problems with tires in ford explorer 1g

[luis_lapray]

what was the problem that overturned the Ford Explorer,
is in the tires?
this problem was in ford explorer 1g,
this suv is safe?
who is to blame (ford or his tires)?
thanks.

 

[Maniak]

The short answer is it was Primarily the drivers fault but you could also blame Ford and Firestone too

Ford wanted the Explorer to ride software so they said run at 26lbs of air pressure which is plenty IF you keep them at 26 and don't overload the truck.
Drivers didn't check their tire pressure and if it dropped more than a couple pounds they wouldn't have enough air in the tires to hold the weight of the vehicle.
Firestone, only because the tires were cheaper and couldn't handle being under inflated.
It was also the drivers fault because most drivers don't know how to drive when you get a blowout. If you yank on the steering wheel or slam on the brakes, things will go from bad to worse in a hurry.

~Mark

 

[luis_lapray]

thanks for your answer maniak,
i did research this problem and this is confuse, someone thinks that the problem is ford explorer,suspension, other person think the problem was the tires,
i'm owner of the ford explorer 1993, and I not has problems in this aspect.
what presure is recomenden for the tires, in city, and free way,
I use 30 lbs in city and free way.

 

[Carguy3J]

thanks for your answer maniak,
i did research this problem and this is confuse, someone thinks that the problem is ford explorer,suspension, other person think the problem was the tires,
i'm owner of the ford explorer 1993, and I not has problems in this aspect.
what presure is recomenden for the tires, in city, and free way,
I use 30 lbs in city and free way.

It depends on your tires. If you are using a passenger car style tire, then 32-34lbs is probably good. If you are using a heavier duty LT (light truck) tire, then you may need to run more. I would look at the max cold inflation pressure on the tire sidewall, and use a few pounds less than that. I usually put 1-2lbs more in the front, then the back, to compensate for the increased front end weight from the motor. Of course, if you regularily put alot of cargo in the back, then this doesn't apply.

 

[Willard]

30lbs. is an okay pressure. I run 35 but it's kind of preference. I just wouldn't go lower than 30. The suspension wasn't the culprit, in fact Ford Explorers have always been more stable than some of the similar class SUV's, such as the Chevy Blazer. Those have always been known for being tipsy.

So in short provided you keep a better air pressure than it came with from the factory, you will be fine. From my own experience I know the Explorer is a very stable vehicle, I have been VERY close to flipping mine at speed, but it pulled through just fine.

 

[luis_lapray]

thanks for your answer, I don't knew if sell the explorer because i thought that isn't safe.
I going to put 32 lb in the tires.
thanks

 

[Spdrcer34]

Officially, the 2nd Generation were the ones that were covered under the Tire, and Tire Inflation recommendation sticker Recalls.

1991 to 1994 have TTB and I-beam suspensions....i.e: Long arms with radius arms to control their movement through the suspension cycle. 95+ are Torsion Bar, and small A-arm suspension, Which doesn't help a narrow vehicle with a taller center of gravity.

Ryan

 

[KobeJ05]

i went to ford and the guy at the front desk said it took 26 so i said well i heard they updated that sticker (from reading on this site) then he said that my tires came from les schwab and he was running his mouth on how they put way more air then what the vehicle calls for and he just went on and on and on just *****ing about it. so one of the techs that work in the shop was doing researches i guess he heard him running his mouth. so the tech calls the guy that runs front desk that the psi went from 26 to 30 or 32 psi i cant remember which and the front desk go no thats wrong and as he read further he admits right there it says on the tsb in bold that it took 30 to 32psi. i almost told the guy the runs the front desk no wonder they stuck you at the front desk acting like you know it all cause he use to be a tech in the back. i shook the tech that over heard him running his mouth hands and said thanks. so ya 30 or 32 psi.

 

[Reejerey]

The biggest thing you can do is remember that an explorer is not a friggin sports car. they have a higher center of gravity and therefore they roll easier than a typical passenger car. Make sure your tires are in good shape. My 92 says 30 psi front 35 psi rear for tire pressures on the door sticker, thats a pretty good range, just keep an eye on them and make sure they stay up to pressure... once a week is a good interval to check tire pressures

 

[Tony H]

We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!

