Tire specs for 93 XLT

[JChristine23]

I have heard that older explorers have a higher rate of rolling over than most other vehicles. I was told that you should keep a lower amount of pressure in the tires that it says on the door by 1 or 2 lbs. Have any of you heard that? Do you have any idea on what is a good pressure level for my tires?

Thanks,
Christine

 

[Four0Sport]

they ran the tire pressure low from the factory to help the vehicle ride smoother, but most tires dont have the sidewall strength to run at 24 psi., which is partly why the firestones gave out. I run my tires at 34-36 psi.

 

[Tbars4]

...a good rule of thumb is to run the air pressure at about 10% less of the max. air pressure stamped on your tire, for highway driving...say your max. pressure says 35...10% of that would be 3.5#...let's call it 4#...
...that would mean you would run your tires at 31#'s...this will give you a maximum footprint with good gas milage....tires are all different but this seems to work well for the life of the tire and stability on the road...

...and i haven't rolled my X yet...

 

[JChristine23]

Thanks for the advice. I tried calling a few dealers, but they didn't have a clue. I guess I won't be taking my explorer there.

 

[Tbars4]

...most dealers will fill your tires up at 32#...but, they still filled them up at 32# on some of my duallie's and they were 80# tires...
...the best advice i could give is 32# on a 35# tire, rotate them regular, and check them weekly.......good luck...

 

[Anime]

The older Explorers don't really roll over any easier than any other sUV, there were just so many of them made and so many people driving them like cars, that they did crazy things and rolled them over. Running the tires at low pressure probably didn't help.

The original factory sticker for air pressure advises 26 psi..which was WAY too low, but was probably so it had a nicer ride..or felt like it did. Later on after the Firestone tire fiasco, Ford issued stickers to put over the original ones that advised 30-32 psi.

Since most passenger car tires (which is usually what winds up on Explorers) are rated for 35 psi max, 32 is probably what you want for the best mileage and wear, though it will depend on the tire. Some tires might ride nice and wear better at 35, others will need to be at 30 psi and will still ride a little rough.

Properly inflated tires will reduce the risk of a blowout (underinflated tires build up more heat), will allow the Explorer to corner better (less lean in corners), and let the other systems (brakes, suspension, etc. work their best) and is probably the easiest thing you can do to keep it safe to drive, other than of course driving it safely to begin with.

 

[4.0Rerolpxe]

i have 235/75/15 Firestone Destinations i run mine at 40psi. i was talking to a hwy patrolman, and he said that if you run your tires at about 40, then you will get more life out of them. my tires suggest 32 to 42.

 

[tc11362]

I agree with Anime 4X4's statement about Explorers not rolling over any more frequently than other SUVs. I personally feel the whole rollover issue was due to the rapid increase in unexperienced SUV drivers. You simply can't drive an SUV like a go kart. The explorer was such a popular vehicle in the 90s, combined with knucklehead drivers ,low tire pressure and media hype it simply is not shocking that you had the much "overinflated" rollover issue. Unfortunately, Firestone and Ford got the short end of it. Hey, I did like free tire deal though.