Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
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Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
I have a '97 Expedition 4X4 with 17" tires and tow package. It's time to get new tires.
The primary use of the truck is as an on-highway tow vehicle for a 6,000 lb. travel trailer. It gets minimal off-the-road use. My question is which tire style would serve me best? Must I completely comply with the Owner's Guide statement to "make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type, load-carrying capacity and tread deisgm, e.g., "All Terrain", as originally offered by Ford."?
I am also unable to locate the torque specs for my wheel lug nuts, even though the Service Guide requires me to retighten to such specs.
Thanks...
Dino
The primary use of the truck is as an on-highway tow vehicle for a 6,000 lb. travel trailer. It gets minimal off-the-road use. My question is which tire style would serve me best? Must I completely comply with the Owner's Guide statement to "make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type, load-carrying capacity and tread deisgm, e.g., "All Terrain", as originally offered by Ford."?
I am also unable to locate the torque specs for my wheel lug nuts, even though the Service Guide requires me to retighten to such specs.
Thanks...
Dino
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Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
Make sure you stay with the same load capacity, especially if you are towing. In general, a less aggressive tread pattern will give you a quiter ride at hwy speeds, but you will sacrifice some traction in 4WD. The Goodyear Wrangler RT/S that came on my 00 see to be good. I also tow a 26' trailer, and when I am ready for tires, I am going to Michelin. They tend to have a stiffer sidewall, and will give you a firmer ride. You may not want a harsher ride, but the stiffer sidewall will give you less "squirm" under a tow load. FWIW, I upgraded to Bilstein shocks all around and it made a nice difference in ride and handling, a little firmer without being too harsh.
Separately, what do you use for towing mirrors? I have the plastic clip-ons that work OK, but look cheesy. I'm trying to find out if the extendable mirrors from the Excusion/F250 will fit on the expy.
Don
Separately, what do you use for towing mirrors? I have the plastic clip-ons that work OK, but look cheesy. I'm trying to find out if the extendable mirrors from the Excusion/F250 will fit on the expy.
Don
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Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
Don,
Thank you for your reply.
I, too, have thought about Michelins, but my first attempts to locate a dealer that carries an appropriate 17" tire have been unsuccessful.
As for mirrors, I use McKesh strap-ons from Hensley Manufacturing. I can adjust them so they are rock solid with no vibrations.
Dino
Thank you for your reply.
I, too, have thought about Michelins, but my first attempts to locate a dealer that carries an appropriate 17" tire have been unsuccessful.
As for mirrors, I use McKesh strap-ons from Hensley Manufacturing. I can adjust them so they are rock solid with no vibrations.
Dino
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Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
I was looking at a lug nut torque chart a couple weeks ago at Discount Tire. Most alum. wheeled Ford trucks were in the 100 ft./lbs. range. You might want to call them or NTB just to make sure.
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Best tire for towing? Lug nut Torque?
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 16-Apr-01 AT 02:55 PM (EST)[/font][p]Don,
You mentioned that when you added Bilstien shocks that it eliminated/reduced the rear end "squirm" when towing. I tow three trailers, a 28' TT, a 16' enclosed utility and a 18' auto hauler. I notice the squirm with all three and in high wind conditions by itself. I am ready to take it to the dealer and check to see if something is loose. It seems like it squirms too much for my liking and at times is down right scary. I have a '00 4x4 5.4L with the tow package and the RTS tires. I have checked the tire pressures and played with the weight distributing hitch but it still squirms way too much. Do you or anyone else know what might be causing this. Is it the shocks, tires, springs, lack of 4 way leveling system,???? I am stumped. My Cherokee tows the two smaller trailers better then the Exp. Also I have the Ford towing mirrors that they offer for the F150 and Exp and they work great. They slide on the mirrors and have a simple hook and nut type hold on. Don't buy them at the dealer if possible, order them online at the Genuine Ford Parts site. You'll save about 50%.
Brian
You mentioned that when you added Bilstien shocks that it eliminated/reduced the rear end "squirm" when towing. I tow three trailers, a 28' TT, a 16' enclosed utility and a 18' auto hauler. I notice the squirm with all three and in high wind conditions by itself. I am ready to take it to the dealer and check to see if something is loose. It seems like it squirms too much for my liking and at times is down right scary. I have a '00 4x4 5.4L with the tow package and the RTS tires. I have checked the tire pressures and played with the weight distributing hitch but it still squirms way too much. Do you or anyone else know what might be causing this. Is it the shocks, tires, springs, lack of 4 way leveling system,???? I am stumped. My Cherokee tows the two smaller trailers better then the Exp. Also I have the Ford towing mirrors that they offer for the F150 and Exp and they work great. They slide on the mirrors and have a simple hook and nut type hold on. Don't buy them at the dealer if possible, order them online at the Genuine Ford Parts site. You'll save about 50%.
Brian
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