1998 Explorer Can't Decide Rim Tire Size To Go With

Anime said:

You can find your axle code on the VIN sticker on the driver's side door.

Axle code / gear ratio chart is here: http://www.explorerforum.com/ntrprize/Axle.htm

You can put 235/75R15 tires on there with 3.08 gears, it will just be a little slower than if the truck has 3.27 gears. You may find 235/75R15's for less than 225/70R15's, if so, that's fine. If you find a set of 225/70R15's for a lot less, then go with those. Some people go with 235/75R15's because it looks a little better on the vehicle, gives a small lift, and the taller sidewall makes for a better ride.

...
Most tires are technically "4-ply" (2 steel belts, 2 polyester belts), but are considered "6-ply" because the polyester runs from the sidewall to the tread, to the other sidewall, and they count the sidewall and tread areas as two different belts. Same goes for 8 and 10 ply tires.

BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires come in a LT235/75R15 and have an extra sidewall ply (so 3-ply sidewall instead of 2-ply) for extra toughness. They are a pretty good choice if you want an aggressive off-road tire, but still want something that is good on pavement. They are also less expensive than the Goodyear Wrangler Territory at Canada Tire (at least going by the website prices), quite a bit when you add up 4 tires. The BFG's are also snow-rated and should be an awesome winter tire, at least for the first few seasons when they have good tread.

I wouldn't suggest the Wrangler Territory unless you primarily use the Explorer off-road. The BFG All-Terrain is probably the most aggressive tire I would suggest for a vehicle that sees lots of pavement use, and only goes off-road every so often. You may want to shop around, as there are probably other tire stores with different brands that have brand-name all-terrain tires at even lower prices, and lots of those are even better suited to a vehicle that spends most of the time driving on paved roads, with some off-roading. If you use that mountain road fairly often in the Explorer, the BFG might be the way to go. The BFG AT just seems like a better choice at Canadian tire since it's a better on/off road tire than the GY, will work great in winter, and costs less. Most of the other less expensive tires seem to be highway treads.

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When you said,"You can put 235/75R15 tires on there with 3.08 gears, it will just be a little slower than if the truck has 3.27 gears." I think you mean it will have a little less 'pick up' than with the smaller tire, right?


My axle code is 46 which is 3.73 ratio!

So that means I can go with the 16" wheels if I want? Will a bigger diameter wheel give me better gas economy on the highway? Will I feel a reduction in climbing power or downhill engine braking with the bigger diameter wheel?

Is the BFG A/T 235 75 15 still the best bet to go?

The 4 ply~6 ply info confuses me. I guess I need to look up an illustration.

Thanks for the help.

Anime said:

I wouldn't suggest the Wrangler Territory unless you primarily use the Explorer off-road.

Click to expand...

I disagree. I find they're great on the road, even in the city.

Here are the pics as promised.



Links for higher quality:
http://i.imgur.com/DzXAw7N.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RAppQOg.jpg

Don't mind my terrible rims..

tinkering said:

When you said,"You can put 235/75R15 tires on there with 3.08 gears, it will just be a little slower than if the truck has 3.27 gears." I think you mean it will have a little less 'pick up' than with the smaller tire, right?

Click to expand...

Pretty much.

My axle code is 46 which is 3.73 ratio!

So that means I can go with the 16" wheels if I want? Will a bigger diameter wheel give me better gas economy on the highway? Will I feel a reduction in climbing power or downhill engine braking with the bigger diameter wheel?

Is the BFG A/T 235 75 15 still the best bet to go?

Click to expand...

That's pretty amazing, usually XL models with the small 225/70R15 tires only had 3.08/3.27 gears.

With 3.73 gears, you probably should have the 235/75R15 tires (really, they should have come stock on it with those gears, and I'd guess the VIN sticker label calls for 235/75R15 tires, not 225/70R15 that it just has on it), but sure, you can get the larger 16" tires if you want to spring for the 16" wheels to go with them. Personally I think it's less hassle to just get 235/75R15 tires, and tires in that size are usually less expensive than the 16" sizes.

Keep in mind you can also get "flotation sizes", such as 30x9.50R15 (slightly larger than a 235/75R15), or 31x10.50R15 (about the same outer diameter as a 255/70R16). You get the larger tire diameter without needing a different 16" wheel.

