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Time for tires

Which to choose?


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Has anyone tried the new Michelin Premier LTX DT (different tread)? The description mentions the tire has deeper tread and different compound to extend life. I wonder if this puts the life expectancy on par with the Defender.

I have the Premier now with 40k on them and can probably squeeze another 10k out of them. They have been a fantastic tire and I think I’m going to replace with the DT version.

Anyone running the DT yet?
 



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Has anyone tried Nokian WRG4 SUV tires? My 2017 stock junk tires are in need of replacement in the spring. Live in the cold Canadian Prairies and am looking for a good all weather tire.

I've got the DUELER H/L ALENZA PLUS and the CrossContact LX20 on the short list as well.
 






I could not find any posts where a member has bought them although there are posts referencing that tire. I just installed the Blizzak DM-V2 on mine. Had the Blizzak DM-V1 on my 2017 Platinum.

Peter
 






I could not find any posts where a member has bought them although there are posts referencing that tire. I just installed the Blizzak DM-V2 on mine. Had the Blizzak DM-V1 on my 2017 Platinum.

Peter

I'm too cheap to run summer and winter (no insurance discounts nor legislation for mandatory winter tires here) so I'm looking for the best of both worlds. Plus I find with AWD dedicated winter/summer tires aren't worth the investment.
 






Replacing factory tires on your Explorer Sport?

I'm offering this info to hopefully help any of you from making the same mistake i did. My 2015 Explorer Sport came with Hankook sport tires. Great performance and handling but at 35k miles they were completely worn out. I don't drive a lot of miles but live in a very hilly and mountainous area and I needed brakes as well and opted to have everything done with one visit. I like to have all my work done at the Ford dealer. Mine has a Quick Lane for oil changes, tires, brakes etc.. they asked if I wanted to go with the Hankooks again and I asked if there was a better quality tire that might yield better tread life of the same specifications and was offered Michelin LTs. This was the first mistake. The minute I got my vehicle back, it drove completely different than it did earlier that day. Constant vibration, not from the steering wheel but in the body of the vehicle. And very noticeable on smooth, newly paved roads. After 3 repeat visits and much escalation, the dealer puts my wheels on a force balancer and advised that the tires couldn't be balanced. Now instead of refunding my money I'm told I have to wait while the dealer files a claim with Michelin. I escalated again and was offered an alternative and less expensive BF Goodrich LT tire. This was the 2nd mistake but I relied on the "experts" at the dealer. Same exact results. Shaking like a leaf in a storm. Since that time, I've had my vehicle in the dealer for easily 2 weeks over the course of several visits and after literally going through it with a fine tooth comb checking suspension, wheel bearings, transmission mounts, you name it... they tell me I have the wrong tires for this vehicle. I had to have a sit down with the service manager who agreed they screwed up and put new Hankooks on my Explorer at no extra charge which completely resolved the issue. The bottom line in my opinion is NEVER put anything but a sport/performance tire on your Explorer Sport. With it's sport tuned suspension it's very sensitive to road conditions and LT grade tires are actually for light trucks and not appropriate for this vehicle. Some who read this may have a different opinion but I'm convinced this was the case based on my experience.
 






I have had Michelin Defender LTX on my 2016 Sport for over 70k miles (& I expect to get another 20k out of them). They out perform the Hankook Nobles that came on it.

I can only guess that you got a bad set.
 






I've had my Michelin Premier LTX's for ~25k miles and they are fine.
The Michelin's definitely have more grip in the snow/wet, but beyond that I would say they are about on par with the OE Hankooks.
The Hankooks were sharper and quieter (even @ 60K miles) than the Michelin's ever were.
I could have easily got another 10k out of the Hankooks for summer use, but winter/snow was getting bad, so they were replaced just before winter hit a few years ago.
 






Welcome to the Forum Hypercussion.:wave:
Very few members have put new Hankook tires back on due to the premature wear and other issues. I'd guess that 90% or more have gone with aftermarket brand tires.
I don't believe the 2015 had the Hankook Ventus S1 Noble tires. I think they came out on the 2016. Treadwear Issue with Ventus S1 Noble 2 Hankooks
Also, check out this thread; OEM Hankook Tires, Like or Dislike
I don't understand why the Sport would be any different in using aftermarket tires even with a 'tuned' suspension.:dunno:
BTW, the OEM Hankook tires are a passenger car tire according to their site.

Peter
 












I'm actually quite surprised by everyone's experiences with the factory Hankook tires. I experienced the exact opposite, we made it to around 75k miles if I recall correctly, and we were not very good with rotations. Maybe we got lucky?

