Can anyone comment? I am shopping for replacement 17" tires for my 98 Exp 4x4. Obviously, most of my driving on road. We trailer a 22' boat frequently,(love them slick ramps) and also take on 150-200 inches of snow in winter.
Choices are, Goodyear RTS(on it now, and I don't much care for them in snow) Continental contitracSUV (strong cand.) and Michelin Cross Terrain ($$$$) I would love to hear back from someone with the mich or Conti's....Thanks

 

Just replaced the 17" tires on my 99 EB Expy, went from the OEM Wrangler RT/S's to Michelin LTX M/S. HUGE difference, much better for predominantly highway driving and excellent in Northern Illinois snow. No comparison. Wet traction awesome.

Looked at the Cross Terrain SUV's, actually ordered them and had the place about to put them on, until I realized that the 265/70/17 size does not come in white letter design... Can only buy 'all black' for that particular tire. (I know, somebody was sure out to lunch there.) Just about any other size comes with OWL, but not the 17".

So, went with the LTX M/S's, which are only a couple of bucks cheaper. For the record, it was a toss-up between those and BFG's. I wasn't looking for a real aggressive tread, only go off pavement a few times a year, if that.

 

Also TBurke, forgot to mention... Four weeks ago nearly installed the Conti's, they were the first choice, I liked them because of the price (cheapest of the bunch), also because they were the OEM tires on the Navigator, I felt that spoke highly of them...

However had a couple of friends, one of whom works in service at a local dealer dealer, relay to me her concerns that she's seen many of those come back with chunks coming off the tire. There was some recall a year or two ago, not as bad as the Firestone deal, but pieces of tire coming apart (not leading to catastrophic failure, supposedly...) Still, she said those tires had caused her lots of aggravation from a service perspective. That's all I needed to hear.

 

I also originally thought the Conti's would be good tires, until I found out that General makes them...pure junk.

I went with Bridgestone Dueler AT's a year ago and love the styling, traction and ride.

 

What about Pirelli Scorpions?

 

Tires, Gotta Love'em . . . I get a new set for my work truck (F-150 5.4L 2WD limited slip, auto)about every 9-12 months. I drive approx 45-50k manly on-road miles a year with a pretty even mix of urban surface & Expressway traffic, country roads and Interstate Highways with a a little off-roading at construction sites. The weather, be it snow, rain, cold or hot be damned, I still gotta roll. I rotate every 10k and keep a close eye on inflation pressures.

I have had worked my way through many of the better brands, although not in the size you are loking at. I have been running LT265/75-16's. There is often a differance, even among the same model of the same manufactures tire when looking at differant sizes, and load ratings. Sometimes the only thing that two of the same make and model have in common is the name and simailar tread design. There is even more differances when comparing tires with differant load ratings.

Some of my experiances (1-5 stars, 5 being the best)

OEM Goodyear Wrangler RT/S 255/70-16
Dry road, cold to hot temp = 3 stars
Wet road, mild to hot temps = 3 stars
on road, snow & ice = 2 stars
Dry dirt/gravel off road = 3 stars
lite mud, off-road = 2 stars
wear = 35k

Bridgestone Dueler A/T w/ UNIT LT265/75-16
Dry road, cold to hot temps = 4 stars
wet road, mild to hot temps = 4 stars
on road, snow and ice = 4 stars
dry dirt/gravel offroad = 4 stars
lite mud, offroad = 4 stars
wear = 45k

Michelin LTX M/S LT265/75-16
dry road, cold to hot temps = 4 stars
wet road, mild to hot temps = 4 stars
on road snow and ice = 4 stars
dry dirt/gravel off road = 4 stars
lite mud, offroad = 4 stars
wear = 50k (my fav tires, just a little pricey)

BF Goodrich Long Trail T/A LT265/75-16
dry road, cold to hot temps = 4 stars (was a 2 star till first 5k of tread wore off, don't know why, just real squirrely)
wet road, mild to hot temps = 4 stars (again after first 5k)
on road snow and ice = 2 stars (a big disappointment here, don't seem to like cold temps)
dry dirt/gravel offroad = 4 stars
lite mud, offroad = 4 stars
wear = 40k and still on the this truck

If you are serious about gettin trough the really hard winter weather get some real snow tires, the Bridgstone Blizzik DM2 is great in deep snow, packed snow, and glear ice. I runn these this winter due to the miserable performance of the BFG Long Trail and they are the best I have ever run when compared to the all-season models in the cold sloppy stuff.

