265/75R16 on stock wheels/suspension anybody?

[muzzymaniac]

If gas economy is a major concern... don't put on oversized mud-terrains. That is the best advice I can give.

Never said it was a major concern. If MPG were major concerns most of us wouldn't be driving X's.

 

[Aero540T]

I just calculated 24 mpg (GPS miles traveled divided by gallons put in after fill up) in my 2003 4.0L Explorer with 265/70R17 Yokohama Geolandar AT-S. That was for a 200 mile trip from my girlfriend's place back to my apartment at college...But you need to drive under 70 MPH!!! I'm patient so it's not a big deal for me, but my girlfriend HATES it. Going back following her at her speed I only got either 21.5 or 22.5 I can't remember now. Yeah we saved 20-25 minutes but at the cost of maybe $10 of gas.

Oh yeah I have a MAC air intake and a Flowmaster 50 SUV series muffler and those are the only two other modifications to the vehicle...I'm hoping they helped the MPG but I don't remember when it was stock.

My odometer was calibrated at the dealer for $80 and it's not even very accurate after that (70mph indicated will be about 73 according to GPS I think). If I had to do it again i wouldn't.
I hope that answered a couple people's questions

And a pic for good measure:

 

[tlpvt]

I just calculated 24 mpg (GPS miles traveled divided by gallons put in after fill up) in my 2003 4.0L Explorer with 265/70R17 Yokohama Geolandar AT-S. That was for a 200 mile trip from my girlfriend's place back to my apartment at college...But you need to drive under 70 MPH!!! I'm patient so it's not a big deal for me, but my girlfriend HATES it. Going back following her at her speed I only got either 21.5 or 22.5 I can't remember now. Yeah we saved 20-25 minutes but at the cost of maybe $10 of gas.

Oh yeah I have a MAC air intake and a Flowmaster 50 SUV series muffler and those are the only two other modifications to the vehicle...I'm hoping they helped the MPG but I don't remember when it was stock.

My odometer was calibrated at the dealer for $80 and it's not even very accurate after that (70mph indicated will be about 73 according to GPS I think). If I had to do it again i wouldn't.
I hope that answered a couple people's questions

And a pic for good measure:

those tires fill the wheel wells really nice!
I am looking to put on 265/75R16 which is the same diameter as your 265/70R17.
do you have any fitting/rubbing issues?
these tires lift the car ~3&1/2inches - have you noticed any handling differences as compared to the smaller stock tires?

 

[SDVike]

I just calculated 24 mpg (GPS miles traveled divided by gallons put in after fill up) in my 2003 4.0L Explorer with 265/70R17 Yokohama Geolandar AT-S. That was for a 200 mile trip from my girlfriend's place back to my apartment at college...But you need to drive under 70 MPH!!! I'm patient so it's not a big deal for me, but my girlfriend HATES it. Going back following her at her speed I only got either 21.5 or 22.5 I can't remember now. Yeah we saved 20-25 minutes but at the cost of maybe $10 of gas.

Oh yeah I have a MAC air intake and a Flowmaster 50 SUV series muffler and those are the only two other modifications to the vehicle...I'm hoping they helped the MPG but I don't remember when it was stock.

My odometer was calibrated at the dealer for $80 and it's not even very accurate after that (70mph indicated will be about 73 according to GPS I think). If I had to do it again i wouldn't.
I hope that answered a couple people's questions

QUOTE]

Wow, That is really good mileage! I wish I got that. With virtually the same setup minus the air intake and muffler, I got 15mpg. I was going 75+ most of the way. It was a 12hr trip. I was willing to sacrifice some $ to knock of an hour. I got about 12mpg on the same trip pulling 5000lbs. Speed was more like 65 on that trip.

 

[SDVike]

My attemp at creating a war!

... and explorer in not designed for serious offroad use anyway...

Please define "Serious Offroading" I have taken my explorer to some really cool places in Colorado that would not have been accessible without 4x4 and above average clearence. I will not however, rockcrawl or drive through deep mud. I would love to see what it's limits are, but I am not ready to destroy a perfectly good daily driver.

 

[muzzymaniac]

I just calculated 24 mpg (GPS miles traveled divided by gallons put in after fill up) in my 2003 4.0L Explorer with 265/70R17 Yokohama Geolandar AT-S. That was for a 200 mile trip from my girlfriend's place back to my apartment at college...But you need to drive under 70 MPH!!! I'm patient so it's not a big deal for me, but my girlfriend HATES it. Going back following her at her speed I only got either 21.5 or 22.5 I can't remember now. Yeah we saved 20-25 minutes but at the cost of maybe $10 of gas.

Oh yeah I have a MAC air intake and a Flowmaster 50 SUV series muffler and those are the only two other modifications to the vehicle...I'm hoping they helped the MPG but I don't remember when it was stock.

