Tire size Question (not if but if I should)

I went to my local Costco tonight. I have decided what tires to get but would like to ask a question about size. The man guy at the store said I could put 255 and that would give me slightly larger wheel and also slightly wider. He suggested that I do this (same price). Talking to my brother (he is a mechanic and has for many years) says I should stick with what Ford put on it.

The reason I was looking at getting larger tires is for better grip in snow/ice. Costco guy says it will help, my brother says it could make it worse for snow???

Any help would be great! Thanks.

Michelin® X® Radial LT2 are what I am looking athttp://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1640647
or
They are called LtX ms2 at non-club stores.

 

[jaydez]

I was always under the impression that a narrower tire is better in the snow because it is more likely to slice though the snow and get traction on the ground where a wider tire would ride on top of it and not be as able to contact the ground. Look at is a sneaker compared to a snowshoe.

Though I assume you are going from a 245 to a 255 which wouldn't make that much of a difference. Are you running the 16 or 17 inch rim on your 05? Mine has the 17 inch rim and tires in the 245/65R17 are really hard to find and hella expensive. I searched both 245/70 and 255/65 or 70 and came up with many more (and way cheaper) results.

 

[jebrank80]

Thanks. That is exactly what my brother said. I have 235/16.

 

[Infinity08]

You can go 265/75/16 with no modifications, if you wish. One guy had 285's, but others have had rubbing issues.

 

[swetrid]

Wider tire is worse in the snow.

 

[XB21Explorer]

I have a stock 2004 Ford Explorer Limited Edition. I shopping for brand new wheels/tires. I'm currently looking at BFG A/T KO: 31.65 x 10.51 x 31.65 = 265/75/R16. (I hear nothing but good things about these tires)

After 2 days of googling, I cannot find the answer to this. My question is: Which rim size is correct for the tires mentioned, 16x8 or 16x10?

I "assume" its 16x8 but just need some well experience owners for assurance.


Sorry, I try to search for forums but didn't find anything. In advance, thanks!

 

[Squirrelmaster]

The general idea behind tires during winter is that for light snow and ice, a narrower tire is better as you get more pressure on the contact points to hopefully cut through the snow and/or ice. In deep snow, however, a wider tire is often considered better because the reduced pressure on the contact points and wider surface area allow for vehicle to ride higher on the snow and not get stuck as well as have better traction (the snow collected on the tire will grip the snow on the ground, sort of the inverse of how getting through mud works).

XB21Explorer: A 16x8" wheel would be ideal for a 31x10.50x16 tire, though be aware that the BFG KO's (as well as the KM's) tend to run a bit small. The 32" KO's on my Jeep are only 31.5", and the 35" KM's on my 2500HD are only 34" (and of course even shorter once the weight of the vehicle is on them).

Tom