Hi, I have a 95 XLT AWD Aerostar with 14 " wheels, and I need winter tires, but all my sources and web searches say that these are no longer made! 2 years ago I fitted a new crate engine and many mechanical parts including removing the rust and repainting, I can't believe I will have to retire it due to not being able to find winter tires. (I also have a 2wd Aerostar that I drive in the summer, so the AWD only goes out in the winter once snow starts to fall, and, yes it is snowing today!)
Can any one please offer advice as to where I can source winter tires (USA or Canada) I need 2 but might buy 4. Shipping in the USA would be to 98844WA or Canada V0H 1V6
Thanks.

 

Simple search pulls up plenty

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...rtnum=97TR4UGW

https://www.carid.com/hercules-tires..._id=3388777900

 

The stock size tire for Aerostar is 215/75/14, which is already pretty borderline inadequate for the base vehicle, which is a 2WD shorty with the 3 liter engine. The AWD model, usually on the extended body, weighs about 500 lbs more, so going with a smaller tire is downright dangerous.

I "upgraded" to 15" wheels from a mid-90's Explorer I found at a salvage yard, I think 15" * 7", and was then able to find a much larger selection of tires. I went with 215/65/15 size, and had no issues with interference.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...Zycm5RNTZTeWZB

Others have successfully used bigger tires, so I would go with something like these:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...omCompare1=yes

The Blizzaks are know to be very good snow and ice tires.

 

Thank you.. I have the AWD extended body versions, so your comments about weight are certainly spot on! I will look into 15" wheels, that may well be my only option. I notice your linked picture says you did have to alter the wheel arch, but not by much. I will talk with my local body shop, I think I have seen an arch roller there.

 

Searching the Tire rack site finds NO 14" winter tires. I have tried there several times.
The Hercules winter tire at carid is a 195 / 70 R14, would that fit on my existing hubs or and within the wheel arch?
Thanks!

 

I rolled the rear fenders as a precaution, but it turned out may not have been necessary. But no matter how careful I was, the paint has peeled off of the rolled section.

The 195 / 70 /14 should fit your stock wheels and into the wheel wells just fine, as they're smaller than stock sizes. But as I say, I worry about their durability on such a heavy vehicle, regardless of their load rating.

 

TR has the very competent all-season Altimax RT43 in a 14.
I toured several years with these in 215/65-15 and they are quite nice.
{ed: ..and I will be soon using RT43 again, in 225/55-17's, for California Sierra touring.}

If you defending full blown snow and ice, then I might consider the Arctic 12 in a skinny 205/70 on a 15.
After inspecting an Arctic, I returned it out of California back to the Northeast.
Just too aggressive for our conditions.

 

Thanks folks, I've gone ahead and ordered the HERCULES® 02170 - AVALANCHE RT (195/70R14 T) from carid.com, the only 14" winter tire I can find.
Specifications

Season:Winter / Snow
Tire Size:195 / 70 R14
Speed Rating:T = 118 mph

 

I like that speed rating of 118 mph, which a stock Aerostar will only achieve on a downhill with a tail wind.

 

I found it er, optimistic, too, even in free fall!

 

And what, may I ask, is the airspeed velocity of an unladen Aerostar?

 

The nose-down terminal velocity of most cars is between 200-300 mph, depending on how aerodynamic it is. Despite its name, the Aerostar is not very aerodynamic, largely due to its large cross-sectional area, blunt nose, and rough underbody. So I would guess closer to 200 mph.

Incidentally, it has been recorded by many skydivers that 118 mph is the approximate terminal velocity of a human free-falling through air.

In either case, tire speed ratings would be irrelevant.

 

I have used Bravo Radial Maxxis 751 tires (27x8.50R14LT 6PR 95S) for years with no problems whatsoever regardless of conditions or weight. I typically max my 3.0 Rwd Aero shorty out at around 6000 pounds gross and have never found better tires. Stock tires won't last more than a few weeks for me before disintegrating, so the first thing I do with a new Aero is to buy new tires to replace whatever is on it when I got it.

I buy them at any Les Schwab Tire Store which is mostly in OR, WA, ID, and AK. In over a decade of using them I have never had a flat except the one time a sidewall was slashed by a rock.

 

At least one other owner on this forum is doing the same thing; using light truck tires instead of passenger car tires on their Aerostar. They are stronger, so should handle loads better. But places like Tire Rack don't show them, so you have to look for them elsewhere.

The failure mode on my last 3 sets of 14" tires on my van has been tread separation, long before the treads wore out.

 

Seems kind of silly to me that Ford recommends passenger tires for vehicle with a factory curb weight of 3600 pounds and recommended maximum gross weight of 5500 pounds.

IIRC, the last set of four tires mounted and balanced cost me about $500 with lifetime flat repair automatically included (which I have never used). Never have had tread separation using these tires.

The only way I discovered these tires is because Les Schwab told me about them. Apparently, they are trailer tires never used on trucks. I wanted 6 ply rated tires, and this is what they recommended.