My odometer was calibrated at the dealer for $80 and it's not even very accurate after that (70mph indicated will be about 73 according to GPS I think). If I had to do it again i wouldn't.
I hope that answered a couple people's questions

And a pic for good measure:

Thanks! Nice ride. Your mileage is a tad bit better than mine and I'm still stock.

 

[tlpvt]

Please define "Serious Offroading" I have taken my explorer to some really cool places in Colorado that would not have been accessible without 4x4 and above average clearence. I will not however, rockcrawl or drive through deep mud. I would love to see what it's limits are, but I am not ready to destroy a perfectly good daily driver.

well... let's just say it's not a jeep wrangler, not even a landrover riscovery or toyota 4runner. imho it would be fair to compare explorer'e offroad capabilities to something like a subaru outback.
long wheelbase, small wheels, very limited suspension flex is what kills it. not to mention the absence of diff. locker
but it for sure will do 90% offroading most people ever venture to.
i got stuck in sand on a trail at great sand dunes natl park in CO, and a _stock_ TJ wrangler pulled me out and went on through the same spot very easy; i had to turn back :-((

 

[Aero540T]

those tires fill the wheel wells really nice!
I am looking to put on 265/75R16 which is the same diameter as your 265/70R17.
do you have any fitting/rubbing issues?
these tires lift the car ~3&1/2inches - have you noticed any handling differences as compared to the smaller stock tires?

Thanks for the compliment, I work at a tire changing place in MI and can get stuff at cost and it's realllly tempting to put some of those Dick Cepek DC-1 wheels on as seen in a couple other threads. They've always looked really good to me.

Anyway, the tires will rub randomly if you're at full lock and hit a bump or something but I would say I don't really have clearance issues. Unfortunately I don't remember what it felt like on stock size tires compared to this so I can't really answer that for ya.

Oh yeah, they're 3 and a half inches taller but remember that's the diameter, you only get about half of that in height when it's on

 

[Aero540T]

Thanks! Nice ride. Your mileage is a tad bit better than mine and I'm still stock.

Highway mileage is halfway decent, but my around town mileage sucks! I think I got around 11 last time I checked. Hopefully after I change out all my fluids soon it may go up, but probably not!
Fortunately I ride a motorcycle on every sunny day there is which cuts down on the Explorer!

 

[SDVike]

well... let's just say it's not a jeep wrangler, not even a landrover riscovery or toyota 4runner. imho it would be fair to compare explorer'e offroad capabilities to something like a subaru outback.
long wheelbase, small wheels, very limited suspension flex is what kills it. not to mention the absence of diff. locker
but it for sure will do 90% offroading most people ever venture to.
i got stuck in sand on a trail at great sand dunes natl park in CO, and a _stock_ TJ wrangler pulled me out and went on through the same spot very easy; i had to turn back :-((

Were did you get stuck at? I took the trail all the way up over the pass and never once got stuck. I was a little worried when I got to the sand, so I let the air pressure down in the tires. I don't think I needed to because I never once felt it slip.

That's a fun trail by the way, because of all the water crossings. Nothing else felt too extreme.
I will agree the biggest drawback to the Explorer is it's limited suspension flex, and lack of lockers. I would rather have the longer wheel base of the explorer than the shortest Wrangler. It makes it far more stable on steep inclines and descents. and it really isn't that long.

 

[tlpvt]

Were did you get stuck at? I took the trail all the way up over the pass and never once got stuck. I was a little worried when I got to the sand, so I let the air pressure down in the tires. I don't think I needed to because I never once felt it slip.

That's a fun trail by the way, because of all the water crossings. Nothing else felt too extreme.
I will agree the biggest drawback to the Explorer is it's limited suspension flex, and lack of lockers. I would rather have the longer wheel base of the explorer than the shortest Wrangler. It makes it far more stable on steep inclines and descents. and it really isn't that long.

in about the first 1/4 of the trail going fom the park.
deep sand + uphill = stuck:thumbdwn:
actually i think the main reason was that the rear suspension (those diagonal beams) was plowing the sand. those things are too low to the ground imho.

 

[SDVike]

in about the first 1/4 of the trail going fom the park.
deep sand + uphill = stuck:thumbdwn:
actually i think the main reason was that the rear suspension (those diagonal beams) was plowing the sand. those things are too low to the ground imho.

I was actually going down hill when I got to the sand, although it is pretty flat at the bottom. I did have my over sized tires on by then. I am sure they displace better then the stock ones. I am guessing the sand might have been harder when I drove on it too.
I think the sand should never get high enough to hit your suspension. If it does you are spinning your tires to much. You should have a good 8 inches of clearance there. It may not sound like much but take a good look a most trucks with stock tires and a transfer case. I bet they are lucky to get 8 inches under there.