Are All Terrain Tires required for 96-2001 Explorers?

[StevenJo]

I have a 98 Explorer Limited with stock 15 inch wheels. I recently ordered a new set of Michelin LTX M/S 2 All Season tires for it. When they were to get installed, the installer said he couldn't install them on my vehicle. He said as a result of the Explorer/Firestone fiasco from 15 years ago, there was a decision made that these vehicles should have All Terrain tires instead of All Season. I've been searching trying to verify if this is true but been unable to find anything written about it. Can anyone tell me if this true and/or where I might find more information about this?

Thanks so much.

Steve

 

[vq5speed]

I'd tell him to put what I want or i'll take my business somewhere else.

 

[coppe]

Just bought the same tires and they are great, silent, comfortable ride, great grip, and a lot better quality and safe than some of brand at tires. Ive used only street tires since I've had the truck, and they behave great, it is a matter of installing tires designed for a truck (like those) and of the use you give your truck. Mime sees gravel and dirt roads every three or four months, no snow and average rain. Maybe they make a better commission out of other brands or models?

I say go for it. As I said, I have them and don't regret it.

 

[hsquare]

Tell your tyre seller to shove it!
All terrain tyres are noisy on flat roads

 

[RKH58]

You'll never find anything written. Your installer is full of BS. The Michelins are a good choice for your Ex. I have them on my Sport and before that they where on my XLT. XLT has all-terrains on it now because I use it for work and off road.

 

[2TimingTom]

The only thing that came out of that fiasco was a revised door sticker to increase the tire pressure.

That's it.

The replacement tires that most people got were all season tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Wrangler+RT/S

Time to find a new tire guy before he starts your lug nuts with an impact and cross threads the hell out of them.

 

[toypaseo]

When I was looking for tires, after the Firestone recall, a local Discount Tire would only mount 235/75r15 tires with load rating of 105 or more. One of the budget tires they had was a Kumho Touring A/S 795. It was not even close to an All Terrain tread design...

My choice went from Kumho Touring A/S 795 (cheap), to Kumho Road Venture AT 825 (good reviews but discontinued), to Kumho Road Venture AT KL-41 (sent in place of the 825's), to Firestone Destination A/T (salesman mentioned that the Michelins were just a bit more), to the Michelin LTX M/S.

The Michelins improved the ride of my 96 ALOT. Did well in all weather conditions. I only got rid of them due to age, and cracking due to weather and/or vibration. Still had tons of tread left. Now on Firestone Destination LE2.

 

[cruznford]

I had a similar issue when I was buying tires. Most big name tire stores would only sell me 235/75/15 this is what Ford put on Explorer when new. They said they couldn't sell or mount any other size.

I think 98 and up came with factory option 16" wheels so that's what I told them I had so the only tire size they would sell me was 255/70/16. I actually have 16" wheels off of the mid 90s crown vic

 

[Anime]

There was a "warning" of sorts in the owners manual, at least for the 91-94 Explorers, to only use all-terrain tires since all-season or "sport" tires would have too much traction and allow the vehicle to tip over easier when cornering if going too fast. All-terrain tires do usually have less grip on pavement due to the tread, so I guess Ford's hope was this would minimize the risk of the top-heavy SUV design. Obviously, the use of low-quality all-terrain tires and low tire presure was more of a problem than anything else.

As mentioned above, some tire retailers have declined to install any size tire other than what the vehicle was originally equipped with, and cite the Firestone incident as the reason, and this may actually be company policy, either with regards to Explorers or all vehicles in general.

However, it's pretty out there for a tire tech to decline to install a tire based on the type, and even more so since Ford started equipping Explorers with the Michelin Cross-Terrain SUV, an all-season tire that was the predecessor to the LTX M/S 2.

The original Michelin LTX M/S, Cross Terrain SUV, and plenty of other all-season tires were also Ford and Firestone-approved replacements under the replacement program for the tire recall.

So, the tire tech is incorrect. I'd say you should speak to the manager about this and have the tech educated about what the correct information is. In some ways it's good that he's concerned enough about safety that he wants to follow guidelines, but he needs to follow the actual guidelines, not misunderstood ones. Hopefully the manager will apologize for the mistake and install the tires for free or give you some kind of a discount for the hassle.

If you're unable to resolve the issue at the store, I'd suggest calling the store owner, or the office of the company if it's a chain store. If you're still uable to resolve the issue, you may just need to take your business elsewhere. There are still plenty of tire shops that will install whatever type and size of tire you want on your vehicle.