Favorite Tires
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
From: PLANT CITY, FL
Favorite Tires
What kind of tires is everyone using on their explorers? My wife has the BFG rugged trail but I dont think they lasted as long as they shouldve. Tire Rack has the General Grabber HTS as a favorite for this size but my tire shop said he cant reccomend them. He wants to sale me Toyo Open Country HT's. Just trying to get some feed back.
Thanks
Thanks
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,512
Likes: 18
From: Detroit
What kind of tires is everyone using on their explorers? My wife has the BFG rugged trail but I dont think they lasted as long as they shouldve. Tire Rack has the General Grabber HTS as a favorite for this size but my tire shop said he cant reccomend them. He wants to sale me Toyo Open Country HT's. Just trying to get some feed back.
Thanks
Thanks
Michelin LTX M/S's are great tires. They were OEM on my van and I replaced them with the same. They wear well, are quiet, and do OK in the snow. The new BFG Long Trail T/A Tours are inexpensive and are scoring well (and BFG is owned by Michelin). I also like the American brand name and American country of origin on the BFG's. (And the Michelins are made here as well.)
Toyos are OK tires, but it's clear to me that the chains that carry them seem to push them really hard--maybe a big profit margin?
Consumer Reports did a test of all terrain type tires a few months back and from what I recall, the Toyos H/T's were middle of the pack.
George
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: O'Fallon, Il
Recommended tires
I would recommend the BFG all terrain tires. I have an 02 xlt explorer and I will be putting them on prob in the next few months. They are a bit more expensive than some of the other tires but if your looking for a slightly more agressive tread that does not hum at speed and do well in all weather conditions I would go with these. I used to have a 1990 bronco that ran 35 12.50's BFG all terrains and the tred lasted me a good 60K with room for more. My brother uses them on his 97 f-150 and they lasted him longer than the truck did. They are a great tire with a great look. They do really well in sand, snow, mud and rain. If you look at the posts they are one of the most popular truck tires on tire rack and last a very long time.
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
I put Michelin LTX AT's on my '99 explorer after the Firestone recall, & I got over 80K on them before I changed them. They were great tires. Now I have the LTX AT2 on, & so far I like them. I bought them @ costco with the $70 off coupon. Free rotations & the road hazard warranty. They even filled them with nitrogen (seems like a gimmick to me).
Rick
Rick
Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 119
Likes: 9
I have BFG Long Trail TA's on my 05, much better ride than the stock Michelins and does real well in bad weather. Was less than $400.00 installed for all 4 and with 12k on them they are wearing excellent.
Trending Topics
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 33,916
Likes: 245
From: Johnstown, PA
I currently run Yokohama Geolandar HT/S on my 97. For general purpose driving - meaning mostly grocery getting and daily driving - they're probably fine. Do well in wet weather, snow, etc., and I have used mine on my job to go onto construction sites and what not and done ok. Real heavy mud - forget it, they're not aggressive enough. They wear well, no noise, and ride decently (provided I get my new shocks installed sooner than later). They've been on the truck for about 8,000 or so miles now, and are wearing well. Got mine via Tire Rack for $85 each and my local mechanic mounted and balanced them for $35.
The ones I REALLY wish I had were the Firestone Destination AT's I let go with my Jeep that I blew the engine in, as they were much better in rough conditions than the Geolandars.
The ones I REALLY wish I had were the Firestone Destination AT's I let go with my Jeep that I blew the engine in, as they were much better in rough conditions than the Geolandars.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
New User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Harrisburg, PA
I have Michelins on my 2003 Explorer, and I really like them, every year I get a permit to drive on the beach, and I am very pleased with the way they handle it, as well as snow. When I had a GMC Jimmy, I had Dunlops on it, and to be honest I was not impressed with the Dunlops.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Northeast of Toronto.
I have some Goodyear Wrangler AT/D2's from Sam's Club. I like them, they do well in the rain, snow and mud and are quiet and comfortable on the road. They have about 55,000km on them and I think they're wearin' well.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,903
Likes: 2
From: Wyoming
I keep coming back to the BF Goodrich A/T KO's on all my rigs. I've had General, Firestone, Michelin, and Yokohama all terrain tires for various reasons, but the BFG's always seem to be what I end up happiest with.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
I just put Toyo Open Country HT's on my wife's 05 Mountaineer. They run very smooth, very quiet, and look good. I was going to put Pirelli STR's like I have on my Lariat, but could not wait for shipping over my days off work. I called Les Schwab and they had them in stock.
I did do some research on the Toyo's before hand and they rate highly in reviews. They were about $178 each "on sale". But the road hazard coverage is included at Les Schwab, with free rotations for 3/36,000.
I did not like the stock BFG's on the Mountaineer and my old 04 EB Expl. As they wear, they just get louder and ride rougher. On the Expl. one pair lasted me 40k, the second pair was getting loud and rough at 83k when I traded it in. The ones on the Mountaineer lasted 47k dying a loud shuddering death with the side walls cracking.
The Toyo's are "supposed" to last up to 60k.
Reviews for the Toyo Open Country HT:
Toyo Open Country H/T Tire Reviews & Ratings - Rate or Review a Tire
Toyo Open Country H/T Tire Test - Four Wheeler Magazine
Ern
I did do some research on the Toyo's before hand and they rate highly in reviews. They were about $178 each "on sale". But the road hazard coverage is included at Les Schwab, with free rotations for 3/36,000.
I did not like the stock BFG's on the Mountaineer and my old 04 EB Expl. As they wear, they just get louder and ride rougher. On the Expl. one pair lasted me 40k, the second pair was getting loud and rough at 83k when I traded it in. The ones on the Mountaineer lasted 47k dying a loud shuddering death with the side walls cracking.
The Toyo's are "supposed" to last up to 60k.
Reviews for the Toyo Open Country HT:
Toyo Open Country H/T Tire Reviews & Ratings - Rate or Review a Tire
Toyo Open Country H/T Tire Test - Four Wheeler Magazine
Ern
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 28
Likes: 2
I purchased a set of four Dunlop Radial Rover A/Ts for my '04 Explorer last August and drove them through a heavy Michigan winter with no problems. They run smooth and have excellent traction on rain and snow. The rolling resistance increased, but then again want do you expect when you replace a virtually bald OEM Michelin?
Junior User
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville, TN
Currently running Yokohama Geolanders in OE size. They've worn well, have good grip for my driving style and are OK since I don't really go "out there".
Was never happy with the Wrangler RTSs which came with the truck
Was never happy with the Wrangler RTSs which came with the truck
