98 Exp XL 4WD

I haven't rotated my tires since I bought the vehicle 20k miles ago in the hopes of wearing out these crappy firestone tires and thereby justifying the need for new tires to my wife. Of course, I need to go bigger than stock with the tires.

I currently have 225/70 R15s which are too small for my liking. I would like to put on 30x9.5 on the factory rims. Will these tires fit on the stock steel rims?

 

I have Michelin 30 x 9.5 15's on my 97 Mountaineer and they work fine. You might even get away with 31 X 10.5 15's but I am not sure. I was told they would rub but I have also been told they will not, so who knows.
Greg

 

The largest tire you can safely mount on your stock rims (15x7) are 31x10.5s. They will also fit your Explorer with no lift needed and the X will look and handle better.