LT Tires on Explorer?
Dale Laird
The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
Puckster
You will not change the overall size of the tire if you stay with
235x75 even if you go with LT. The LT only changes the construction of
the tire.
Explorers are made for more of a smoother quieter ride, that is why
they don't come with LT's. You will increase noise, decrease
smoothness and comfort, decrease mileage, and increase tire wear.
You have to give up alot to gain little with the LT's.
dave...
In article <32D5EB...@ibm.net>, dla...@ibm.net says...
Josh Sirota
Martin Wojnar wrote:
> I put BF Goodrich Trail T/A's on my '91 XLT. They are LT 30x9.5x15.
> They fill the wheelwells up a little more and look real nice.
>
> Because they are taller, your speedometer will read slightly faster
> than you are actually going.
Just wanted to correct this minor gaff:
If you put on larger tires than the original, then your speedo
will read *slower* than you are actually going (you'll go further
per rev than you did before).
Josh
--
Josh Sirota Phone: (415) 328-JAVA
Marimba, Inc. FAX: (415) 328-5295
445 Sherman Avenue E-Mail: j...@marimba.com
Palo Alto, CA 94306 WWW: http://www.marimba.com/people/jss/
Martin Wojnar
Dale Laird wrote:
>
> The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
> and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
> comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
> the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
> discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
> stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
negative aspects, I have noticed a slight decrease in ride quality,
handling, and an increase in road noise. Light truck tires have a
stiffer sidewall which allows them a greater weight carrying capacity.
the size of the tires on the vehicle. Whether LT's are worth it or not
is your preference, but I'm happy with 'em. Marty
Perrin Kliot
Dale Laird wrote:
>
> The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
> and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
> comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
> the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
> discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
> stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
I recently put LT235/75R15 Michelin X Radial LT tires on my 93 explorer,
they are GREAT the traction is far superior to the stock Firestone tires.
There no problems with the fact that they are LT tires the truck still
rides smooth and quiet.
Perrin
Glenn Yeeles
I put Bridgestone Dueler ATs of same size on our '91 hoping they were
more resistant to flats than the flimsy OEM ATXs. These are light
truck tires in original 235/75 size. They have proven to be durable.
But I am not at all impressed with their traction or braking ability in
snow. The ride as expected is noticably harder, and they do run with
more noise. I also sensed that the rubber compound increases the
rolling resistance over the stock tires, something you definately do
not need with the old 4.0L. Based on how they are wearing we will be
hard pressed to get 25K miles out of them (versus 60K for ATX). We
will then be back looking at P235s again, for our overall needs the
benefit of LTs do not outweigh the drawbacks
The sidewalls on some LT tires are of firmer design and they do not
flex as much when cornering. This can enhance probability of rollover,
which is Ford's concern. Many major tire places will not even install
LT tires on Explorers, claiming to have received written communications
from Firestone and other tire vendors not to do it.
Dr. Bob
Martin Wojnar <"mwo...@ix.netcom.com"@ns1.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
<<snip>>
>Because they are taller, your speedometer will read slightly faster than
>you are actually going.
Should read "will read slower than you are actually going." The
taller tire means fewer rotations per mile for both the tire and the
speedo gear.
dr bob
Robert Boucher
In article <32D5EB...@ibm.net>, Dale Laird <dla...@ibm.net> wrote:
>The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
>and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
>comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
>the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
>discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
>stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
For the winter, I swapped the OEM P225/70R15 (27.4" dia) Firestone
Wilderness HTs for LT235/75R15 (28.8" dia) BFG ATs. I have them at 30PSI.
They look much better, provide a slightly firmer ride and very little
road noise. They do very well on snow convered dirt/gravel roads. My
wife drives the truck 160km each work day and she has noticed better
handling on corners and curves -- you really had to slow down with the
Firestones...
Regards,
Robert
Mr. Fun
pu...@ptdprolog.net (Puckster) wrote:
>You will not change the overall size of the tire if you stay with
>235x75 even if you go with LT. The LT only changes the construction of
>the tire.
>
>Explorers are made for more of a smoother quieter ride, that is why
>they don't come with LT's. You will increase noise, decrease
>smoothness and comfort, decrease mileage, and increase tire wear.
>You have to give up alot to gain little with the LT's.
