I have decided to go with the Mondera B52. My question is what size should I go with 18" or 20" does one have an advantage over the other or does one size look better then the other kinda confused on this cause all i have seen for this wheel is the 20" on the explorer plus the 20" is more ????? is it really worth the???? over the 18". Tell me your opinions. Oh also I know the tire size for the 20 is 275/45/20 what is it for the 18 Thanks

I bought 18's...Wish I had twenty's. Think about it...If you really want to set your truck apart, why get a rim that's only one inch bigger than a lot of stock rims? Tire size I have are 255/45/18. I would think that the 275's would rub in the front, especially with 20's.

275s will not rub at all with 20s. Most people go with 255/55's with 18s.

Hartman, looks great, I can now see the future of the '96 XLT that I have kept totally stock until now.

to me.. 18's are more sport truck'ish and Dubs are more for show...

might as well go ahead and get 20's. everyone i know that got 18's eventually wanted 20's, so do it like you want the first time.

here are the wheels you want in 20's on an xplorer. this is AnabolicFrolic's ride.

http://cumebunny.homestead.com/files/wheelangle.jpg

I would go with 18's. I know people with 20's and every 2-3 months they need to get the wheels straightened. I do not see a purpose to getting them unless your X is not a daily driver. Just my opinion. I plan on getting 18's because I do not want to spend another 12-1500 dollars for the rims. I plan on useing the money I save to upgrade my stereo in "Critical Level 2" (my X) to go even louder than it is.

Originally posted by Critical_Level2
I would go with 18's. I know people with 20's and every 2-3 months they need to get the wheels straightened.

Ummmmm, okay. :rolleyes: :confused:

Between 18 and 20 I say go 18. They'll probably ride better, are cheaper, the tires are cheaper, and you have less of a chance of messing them up.

I plan on getting 18's come spring. I don't see spending the money for 20's, and they aren't that special anymore. Everybody has 20's on their car/truck. Bigger is better, if you have the money. But to me, it's not worth it.

just to give you my opinion i have 18's with 255/5518 tires......i switched to 18's after having 20's becouse the truck rode like crap....they do look nice but my 98 has very stiff torsion and leafs and is dropped 2 in so the twentys were way to rough and like the guys here are saying the are very expensive to keep up with.....but when they say go with what you like first they are right on.....get what you want the first time....or you will never be happy with what you end up with....good luck

Is this even a question? obviously 20s...jk I'd say go with whichever you like more. If you want to bling n shine and whatever then go with 20s, if you just want a better, sportier look go with 18s. Heck even look into Hartmans 18s hes got a really good deal going with those, I think they are still for sale.

WoW i must be the only one who thinks the ride with 20's is better. Its not a luxury car ride.. doesnt ride like a lincoln navigator.. But its not rough or annoying. It gives me a better feel of the road and handles better to boot. The ride on the stock tires feels numb to me.

My thoughts on the 18's or 20's issue is this:
Yes 20's are more expensive than 18"rims. but 18's are expensive too. I wouldnt want to pay the money for 18's which are way too similar to 17's which are common on lots of SUVs these days. If im gonna invest my hard earned cash on wheels its gonna be on something that will really set it off.

Help yall, I am wanting to get 18's but since no one sells wheels for the x I want to know what info I will need to order some. I will be doing it online so I would like it to fit the first time.
I know I can use 7-9" wide with a 5 bolt patern but what are the numbers for backspacing and offset and whatever else for a 18" wheel.
I plan to put 285 50's on them.
Thanks

u need a 5x4.5" bolt patter.. cant just call it a 5 bolt pattern.
backspacing/offset are the same thing.. just the reverse.
As long as your getting a wheel designed for an SUV/truck you will be fine.
When i was looking for wheels online i found that most sites including manuf. web sites didnt list backspace/offset specs.

So you are saying with a 5X4.5 bolt pattern and 8.5" wide wheels I shouldn't have a problem with any rubbing of such??
Thanks for the previous info.

Question: I found some 18 x 8 wit +21mm backspace will this work?

As long as the rim is RWD you will be fine.

Will 285/50R18's fit without rubbing? Or can you do 285/50R18's in the rear and 255/55R18's in the front?

Originally posted by Viggen2002
Will 285/50R18's fit without rubbing? Or can you do 285/50R18's in the rear and 255/55R18's in the front?

285/50 is the proper size for a 18/9" wheel. 255/55 is the proper size for a 18x8" wheel. I had 18s on my last Sport and those even bent over time. Guess the streets in Ma are just terrible.

Originally posted by Explorer46L
285/50 is the proper size for a 18/9" wheel. 255/55 is the proper size for a 18x8" wheel. I had 18s on my last Sport and those even bent over time. Guess the streets in Ma are just terrible.

The wheels bent??? That's scaring me, because i'm looking into getting 17's or 18's pretty soon. Was it just from alot of bumps in the road or what?

I'm looking at the '03 Cobra's.

I was looking at the American Racing Hype's. 18x8.5" with the right backspacing. Since they are 8.5" wide, couldnt I run 285's in the rear and 255's up front. I did the conversion and 285/55R18's come to 29" tall and the 285/50R18's come to about 29.2" tall. Since they are almost the same size, the 4wd will still work fine when I need it. For rubber, I want to run Nitto NT-404 tires. Gimme a shout as to what you guys think about that. It might take me a while to get there but now I think I know what I want.

if you wanted to run a 255/55 on front, and 285/50 on the rear of a 4WD/AWD it would work just fine. one is 29.0", the other is 29.2". two tenths is not enough difference to hurt anything, even on the street.

if thats the look you want, i say go for it! :)

Hey, quick question. I read on one of these posts that someone with 18x9's had a problem with rubbing. Running the 18x9's upfront and he couldnt turn lock to lock and needed to get spacers. Am I remembering correctly? If so, what backspacing should wheels be? These 18x8.5's that I am looking at have a 4.75" backspacing, is that enough? Also, I can run 285's on the 8.5" width wheel in the rear and not worry about rubbing right? I want to do the Explorer Express drop of about 1 3/8 to 2" and big wheels but I still want to be able to turn the damn thing. Thanks

you shouldnt have any rubbing issues with that width and backspacing. i am running about the same with a 17x8 on front and dont rub with lots more drop than you want. the rear should be fine also.

Originally posted by explorer4x493
The wheels bent??? That's scaring me, because i'm looking into getting 17's or 18's pretty soon. Was it just from alot of bumps in the road or what?

I'm looking at the '03 Cobra's.

Yes you can bend wheels. Go over a big pothole and you can easily bend a wheel when there isn't much sidewall there. Keep in mind I drive around in the city a lot and the potholes can get huge. I love the '03 Cobra rims. Especially in chrome. They are 17x9 so you should throw a 275/55/17 on there. I would recommend Pirelli Scorpion Zero's if you don't use the X in the snow. And if you want the best price on the '03 Cobra's don't order from tire Rack. Order from Speedhere (http://www.speedconcepts.net/ford_racing_performance_parts.htm) for silver or here (http://www.gefracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GRPP&Product_Code=M1007S179C&Category_Code=WHEELS) for chrome.

I have 17x9 cobras, can I run 255/60/17 toyo proxies or is that too narrow of a tire?

that tire will work fine on a 17x9.