You probably won't notice any better economy with larger tires, usually those theoretical gains (due to lower RPM from a larger tire) are offset by the increase in tire weight. Also, an aggressive off-road tread tire will have lots of rolling resistance (compared to a highway-tread tire), which affects fuel economy on the road more than the size increase will.

There are highway-tread tires that are ok for off-road use. BF Goodrich makes their new Rugged Terrain that is a highway tire designed for aggressive looks and occasional off-road use, and Michelin has their LTX M/S2 which is a highway tire with sipes like a winter tire, making it great in the wet. Both these tires are only offered in the P-series 235/75R15XL size though, no LT option, but they do seem to have newer construction with a nylon cap in the tread, like high-performance tires.

My personal choice for the Explorer is the older Michelin LTX M/S (different than the newer LTX M/S2), which is available in the LT235/75R15 size, at least on the Canadian Tire website. The tire has the toughness of an off-road tire, but great pavement performance for fuel economy, and works great in the rain and snow. The only downside is price, Canadian Tire shows it at nearly $200CDN, more than the BF Goodrich All-Terrain. It's also discontinued, so it may not actually be available, though it was made in Canada so that may be why Canadian tire still has some stock left, or at least is showing low stock on the website.

Ultimately you'll have to decide what you want to put on there based on how you really use it, whether it's highway tires, all-terrains, or aggressive off-road tires that still do ok on pavement.

I'd say either the Goodyear or BFG All-terrain would be fine if you wanted those, but the Goodyear seems pretty high priced, and both tires are going to be heavier than a similar size highway-tread tire, and affect fuel economy because of the aggressive tread.

There are plenty of other brands at other tire shops, you might find something you like more at a better price somewhere else.

The 4 ply~6 ply info confuses me. I guess I need to look up an illustration.

Click to expand...

Tires have two polyester layers in the whole tire (plies) and two steel belt layers in the tread area (plies).

4 of the layers in a "6-ply" tire comes from counting the polyester layers in the tread area and sidewall area seperately, even though both polyester layers are actually the same polyester material around the whole tire. The other two plies are the steel belts in the tread.

So, the sidewall of a 6-ply tire reads 2 steel and 2 polyester plies in the tread, and 2 polyester plies in the sidewall.

Anime said:

...
...That's pretty amazing, usually XL models with the small 225/70R15 tires only had 3.08/3.27 gears.

With 3.73 gears, you probably should have the 235/75R15 tires (really, they should have come stock on it with those gears, and I'd guess the VIN sticker label calls for 235/75R15 tires, not 225/70R15 that it just has on it), but sure, you can get the larger 16" tires if you want to spring for the 16" wheels to go with them. Personally I think it's less hassle to just get 235/75R15 tires, and tires in that size are usually less expensive than the 16" sizes.

Keep in mind you can also get "flotation sizes", such as 30x9.50R15 (slightly larger than a 235/75R15), or 31x10.50R15 (about the same outer diameter as a 255/70R16). You get the larger tire diameter without needing a different 16" wheel.

You probably won't notice any better economy with larger tires, usually those theoretical gains (due to lower RPM from a larger tire) are offset by the increase in tire weight. Also, an aggressive off-road tread tire will have lots of rolling resistance (compared to a highway-tread tire), which affects fuel economy on the road more than the size increase will.

There are highway-tread tires that are ok for off-road use. BF Goodrich makes their new Rugged Terrain that is a highway tire designed for aggressive looks and occasional off-road use, and Michelin has their LTX M/S2 which is a highway tire with sipes like a winter tire, making it great in the wet. Both these tires are only offered in the P-series 235/75R15XL size though, no LT option, but they do seem to have newer construction with a nylon cap in the tread, like high-performance tires.

My personal choice for the Explorer is the older Michelin LTX M/S (different than the newer LTX M/S2), which is available in the LT235/75R15 size, at least on the Canadian Tire website. The tire has the toughness of an off-road tire, but great pavement performance for fuel economy, and works great in the rain and snow. The only downside is price, Canadian Tire shows it at nearly $200CDN, more than the BF Goodrich All-Terrain. It's also discontinued, so it may not actually be available, though it was made in Canada so that may be why Canadian tire still has some stock left, or at least is showing low stock on the website.

