Winter Tire and Wheel Recommendations | Page 18 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Winter Tire and Wheel Recommendations

geezerglide , assuming that you are replacing 255/50R20 wheels/tires with the 255/45R20 ones, according to 1010tires.com, your diameter variance will be -3.34%. The generally accepted maximum variance is 3%. This would mean that if your speedo showed you were traveling at 100 kph with the 255/50R20 setup, you would actually be going 96.66 kph with the 255/45R20 ones.

Peter
 



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geezerglide , assuming that you are replacing 255/50R20 wheels/tires with the 255/45R20 ones, according to 1010tires.com, your diameter variance will be -3.34%. The generally accepted maximum variance is 3%. This would mean that if your speedo showed you were traveling at 100 kph with the 255/50R20 setup, you would actually be going 96.66 kph with the 255/45R20 ones.

Peter

Peter,

The variance in speedo won't concern me.

Thanks,

geezerglide
 






The maximum 3% variance is mainly for the extra pressure it puts on the brakes. That is the warning that comes up when you compare the different sizes. It says exceeding that limit may lead to possible brake failure. Not sure of the accuracy of that statement but that is what it says in the warning.
In your case it is a 'negative' percentage so I'm guessing that shouldn't be a problem.

Peter
 






I can't comment on wear yet as I've only had them on one season - but I did get Xi2 from Costco and they are SUPER quiet and have great traction... I was really happy with them last winter.

I got 18" hubcentric steel rims from Ford to put them on though as I didn't want to run 20" in the winter. Wider tire and less sidewall to smash into curbs.
 






Super dumb question but do you need to put four winter tires on the 4wd ex? Is it ok to just put them on the front wheels? Just wondering as I do not have much experience with winter tires but I thought they might be beneficial even though I do not get an immense amount of snow in Philly.

I know you are supposed to have all 4 of the same tires with 4wd but not sure about winter tires.
 






You really should do all four tires the same. If you can only afford two tires, the tires with the best tread should ALWAYS go on the rear. If you're purchasing winter tires, and you only put two on the rear, this will certainly help keep you from fishtailing, but it won't help you steer any better.

So I won't tell you that you should go all or nothing, but if you can get 4 tires, you really should.
 






If you are putting Winter tires on, put them on all 4 wheels. People still seem to think that Winter tires are only for use in snow. It has been proven recently that so called all season tires actually begin to start losing grip at 44 degrees F.
On cold bare pavement Winter tires maintain grip due to a different rubber compound that remains flexible. Thus they are now referred to as 'Winter' not Snow tires. Since the vehicle is AWD, putting a set of these tires on just 2 wheels really doesn't help when the AWD system kicks in. For stability and safety, they should go on all 4 wheels.

Peter
 






New winter wheels & tires

Just got them today from Tirerack. Will be putting them on once the temp starts to dip into the low 40s or so.

18X8 Enkei Performance SVX
235/65 Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1

Basically wanted something that looks similar to the stock 20s, not too cheap, not too expensive. The DM-V1 seems to be among the most loved SUV winter tires.

I don't think I've ever been excited before about purchasing winter wheels and tires. Not sure why. At any rate, I had to share my purchase.

Winterwheelsamptires_zps0a8fbdcc.jpg


Tony
 






I'm putting on my winter tires next week. I was going to wait until the week of the 17th, but cold and precip is forecast for next week beginning on Wednesday. Seems like a good time to do it.
 






Looks sharp. What was the total damage if you don;t mind me asking. Did you get TPMS too?
 






Looks sharp. What was the total damage if you don;t mind me asking. Did you get TPMS too?

After shipping it was $1500. (EDIT - $1,663 with shipping). Yes, got the TPMS.

Tony
 






Winter tires

Please help me out here folks. I am new Explorer owner (2012 Limited) and also new to Canada (from the UK). Having never bought or used winter tires before I am a bit confused to how this works with the Ford. I have a few questions.

1) If I buy some winter tires to put on the factory 20" alloys, do I need to buy new tire pressure sensors? Or do the sensors get moved from the all seasons to the winter tires?

2) I see a lot of people recommending steel wheels and higher profile/narrower winter tires. How much difference does this make for winter driving?

3) I see a lot of talk about Blizzak DM-V1 but when I use the websites they always say the only Blizzak that fits my vehicle is the LM-60. So how come everyone is talking about DM-V1? Is there much difference between these tires?

Thanks in advance!

Alastair
 






Please help me out here folks. I am new Explorer owner (2012 Limited) and also new to Canada (from the UK). Having never bought or used winter tires before I am a bit confused to how this works with the Ford. I have a few questions.

1) If I buy some winter tires to put on the factory 20" alloys, do I need to buy new tire pressure sensors? Or do the sensors get moved from the all seasons to the winter tires?

2) I see a lot of people recommending steel wheels and higher profile/narrower winter tires. How much difference does this make for winter driving?

3) I see a lot of talk about Blizzak DM-V1 but when I use the websites they always say the only Blizzak that fits my vehicle is the LM-60. So how come everyone is talking about DM-V1? Is there much difference between these tires?