For my next set I plan on trying the Michelin Cross Terrain

Petrol
99 Expy XLT 5.4L

 

oh yea, and if those Cross Terrains work out I'll have a set on my personal Expy in LT 265/75-16 as soon as I wear out the org Goodyear Wrangler HP 255/70-16's w/ 28k on them (might just have to do a little power breaking when the wifes not along)

 

I purchased a set of Explorer Pro Comp AT's this past summer for my Bronco, mainly because of the buy 3 get 1 free offer. They have a severe weather rating in all 49 states, which I felt is good to have. After spending all winter with these tires, I am very happy about the traction I get. I can usually drive without any trouble or need for 4WD, as we often get snow. I have been contemplating a set for my Expy, but they only offer them in 33x12.50/17, and 35x12.50/17. I don't think the 33's are that much bigger than the stock 265/70-17, so I will probably give them a try, as the 4 for 3 deal is still on at www.fourwheelparts.com.

 

Interesting topic. I have the 17's as well. Disappointingly, the selection is pretty slim. I like the LTX but not the price. I thought about getting the RT/S again, mostly b/c the spare is brand new, so I would only need to buy 3 new tires to go with the new spare. Then, take one of the used tires and make it my new spare. Not sure yet. The RT/S is ok. Mine got chopped out due to a lack of rotation. Still have decent tread at 47k miles but they humm down the road.

 

I have the 16" Michelin Cross Terrains on my 1999 V8 AWD Explorer. They replaced my 16" Firestone's (recall). I waited until Ford made me, and then got the best tire out there IMHO. I had plenty of time to find a tire, as I knew I had to before Ford wouldn't pay for them. Check out the Michelin web site.

http://tires.michelin-us.com/catalog/tires/crossTerrainSUV.html#

They have a whole web site on the Cross Terrains, but I couldn't find it quickly.

I live in Salt Lake City, and we get the snow in the winter. I have made a few road trips, and these ride much better than the Firestones.

I took my boat out a week ago last Saturday and the wet ramp was no issue (granted I have AWD). These tires are very well rated. I like the looks of BFG's a little better, but these have been great tires so far. They still look brand new, even after all winter. Don't know about the other tires you mentioned other than Ford is going with the Conti's on the 2003 Expedition...for whatever that is worth. Good Luck.

 

I checked with consumer reports and they rated the BF Goodrich Long Trail the best. My local tire guy just quoted $525 out the door. Seemed pretty good. Anyone know much about these?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-Apr-02 AT 11:55 PM (EST)]Just bought BFG Long Trail T/A's for my expy 2wd. 275/60-17. Tire rack has a great deal right now... 63.00 each with a $50 rebate from BFG on 4 tires. Shipping was $68. Getting them installed for $38 total. I figure the whole thing will come to around $300. Will have to let you know how they perform, just came today. Seriously considered Michelin Cross terrains... came down to could not justify the price.

 

I would love more information on the tire rack so i can order a set. That is an incredible price. I have found them for $108 which i thought was great, until i saw your post.

However, mine are 265x70x17 and you purch 275x60x17. What is the difference and why did you switch?

 

Hey waly...according to Tire rack the 275/60-17 BFG Radial Long Trail have a rotation per mile of 689 compared to 656 for the stock 265/70-17. Which according to my calculations (where's that slide rule?) is about a 5% increase in revolutions per mile. Consequently the speedo will have an error of about 5%...have you noticed any difference or have you made other modifications to rectify the speedo error?

 

Cooper. I guarantee you will love them. Alyeska Pipline Service Puts them on all of their trucks.

2000 F350SD,RC,5spd man,V10