Ultimately you'll have to decide what you want to put on there based on how you really use it, whether it's highway tires, all-terrains, or aggressive off-road tires that still do ok on pavement.

I'd say either the Goodyear or BFG All-terrain would be fine if you wanted those, but the Goodyear seems pretty high priced, and both tires are going to be heavier than a similar size highway-tread tire, and affect fuel economy because of the aggressive tread.

There are plenty of other brands at other tire shops, you might find something you like more at a better price somewhere else.



Tires have two polyester layers in the whole tire (plies) and two steel belt layers in the tread area (plies).

4 of the layers in a "6-ply" tire comes from counting the polyester layers in the tread area and sidewall area seperately, even though both polyester layers are actually the same polyester material around the whole tire. The other two plies are the steel belts in the tread.

So, the sidewall of a 6-ply tire reads 2 steel and 2 polyester plies in the tread, and 2 polyester plies in the sidewall.

Click to expand...

After what you told me I was surprised all to heck to see axle code 46 on the door sticker which is 3.73 on the ratio chart you sent me. With some parts of the road being 45ish degrees, it's good that it is geared for climbing.

The tire size on the door sticker is in fact 225 70 15... I guess they wanted this one to climb.

I won't bother with floatation sizes; If I need a replacement tire in a pinch, it will be harder to find a match. Speaking of which, is it OK to mix brands? I came across a pair LT235 75R15 LR-C, Goodyear Wranglers, and a pair of LT235 75R15 BFGoodrich All Terrain... or is it bad news for handling and drive train?
I think I am going to go for LT235 75R15 in BFG or GY like you say, unless a good deal surfaces on something smaller or 16s. Thanks

OK, I get the 4 ply~6 ply explanation now. I hope I can remember that for awhile. The tires that are on the Explorer now are P235 75R15 Dunlop I think. The tire reads:
Tread 4 ply
Sidewall 2 plies polyester cord
plus 2 steel cord
Does that mean they have 2 plies of polyester and 2 plies of steel in the tread, and the same in the side walls? Is that an 8 ply tire? I don't think so. Does that mean it has 2 plies of polyester and 2 plies of steel spanning continuously across both sidewalls and across the tread (sorry for the lousy description)? That would make it a 4 ply? I get confused with this ply stuff.

DjDom said:

I disagree. I find they're great on the road, even in the city.

Here are the pics as promised.

Links for higher quality:
http://i.imgur.com/DzXAw7N.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RAppQOg.jpg

Don't mind my terrible rims..

Click to expand...

Never mind the rims. They are a good looking tire. Now that I am an expert on plies, I see that the Territory is 6 ply 'C'
The kid at CT must have been wrong unless they offer 2 load ratings in the Territory?
Thanks for sending the pictures.

tinkering said:

Never mind the rims. They are a good looking tire. Now that I am an expert on plies, I see that the Territory is 6 ply 'C'
The kid at CT must have been wrong unless they offer 2 load ratings in the Territory?
Thanks for sending the pictures.

Click to expand...

They offer a higher ply when you upsize to load rating E, but something like that would be too much of a load rating for an Explorer.. they'd be wayyyy too stiff.

tinkering said:

After what you told me I was surprised all to heck to see axle code 46 on the door sticker which is 3.73 on the ratio chart you sent me. With some parts of the road being 45ish degrees, it's good that it is geared for climbing.

The tire size on the door sticker is in fact 225 70 15... I guess they wanted this one to climb.

Click to expand...

It's pretty crazy to have 3.73 gearing and a 225/70R15 tire with a 5 speed, that is VERY low and while it will climb and accelerate great, I'm surprised they offered that configuration from the factory.

I won't bother with floatation sizes; If I need a replacement tire in a pinch, it will be harder to find a match. Speaking of which, is it OK to mix brands? I came across a pair LT235 75R15 LR-C, Goodyear Wranglers, and a pair of LT235 75R15 BFGoodrich All Terrain... or is it bad news for handling and drive train?
I think I am going to go for LT235 75R15 in BFG or GY like you say, unless a good deal surfaces on something smaller or 16s.

Click to expand...

