Please Help! We are new and need some information concerning tires...

[Sheila and Paul]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Sheila. My boyfriend Paul has a 2004 Ford Explorer. He works 2 jobs, so I'm trying to help him find some used tires. We keep getting different answers as to what sizes will fit on the explorer. Someone gave us 4 255/60 17s, but we can't seem to get a straight answer as to whether they will fit on the vehicle. Also we cant find out what other sizes may fit. He currently has 4 bald 245/70 17s on it... Any information at all would be greatly appreciated. He will have to take off work to have them put on, so he doesn't want to waste a sick days taking the wrong size to the garage....

Thank you in advance

Sincerely,

Sheila

 

[Exproblems]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Sheila. My boyfriend Paul has a 2004 Ford Explorer. He works 2 jobs, so I'm trying to help him find some used tires. We keep getting different answers as to what sizes will fit on the explorer. Someone gave us 4 255/60 17s, but we can't seem to get a straight answer as to whether they will fit on the vehicle. Also we cant find out what other sizes may fit. He currently has 4 bald 245/70 17s on it... Any information at all would be greatly appreciated. He will have to take off work to have them put on, so he doesn't want to waste a sick days taking the wrong size to the garage....

Thank you in advance

Sincerely,

Sheila

P265's(height of tire) are the biggest from what I have read in here on a stock suspension 3rd generation Explorer. If you have a 4x4 Explorer(auto 4x4), you need to buy 4 tires of the same size and tread wear and pattern or the auto 4x4 system will kick in. This means the vehicle will engage the 4 wheel drive system and you will hear some clunking from the front end as the front wheels engage in and out of 4 wheel drive due to any difference in the size of the used tires you are looking to buy. With any difference in size, tread wear and pattern the system will think it sense's wheel slippage and engage the auto 4x4 system. Better off buying 4 new tires, going to be tough to find 4 used tires of the same size and tread wear. BTW, the 255's are okay, but they are 60 series tires and I'm not sure if they are too wide for an Explorer. Height wise they'll fit, but width may be a problem?

 

[Sheila and Paul]

Thank you so much for the info. I guess he will just have to take off work and have them put on to see if they are too wide. They appeared to be about the same as far as tread goes and all 4 were the same size... Hopefully they will work since he can't afford to buy new tires right now.

 

[HiImBrian]

For future reference, Exproblems...
255(width)/60(height)/17(rim diameter)

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46

255/60/17's will fit just fine. Do be sure they match in brand and wear if it is 4x4/AWD. Treadwright is a retread tire company and they have a great product at a great price. You may want to look into them for your next replacement set if money is an issue.

 

[Exproblems]

For future reference, Exproblems...
255(width)/60(height)/17(rim diameter)


255/60/17's will fit just fine. Do be sure they match in brand and wear if it is 4x4/AWD. Treadwright is a retread tire company and they have a great product at a great price. You may want to look into them for your next replacement set if money is an issue.

I read your link and all I can tell you is that when I bought 60 and 70 series tires for my vehicles over the years, the 60 series tire was always a wider profile tire, side to side.
On those Treadwright tires, maybe post up what they cost per tire(Explorer sizes) because if they cost as much as a new tire, buying a new tire makes more sense over a re-treaded tire. You can get new Explorer size tires starting at around $120 on up per tire depending on the brand you want.

 

[Exproblems]

Thank you so much for the info. I guess he will just have to take off work and have them put on to see if they are too wide. .

I guess I was misinformed all these years thinking the "P" number in a tire size related to tire height, but according to Tire Rack.com, it relates to tire width, my apologies on the info I gave you. I was not trying to mislead you, it was what I believed to be true for a lot of years.
Before your BF takes a day off from work, have him stop by the shop after work that is going to install the used tires and double check with them if they are okay to use. According to "H I Brian", you are good to go with those used P255 tires.

 

[extra-medium]

I guess I was misinformed all these years thinking the "P" number in a tire size related to tire height, but according to Tire Rack.com, it relates to tire width, my apologies on the info I gave you. I was not trying to mislead you, it was what I believed to be true for a lot of years.
Before your BF takes a day off from work, have him stop by the shop after work that is going to install the used tires and double check with them if they are okay to use. According to "H I Brian", you are good to go with those used P255 tires.

The tire width is always the first number, i.e.- P255/65R16= P or LT designates if it is a passenger or light truck tire, 255 millimeters wide, 65% sidewall to width ratio, R or any other letter determines the speed rating for the tire, and 16 inch diameter wheel . I'm sure the link to tire rack said the same thing, I was just too lazy to click on it.

 

[Exproblems]

The tire width is always the first number, >>>>>>>. I'm sure the link to tire rack said the same thing, I was just too lazy to click on it.

Yeah I got it now! The reason I always believed the P or first number was related to tire height and the middle number was width, was that when I bought a set of Dunlop tires for my 1974 Nova back in the late 70's(I was late teens in age), I wanted a narrower tire in the front, and a wider, slick style tire in the rear, outlined white letter tires. In case you aren't from that era, that was the look back then for a Nova along with rear air shocks. The front tires were a 70 series and the rears were a 60 series, the rears were much wider than the fronts. This is how it was described to me by the tire store clerk back then(remember, no internet or cell phones back then either, less information to research) and that is why I always thought the middle number was related to width and the first number was tire height. Never had a conversation with anyone over it either in all these years till now. I was just misinformed by a clerk 30+ years ago. After the Nova, I bought a few more sets of 70 series tires for a Cutlass I owned, but not any 60 series ever again. After that, I just bought the factory spec tire for my vehicles other than a set of Dunlop's for my 1977 4x4 Blazer that were LT 31.5 tires. As far as the speed ratings and rim sizes I knew what they were all along. BTW, you are correct, Tire Rack said a similar thing and it's a little scary to think a single mouse click tires you out! 2 or 3 clicks I can see you getting a little winded, but 1? C'mon man!

 

[jp450]

I have 255 70 17's on my stock 05. They rub a little when turning the wheel all the way right but not too bad. You should have no issues at all with the 255 60's.

 

[Styx]

The tire width is always the first number, i.e.- P255/65R16= P or LT designates if it is a passenger or light truck tire, 255 millimeters wide, 65% sidewall to width ratio, R or any other letter determines the speed rating for the tire, and 16 inch diameter wheel . I'm sure the link to tire rack said the same thing, I was just too lazy to click on it.

Oh so close everything is correct except for the R.
If the R is in front of the wheel size it denotes Radial ply tire (like anyone would run non radial tires these days) if there is a letter after the wheel size (16, 17???) like a V or H or Z etc it denoted the speed rating... If there is another 3 digit number after that it would denote load rating (102, 112,etc)
Just sayin...
R