Tire Help

[P man]

Ive got to put new tires on the family SUV this week and was wondering if anyone could help me out. Its just a Mazda Tribute (aka Ford Escape) and I wanted to put some more rugged tires on.

My question, Will any LT235/70R16 tire fit???
Right now Ive got some crappy all season suv 235/70R16 Continentals but want to get some BF Goodrich all terrain t/a's. They are MUCH more beefy but am conserned about clearence in the back with the position of my control arm. They are good tires but I realize they are built for bigger trucks then my own.
Is there any way to find out if they will fit?

[rivalguy]

Hey Patrick,

If you look up Ray's Tire Depot

905-792-7788
173 Advance Boulevard,
Brampton, ON L6T 4Z7


in Brampton at Dixie and Steeles, they'll hook you up with a great price on tires. Ask for Dan.

[P man]

cool thanx guys.
They dont leave alot of clearence between the inside tire wall and the control arm in the back... but heres hoping it fits.
I think it will actually look kind of neat too. I found this pic of the same truck with what look to be very similar tires. mabe a little over done but what the hell they will get plenty of excersize!

[175checkmate]

Here is a great place to buy tires, low price and free shipping.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do

[175checkmate]

Here is a great tire, just installed a set on my ram. Work really well in the mud,snow and rain. Real quiet on the highway.
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?sw=false&cs=235&pc=43274&rd=16&ar=70

[eautosales]

the lt are most likely 6 ply rated they are the same size in outside diameter but you might lose some ride quality due to the stiffer tire they have a stiffer sidewall
i think the bridgestone dueler is the best bang for the buck
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo (Off Road All-Terrain)
Size: 235/70SR16 Outlined White Letters
SR Speed Rated Price: $112
Estimated Availability: In Stock
www.tirerack.com

[P man]

Ill be using these all year round for now. lots of hwy driving.
Will A/T tires like these burn through tread faster then most other tires?

[msc5195]

the lt are most likely 6 ply rated they are the same size in outside diameter but you might lose some ride quality due to the stiffer tire they have a stiffer sidewall
i think the bridgestone dueler is the best bang for the buck
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo (Off Road All-Terrain)
Size: 235/70SR16 Outlined White Letters
SR Speed Rated Price: $112
Estimated Availability: In Stock
www.tirerack.com


I put these tires on my 2003 Silverado HD and they were GREAT!!!!! I highly reccomend them.

[largecar91]

I have had B.F. Goodrich all terrains on 6 or 7 4 x 4's. As far as snow goes, there is probably not a better tire on the market(there might be some comparable). As for mileage, you can expect 40,000-50,000 for sure(AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN ALIGNMENT AND PROPERLY INFLATED). They are decent in mud as long as you can keep the tread cleaned out. I just put a set of 12.50 x 33's on my Grand Cherokee.

[150aintenuff]

any 235/70/16 size "SHOULD" fit... however width and cross section design differences will make contact more or less of a problem. if they hit the controll arm a different offset wheel will correct that problem.

as for tires.. uisage will dictate the best tire much like the type of boating done dictates the type of hull you have. best recommendation is if ALOT of Highway miles go with a miled tread pattern to maximise mileage and wear. if in the dirt more use a more aggressive tread.

[eautosales]

unless your a farmer or live in the back woods i would not suggest the mud terrains
& as an automotive profesional you really should rotate the tires every 6000
& from experience the more aggresive the tire the more the tires is prone to iratic wear & chopping but proper alignment & rotation is the key to long tire life out of any tire

[Superdave]

I went from the Continental to Goodrich on my Ranger and I am well pleased. It has more traction and rides better too! I also put Gabrial gas shocks on all fours :D .
Dave

[CDave]

Ill be using these all year round for now. lots of hwy driving.
Will A/T tires like these burn through tread faster then most other tires?

I run Goodyear AT/S's on my Z71 and just put on a new set. Got 70K miles out of the last set.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/gy_wrangler_at_s_owl_ci2_l.jpg

[150aintenuff]

I agree with all above after my first post regarding M/T but in certain locals M/T in winter make ALOT of Sense. if snow isnt an issue at somepoint in your travles throughout the year a good mild A/T or A/P (all possition) tire is the best for varied uses, sense you stated mostly highway use I would sugest a tire with a linier tred design so that maximum ruber meats the highway at all times increasing the life of the tire. the goodyear above is a great example of the paterm lots of rubber in contact with the road for the crossection... witch lessens the stress placed on the tread blocks while under the weight of the vehicle.

[Riverratt]

I just purchase the BFG Land Terrains for my Dodge Ram at Walmart. You will not find them on the BFG website. They are made by BFG for Walmart. You can see them on Walmarts website under tires. They have a nice agressive tread and raised white letters 50,000 mile warranty and I only paid $91.00 each for LT265/75/16. May be worth checking into.

[AnthonySS]

I am on my 3rd set of BFG T/A All Terrain on my 1991 K1500. Best tire for all conditions just a little wide on snow, but still good. They are also quiet on the highways.