The biggest thing you can do is remember that an explorer is not a friggin sports car. they have a higher center of gravity and therefore they roll easier than a typical passenger car. Make sure your tires are in good shape. My 92 says 30 psi front 35 psi rear for tire pressures on the door sticker, thats a pretty good range, just keep an eye on them and make sure they stay up to pressure... once a week is a good interval to check tire pressures

BINGO! This is the real reason, The same reason you see SUV's Rubber-up in the newspaper everyday.
People do not drive the car to it's abilities.
Ralph Nader killed the Corvair because people drove it like it wasn't a rear engined car.
Chevy took the car spun it around and called it a Camaro.

 

[luis_lapray]

YES, you are correct,
the explorer isn't a car, i think that speed limit is 55 or 60 mph, because in the bloster there is a red mark that say 55 mpg.
I only had heard bad comments about suspension and tires.
I feel better, this because I going to drive about 3000 km in this suv in my holidays(sonora-chiapas in mexico).
I only have to change the SHOCKS ABSORBERS and align thewheels because the sub vibrates a bit.

 

[Reejerey]

there's not really a "speed limit" the red mark at 55 mph is because of the old national speed limit. Lots of cars built thru the 80's and early 90's had a distinctive mark for 55 mph. You can safely take an ex up to 70-80 mph as long as you aren't cornering sharply. There also aren't any major suspension issues that would cause it to be unsafe as long as you don't have worn out parts. while you are replacing shocks and getting the alignment done, make sure you have the tires balanced and the driveline checked for bad components, as they are more likely to cause a vibration than shocks or alignment issues.

 

[backfrmcolorado]

Im running Firestone Winterforce from winter still and about to switch back over to my Firestone Destination A/T. The tires are great so long as you keep the air pressure up like everyone is saying. Honestly I run my tires at about 26-29psi in winter and anywhere from 32-36psi in summer. But i need the extra pressure in summer because I tow a trailer often. As far as speed goes on the highway ive burried the speedometer at the 85 mark on my 1994. Keep up on tire pressure, balance, and tire rotation and good shocks never hurt.

 

[luis_lapray]

so the tires of the explorer only was bad publicity,we don't have that worry,the suspension and the wheels is safe.

 

[Tony H]

so the tires of the explorer only was bad publicity,we don't have that worry,the suspension and the wheels is safe.

It was all about people not being responsible enough to keep track of their air pressure. Which now caused some stupid law to have Air Pressure warning alarms in the cars. Stupid.

I have put over 130000 miles on my 'X' on Firestone Destination LE's
A tire I recommend over the Good Year Wrangler RT that everyone has on there 'X'

I have a total of 330000 mile on my 'X'

 

[james t]

Its not that 26lbs was bad, IMHO 28lbs on the stock Uniroyals was perfect. Its the fact that 26 is relatively low considering most Americans check their air pressure about once a year, and even a tire with no leaks will lose 5-10lbs a year... there was little margin for error.

There really is no need to run over 30psi on an Explorer with passenger tires or load range C truck tires.

 

[backfrmcolorado]

It was all about people not being responsible enough to keep track of their air pressure. Which now caused some stupid law to have Air Pressure warning alarms in the cars. Stupid.

I have put over 130000 miles on my 'X' on Firestone Destination LE's
A tire I recommend over the Good Year Wrangler RT that everyone has on there 'X'

I have a total of 330000 mile on my 'X'

Holy 330000 miles way to go. I had the Wrangler RT's and hated them so i went back to firestone as well.

 

[Anime]

The Explorer can roll over with just about any tire when taking a turn too sharp, just because it has such a high center of gravity. To Ford's credit, they DID put a warning on the drivers side visor warning about the handling characteristics of such a vehicle, which was a good thing since it was probably the first truck/suv for a lot of people.

Ford also had a warning sticker that advised against using anything other than "All Terrain" type tires, since they might be grippier on pavement and cause the vehicle to roll during hard corners, instead of the tires slipping sideways.

Of course, Ford also warned against using lift kits or other modifications, too.

The Firestone Radial ATX tires WERE pretty cheap. They had a very low UTQG of just "B" for traction and "C" for temperature, and like Maniak said, with this kind of poor construction, they just couldn't handle the everyday use tires usually see, being underinflated and overdriven by people who don't know much if anything about keeping up the maintenance on a vehicle.

Firestone did make the tires, but Ford ordered them and spec'd the recommended psi.

Ford probably just figured losing Firestone as a supplier was less costly than admitting fault and taking a massive hit in future sales for the then white-hot SUV market.