I would NOT mix brands or even mix old and new tires on a 4WD. If the tires are different diameters, that can mess with the 4WD system. It can also just affect the gears if mixed brands are on the same axle, and while it would be minor, it's not desireable long-term. Same with brakes and the ABS - mixing tire brands might have bad consequences you don't want to find out about.
It does also affect handling, and two different tires with different grip characteristics might be anything from undesireable to unsafe, especially in inclement weather. Not what you want on an SUV.

I would stick with 4 of the same tires in the same size on all 4 corners when buying new, and perhaps even 5 if you can swing the price of a spare, depending on the age and condition of the existing spare.

You can of course throw on a spare in a pinch and drive slow to get where you need to go, but not in 4WD and it's preferable to have the spare on the non-drive axle if it's a different size tire.

OK, I get the 4 ply~6 ply explanation now. I hope I can remember that for awhile. The tires that are on the Explorer now are P235 75R15 Dunlop I think. The tire reads:
Tread 4 ply
Sidewall 2 plies polyester cord
plus 2 steel cord
Does that mean they have 2 plies of polyester and 2 plies of steel in the tread, and the same in the side walls? Is that an 8 ply tire? I don't think so. Does that mean it has 2 plies of polyester and 2 plies of steel spanning continuously across both sidewalls and across the tread (sorry for the lousy description)? That would make it a 4 ply? I get confused with this ply stuff.

Click to expand...

The tread is "4 ply" because it has the two polyester layers of the whole tire, plus two steel belts under the tread area.

The sidewall is "2 ply" because it has the two polyester layers of the whole tire.

Bascially, a "6-ply" tire is really a 4-ply tire - 2 polyester plies over the whole tire, 2 steel plies under the tread. The markings just indicate the tread and sidewall layers seperately, even though the polyester they use is the same actual 2 layers over the whole tire.

It doesn't really mean that much since most basic auto/truck tires have 2 polyester plies and 2 steel plies a.k.a. 6-ply construction.

If it helps any, load ranges go along with ply ratings, where a 6-ply tire is Load Range "C", an 8-ply is Load Range "D", a 10-ply is Load Range "E". All it really means is the higher ply tires have more polyester and steel belts to handle more air pressure and higher loads. Load Range "E" tires can hold 85psi to handle some really heavy loads.

They do offer some tires in different load ranges/ply ratings that are the same size. There probably are even Load Range "E" tires in a LT235/75R15, but they would probably be for off-road only tires, or for worksite trucks that use that size. It is still a very common size, and lots of full size pickups still use it.

DjDom said:

They offer a higher ply when you upsize to load rating E, but something like that would be too much of a load rating for an Explorer.. they'd be wayyyy too stiff.

Click to expand...

Can you even get a LR 'E' in 235 75R15, or do you have to move to a 16" for that? Is there a 'D'? I'm getting tired

It sounds like an 8 or 10 ply would knock my Explorer apart.

tinkering said:

Can you even get a LR 'E' in 235 75R15, or do you have to move to a 16" for that? Is there a 'D'? I'm getting tired

It sounds like an 8 or 10 ply would knock my Explorer apart.

Click to expand...

You can pick the size on the Canadian tire website to see which load rating they get. These don't come in D.

DjDom said:

You can pick the size on the Canadian tire website to see which load rating they get. These don't come in D.

Click to expand...

I don't think I will spend too much time on that now. I am going with LR-'C' so I'll spend my time finding a deal on LT 225 70R15, LT235 75R15, LT255 70R16 w/rims, or something in between if it is a good price.

Thanks a bunch. :exp:

tinkering said:

I don't think I will spend too much time on that now. I am going with LR-'C' so I'll spend my time finding a deal on LT 225 70R15, LT235 75R15, LT255 70R16 w/rims, or something in between if it is a good price.

Thanks a bunch. :exp:

Click to expand...

Browse Kijiji like a hawk.
I managed to find mine on Kijiji and bought them for $220. They had 80% thread on them. Amazing deal, I'm very happy about it.

DjDom said:

Browse Kijiji like a hawk.
I managed to find mine on Kijiji and bought them for $220. They had 80% thread on them. Amazing deal, I'm very happy about it.

Click to expand...

