Hi guys

New here and fairly new to my 2012 explore XLT (had it a couples months) and looking to put a better all around/winter tire on it. I am looking at duratrac's as I do plenty of driving in snow and on gravels roads. Not sure if these are a good idea and looking for some input on them and on fitment since in an 18 rim the smallest tire is 265/60R18, will these fit?

Thanks

 

See if tirerack sells the duratracs. If they do,you can read the online owners reviews of the tires.

 

Well, thats strange, do a google search of tire rack.

 

I can tell you from personal experience, the duratrac is the best tire in snow I ever had. I had them on my wrangler and during a heavy snow, when there is only that one lane thats clear, the lane EVERYONE is driving in. Well, i was in the unclear lane rolling at about 65mph blowing by all of them, and it felt like i was on dry cement. Not saying I recommend doing that, but thats how good those tires are.

 

Thanks for the response guys,

sorry my original post was a bit vague I guess. I know the duratracs are good and have read plenty of reviews, my question was more specifically are they a good idea for an explorer, especially if I have to go up in size a bit, and if anyone has them on their explorer.

I am concerned about any potential issues if I but a slightly larger and noticeably more aggressive tire on these vehicles

 

Dunno how much bigger they are, but the only downside to these is they are fairly noisy on the road, but I will second that they are the best all around winter tire you can buy, also they are excellent all season. If the overall height is close, then they will be good to go.

 

Really?!?! I thought they were incredibly quiet, they were quieter than the bfg AT i have now.

 

It will depend on the tire size and the also the quality of the sound deadening of the vehicle. My 08' escape I had 225/75 R16 duratracs on it (just sold it), and they were very noticeable at anything above 30mph, but there was a lot of tread void and the escape's are not quiet vehicles.

 

I had 33x12.50x15 duratracs on a jeep wrangler and thought they were quiet

 

They are aggressive and heavy tires and you will lost a LOT of gas mileage, maybe 3-5 mpg, as well as losing performance and ride quality. Look at tire weight in the size you would be using and compare to your stock tires. If you bump up tire weight by 5-10 lbs or more, unsprung weight will be harder on the shocks and struts, and will be harder to accelerate and stop, especially if you increase size.

A Duratrac is not an all-round tire for a civilized vehicle like an Explorer that is mostly driven on the road. Something like a Michelin LTX M/S2 would be my choice, or if you want to go more aggressive, a Michelin LTX A/T2.

A Duratrac would be correct for something like a Jeep Wrangler if it was used off road for significant portions of driving, or a snow plow truck, or a serious mudder. Or even an Expedition used in Alaska on logging trails. You have a Taurus with a suspension lift and a taller body.

If Goodyear offers a 30-day tire "buyback" guarantee, you can try a set and WHEN you decide they are not worth it, get your money back (less mounting and balancing fees). Been there, done that, not with Duratracs but something similar. Remember the loss of a few mpg can cost hundreds of dollars a year in fuel.

George

 

No disrespect, but i TOTALLY disagree. Imo the duratrac is the best tire on the planet for the mix of on and off road use. They were quieter than the factory goodyear radials my wrangler came with, they outperformed the factory tires in every department, rain, snow, off road, dry pavement, you name it. They are NOT for primary off road use, not even in the same category as tires like the BFG KM2, Wrangler MT/R with kevlar, super swampers, or any aggressive tire. HOWEVER, you get a more aggressive look which imo is the bees knees on any truck or suv. And you also get the quiet smooth ride of a plain jane dd radial
Plus they wear like iron!!! I noticed very little loss in MPG with the duratracs anf i went from 31s to 33s.

I absolutely LOVED my duratracs, the only, ONLY reason i didnt get another set for my current truck is they dont make them in load range E. Having said that, the only other tire i would compare them to is the bridgestone blizzak as far as all around performance. I had Blizzaks on a BMW M5 and they made the car feel like AWD in the snow and rain. I do think the duratrac is a tad better in snow than the blizzaks though. Unknown if they make the blizzak in your sizes, but that would be my second choice for an suv if they do.

 

Also, even using the word aggressive to describe the Michelin LTX M/S2 is like saying O'douls has a high alcohol content. Those look like tires i would put on a prius.

Edit: i misread and see u said the Michelin LTX A/T2 is aggressive, yes thats more aggressive looking, but honestly imo is just the Michelin equivalent of the duratrac.

 

An Explorer is a car, not a truck. Your Wrangler and F250 are trucks. The increased tire weight would hammer the shocks and struts. I would stay milder on an Explorer, like LTX M/S2's. I am on my 3rd set of LTX's on my E150 and they just came out with an application for my Subaru Forester which, like the Explorer, is car based. This is a great crossover or street truck/van tire and I will buy them if I keep my Subaru long enough to need new tires. My van has gotten thru a LOT of Michigan winters although I did have a posi unit installed when it was new.

IMO the Duratrac is a truck tire and the Explorer is not a truck. There are people who run BFG AT's on Subarus, not many, and some are for looks, but that is a heavy truck tire also.

Try what you want to try, though, especially if there is a 30 day return policy. edit for OP--also, look up weight specs for your stock tires, the Duratracs (in the upsize you want) and other alternatives. The Duratracs have a deep and very open tread. Look for minimal or no weight gain from the stock tires to maintain gas mileage, ride comfort, and suspension control. M/S2's have fairly light sidewalls and are Eco rated I believe. And the LTX A/T2 is also fairly light and would be as aggro as I'd go.

YMMV
George

 

Ok, i really cant even believe what i just read.....the explorer is a car??? Um no it definitely is not, its an mid sized SUV, same category as a wrangler, a cherokee, a pathfinder, an FJ....its not a friggin car.... they dont make lift kits for cars...sooo

 

Police fleets use Tauruses and Explorers together because there are so many common parts--Ford advertises that and the combo of vehicles make sense for PD's (especially with the 3.5 Ecoboosts).

An Escape is a raised Focus with a tall body, an Edge is a raised Fusion with a tall body, and the Explorer is a raised Taurus. The AWD system has no low range and no locking center diff and the Explorer is not designed to do any heavy offroading. It is a crossover aka roadgoing vehicle.

Wrangler, FJ, 4Runner, Xterra, and older Pathfinder are separate body/frame vehicles like a pre-2011 Explorer and these are trucks (little less so for the old Explorer). I owned an old FJ40 Land Cruiser; that was a truck. Manual locking front hubs and a truck 4 speed manual transmission with a truck transfer case and solid axles. The original Cherokee was proof that you could successfully do offroading in a unit body. The new Cherokee is a Dodge Dart with a lift kit and a tall body. My Subaru Forester is an Impreza and all Subarus are (tough) cars and they make lift kits and all kinds of gnarly offroad parts for them.

Subarus do OK offroad; mine is a 5 speed manual trans with a limited slip center diff. Simple and effective. No low range though. The Explorer would have more etronic clutch stuff driving the rear axle. Crossover is a car wearing an SUV costume. They work perfectly for what most people including me need.

No insult to any person or any Explorer intended. I really like the Edge, Flex, and Explorer and would consider replacing my Subaru with one in a minute if I wanted more room inside and a larger payment book

George