>
There is nothing inherent about LT tires that will cause any of those
things. Noise will be affected by tread, not whether it's an LT versus
P tire. Milage would not change in any consistent way, there's too many
variables to make any flat statements. There is also no reason to
expect increased tire wear, again, it could go either way since there
are hundreds of different LT tires just as there are hundreds of
different P tires. The ONLY thing you can say with a good degree of
certainty is that an LT tire will have a higher load capacity and will
almost always be better able to resist sidewall penetration from rocks
off road.
Mr. Fun
Dale Laird <dla...@ibm.net> wrote:
>The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
>and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
>comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
>the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
>discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
>stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
The advantage is that they are more suited to carrying loads and going
off road. I put Michelin LTs on mine and they ride better and quieter
then the ATXs did even at 40psi. I've heard the stories about how Ford
says not to use LT tires and I find it hard to imagine there is any
truth to it. If Ford actually sent something like that out as an
official letter they might as well hand out blank checks with it also
since it would be a guaranteed winning lawsuit for anyone who had any
accident. No manufacturer in their right mind would sell a vehicle and
then say that changing tire size, type, or pressure could lead to
accidents.
Robert Abbott
Dale Laird wrote:
>
> The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
> and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
> comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
> the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
> discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
> stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
stiffer than the "P" series. I have "XL"s on now and they ride a little
better.
Bob
Bob Whiston
Perrin Kliot <per...@lacis.com> wrote:
>Dale Laird wrote:
>>
>> The stock tires on my '94 Explorer are Firestone P235/75R15s (I think)
>> and I would like to replace them with a more "manly" tire when the time
>> comes. I will stay with 15", but would like to use "LT" tires. What are
>> the advantages/disadvantages to doing this? (Besides the fact that Ford
>> discourages it) I can't imagine the speedometer being too far off if I
>> stay with 15" tires and the stock wheels.
>I recently put LT235/75R15 Michelin X Radial LT tires on my 93 explorer,
>they are GREAT the traction is far superior to the stock Firestone tires.
>There no problems with the fact that they are LT tires the truck still
>rides smooth and quiet.
>
Hooray! Finally some sense! While *I* personally wouldn't go with the Michelin
tyres since *I* think that they are way over priced. *I* did go with LT tyres
on my '91 Explorer and have experienced no problems and have improved traction
and handling. 'Course I also didn't go `overboard' (Only went up *one* size to
get a little better `footprint' while staying within the rim specs.) sizing the
replacements and I checked out all the features of what the various distributors
in this area had. I also realized that by going to a more `agressive' tread
pattern I would most like pick up more noise as part of the package but the need
for the improvement in traction more than offset that particular `quibble'.
Funny thing... I always wondered just why they just didn't go ahead and equip
them with LT rated tyres straight from the factory. Since after all is said and
done they are `Light Trucks' anyway. (We are seriously looking at getting an
Expedition later this year and I've already talked it over with our local dealer
about getting the type and brand of tyres that *I* want vs what it will come
from the factory with. He even went as far as putting it in writing that they
will credit us with the cost of the factory tyres towards the ones *I* want and
will refund any difference! [We've been dealing with them for nigh on 40 years
now and this is just one of the reasons we are sticking with them! My father
bought all his cars and trucks from them and I intend to keep buying my cars and
trucks from them, too. When you *do* get a good `working relationship' with a
dealer it is something that benefits *both* of you. {CHORTLE!} ]) If the dealer
or the tyre store doesn't own up to that... And if they and the vehicle owner
don't realize that or point out sizing *does* make a difference... I can see
how all sorts of mis-information and horror tales can come to be. But...
Putting anything less than LT rated tyres on a light truck is in all probability
even worse than going *slightly* `overboard' on sizing LT tyres to the vehicle.
(Going *extremely* `overboard' is also asking for grief, too! Maybe in
different ways `effect wise' and maybe in very similar ways in relationship to
using a non LT rated tyre.)
---
---
Doleo ergo sum,
Bob Whiston
AKA
-HALFPINT-
ANACONISM Home Page: http://www.abwam.com/ibecc/anacon
bwhi...@abwam.com, bwhi...@ix.netcom.com, or bwhi...@aol.com
Data: 303.659.8294 970.785.0217 300-33.6K
NCC-1701 ENTERPRISE (FidoNet 1:104/769)
"If you're going to (mis)quote me, at least SPELL my NAME Correctly!"
marty
I put Michelin LTX M&S tires on my '92 Explorer about three years ago.