Good show!! I am looking there now. I hope I get the deal you did! A deal like that would really pick me up.
Thanks

Anime said:

It's pretty crazy to have 3.73 gearing and a 225/70R15 tire with a 5 speed, that is VERY low and while it will climb and accelerate great, I'm surprised they offered that configuration from the factory.



I would NOT mix brands or even mix old and new tires on a 4WD. If the tires are different diameters, that can mess with the 4WD system. It can also just affect the gears if mixed brands are on the same axle, and while it would be minor, it's not desireable long-term. Same with brakes and the ABS - mixing tire brands might have bad consequences you don't want to find out about.
It does also affect handling, and two different tires with different grip characteristics might be anything from undesireable to unsafe, especially in inclement weather. Not what you want on an SUV.

I would stick with 4 of the same tires in the same size on all 4 corners when buying new, and perhaps even 5 if you can swing the price of a spare, depending on the age and condition of the existing spare.

You can of course throw on a spare in a pinch and drive slow to get where you need to go, but not in 4WD and it's preferable to have the spare on the non-drive axle if it's a different size tire.



The tread is "4 ply" because it has the two polyester layers of the whole tire, plus two steel belts under the tread area.

The sidewall is "2 ply" because it has the two polyester layers of the whole tire.

Bascially, a "6-ply" tire is really a 4-ply tire - 2 polyester plies over the whole tire, 2 steel plies under the tread. The markings just indicate the tread and sidewall layers seperately, even though the polyester they use is the same actual 2 layers over the whole tire.

It doesn't really mean that much since most basic auto/truck tires have 2 polyester plies and 2 steel plies a.k.a. 6-ply construction.

If it helps any, load ranges go along with ply ratings, where a 6-ply tire is Load Range "C", an 8-ply is Load Range "D", a 10-ply is Load Range "E". All it really means is the higher ply tires have more polyester and steel belts to handle more air pressure and higher loads. Load Range "E" tires can hold 85psi to handle some really heavy loads.

They do offer some tires in different load ranges/ply ratings that are the same size. There probably are even Load Range "E" tires in a LT235/75R15, but they would probably be for off-road only tires, or for worksite trucks that use that size. It is still a very common size, and lots of full size pickups still use it.

Click to expand...

THANKS for your fantastic help. I value your knowledge. I appreciate you using your time to reply in such detail. I know what tire size/s, designation, and load range I should be looking for now.

DjDom said:

Browse Kijiji like a hawk.
I managed to find mine on Kijiji and bought them for $220. They had 80% thread on them. Amazing deal, I'm very happy about it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the coaching. I browsed kijiji like a hawk, like you said. I found 4 Good Year Wranglers (not Territory) but they are LT235 75 R15 LR 'C' with 80% tread, for $250 changed over, balanced, and installed. That was God send. I don't have any pictures; the Explorer is not here right now. If I can clean up the wheels and get a decent picture, I will post it.

Thanks DjDom, and Anime!

There you go, what kind of Wranglers?

DjDom said:

There you go, what kind of Wranglers?

Click to expand...

The Exp is not here, and I'm not sure of the model. I will try to post the answer when I get reunited with it in 6 or so weeks.

On another subject, I wound up finding a brand new Actron 9580A code scanner on eBay. There are a bunch of them being auctioned off. I won one for $103.60 USD + $20.55 shipping. Good deal and great eBay seller.

I had started a thread on automotiveforums.com to investigate a good code scanner: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=7140241#post7140241

I use a $10 ELM OBDII scan tool with my laptop. It does everything and more than the $200 OBDII scanners.

DjDom said:

I use a $10 ELM OBDII scan tool with my laptop. It does everything and more than the $200 OBDII scanners.

Click to expand...

Ahah! I saw those. I wasn't sure what they were. I liked the 4 million fixes that are calculated into the 9580A, that help with diagnostics and probability solutions. Also, my laptop and working on vehicles in the same room could break my patience and spell disaster. No doubt though, you probably have something there

I'm quite happy with it. I use it with a $300 Program that can monitor everything. Gives you gauges for read outs, can monitor literally everything from your speed and RPM, to whether you're currently pressing the drivers side window button. It's an awesome little/cheap tool.

I was thinking about getting a bluetooth one to work with my Android phone.