***************************************************************************************************************************************************************
As I indicated in the prior post my brand new 2021 Platinum with oem Pirelli 275/45 R21 had a very harsh ride, very loud thumping/slapping tire noise over road surface joints and imperfections and a deep base rumble under 50 mph especially upon deceleration.
With the aid of member comments and insights on this forum I decided to install winter tires on 18" wheels. The 18" wheel size is available on the XLT and Timberline trims. The oem wheels from Ford are very expensive so I decided to go the aftermarket wheel route.
I installed 4 new Bridgestone Blizzak Winter tires (P265/65 R18) on 18" aftermarket American Eagle rims from TireRack.
The results have left me speechless again!
The vehicle is now almost dead silent over the same road surfaces.
There remains a slight deceleration rumble at speeds under 30 but in general the 65 profile tires (aspect ratio) have vastly improved ride quality and significantly improved interior acoustics. I suspected the low profile Pirellis were contributing to the rough ride and unpleasant cabin acoustics based on input from my local tire dealer and members on this forum. My local Dunn Tire dealer looked at the vehicle but unfortunately could not locate a reasonably priced 18" aftermarket wheels to my liking.
I surmise the approximate 40% increase in sidewall height and the Blizzak rubber formulation is quiet for two reasons. They are not generation noise and they are significantly reducing the transmission of road surface induced vibrations and noise.
Here's a comparison of specs for both tire/wheel sets. The Blizzaks are listed first followed by the oem Pirellis.
View attachment 422625
View attachment 422621 View attachment 422634