how big of a tire can i go with?

[tbvlc79]

well i just recently pickep up a '96 XLT and I just can't leave well enough alone....

what's the largest size tire I can put on without having to do any suspension mods or body lifts?

Thanks in advance

 

[Jason_25]

A 31x10.50 will fit fine.

Welcome to the site!

 

[tbvlc79]

thanks man...good to be here...i was so glad to find a forum for x's....i always go to one for advice on my BMW....thanks for the help

 

[Silverblade]

Darn!

you said WITHOUT doing a lift

I was hoping to convince u to go for 44x18's

Believe it or not, quite a few BC offroaders use them, mostly for mud bogging, i have even seen an EL CAMINO with 44s in person!(parked at KFC)

There is a Jimmy with 44s and a 454 BIG BLOCK, has liek 30 inchs lift too its crazy(lives in alberta)
http://www.whiteknight.ca/

 

[diablo5969]

Originally posted by Jason_25
A 31x10.50 will fit fine.

Jason, do you know if that's the same for a '94 too?

(Yes, after going out last weekend, my dad actually OK'd it )

 

[ChuckyD]

i got 31's on my 93 at stock height

 

[diablo5969]

Ahh, cool. In that case, I have many questions for you if you don't mind. And just out of curiosity, do you take it off road a lot?

 

[ChuckyD]

nope.. as a matter of fact im looking to change from my 31's to 17" wheel setup. not much off roading at all can count on one hand in the past year and a half

 

[diablo5969]

Alright. But don't think you got out of it, I still have a number of questions for you

• I checked out your website, and in the pics of the Ex it looks like you still have the stock wheels. Does this mean you don't have to upgrade your wheels? Or are those aftermarket wheels that look very close to stock?
• How did the new tires alter on-road performance? Does the Ex feel stock, or does it feel remarkably top-heavy now? Basically, the question is "Does it feel stock or do you feel like you're about to roll over at every turn?" (My mom is making me ask.)
• It's kind of hard to tell from the pics on your website, but does it look like the tires belong on the Ex? Or does it look like disproportionately big tires for the vehicle?
• Is it a noticable difference in appearance?
• Are you happy with 31" tires, or do you dislike them? Why are you going to a 17" wheel?

I know that's a bunch of questions. And I'll probably think of some more in the future. Thanks in advance for your answers (and your patience )

 

[ChuckyD]

1) they are stock wheels
2) before i put the tire on i put new shocks and Polyurethane bushings all around... so I cant really answer the question of stability that well... but its a truck you should be driving carefully in the first place. People do say that since 31's have a 3 ply sidewall it does seem like it feels stiffer then the metric style wheels. you do feel higher but... just lower your seat.. lol it'll even you out. Your not going to roll over at all
3) I think the tires look good on the X. It fills up the wheel well nicely! they don't look stupidly big or anything remotely close that.
4) give you a good 1- 1.5 inches of overall lift.
5) if you know about cars and trucks you'll notice the tires...(most) girls wont.. lol
6) i want to go to 17's cause i want better handling and i want to go more towards the sport truck look. that's more my style! i also think that i will be able to gain alittle more speed off the line if the diameter of my tires are back closer to stock...

Good luck... and Mom... don't sweat it, your baby boy isn't going to die from bigger tires!

 

[diablo5969]

Cool, thanks. Those were pretty much all the answers I was hoping for

But just a couple follow-up questions:

• You mention new shocks and Polyurethane bushings. What exactly do they entail? And would you consider them necesities?
• The details: What size exactly is your tire? Is that the only size that'll fit the rim? And also, if you don't mind me asking, about how much did doing this cost (ballpark)?

Thanks again!

 

[Jason_25]

Chase I recommend doing a budget lift along with those tires because I'm fairly sure on a first gen they would rub a little offroad. The poly bushings are a nice thing but if you value ride quality, it will make it a bit stiffer. Also poly bushings are known to squeak when wet. New shocks are a must. Save up for a great brand like the Bilstein's, OME's, or Rancho RS 9000's. You won't regret it. Just an FYI.

 

[diablo5969]

Jason, that was going to be one of my questions to you, when off roading with the 31"s and no lift, will they get crammed in the wheelwell a lot? That would kind of concern me. Unfortunately, my dad didn't OK any sort of lift or anything, just bigger tires. (It's hard to understand parents sometimes, but what are you going to do.)

So the shocks are essentially a necessity, while the poly bushings aren't really? What exact are the poly bushings / what do they do?

Thanks!

 

[Jason_25]

The poly bushings last alot longer than the stock ones, so you don't have to change them as often. Also they "give" less than the stock ones, meaning in turns the truck's handling is increased. This may be a concern to you, but not really to me.

Go ahead and get the 31's for sure. You can still run them on the street with no rubbing. Try to explain to your dad that a budget boost is a good thing and it doesn't heavily change the stock suspension characteristics of the truck and only requires an alignment. It's only about a 1.5" lift. If he still doesn't ok it, then you may be able just to trim a little plastic inside the fender to keep them from rubbing offroad.

The shocks are a necessity because they control how fast your suspension moves, especially when offroad. A good set of shocks will increase your handling and ride comfort on the street, while dampening your suspension "droop" and "stuff" offroad. So your not as likely to break stuff and accelerate wear on parts, and your less likely to rub as bad as well because your tire won't make contact with your body as fast.

Hope this helps.

 

[diablo5969]

I guess I'm just a slow learner, but, what exactly are the bushings? What do they do? Would it be a good idea to replace them, or is it just like "well, once you've taken the Ex apart that far..." kind of thing?

So at this point, I guess I will get the 31" tires and just see what I can work from there. Maybe a budget boost in the future. I was wondering, you said the budget boost gives 1.5" of lift, and Chucky said the tires alone give 1.5" of lift: they wouldn't give the Ex 3" of lift would they? I know it sounds rediculous, but hey, ya never know

And I will definitely get a new pair of shocks.

Thanks again!

 

[Jason_25]

Assuming you have 235's, your tires now are (roughly) 28.9 inches tall. When you go to a 31, you will have increased your diameter by 2.1 inches. It probably won't be that much because most 31's aren't really 31 inches high. Divide 2.1 by 2 (because it's a circle), and you get the overall height your explorer gains underneath (for ground clearance), and above (for height). So you get 1.05 inches. With the lift, your explorer will gain no ground clearance, but an extra 1.5 inches in height.

Bushings are pieces of material that keep metal from touching metal and making noises and breaking things. They act as a kind of "dampener" as well. Look underneath your explorer at your swaybars and you will see what I am talking about. They are little round rubber things. The swaybar bushings are easy to change so it is up to you whether you want to or not.

Make sure when you get the shocks to get 2 pair. One pair for the front, one pair for the rear.

 

[diablo5969]

So the budget boost is a body lift. Ahhh. (I told you I'm a slow learner.)

So now the deal is, I'll get 31" tires, new shocks, and I guess I'll go for the poly bushings, assuming they're not exorbitantly expensive. (By any chance, do you happen to know how much they go for?)

So now, I'm pretty much almost to point of just deciding what brands to get! Woohoo, I'm excited now

 

[Jason_25]

Actually the body lift is a budget boost but the boost I'm talking about is a 1.5" F150 coil seat/shackle lift. (which is a suspension lift).

Contact Hank on the forum for the poly bushings. His sales of them benefit the site.

 

[diablo5969]

Ummmm, yeah. I'll just take your word on that whole lift thing.

Alright, will contact Hank.

Thank you!

 

[ChuckyD]

the bushings arent expensive, but if you were to get them installed then they could run up in price... they are a ***** to do.