tire suggestions?

[cjben]

Looking for tire suggestions for our 2004 4wd. Must be good in the snow and wet conditions. Never had an suv before,just familiar with mostly mud tires for the 4x4 trucks I have owned and the snow tires I mount on my daily driver focus. Not going to that extent for the explorer. Need a good year round tire that won't break the bank. Thanks!!

 

[fordysenior]

I bought Toyo's for my 2002 -- had to trade in 3 of the tires due to vibration, constantly fought vibration problems, vehicle in good condition, the tire store got tired of me, got rid of the tires, bought another brand, can't remember which, but I'd advise stay away from Toyo.

 

[ScaryWoody]

My neighbor is a Toyo Tire sales rep. We've had Toyos (friend pricing) on most of my cars. +1 on Fordysenior assessment. I have Firestone Destinations on my 2003 and they seem to ride well and have enough bite.

 

[Number4]

Michelin LTX MS2

 

[EXPLORER04]

General Grabber AT 2. Excellent snow / wet traction

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+AT+2

 

[RKH58]

My '05 Ex just got these. Kumho Road Venture AT KL78. They have performed well in wet or dry conditions. My '05 Mercury Mariner 4WD has had these same tires since July '14 and they performed very well in last winter's snow.

Number4's Michelin LTX MS2 are a great choice also. I had them on both my '98 XLT and my '98 Sport. They just weren't in the budget this time of year.

 

[BigFellor]

Michelin LTX MS2

Plus 1.

I'm on my second set and love them.

 

[drdoom]

General Grabber AT 2. Excellent snow / wet traction

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+AT+2

True, these are great tires excellent in the snow I have a set of LTs with over 60K miles on my 2G.

 

[Number4]

Here's a test to any tires quality of construction.

Take the tire you are interested in and roll it down an isle. See how far it goes, how far it goes straight.

Michelins will roll straight until they run out of room or speed. BFGs, will wobble within seconds and collapse soon after, as an example. I've seen BFG's take over a pound of weights to come close to being balanced.

I busted tires for Sam's club in the mid to late 90's. So I got to see how different tires wore over time. The roll test (while stocking tires) went in line with the quality of wear I saw.

I never worked with Kumho or Toyo. The General tires were all car sized, the police ran them. At the time they had horrible belt separation issues, which I'm sure they resolved.

 

[LMHmedchem]

This is what I ended with,

Firestone DESTINATION LE 2 ($500 installed)

I was going to get the Destination A/Ts, but Firestone seemed to be out of stock and they couldn't get 4 of them for me at the time when I was buying.

I got these from town fair tire, which I recommend if they are in your area. The $500 included, mounting, wheel balance, valve stems, front wheel alignment, lifetime rotation, and free flat repair. You can add the 4-wheel alignment for $50 more. I didn't get road hazard this time because Firestone only has a three year pro-rated plan now. I only drive about 7,000 a year on this and I wouldn't expect a problem in the first 20,000 miles anyway. TFT has free flat repair, so I didn't see much benefit in the insurance this time.

Around here, the Michelin LTX MS2 are going for $660. I would get the Michelins if you can go the extra $160, I think it's worth it. If not, I think that the Destinations are a good second choice. The Destination A/Ts cost a bit more than the LE2 but may be better if you frequently drive in bad conditions or off road some.

We got more than 9 feet of snow here in less than a month last year and I think that these tires performed very well. At least I was able to get around with an unbelievable amount of snow without getting stuck.

LMHmedchem

 

[corkey]

here, this will end it,,
i have used these for winter and summer tires up here in Canada,
they perform excellent in snow and wet,,
snow flake on the sidewall and sipes for rain, and ice,,

http://ca.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/Discoverer-M-S.aspx

 

[lincolnshibuya]

+1 on the Destination LE2, I have it in my AWD which is strict on tire wear since 2010. Almost 60k on all 4 tires and I think this will be the last winter for them.

 

[gtyates]

The Michellin's are great, but a little pricey. I have a set of Bridgestone Dueller Allenza HL's. Very pleased with them in rain/snow as well as dry ride. I prefer the Michellin's, but like the price of the Bridgestones.

 

[fordbluefamily]

I put LE2's on my AWD this summer. So far I like how quiet and smooth they are. They seem to be wearing just fine. For the price, they are alright with me.

 

[Sweersa]

I love my Goodyear Wrangler ArmorTracs. I have run them for over a year now. They handle winter conditions very well. They are also wearing nicely. They have fairly aggressive tread, but the noise isn't bad at all. I don't really even notice it.

My mom put some on her 1997 4x4 Chevy Silverado recently after my highly positive experience with them. I'll get them again if available when mine wear down.

 

[TechGuru]

My Explorer came with practically new Cooper Discoverer HTP which I like for the most part, have not been off road with them yet.

but when it comes time for new tires I'll be getting GoodYear Wrangler's.

If you need more than what those can offer I'd go with these "LT" rated tires:

Oh and if you can afford to have a separate winter set of tires with wheels I'd get these and have them studded if your state allows.