NEW 24" Tires, on 295/35/24! HUGE tires! No Rub! Check it out!

Many people here say the reason they don't have 24's on their explorer is because you can't fit a big enough tire. That's B.S. and I called it from the start.

My charger has 265/35/22 on the 22's, and the 35 series sidewall has been EXCELLENT in preventing pothole damage, whereas the 30 series tires on my 255/30/24 tires I had before failed miserably. They were fine on other vehicles, but for some reason on the 3rd gen expo's the rims got molested badly by potholes.

Well, I was told that there's no bigger tire I can do, except 275/30/24. I looked for 285/35/24 tires and they were a bit expensive, but I wanted bigger. I made it a personal vendetta to prove that a 295 tire could fit on our vehicles, without trimming.

Even the most experienced tire joints told me I was stupid and they wouldn't order them, or if they did they wouldn't take them back if it didn't work. Well I took the risk. These are the same tires they put on tahoes and suburbans, so they are much bigger.

285/35/24 would probably have been more suitable (and also more expensive), but I wanted to step it up a notch. 295/35/24 tires, LOTS of meat, LOTS of sidewall.

After being told for 2 hours that it wasn't going to work, they finally mounted the tires, balanced the wheels, threw them on the truck. The moment of truth: Viola! No cut no rub!

It could NOT be any closer of a fit than it is, but it's a go!

Key points: Different offset wheels will make a difference. I tested a +15 offset 24" wheel, and it looked like I would have to trim the inside of the trim on the back of the front wheel wells. (Barely at all, though).

Our cars call for a +44 offset (which nobody carries, anyway... they always send +30-+35). I think +35 would be too much, and +30 is perfect.

Wheel Specs:
- 24x8.5 (although 24x10 would work also) U2 35s (u35s) wheels
- +30 offset
- 114.3 bolt pattern (standard for our vehicles)

Tire Specs:
- Falken 295/35/24
- LOTS of tread, LOTS of sidewall, LOTS of protection!

Enough blabbing, here are the pics!

Sorry, they are crappy cell phone pics. (I didn't have time to take out my old dig camera and honestly the iphone 3gs is probably just as good anyway)

They look small because of my ENORMOUS tires. Still, they're 24x8.5 w/ 295/35/24 tires.

Rides 100x better. My new wheels aren't as "ghetto" a bit less flashy. Truck needs a good cleaning, and probably some running boards.

Anyway, here they are!








I might also add that the wheel size + big tires has jacked the car up quite a bit! When I pull up on another explorer, I feel like I am in an expedition!

damn that looks great! congrats on the whels and tires.
next you need to get those roof racks off, it will really add to the street truck look.
nice X you got!

Those fit PERFECTLY! This is exactly how 24's should look. Its nice to see someone not afraid of the bigger sidewalled rims for once.

Those are 32.1 inch tires, I don't know why they wouldn't fit. The area in the picture looks very familar.

eXcali said:

Those are 32.1 inch tires, I don't know why they wouldn't fit. The area in the picture looks very familar.

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If you talk to a rim shop, many still say 22's are the biggest you can fit with a 265/35/22 tire.

And with 24's some of them want you to get 275/25/24 tires... (GASP)

This tire is much larger than these, I think it's more than 32.1 but it's around there. Fills up the gap nicely!

Also, the width of the tires is another reason why they wouldn't fit (the biggest reason). Trust me when I say you're not throwing a wider tire on these trucks. They said 285 was too wide, 275 was too wide but would barely work. These are 295.

rileyrs said:

damn that looks great! congrats on the whels and tires.
next you need to get those roof racks off, it will really add to the street truck look.
nice X you got!

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Yeah, I use this for utility sometimes so I don't want to take them off. It's my daily driver, my charger is my street machine!

Thanks for the compliments!

94Jo said:

Those fit PERFECTLY! This is exactly how 24's should look. Its nice to see someone not afraid of the bigger sidewalled rims for once.

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Thank you! I agree!

Nice Falken's

I finally got my 22's on Falken Ziex's up here in canada. Costed $299.99 a tire with some other bs charges that brought them to around $345.99 a tire. Do you have the ziex's ?
tell me what ya think

That looks HOT Expoon24's! Fills up the wheelwell nicely.

Your tires are the same diameter as mine, 32". So yeah, they fit. I hate shops that want to argue that you MUST run the same size as factory... BS! Somewhere on Cardomain I saw an 07-up Sport Trac on 26's... so anything is possible.

ExpoOn24s said:

If you talk to a rim shop, many still say 22's are the biggest you can fit with a 265/35/22 tire.

And with 24's some of them want you to get 275/25/24 tires... (GASP)

This tire is much larger than these, I think it's more than 32.1 but it's around there. Fills up the gap nicely!

Also, the width of the tires is another reason why they wouldn't fit (the biggest reason). Trust me when I say you're not throwing a wider tire on these trucks. They said 285 was too wide, 275 was too wide but would barely work. These are 295.



Yeah, I use this for utility sometimes so I don't want to take them off. It's my daily driver, my charger is my street machine!

