I just recently purchased a '05 Excursion XLT 2WD V10. Purchased it from a local Police agency with 108K miles. Rig is in good shape, just needs tweaking to make it road ready to haul my 30' Airstream. My question is regarding tires. It currently has 16's on it, but I am looking at 20's. The wheel I am going with is the American Racing AR901's in the polished finish. I am trying to decide on tires. The local Tire Store is trying to push the Nitto Terra Grapplers or the Nitto Dura Grapplers. Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I know there is lots of experience here. Thanks in advance.

 

Make certain that the wheels and tires are rated for the load you're going to be putting on it. Airstream trailers aren't light, and I can't find a weight rating for those wheels.

IMHO 20" wheels are an appearance mod, I don't think they're going to be doing you any favors with a trailer.

 

Hi Fred, welcome to the forum!
I run Nitto Dura Grapplers (305/70R18E) on my '05 4X4 EX that works as our tow rig. Got these tires last September and so far they have been great, quietest tire I've ever had on a truck and even with the somewhat tall sidewalls they are super tow tires, no squishy/squirmy feel to them at all. We have pulled over 1200 miles with them at this point and I am very happy with their performance. Our Ex doesn't go off road and it sits all Winter so no snow either, so for us these highway tread tires are a perfect match. Just be sure to get Load Range E tires to help handle the towing chores more better. Oh, And of course we need to see pics or it didn't happen!

 

I'm quite fond of the Michelin ltx/ms2... its a road tire that's smooth, quiet, and handles the tow load very well. I also had bfgoodrich at tires before the Michelin and they were decent. I think the rounded edges on th at made it wonder a bit though.

Like we3zs said... go load range E

 

I can't give you any advise on how the Nitto wears on an Excursion (Yet), but am very sold on the tires. I have a set on the split DD/Offroad play truck and think they are outstanding. Nitto does a great job making a perfectly round tire that need very little if any weights to balance. I have about 12k on mine and have beat to heck out of them at 8lbs on Moab rocks and then there and back at regular pressures. Plan on putting them on my (new to me) Excursion in a couple weeks.

 

Love Michelin LTX MS2 tires. On my 2nd set (first were 16", these are 18"). They work well in towing duty.

More importantly, you need to think about the outside diameter of whatever tire you end up with. The V-10 and the 6.0L both need to operate in an optimum RPM range when you stress the engine/tranny by towing a big trailer. If you change to a larger diameter tire, you may need to change axle ratios to get back in the optimum range.

 

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I am headed to the tire store after work to compare and make a decision on what I feel will fit my needs/desires. Whatever I purchase will definitely be E Load Range tires. That is the one stipulation I put on the tire guy. I realize I will ultimately probably end up doing a gearing change. I understand and appreciate your opinion Tom regarding larger tires being an appearance want rather than a need, but lets face it, we Excursion owners have a certain pride in our rigs and my desire is to have one that is not only functional, but is appealing to me as well. I compromised on buying a 2WD vs. a 4WD and am regretting it a little. My daily driver is a '05 Ford F150 4WD that I really enjoy, but I went with 2WD on the Excursion because of the highway miles that I will be putting on the rig. I miss the taller stance/look already. The 20's will get me a little closer to that stance and look I love. Immediately upon purchasing the Excursion I changed the plugs, gas filter and put on a K&N air filter. I will be putting on Bilstein shocks and Bushwacker fender flares this weekend. The rig is a little plain Jane as it sits now. Once again it was a Police K9 unit and is a little boring. It has vinyl floors and cloth front seats and leather (like) rear seats. I plan on installing carpet and new seats in the future. Also looking to upgrade the side mirrors. Looking at LineX'ing the lower portion of the vehicle and maybe even the bumpers with a contrasting color (it is currently Oxford white). Sorry....a little long winded this morning. More to come with pics. Thanks.

 

Well...at least you only have one axle ratio to change out!

 

I USED to be a fan of michelins...
They are good as long as you don't let them get too old.
They dry out and throw the tread. Likely to damage your wheel wells.
Had this happen on 2 vehicles now. The EX and a car.
No more michelin man for me.

 

Yes. I too have witnessed a Michelin blow apart sitting in my driveway. Luckily we were not rolling down the road with the big 36' Alfa Gold that we had at the time. We were living in a drier climate and I think the tires had dried out as you stated.

What tires do you have on your Excursion currently?

 

I agree, Factory 18s ok, Aftermarket 20" rims eh...

The Factory 16 inch mags allow for a wide range of tire choices, even though I had a huge selection, I went with the Michelin LTX M/S2. They were AWESOME on my '01 Excursion before it was lifted. They can more than carry the weight of the the Excursion and handle well no matter what you do. Just keep them properly inflated...

 

The Nittos are good tires and do wear well if rotated on a good schedule. I've not encountered them taking any less wheel weights than other tires. I'd also take a look at Toyo Open Country HT's - excellent tire with good ride quality, traction and low noise. Longevity is good and most are rated at 60k miles treadwear.

 

What ever you do, since it's 2WD, go with a good hwy tire. I highly recomend General Tire. I have them on my X and love them. They are stock size General Grabber HTS.

 

If mine were a pavement queen I go with the Michelins. IMHO...the 20 inch rims are nothing more than appearance upgrades. I run BFG all terrain t/a on my stock rims they look awesome but they are definitely not what you want for a street truck.

Good luck and remember everyone's going to have an opinion on tires it comes down to what you want.

 

Update. Thanks again for the responses. I do appreciate each of you taking the time and providing input. I have made a decision based on several things. I ordered the 20" American Racing AR901's in the Bright PVD (polished) and the Nitto Dura's in LT275/60R20. I am installing the Bilstein shocks and the Bushwacker 1 1/2" Fender Flares tonight. Pics to come.American Racing - Wheels Dura Grappler - Highway Terrain Light Truck Radial Search Results | Bushwacker