I bought a 97 Explorer for my 17 year old son to drive. It needs new tires and I don't want to put a fortune into them. I want them to be the safest I can get for the money. Does anyone have any recomendations or know of a website that provides any data? Thanks

 

Stay with a name brand tire. Look also at its rating. It has three unless its a light truck tire. The UTQG rating consists of three ratings: Treadwear, Traction, and Temperature.

The Treadwear rating is a number based on a vehicle test where tires are compared to a control tire. The rating is based on a percentage in projected wear life. So a tire rated at 400, projected twice as far as a tire rated at 200. Since there are many factors that influence wear, such as vehicle speed, road surface, climate, vehicle alignment, and driving habits, these ratings are merely an indication of the wear characteristics of the tire.

The Traction rating is a letter based on a straight-line wet surface braking test. The ratings are AA, A, B, and C. AA is the highest rating possible. The AA rating is relatively new and many tires currently rated as A might qualify for an AA rating, but have not yet been tested. It is important to remember that the test does not test hydroplaning resistance, nor dry or snow traction nor, cornering capability - wet, dry or snow.

The Temperature rating is a letter based on a step speed test. The possible ratings are A, B, and C. The rating is a bit of a misnomer. While temperature does play a role in the speed capability of a tire, it is not the only factor.

 

Check out www.tirerack.com Tire owners comments there are interesting.

 

Ford gave me the Goodyear R/t or whatever the heck they are. Quieter than the Firestones by far and wearing fine.


Make sure he knows it ain't no sports car.

 

I've had Goodyear Wranglers on all my trucks for about the past 14 years. I've been thoroughly satisfied with them. Rain, snow, mud, treadwear all good.