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I have a 2001 7.3 4x4 excursion with low mileage (71k). I was having some issues with driveablity (wandering etc.), and brought it in to get an alignment. The guy at the alignment shop said that I have the 'wrong tires on the truck'. They are the 265/75r16 tires that the ford dealership put on the truck when the recall came out, and they haven't been changed since. I'm not sure how much to believe him that they are the wrong tires, but either way I was looking at new tires and wheels. The wheels on it currently are stock, and there is a bit of corrosion on them. I was thinking of bumping up to an 18 inch wheel, and putting some 305/60r18 tires on it. Thoughts? What would be a good wheel/tire size? This sees pavement 99% of the time, and is mostly used to tow a boat, or sometimes go camping where the road surface is either gravel or dirt. It never sees snow.
Airbags have been added to the suspension, new shocks have been installed, rear sway bars have been installed, if any of that factors into tire sizing.
265/75R 16 are the proper size for your vehicle, that is the only size offered for our rigs. Check your door sticker, it will show you what size tire was on your Ex when it was built. Don’t know what information the tech was looking at?
265/75R 16 are the proper size for your vehicle, that is the only size offered for our rigs. Check your door sticker, it will show you what size tire was on your Ex when it was built. Don’t know what information the tech was looking at?
I know that, and that is what the ford dealership put on it, so I have absolutely no idea why it was the 'wrong tire'. I didn't know if maybe there was a better size for handling or anything, and that's why he said it was the 'wrong tire'. I was considering putting a 305/70r16 on it, seeing as I think the stock tires look a bit small for the vehicle, and the wider tire may help with handling, but I'm no expert. I've seen all sorts of tire sizes recommended, but I want something that will be slightly larger than stock and handle better.
I and many other members run 285/75 16 on our Ex’s , it fills the wheel well a little more and I feel that it makes the truck ride better. Remember the only 18” wheel that fits our rides is the 2004 super duty optional wheels, other wheels will require wheel spacers
I and many other members run 285/75 16 on our Ex’s , it fills the wheel well a little more and I feel that it makes the truck ride better. Remember the only 18” wheel that fits our rides is the 2004 super duty optional wheels, other wheels will require wheel spacers
If I had an 18" wheel with offset, would that affect the spacer needed? I may buy a new set of wheels as well, instead of putting new tires on my current wheels. The current wheels on my truck are corroded, and I think it's only a matter of time before it starts to be a problem.
That being said, if I need new wheels, is there any benefit to go with 18 over 16? From what I have seen, it seems like the 18" wheels have a higher load rating than the 16" wheels. What should I be looking for in wheel width? It seems like 18x9 is the most common for 18" wheels, and I can go anywhere from 7-10 inches on a 16 inch wheel. Is there any reason to go with a 16x7 over a 16x10?
When the Ex was new, at least the 2001 model that I bought, had LT265/75/16 D load range tires.
Ford issued a recall and replaced the tire with LT265/75/16 E load range. Probably why your dealer said you had the wrong tires.
As per above, many others on this site including myself use LT285/75/16 E load range.
As far as I can tell there are no negatives to using the slightly larger tire. In fact, they seem to last longer. I am averaging over 80k per set using the larger size. The extra air in the larger tire helps the ride as well.
Just installed a new set of the Michelin LTX MS Defenders. The set I just took off the truck had 80k of use. Still a lot of tire left at that point, but I like to travel and like the peace of mind of new tires. The extra tread is of course much better in the heavy rain we sometimes get in the tropics. S Fl Excursion 4x4 PSD
Note: Michelin tires for our Excursions have been out of stock at Costco. I did buy from Costco again this time, but have been checking for tires in stock for months. When they had them in stock a few weeks ago, I ordered them. If you check today they are out of stock again.
When the Ex was new, at least the 2001 model that I bought, had LT265/75/16 D load range tires.
Ford issued a recall and replaced the tire with LT265/75/16 E load range. Probably why your dealer said you had the wrong tires.
As per above, many others on this site including myself use LT285/75/16 E load range.
As far as I can tell there are no negatives to using the slightly larger tire. In fact, they seem to last longer. I am averaging over 80k per set using the larger size. The extra air in the larger tire helps the ride as well.
Just installed a new set of the Michelin LTX MS Defenders. The set I just took off the truck had 80k of use. Still a lot of tire left at that point, but I like to travel and like the peace of mind of new tires. The extra tread is of course much better in the heavy rain we sometimes get in the tropics. S Fl Excursion 4x4 PSD
Note: Michelin tires for our Excursions have been out of stock at Costco. I did buy from Costco again this time, but have been checking for tires in stock for months. When they had them in stock a few weeks ago, I ordered them. If you check today they are out of stock again.
I was thinking of either the Michelin, Nitto, or BFG ko2. I use this to launch my boat, so extra traction on the ramp would be nice.
The tires on it are load range E. They are the tires that were installed after the recall.
Originally Posted by pirate4x4_camo
If your tires were changed by the dealer from the recall than they are way beyond their service life.
no tire over 6 years old is trustworthy.
check the date code on the tire.
next check the PSI and set to 50 front 55 rear.
the wandering is caused by your front springs sagging and affecting the alignment and ride height.
PSI is set correctly. Front springs are sagging, but the air suspension in the front is taking all the load.
If you want to use Ford wheels you will have to use spacers unless , like I stated, you use 04’s. If using Aftermarket wheels you could probably order them with the proper backspace depending on the manufacture. The advantage of using larger wheels is you can use smaller tires which will give you less sidewall, which gives you a better ride . It also looks nicer
So from my understanding, stock backspacing is 4.25 inches. That means if I'm looking at a 18x9 rim, I want something with at least a -6 offset, correct?
My other option is to keep my current rims, but I don't want to stick a tire on them and then have the rim fail due to the corrosion, and I'm basically out a set of tires because I can't put aftermarket 16" rims on the truck (due to wheel weight issues and caliper clearance)
So from my understanding, stock backspacing is 4.25 inches. That means if I'm looking at a 18x9 rim, I want something with at least a -6 offset, correct?
My other option is to keep my current rims, but I don't want to stick a tire on them and then have the rim fail due to the corrosion, and I'm basically out a set of tires because I can't put aftermarket 16" rims on the truck (due to wheel weight issues and caliper clearance)
Aftermarket 16” wheels shouldn’t be an issue with clearance, many other members here have run them. Another option might be to find a replacement set of OEM 16”s that are in better shape than your wheels.
I've run the 285/75/16's on both our trucks for many years. When it recently came time to get new tires, the 16's seem to be hard to find and/or expensive. So I found several sets of the 2004 oem Ford 18" wheels in the King Ranch edition for the wife's 2wd Excursion and the Lariat versions for my 4wd F350. I put the 275/70/18 Goodyear Wrangler with Kevlar all terrain tires on hers and have a set of 295/70/18 Master Craft all terrain tires for mine. I really like the ride and look of these on the Excursion...and not a fan of aftermarket wheels today. I do still need to adjust the speedometer as the shift points need some help with the taller tires...
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