Ride smoothed out, steering got more precise, gas mileage improved
between 5% and 10%, small ripples in road are slightly easier to feel,
traction in snow was fine until this year....in short these were great
tires...much better than the trash OE Firestones that came on the
vehicle.
Dr. Bob
mart...@tiac.net (marty) wrote:
Marty:
How does the Mich LT hold up? 3 Years doesn't sound like a lot, but
it depends on how and how many miles you drive. Are you getting
longer life from these than you did from the original ATX Firestones?
Just curious. FWIW, I got about 80k from the originals, and I ran
them underinflated on purpose to help the ride. Replacements are BFG
Trails, but they won't last as long as the originals. Ride and
wet/snow traction are OK, but nothing to write home about.
Thanks!
dr bob
Allen Kirby
Dr. Bob wrote:
>
> mart...@tiac.net (marty) wrote:
>
> >I put Michelin LTX M&S tires on my '92 Explorer about three years ago.
> >Ride smoothed out, steering got more precise, gas mileage improved
>
> Marty:
>
> How does the Mich LT hold up? 3 Years doesn't sound like a lot, but
> it depends on how and how many miles you drive. Are you getting
> longer life from these than you did from the original ATX Firestones?
Dr Bob:
I also replaced the Firestone ATX on my 93 XLT with Michelin
LTX M/S P23575R15 with great results. I put about 25000 miles
on them before I sold it last month, and I think I could have
gotten at least 25000 more - the tread is really deep and the
wear was minimal as far as I could tell. The ride and
handling were much improved but the biggest change was the
noise reduction. Consumer Reports rated the Michelin LTX at
or near the top in quietness. I doubt that you would get
80,000 out of them though. Some people say they're overpriced,
but I bought them because they were about $100 cheaper/set
than the goodyear wranglers I looked at. I was very happy
with them and will probably buy another set along with new
shocks as soon as my checkbook balance and my annoyance level
are in phase with each other.
--
---
Allen Kirby AT&T ITS Production Services
aki...@att.com Alpharetta, GA.
Jim Shultz
On Tue, 14 Jan 1997 15:08:13 -0500, Allen Kirby <aki...@att.com>
wrote:
>Dr. Bob wrote:
>>
>> mart...@tiac.net (marty) wrote:
>>
>> >I put Michelin LTX M&S tires on my '92 Explorer about three years ago.
>> >Ride smoothed out, steering got more precise, gas mileage improved
><snip>
Check out the Tire Rack. They sold me Yokohama Geolandar HT tires
which are built specifically for sport utility vehicles which see
primarily highway miles. In my mind they are similar to Michelin LTX
for ride, quietness, and handling, at a price around $60 per tire.
You can't beat them.
Jim S.
Dr. Bob
dsh...@miworld.net (Jim Shultz) wrote:
Jim:
My 2 sense-- My luck with getting decent mileage out of yokohama
tires has been miserable. It would seem that the UTQG wear rating
should express some relation to real world mileage and tire life. But
the 320 rated Yokos lasted less than half as long as the 220 rated
Pirelli's they replaced.
So, my advice is to look with a careful eye at the ratings on the
tires, and blink when you get to the Yokohamas. Normally, I don't
take a stand on one tire brand vs another, since tire life is almost
alays determined by the driving habits and roads they are subjected
to. So take my advice on this with a grain of salt. Your Mileage May
Vary a Lot!
It would be interesting to hear the experiences of others who have
used the Yokohamas. Anyone?
d bob
D.M. Mattix
In article <5btkog$c...@mtinsc01-mgt.ops.worldnet.att.net>
dr....@worldnet.att.net (Dr. Bob) wrote:
Had them OEM on my 88 Pathfinder. Wore like erasers, maybe made
28K miles, put Bridgestones on after that and made 40K easily... Again
driving habits and vehicle will make a lot of difference as I push pretty
hard.
D.M. (Mike) Mattix
Monsanto Company
Luling, LA
dmm...@monsanto.com
marty
Sorry I missed earlier question. My LTX's have gone almost 30,000 miles
and are worn about 30% through tread. They can easily go much more
(although I tore sidewall on two of them by driving into curb on ice
last month...so will need new ones).
Marty
In article <32DBE7...@att.com>, aki...@att.com says...
>
>Dr. Bob wrote:
>>
>> mart...@tiac.net (marty) wrote:
>>
>> >I put Michelin LTX M&S tires on my '92 Explorer about three years
ago.
>> >Ride smoothed out, steering got more precise, gas mileage improved
><snip>
>>