We have experienced significant issues since then and believe it's due to some suspension issues that can't be pin pointed at this time.
 






firestone-weathergrip-4-seasons-winter-approved-large.jpg


I ended up getting Firestone Weathergrip All Weather Tires from Quattro Tire in Quebec. Ordering was easy and delivery was quick.

I am deleting the 20" Sport Appearance Package Rims on my XLT in favor of some matte black Touren T9 rims:

TR9-BLK_d7333c78-ece5-432f-ad8a-2d2899eb52e1.png


I'll post pics once their installed next week along with some first impressions as I don't believe anyone else has used the tire yet.
 






firestone-weathergrip-4-seasons-winter-approved-large.jpg


I ended up getting Firestone Weathergrip All Weather Tires from Quattro Tire in Quebec. Ordering was easy and delivery was quick.

I am deleting the 20" Sport Appearance Package Rims on my XLT in favor of some matte black Touren T9 rims:

TR9-BLK_d7333c78-ece5-432f-ad8a-2d2899eb52e1.png


I'll post pics once their installed next week along with some first impressions as I don't believe anyone else has used the tire yet.
Good Looking wheel!
 






Replaced the Hankooks with Michelin Defenders at 32k and very happy with the Michelins. They are definitely going to last much much longer and the ride/drive is just as good as the OEM. I really liked the Hankooks until the last 10k.
 






I was shocked too when I was told at 35k I needed new tires on my 16 Sport. We weren't in a hilly mountainous area like the original poster. When I put in the specs of the Hankook tire into Google all I got were 2 alternatives. I don't remember what #2 was but I ended up with Pirelli Scorpions. They've been great. They sell them at Sams, and I got a quote from them, but the dealer (which also has the quick lane), matched the price and gave some $$ off so they were a better deal to get the business. Hubby is military and we just got sent to California from MD. Car drove wonderfully the whole way here. I only have about 13k on these tires now, I can only hope this car isn't chewing up tires every 35k miles.
 






I'll soon need a set of tires on my '14 Sport and was trying to get an idea from this thread about which one would be the best choice. I was set on the Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 (Ford dealer quoted $998.60 out the door), but I see some complaints here about excessive wear. Is that pretty much the only complaint about them? I prefer softer compound rubber for traction, and a smooth & quiet ride; don't really care about great tread wear if the trade-off is a rougher ride and less cornering ability. Any suggestions?
 






I'll soon need a set of tires on my '14 Sport and was trying to get an idea from this thread about which one would be the best choice. I was set on the Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 (Ford dealer quoted $998.60 out the door), but I see some complaints here about excessive wear. Is that pretty much the only complaint about them? I prefer softer compound rubber for traction, and a smooth & quiet ride; don't really care about great tread wear if the trade-off is a rougher ride and less cornering ability. Any suggestions?

There's a whole thread about tires on here. I went with Michelin Premier LTX based on reviews. See my comments above. I'd recommend them, but there may be less expensive options that fit your needs, like the scorpions mentioned above.
 






I just got Firestone Destination AT2 tires in 245/60/18 on my 2016 Base and they are awesome in the snow and icy roads. They are also quiet and light so my fuel mileage has stayed the same as stock.
I made a quick video with them. https://youtu.be/iMTP4qdkkd4
I would recommend these to anyone that lives in a wintery conditions, they have the 3 peak snowflake rating.
 






firestone-weathergrip-4-seasons-winter-approved-large.jpg


I ended up getting Firestone Weathergrip All Weather Tires from Quattro Tire in Quebec. Ordering was easy and delivery was quick.

I am deleting the 20" Sport Appearance Package Rims on my XLT in favor of some matte black Touren T9 rims:

TR9-BLK_d7333c78-ece5-432f-ad8a-2d2899eb52e1.png


I'll post pics once their installed next week along with some first impressions as I don't believe anyone else has used the tire yet.

Nice wheels.

Good luck with the Firestone's. I'll leave it at that...
 






Nice wheels.

Good luck with the Firestone's. I'll leave it at that...

Can't be much worse than the stock Hankook's. My only other all weather options were Nokian WRG4, Toyo Celcius or BFG Advantage T/A Sport or Goodyear Assurance Weatherready.
 



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Can't be much worse than the stock Hankook's. My only other all weather options were Nokian WRG4, Toyo Celcius or BFG Advantage T/A Sport or Goodyear Assurance Weatherready.

I don't know. I'll take a stable but short treadwear over blow-outs any day.

I recently was up against the same decision. I didn't like what was offered by Goodyear, BFG or Cooper so went with Pirelli's. So far, so good. Much better grip and handling than the stock Hankooks.
 






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