Just had tires fitted today by Belle Tire

[Essex4x4]

The BFG's look great. The reports on the new SVT Raptor all have the same good reports on those tires. Also, most of the guys I work with have them on their trucks. The Goodyears however do have the severe snow rating(mountain and snowflake symbol) so I thought I would give them a try here in Michigan. What size did you put on? I already have the Wranglers but I am just curious.

Actually for your information and for those who also might want to know my BFG's have the severe snow rating, they have the mountain and snowflake symbole right on the tire. I have the stock 235/70/16 size still. Like my Goodyears which i had at 42psi,i will most likely keep the same tire pressure, i like the ride, and wear was even. (this pressure is still under debate, im not sure yet where to set them but i will determine this within the next few days.) Seems as though the BFG has a stiffer side wall than the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors did.

 

[Grizzly]

Has any looked at BFG's LT265/65R/18E and will they fit 07 ST Limited?

 

[jonkolo]

Try to cut the slot only and place the clip as high as possible first. You can trim some of the composite,in a half moon shape ,but if you trim off too large a section the forward portion of the fender will vibrate . The plastic liner also stiffens this area when it is reattached. Once the composite is removed,if that is the route you have to take, heat the liner and push it toward the hole and hold it in place till it cools.Have the liner screws in place while you are heating it up.

Absolutely no rubbing in the front. 750 miles so far.

To fix the serious rubbing problem in the rear I ended up trimming the lower inch of composite material below the rib with a handheld rotary saw. I then cut a new slot for the screw retaining clip. Like you said, I put everything back in place, heated the plastic liners with a heat gun, then pressed then forward with a folded towel so they would cool while I held them forward since they were too hot to touch. Once they cooled, there was a big increase in distance between the tire and the plastic liner. It went from about 1/4" to about 1 and 1/4".

I took the ST for a drive and tried to bottom out the suspension while hitting a severe dip in the road at speed. I was able to get the rear tire tread to very slightly contact the liner, almost not making any noise and just removing the dirt from the plastic. I would say the problem is solved and this was a perfect fix, since it would probably never happen under normal conditions, (unless carrying a very heavy load in the box), and it would be very minor, especially as the tire tread depth decreases with normal wear.

Thanks for your help. I love the tires so far. Better steering response, overall handling, etc... I am looking forward to testing them in the snow!

I am planning on washing the ST this weekend, then buying a new digital camera so I can post pictures. They look great!

 

[jonkolo]

Has any looked at BFG's LT265/65R/18E and will they fit 07 ST Limited?

After my experience with the taller Goodyear 255/70/18 and 265/65/18 spare, I think you would be fine. I saw a picture in an older post and they also look great on the ST. In case it's a concern- the TA KO in this size definitely DOES NOT have the severe snow rating. I looked into them on tire rack. They make it a point to tell you at the bottom.

It's amazing how tires can make a ST look so much better. Look for my pictures here late this weekend.

 

[eppd00]

eppd00

Glad to help

 

[jonkolo]

New pictures!

Sorry it took so long for the pictures. Here they are!

 

[Xjman1]

Looks good. Thanks for doing the homework and posting the pictures. Can not wait for my tires to wear out now. LOL. As long as they can still stuff or I can add a bump stop to keep from pulling plastic.

 

[brown986]

When I was shopping for the truck there were only 4 available in the whole state with 4x4 and a V8, they were all XLT's. Any Limited's at the time were all wheel drive.

The AWD vehicles are all time AWD with switches that empower both 4X4 Low and 4X4 High.

 

[kkreit01]

^ No -- that's Control Trac 4x4. AWD does not have switches. If it says AWD on back (Mountys, Explorers with 20s, etc.), it will not have switches for 4HI 4 LOW. If it says 4x4, it will have switches (Control Trac).

True -- even Control Trac is also automatic 4x4, and you can't lock it in 2wd only (w/o modifying it).

 

[brown986]

My '07 is labled "4X4". I have three drive options: 1. 2 WD Auto, 2. 4x4 Low, and 3. 4X4 High.

The default drive option, that is when one turns on the ignition & starts the car, is 2 WD Auto. In this mode, I am in RWD unless the truck senses rear wheel slip at which time automatically variable power is shifted to the two front wheels depending on how much slippage, throttle position, vehicle speed, etc. This mode acts exactly like AWD to me, or what I understand AWD to be. We may be talking past each other thinking about full time AWD versus part time AWD. For has a copy writed name that I believe you're using but I would describe this as a part time AWD setup, wouldn't you?

 

[kkreit01]

^ True it may act like AWD to you, but the actual AWD Explorers/Mountys are an entirely different setup vs. your 4x4 Control Trac.

To make it more confusing, Ford calls the Escapes/Mariners/Tributes "4wd" -- when in fact they are AWD (no buttons/switches).

True -- it's just terminology. Either way, you're better off with 4x4, 4wd, or AWD if you want out of sticky situations.

 

[brown986]

I think Honda Ridgelines also call themselves 4X4s when from what I can tell they're actually AWD vehicles.

I like the Ford Control Trac setup & I believe it would satisfy the needs of most casual street drivers 80+% of the time. Certainly for my wife, when she drives Henry, she just leaves it in Control Trac mode & she gets through just fine. I live in northern Virginia and, like many areas in the US, we had quite a severe winter here w/about 3 very large snow falls. My truck handled itself very, very well. I like using the two 4X4 modes in heavy snow and off road conditions and both of these modes, as well as the Control Trac mode, work great. Much of the great traction I attribute also to the Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor 265/60TR18s I put on when the OEM Michelins wore down to their tread bars @ a mere 20,000 miles. I now have my 2nd winter on the Goodyears and 15,000 miles logged. Tread wear is barely any, they've kept their balance well, they're quiet enough, they're great not only where I need their aggresive traction but also on the highway. Best truck tire I've run to date.

Couple of other observations. I've read about the 6-speed tranny issues and I experienced those issues on Henry UNTIL I swapped out the transmission fluid @ 30,000 miles. Shorty after that the quirkiness gradually stopped and the tranny now works flawlessly. Also recently received a notice from Ford inviting me to bring my Sport Trac in for a shifter fix. Early on, I would occasionally have trouble getting the transmission out of Park, but again in time, this has now totally gone away. I'll take the truck in at my convenience and have the fix done, but no hurry to do so.

Great little truck. I put on the Magnaflow cat back exhaust system, which I like very much, as well as a K&N filter. Seriously considering the K&N intake system & wondering if it's mere sound & fury or if there would be significant performance/hp/mileage benefits. Henry's obviously a 4.6 & I certainly have no basis to complain about the motor.

Said more here than I intended to & more than needed to respond, but hope you don't mind my nattering on.

Thanks. Good discussion.