Best tires?

[jmisenti]

Hey everyone
I bought a 2000 Ford explorer sport 2dr 4x4 that just hit 170k miles. I was getting ready to buy new tires for the car and I am a little lost. Currently the car is running LT245/75R16 tires and they are pretty worn. I plan on doing some off roading and driving in the snow, but I also need good road traction in the rain. Right now driving around Seattle my back end is slipping all over the road when going up hills.
any suggestions?
I am a college senior so i cant afford anything too outrageous but I want a pair that will last for 50k+
Thanks!

 

[RangerX]

BFG All Terrains are the all around perfect tire, IMO. And, they are not crazy expensive.
I consistently get over 50,000, and that's on their mud terrains!

 

[jmisenti]

Thanks for your advice!
Is there a specific size that I should get?
I think the stock size is 235/75r15
And I currently have off brand lt245/75r/16
Thanks!

 

[RangerX]

Well, that's up to you. Since you're on a budget, check the prices on each of those sizes, and maybe any others in between, then decide what works for you.
I got mine at Costco, they have good prices, if you have a membership there.

 

[Mr_Fruffles]

Given cost restraints, I would just search and search and search till I found a great deal. It would be easier if you only wanted two of those constraints i.e. college budget and off road or off road and snow. Takes some time but I have saved hundreds by taking the time to look at every possibility and a little bit of luck! Good luck!

 

[drdoom]

General Grabber AT2 is one you should consider as well.

 

[RangerXVX]

You can't go wrong with the BFGs as RangerX mentioned.

Personally, I've always liked the way Nittos ride. I'm running the Trail Grappler M/Ts now, but prior to that, I had a set of Terra Grappler A/Ts that I had for around 40k. Ending up taking them off to put the M/Ts on and sold the set with 15-20% tread left. Both the A/T and the M/T proved their worth on both pavement and dirt, however I never had any experience with them in snow, being from GA. I feel that they were pretty cost effective though!

 

[Extremealpine7]

1. You can't go wrong with the BFGs as RangerX mentioned but I put new tires on my explorer and I put the cooper dicoverer AT/3 and there pretty good, In idaho the roads are cuped really bad from the trucks and theirs puddles in the groves and ive never felt it hydroplane and live on a really long dirt road and and have a steep driveway so im waiting on the snow too see how they do.

 

[drdoom]

The Generals I have now have 63,000 hard miles on them and they still have life left. Fantastic in the snow.

 

[jmisenti]

I'm looking at a set of cooper adventurers AT/3 that are on a buy 3 get the 4th free sale. The BFGs are really at the top of my budget and I wanted to use the excess money to flush the radiator and replace my fan belt.
I'm having a hard time understanding the advantages and disadvantages of going bigger and wider on tires aside from cost.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Dan Whitaker]

One word of advice. DO NOT buy tires on line. Buy them local.
The problems with buying on line are

1: They will charge to dismount, mount and balance. Most places here in Kansas City charge $10 to dismount, $10 to mount and $10 to balance. This doesn't include stems so you have shelled an extra $120. Most tire shops build the cost of mount & balance into the tire price, that is why the tires are more than on line sellers.

2: If there is a problem with tires, you are usually stuck with them as returns are not allowed, and trying to fight a manufacturer defect from the on line seller is futile.

 

[lobo411]

One word of advice. DO NOT buy tires on line.

Makes sense, except with Costco online tire ordering. When you order tires online with Costco, you get the same exact experience, price, and customer service you'd get if you bought them in the store. They deliver your tires to the store, and all you have to do is drop by for installation.

I did it last time I got tires and liked it a lot. I could pick my tires at my leisure, and I didn't have to worry about my tires being out of stock.

 

[Turdle]

I would not buy a steak at the grocery store and take it to a restaurant for them to cook for me. For parts I can deal with myself I buy on line, but since tires have so much labor involved to get right, or observe a warranty on, I can't justify buying them on line. A tire shop will usually offer free mount and balance, free rotations and a free alignment check when you buy tires directly from them. Those services will add up to more cost than the on line savings. They will also appreciate you more than if you bring tires in for them to do the dirty work. I would go as far to say they might not do as good of job of balancing them either since they know from the start they do not have to stand behind anything.


Oh,I might add, IMO if your truck is 4 wheel drive you'll need to get 4 tires. 2 new tires on back with 2 older on front may cause rotational speed differences that may affect 4wd function, or even cause ABS issues.

 

[koda2000]

Speaking about mounting tires... Years ago, every time I bought tires they ALWAYS replaced the stems. I've noticed they don't automatically do that anymore. What's up with that? I don't really care (as what can really go wrong with a tire valve/stem, unless it's dry rotted) but I've been to at least 3 different tire places in the past few years and none of them replaced the stems.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Makes sense, except with Costco online tire ordering. When you order tires online with Costco, you get the same exact experience, price, and customer service you'd get if you bought them in the store. They deliver your tires to the store, and all you have to do is drop by for installation.

I did it last time I got tires and liked it a lot. I could pick my tires at my leisure, and I didn't have to worry about my tires being out of stock.

That is entirely different because the store you bought them from is mounting & balancing them.

I'm talking about buying off eBay, Amazon, Tire Rack etc.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I'd keep the 245/65R16s, because the stock size for the 16 inch wheels doesn't feel the wheel wells as well, but your truck is higher off the ground with the changed size, I had a spat recently about that, but I got it mounted anyhow, keep it in mind, I've heard 265/70R16s are the same height but wider, but I haven't tried it and my next wheels are gonna be 18 inch chrome wheels. As for the whole bigger tire thing, SUVs look better in my opinion with the wheel wells fuller, I was told mine are 31s and I love the way they look, as does everybody I'm friends with, sets it out.

All that aside, I got one mounted recently I like, didn't have big weights on it, which I count as a positive, and it pulls great, but I don't have many miles on it to make a good review on, and that's a Westlake SL369, IDK who made it, but it's a good looking off brand tire, rides well, and pulls well in the mud, really well. If I had the money to do with as I wished, I'd run BFGs or Nittos, but other than that, haven't got enough to say to make a collective comment.

 

[toypaseo]

I don't really care (as what can really go wrong with a tire valve/stem, unless it's dry rotted) but I've been to at least 3 different tire places in the past few years and none of them replaced the stems.

There was a rubber valve stem recall in the past, http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2008/06/recall-of-faulty-tire-valve-stems-expanded/index.htm. I got notices in the mail from the places where I bought tires to come in and get the valve stems replaced for free.

 

[toypaseo]

All that aside, I got one mounted recently I like, didn't have big weights on it, which I count as a positive, and it pulls great, but I don't have many miles on it to make a good review on, and that's a Westlake SL369, IDK who made it, but it's a good looking off brand tire, rides well, and pulls well in the mud, really well.

Here is the manufacturer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangzhou_Zhongce_Rubber_Company