Thanks for the compliments!



Thank you! I agree!

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Those shops were just trying to sell you tires that were the same diameter as stock, or close to it. Most shops will try to steer you clear from up-sizing the tires. I'm sure that the 11.6 inch wide would pose some rub issues, do you have spacers or more offset than stock?

I run a 40 series on my wifes Volvo, I didn't want to go to a 30 or 35 series due to potholes. And do we have them here in LA! I bent one of the old rims with a 55 series on a pothole

eXcali said:

Those shops were just trying to sell you tires that were the same diameter as stock, or close to it. Most shops will try to steer you clear from up-sizing the tires. I'm sure that the 11.6 inch wide would pose some rub issues, do you have spacers or more offset than stock?

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In his original post, he says the wheels he is using are a +30 offset, and stock wheels are +44 offset....meaning the offset on his wheels is greater than stock = sticks out more.

thepotroast said:

In his original post, he says the wheels he is using are a +30 offset, and stock wheels are +44 offset....meaning the offset on his wheels is greater than stock = sticks out more.

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Yup, said it for me. Nobody makes 24's w/ anything more than +35 offset.

If they were the stock offset, you'd have to definitely do something to make 295 fit. With the +15 wheels I had before (off of my buddy's 300) they rubbed because they stuck out TOO much (which is my biggest pet pieve).

Not ever rolling 4's or 6's without these tires.

eXcali said:

Those shops were just trying to sell you tires that were the same diameter as stock, or close to it. Most shops will try to steer you clear from up-sizing the tires. I'm sure that the 11.6 inch wide would pose some rub issues, do you have spacers or more offset than stock?

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YEah it's the width that makes it amazing that they fit, see the post above.

BlkExplorerSport said:

I finally got my 22's on Falken Ziex's up here in canada. Costed $299.99 a tire with some other bs charges that brought them to around $345.99 a tire. Do you have the ziex's ?

tell me what ya think

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Looks nice bro! I had my 2nd gen on 24's but they rubbed on the back inside well, turned just fine, it was in the back that I ruined 2 tires very slowly over a year time. With the right offset though it would be fine. Probably a +12 (the old expo's have different offsets than the new ones)

ExpoOn24s said:

YEah it's the width that makes it amazing that they fit, see the post above.

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Shoot, yours with the 35mm offset is nothing! KMC XD series are NOT designed for the Explorer with it's front wheel drive offsets. So I have a 12mm offset 9" wide wheel on mine and the 32's (275/55/20) still fit. All I had to trim is the fender flare lip where it curves under, just make it go straight down. NO RUB. The tire sticks out maybe an inch. As long I don't have the 90's lowrider look... OK with me. You know what I mean, deep dish spokes and the entire tire is outside the car... YUCK!




The guy at NTB didn't argue with me at all about the tires or wheels, maybe it's because I had a Ford dealer uniform on he figured I knew what I was doing?

heres mine with 265/35/22 and bonetti style 81 wheels not sure about offset or anything all i know is that they were meant for my truck.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3365023

JoeCool6972 said:

Shoot, yours with the 35mm offset is nothing! KMC XD series are NOT designed for the Explorer with it's front wheel drive offsets. So I have a 12mm offset 9" wide wheel on mine and the 32's (275/55/20) still fit. All I had to trim is the fender flare lip where it curves under, just make it go straight down. NO RUB. The tire sticks out maybe an inch. As long I don't have the 90's lowrider look... OK with me. You know what I mean, deep dish spokes and the entire tire is outside the car... YUCK!

The guy at NTB didn't argue with me at all about the tires or wheels, maybe it's because I had a Ford dealer uniform on he figured I knew what I was doing?

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That looks pretty nice, never seen legit truck rims on an explorer! Very nice!

spencer785 said:

heres mine with 265/35/22 and bonetti style 81 wheels not sure about offset or anything all i know is that they were meant for my truck.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3365023

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Nice ride also!

Thanks ExpoOn24's Yeah the back doesn't have alot of clearance in the wheelwell but the main problem is the brake lines. i have only about a fingertip of space between the tire and the brake lines but a fingertip is enough .. only had them on for about 3 weeks and looked huge when i first got them but now.. already thinking 4's lol

BlkExplorerSport said:

Thanks ExpoOn24's Yeah the back doesn't have alot of clearance in the wheelwell but the main problem is the brake lines. i have only about a fingertip of space between the tire and the brake lines but a fingertip is enough .. only had them on for about 3 weeks and looked huge when i first got them but now.. already thinking 4's lol

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4's would look great too. The reason I like the 2's on your car more than some is it's unique.. don't see many sport tracks bolted up on rims, and you don't see many explorer ANYTHING on legit truck wheels without having big tires on them (nothing wrong with it, just not commonly seen)

Easier to appreciate a purdy wheel without excessive tires, they draw attention away, but lots of people go for that. I would if I had another truck!

Yeah thanks Expoon24's...

JoeCool6972 said:

Yeah thanks Expoon24's...

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np!