20" wheels...

[vfral1]

...Ok, I was reading through the owners manual and somewhere close to the front it says something like "model equipped with 20" wheels may experience a vibration in the first 20 mins of driving. This is normal and will diminish with continued driving".

What the H*ll? Has anyone experienced this?

 

[Gandalf]

I think this is what you are referring to (page 8):

Note: When first driving the vehicle after it has been parked for a period of time, you may experience a temporary ride disturbance. This is a characteristic of the tires and should be no reason for concern. The condition should correct itself within 5-15 miles (8-25 km) of driving. If the disturbance persists, have the tires serviced by an authorized dealer.

I am not sure what they mean by "disturbance". It does seem a little unusual, but does not seem that alarming to me.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

This is very-very common with low profile, high performance tires. It is called "flat spotting". Completely reversible, once the tire comes up to temperature. Depending on the tire (brand, model, etc.) this flat spotting can occur in a day, a week, a month. Depends.

I own 2 Porsches and have seen this. When I hibernate the cars for winter, one thing I do to mitigate this, is to over inflate (per the Owner's Manual) the tires to approx 58 PSI. I also roll the cars by hand about 12 inches the beginning of each month (to change the resting spot on the tire). The last month of hibernation, I increase this interval to weekly.

With all this said, I've never experienced this phenomena with any of my Explorers (now on my 4th) in over 260,000 miles traveled. My 2011 Limited does not exhibit this, but it does not sit idle for more than 12 hours either.

With the combination of the 20" wheels, low profile tires (low for an SUV tires) and 6,000 pounds.....I can see why Ford is alerting the owners this MAY happen.

 

[JDraper]

This is becoming common with all newer tires as the tire manufactures alter compounds to increase grip while preserving tire life. 3 of my 4 vehicles exhibit this when sitting for more than a few hours.

Because of the softer tire compounds, they have a tendency to deform and "flat spot" as Bill said. After this happens, you get nasty vibrations for the first mile or two of driving, and then it goes away. The heavier the vehicle and the longer it sits, the more flat spotting that occurs. My F-150 had this issue, my Mach 1 has it very much (summer only tires), my Explorer and my Focus exhibit it in lesser degrees, and my '66 Mustang doesn't seem to exhibit it at all.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Another good reason to own a quality tire pressure gauge, and regularly check your tire pressures. I find this temporary flat spotting can be very tire pressure sensitive, dependng on tire brand and model.

And remember, for about every 10 degree change in air temp, your tires gain/loss 1 PSI. This assumes "dry" air....and most gas station air is not the best (dryest), so the PSI change can be even more drastic than 1 PSI.

 

[peterk9]

...Ok, I was reading through the owners manual and somewhere close to the front it says something like "model equipped with 20" wheels may experience a vibration in the first 20 mins of driving. This is normal and will diminish with continued driving".

What the H*ll? Has anyone experienced this?

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact the 20" tires are Hankooks? I'll keep this warning in mind since I'm getting 4 Yokohamas put on tomorrow afternoon after I pick up the Ex from the dealership in the morning.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact the 20" tires are Hankooks?

Shouldn't. All tires can exhibit this temporary issue.

 

[peterk9]

Shouldn't. All tires can exhibit this temporary issue.

Morning Bill. Must have to do with the wheel size then as it specifically mentions models with 20" wheels. I never had the problem with my Highlander which has the OEM Toyo 19" tires even after it sat for a few days.

 

[JDraper]

The 18" Michelin's on my Explorer exhibit the same issue. It is a tire dependent item. It depends upon the type of compound used in the tire design.

 

[peterk9]

The 18" Michelin's on my Explorer exhibit the same issue. It is a tire dependent item. It depends upon the type of compound used in the tire design.

Okay, thanks guys. I'll see if that happens with the new replacements. At least I won't panic if it does. I guess the weight of the vehicle could also play a small part in this. Cheers!

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Morning Bill. Must have to do with the wheel size then as it specifically mentions models with 20" wheels. I never had the problem with my Highlander which has the OEM Toyo 19" tires even after it sat for a few days.

'Morning to you too!

Maybe, because the 20" wheels use a very low profile tires, compounded with the fact that the Explorer is a +6,000 pound SUV.

Again, this is really a non issue. And is very temporary. Everything will smooth out within a few miles. I would bet most owners will never even notice.

 

[JDraper]

Ford put it in the manual because the dealerships were getting inundated with calls from customers about their vehicles vibrating. There are TSB's as far back as the early 2000's telling dealers how to explain it to their customers.

I would bet that some of the other manufacturers have similar language in their manuals.

 

[esandye]

This is not a new problem. My 1968 Buick GS400 was my first car with "wide oval" ie low profile tires and it had a terrible problem with flat spotting. The ride was almost jarring until they warmed up.

 

[dutchie]

Bigger tires bigger flat spots