Mud/Snow Tires?
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Mud/Snow Tires?
Does anyone know where you can get a set of mud grips for these damn 18" wheels? So far I looks like only Goodrich, Michelin and Goodyear are the only mfgs that even make this size and none have anything like a mud or snow tire. I getting really tired of being pulled out by Chevy's and Dodges, because the BGF's that came on the truck arn't worth squat in the mud and snow. Don't know what Ford was thinking putting a tire size on this thing that nobody makes. I know you can put 17's on but why should I have to spend $12-$1500 to put a set of wheels on a $40k rig just so it will work like it's supposed to.
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From: Winfield, Ks
I agree with you, except I bought a set of tires/wheels so I could go where I want to. And as to what Ford was thinking, They are thinking that these trucks are 99% of the time on the highway. Just because it say FX4 OFFROAD, doesn't mean they intended for it to be off the blacktop. And on another note, not trying to sound rude here, but you should have checked the tire issue out before you bought the truck. I mean I'm sure when you test drove it you looked at the tires and said, "Those ain't gonna cut it!!" So you knew right away you would want something different. And with these new sizes and 18" wheels and all, you should have done your homework.
Shane
Shane
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CanuckXLT, yes that is what it came with outfit. They look like they would do the job, but really don't. They are just OK in snow, pretty slippery in water and really inadequate on mud. In mud they don't seem to be able to clear themselves, and you end up with a big blob of goo. I work as a field geologist and these things just don't work in the mud. Wish Bridgestone would come up with a set of Revo's in this size. They were the best tire I'v ever had both on and off road.
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Shane, not to be rude either, but this is my 4th "off road" Ford, and in the 30 years I'v used them in my work and mostly off road, I'v found these trucks to be extremely capable in an off road environment. Until this one I'v always been able to find appropriate tires for the kind of use to which I put the vehicle. I, in fact, did recognize that this thing had 18" wheels when I bought it and really didn't have a problem with that per se. I did not however, and probably neither do you or anyone else, check with the local tire shops to see anybody makes a tire to fit the most popular truck sold in this country! I assumed, wrongly so, that Ford would not fit their vehicles with a size of tire that essentially cannot be bought on the open market. I consider this to be a serious lack of judgement on the part of Ford, and I have no doubt that you will too when you have to replace the tires on your new F150.
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Thought I read (on another forum) somewhere that Nitto made a nice off road tire for the 18" rim. They were called Terra Grapplers if I remember corectly. I'm sure there will be a better selection of tires for these rims as more of them are sold in the near future.
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From: Winfield, Ks
I wasn't trying to be rude at all. And yes I personally did do alot of checking before I bought mine. But with that said, I do work as a Master Ford Tech at a dealership and we are an around-the-wheel dealer and I take care of all the tire sales as well. So it is my nature to know what is out there for everything. And I'm just **** like that. Also I had the 18" FX4 wheels for 2k miles, and then changed tires and wheels to get a MUD tire. I dropped to a 17x9 Eagle wheel with 285/70/17 BFG MT KMs. Knowing when I bought my truck that very soon I would swap tires/wheels because I wanted/needed a mud tire. You are very limited on your options.
And yes it was very poor decisions by Ford to go to 17" and 18" as standard wheels for their trucks. Try finding a MUD tire for a new Superduty dually with 17" wheels. I been looking for 6 months with NO luck. They are all too wide and will rub. Being in the heart of the flinthills in cattle country there are alot of feed trucks that are duallys that run mud tires. Now we're screwed. Thanks FORD!!!!
Shane
And yes it was very poor decisions by Ford to go to 17" and 18" as standard wheels for their trucks. Try finding a MUD tire for a new Superduty dually with 17" wheels. I been looking for 6 months with NO luck. They are all too wide and will rub. Being in the heart of the flinthills in cattle country there are alot of feed trucks that are duallys that run mud tires. Now we're screwed. Thanks FORD!!!!
Shane
Last edited by SHANE_2; Nov 26, 2004 at 09:04 PM.
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From: South Jersey
Originally Posted by SHANE_2
I wasn't trying to be rude at all. And yes I personally did do alot of checking before I bought mine. But with that said, I do work as a Master Ford Tech at a dealership and we are an around-the-wheel dealer and I take care of all the tire sales as well. So it is my nature to know what is out there for everything. And I'm just **** like that. Also I had the 18" FX4 wheels for 2k miles, and then changed tires and wheels to get a MUD tire. I dropped to a 17x9 Eagle wheel with 285/70/17 BFG MT KMs. Knowing when I bought my truck that very soon I would swap tires/wheels because I wanted/needed a mud tire. You are very limited on your options.
And yes it was very poor decisions by Ford to go to 17" and 18" as standard wheels for their trucks. Try finding a MUD tire for a new Superduty dually with 17" wheels. I been looking for 6 months with NO luck. They are all too wide and will rub. Being in the heart of the flinthills in cattle country there are alot of feed trucks that are duallys that run mud tires. Now we're screwed. Thanks FORD!!!!
Shane
And yes it was very poor decisions by Ford to go to 17" and 18" as standard wheels for their trucks. Try finding a MUD tire for a new Superduty dually with 17" wheels. I been looking for 6 months with NO luck. They are all too wide and will rub. Being in the heart of the flinthills in cattle country there are alot of feed trucks that are duallys that run mud tires. Now we're screwed. Thanks FORD!!!!
Shane
The problem as I see it is Ford cornered themseleves with putting a 275 x 65 x 18 on a 7.5" rim. That's the minimun width size rim for a 275. An 8 or 8.5" rim would have been nice and would have worked well with the BFG 275's and given tire manuf's insentive to build bigger rubber for the stock wheels......On the other hand Ford screwed that up by not clearing enough wheel well space for decent rubber under these trucks anyway.
These guy's running 285 BFG's on stock Lariat 18" rims are going to find out their tires are wearing down the middle under recommended pressures. The only cure is to run them soft and deal with a mushy ride. I've was down this road before when I put 255's on 6" rims on my 84' F250HD that came with 235 x 85 x 16's. To get them to wear right/flat I had to run 38 in the front and 30 in the rear empty. The truck was a slush ball on the highway..
If you were a tire manuf what would you do in the 18" size??
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There are more choices for mud/snow tires for this truck than you might think. There are a lot of tire manufacturers out there and you just need to consider some alternative brands you may not be familiar with. Check out the manufacturer websites for the following: Hankook, Nitto, Cooper, Dayton, Kelly, Yokohama, Toyo, Pirelli. They all make good tires and there are many others not listed.
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I finally got rid of BF Goodwich tires. I got a new set of Michelins. They are 18" inch. I hate those BF Goodwich tires. I had to get them balance now and then. I got Michelins and they really rides soooo smoooth.
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From: Michigan
Originally Posted by 04fx4scab
As far as how good they are in mud, I am not sure. Great wet traction, and snow tracton (We just had 7 inches of snow last week). 60,000 mile warranty
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From: Kalispell, Mt.
I have the BFG All Terrain T/A and I love the tire. No problems with balance, great in snow and clean very well in mud. There's barely a thing that meets all terrain criteria that is perfectly great on ice, but these have handled icy highwys and back roads as nice as one could expect. I've crawled up hills that have amazed me and my passenger, without spinning a tire. Where do you get the no grip? For an all season, multi terrain tire I think they are outstanding. Check the tires link on FTE and there's a site with plenty of tires and have user ratings/opinions included, plus pictures of the tire and tread.