I am interested in going from the stock 28" size tire (it's 28", right?) to a 31" tire. I have no real need/ desire for lift and I've read a thousand times on here that 31" will fit fine. Since I don't do any off roading (except that our driveway is pretty darn rough, especially in winter) I was wondering what tire would be best for me... Ride quality is somewhat important to me but mostly I was interested in 31" tires because I like the look (28" looks small on the Explorer). I've found the BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/As, are they what I'm looking for? I know this question gets asked a million times so any help or opinions you can give are greatly appreciated.

They should be fine for you if you don't go off road too often. I beleive they have a somewhat similar desgin as the BFG at ko but not as aggresive.

Oh yeah, go with the 31. You won't regret it. :thumbsup:

Oh yeah, go with the 31. You won't regret it. :thumbsup:

I suspected as much... ;)

so what does 31" translate to in tire size? as in 235/75R15

so what does 31" translate to in tire size? as in 235/75R15

no, alot bigger.

= 265/75/15 or
= 265/70/16

and actually, it is a little bigger than those, they come out to a 30.6, not 31 exactly.

31's may not fit on a non lifted X. Depends on the X in question. Some fit, some don't.

mine's a 94 4x4 sport... whaddya think?

Just looking on tirerack.com I've found some Firestone Destination LEs. They're cheaper than most but have some excellent reviews to them. It seems only a handful of people don't like them. What are your opinions?

bridgestone dueler a/t, dueler a/t revo or toyo a/t open country's are all good tires and IMO much better than the rugged trails and the destinations

I saw duelers h/l and h/t but they were a bit more pricey. Not-So-Pricey is more my style. Plus, I do all street driving if that makes any difference.

i think the bfg rugged only comes in 17" rim...maybe not but i think they did when i got em

mine's a 94 4x4 sport... whaddya think?
Year & model doesn't matter. It's the factory tolrences. Some Explorers have enough clearance some don't. Just the way they were made.

30.5x9.5x15 will fit as an approved tire size (everybody will sell, install and warrenty it). It is about 1/2-inch larger than a 235x75x15. A larger diameter tire will reduce acceleration, unless you regear.

A larger diameter tire will reduce acceleration, unless you regear.

Uh oh... the plot thickens. Now I have more things to consider...

well if 31s are 275x75x15. then i just put 31s one my first gen. rides awesome now rubbing even when i flex the suspension. and the make the thing look huge.

I have 31's on my 94 Sport, on 15x8 rock crawlers. They do rub a little. On a stock width wheel, they would be squeezed a little tighter, giving you more height and a little more chance of rubbing. They sure do look good, though! Acceleration does suffer.

I know a few that have put 31 on their 91-94 EXs. Some rub some don't. 2 of them that had the rubing problem replaced their old tired saging springs and shocks and the rubbing stoped. Some had rubbing on the sides which is still there.

I put 31's on my '96 with no problems. I even lowered the front via TT so it looked even with the back of the truck. Yeah.....so there.

Procomp has a got a real good deal going right now on their tires. Buy 3 get one free. You'll have to order them online though, I've never seen them sold at a tire shop. I can't recall ever hearing anything bad about the Procomps, the sound like a real good deal. Depending on which site you get them from, they will be about $110-$130 bucks apiece. This isn't bad because you only have to pay for 3 tires. I think this offer lasts through the end of October so you'll have to act fast. One thing to think about though, is that if you order them online, you'll have to pay to have them mounted somewhere.

I know a few that have put 31 on their 91-94 EXs. Some rub some don't. 2 of them that had the rubing problem replaced their old tired saging springs and shocks and the rubbing stoped. Some had rubbing on the sides which is still there.

It seems like a good idea to freshen up the suspension first. Anyway, before I do anything, it has to be cleared by the Mrs. so if anyone has a good sensible sounding reason for needing 31s then let me know! :confused:

It seems like a good idea to freshen up the suspension first. Anyway, before I do anything, it has to be cleared by the Mrs. so if anyone has a good sensible sounding reason for needing 31s then let me know! :confused:


Here's how I got permission from my parents (I think wives and mothers play the same role when it comes to permission to buy stuff for ones truck) to get a 2 inch lift kit and 31s:

(me): Hey mom and dad, the camber in the front suspension of my explorer is messed up and causing the tires to wear unevenly and needs to be fixed.

(parents): Well, how much is that gonna cost you?

(me): Well, you have to buy the degree shims, and take half the front suspension apart and.... (they cut me off here)

(parents) That's sounds expensive.

(me) Actually putting a two inch lift kit on it will solve the problem nicely, and I could find a two inch lift for much cheaper than having it fixed.

(my dad) Let me look at it. (so I went and showed him and he agreed)

(me) Well, mom and dad, the X looks unproportional with the lift and stock size tires, I think I'm gonna get 31s when these wear out. Plus the wider tires will make it less likely to roll.

(parents) Yeah, that sounds reasonable. Go for it.

At this point I left to go do burnouts so I can burn up those stupid stock size goodyears! :D :D :D :D

Another approach would be to wait until it needs new tires anyways, and then put 31s on but only tell your wife that you're getting new tires because it needs it (which is %100 true) She probably won't even notice. :cool:

This is good stuff... quite good stuff... useable stuff... I'm going to go ahead and say that this should be included in the Useful Threads forum.

At this point I left to go do burnouts so I can burn up those stupid stock size goodyears! :D :D :D :D
LOL, thats all I plan to do. Then rotate the front tires to the rear and burn them off, so it looks like they all wore out evenly. ;)

i tell my dad i need to get something done to my x, hes like well go in the garage and do it. i love working on cars but sometimes i am too lazy to do anything. that is a nice story yosh18981898. well anyways off to change my axle seals.

bigger tires will help you get through the snow better.