroplaning.
The reviews I read stated, low noise, great wear and would buy again. I am going to stay stock size. It came with Goodyear Wranglers. They did fine. MPG is not that important as long as I can get out of the grass/mud when I need to. The tires I have on now ain't worth a poot in wet grass, but great road tires unless it is raining. The ones I am looking at both have deep water channels to the outside. Now that is something important to me. I reckon that comes from all the years of riding two wheelers.

 

[737tdi]

I guess I should have said, buy tires for the worst situation you will normally be in. I no longer look at CR for truck tires because they assume you are driving on paved roads. I did go with them on my Jetta, I bought high dollar Michelins and they are awesome.

Karl