Thanks in advance!

Alastair

1. TPMS are installed on the wheel so if you are just changing tires, you just use the existing ones.

2. Generally speaking, narrower tires "cut" into the snow better than wider tires. Wider tires tend to "plow" through the snow so it makes quite a difference. Also, narrower tires means you can go down a size in wheels, which means cheaper tires. Steel wheels will also be cheaper than alloy wheels.

3. You must have 20" wheels. Only Blizzaks I've seen for that size are the LM-60.
 






1. TPMS are installed on the wheel so if you are just changing tires, you just use the existing ones.

2. Generally speaking, narrower tires "cut" into the snow better than wider tires. Wider tires tend to "plow" through the snow so it makes quite a difference. Also, narrower tires means you can go down a size in wheels, which means cheaper tires. Steel wheels will also be cheaper than alloy wheels.

3. You must have 20" wheels. Only Blizzaks I've seen for that size are the LM-60.

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, it has 20" wheels which is standard for the Limited edition explorer I believe.

And funnily enough, technically this is my wife's vehicle as well :)
 






Welcome to the Forum and Canada abrxx.:wavey:
1. When you put Winter tires on your existing 20" alloys you do not need to purchase new TPMS sensors. The sensors are mounted on the wheel itself, not the tire.
2. The steel wheels are normally used because there is a greater chance of damage due to corrosion etc to the alloys because of the salt and materials used on the roads in the Winter time to keep them clear of ice and snow. A narrower tire will move more easily through snow than a wider one.
3. The LM60 is an exact 255/50R20 replacement for the all season you have now. You could go with a 265/50R20 in the DM-V1 but it would be a slightly wider tire than what you currently have. The LM60 is listed at $425 while the DM-V1 is $285. This is one reason that I went with a smaller steel wheel on both the Explorer I used to have the Lincoln I have now. It came with 20" wheels but I'm using the 18" steel wheels as indicated in my posts in this thread. The 235/60R18 DM-V1 was $215 through the dealer.
Since you are in Canada, I would suggest that you check out www.1010tires.com for tires and sizing issues. It is a Canadian site. Also, prices for tires here seem much higher than in the U.S. while the actual wheels are much cheaper.

Peter
 






Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, it has 20" wheels which is standard for the Limited edition explorer I believe.

And funnily enough, technically this is my wife's vehicle as well :)

As you live in Vancouver, it would be cheaper for you to go with 18" Steel Wheels from the dealer at $85.00 ea and Blizzaks DV-1 for around $220.00 ea and TMPS on Ebay for $80.00.
That way you have a complete set of wheels and you cam make the change yourself, saving the alumium wheels from damage and the $60.00 to $80.00 twice a year to make the change.
 






....Or you can buy them at Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com) and have them shipped to you. A 235/65R18 DM-V1 is listed at $165 (I paid $215 through the dealer) and would be almost a perfect substitute size for the 20" OEM wheels.

Peter
 






As you live in Vancouver, it would be cheaper for you to go with 18" Steel Wheels from the dealer at $85.00 ea and Blizzaks DV-1 for around $220.00 ea and TMPS on Ebay for $80.00.
That way you have a complete set of wheels and you cam make the change yourself, saving the alumium wheels from damage and the $60.00 to $80.00 twice a year to make the change.

Thanks for your input Brian.

Sorry to ask so many questions, I really am a car newbie:

So that price you quote for the Blizzaks is the local Ford dealer price for DV-1 in these parts? Do I also need to order a wheel installation kit/wheel locks as well?

Also that Ebay price, is that for a pack of four sensors?

And finally, once I have assembled all of this stuff, what the heck do I do with it? Are you suggesting a DIY job, or do I take all this stuff to a local shop and get them to do it for me?

Thanks in advance,

Alastair
 






If you check post 301, you will see the wheel I have. The only thing I had to get was special wheel lugs that help to hold the center cap on. You don't need the cap. I don't bother with wheel locks on the steel ones. I believe the Winter tire packages that Ford advertises does not include that Interceptor wheel. They look like a more 'generic' one with many small holes around the edge as opposed to the 5 that the Interceptor wheel has. There was not wheel installation kit required. Just the TPMS kits. BTW, the TPMS is not mandatory in these wheels but you will have the warning light on all Winter.;)

Peter
 



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If you check post 301, you will see the wheel I have. The only thing I had to get was special wheel lugs that help to hold the center cap on. You don't need the cap. I don't bother with wheel locks on the steel ones. I believe the Winter tire packages that Ford advertises does not include that Interceptor wheel. They look like a more 'generic' one with many small holes around the edge as opposed to the 5 that the Interceptor wheel has. There was not wheel installation kit required. Just the TPMS kits. BTW, the TPMS is not mandatory in these wheels but you will have the warning light on all Winter.;)

Peter

If Ford do a winter tire package, why do I have to go to ebay to buy the pressure sensors? Surely they must provide them in their package? I like to save money but I am also short on time (wife and kids get most of my time outside of work). I don't mind spending a couple of hundred extra just to get the job over and done with.

Thanks,
Alastair
 






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