I have bought two sets from Active Tire and now the third from Sams Club...$900.00 for the last set for LT 285 75R 16.

I would buy no other for my application plus I have managed at least 100K on all sets.

[P man]

Well thanx everyone. I placed an order for them.
Everyone seems to be saying the same thing... they are pretty quiet and get good mileage if you keep them rotated (same direction or not;))
Heres hoping we dont get stuck to much this summer!

[eautosales]

what did ya order?

[Streamer]

P-man check out the B.F long trails, good hyw tire, should easly get 140k out of them

[P man]

i ordered the all terrain. I had already looked at the Land Terrain and long Trail but was getting mixed opinions on them.
Ive found a few other Escape owners who use these tires and they thought highly of them as well

[David]

I have bought from www.tirerack.com for years.

Even when I don't buy from them I check out their tire comparison data on line.

[P man]

I got them put on today. WOW Im very happy
I took them off road at a near by Land Rover demo site. LOL these things really throw the mud around. A bit noisy but nothing to bad
VERY VERY HAPPY!!!
(lets just see how they do in terms of gas milage)

[P man]

Another Q!
On a light SUV like mine what kind of pressure would you run? same as a normal tire?

For some f-in reason when ever I take this thing in to a shop I get it back with the tires pumped up to almost 40psi!?!? The car specs say 29psi and I run them around 31. Which one of us is right? lol

[eautosales]

max psi u generally get better wear, setting it to manufacture spec usually makes it handle better

[150aintenuff]

Pman the tire center I use set everything in a P/U tire at 50PSI for fullsize and 35 for smaller rigs... they wont go below 30 PSI EVER since the FIRESTONE recall on ford Explorers. It wasnt the tires fault when properl inflated to manufactures recomendation... go to low on PSI ( gives good ride) and the tire flexes and seperates and overheats causing failures... the best way to find the IDEAL pressure for ride, mileage, and wear patterns is to "paint" a line across the tread with a tire chalk stick (at the dealer who sold the tires) drive it about 10 miles and see where the tire has warn off the paint... if it is only in the center but not on the edges then let some air out until the paint wears off evenly across the tread. once that has been done on all 4 tires record the final pressures for EACH tire. they may all be the same or may all be different. then when the service is done you can specify the pressures front and rear you need with that vehicle combination

[P man]

Im going to play around with the tire chalk and see what happens.

I GOT STUCK TODAY WITH THEM!!!! lol
Went up to the cottage and decided to push them and see how they do. VERY VERY IMPRESSED. Great in the snow. pulled up some rediculouse hills with little slip. Getting stuck was my fault. I perched myself on a snow bank with the tires barly touching the ground. dug out in just a couple of minutes... no biggie

Thanx for all the help guys!

[150aintenuff]

those look good... nice to see a mini SUV with REAL tires not some fancy spinner wheels and low profile bald ass performance tires...


you may be surprised at the PSI on the Chalk... those 6 ply tires have a 3 ply sidewall so the PSI may actually be lower than the tag on the door... or they may be higher... as BFG have a relitivly SQUARE carcass compared to some tires that are more rounded.

[Cp]

nice to see a mini SUV with REAL tires not some fancy spinner wheels and low profile bald ass performance tires...

No spinners here.....

[150aintenuff]

CP that isnt a mini suv either.... but nice ride

[eautosales]

the sidewall is 6 ply rated

[150aintenuff]

NO... the TIRE is 6 ply rated (or load range C) the side wall of all BFG tires is of 3 ply construction the driving surface may be 6 ply but the side wall is only 3... hence the name TRIGARD construction... believe me i worked in a tire shop in highschool which wasnt that many years ago.

[P man]

the side walls are 3 ply.
Im kind of suprised how well the handle in rain. Not sure about aqua plaining yet but wett surfaces they react great

[150aintenuff]

thanks for backing me up Pman... glad they are working well for ya, didnt feel like defending my argument as I felt it would become a fight of a debate.. those tires should work great in the rain as the tread has fairly well designed chanels to allow water to escape out the sides of the tread.

[eautosales]

correct they are 3 ply sidwalls that are 6 ply rated

The load range or ply rating branded on a tire's sidewall helps identify its strength and ability to contain air pressure. While specific load ranges are assigned to passenger tires, load ranges are identified in ascending alphabetical order for light truck tires (the further along the letter is in the alphabet, the stronger the tire and the greater amount of air pressure it can withstand and load it can carry). Before load ranges were adopted, ply ratings were used to identify the relative strength of light truck tires with higher numerical values assigned to tires featuring stronger, heavier duty constructions.

Today's load range/ply ratings do not count the actual number of body ply layers found inside the tire, but indicate an equivalent strength based on early bias ply tires. Most radial passenger tires have one or two body plies, and light truck tires, even those with heavy duty ratings (10-, 12- or 14-ply rated), actually have only two or three fabric body plies, or one steel ply.
:) I operated a good year store for many many years & i am in the tire buisness now not tryin ta bust your chops ;)

[eautosales]

my original post & it has not been edited states the sidewall is 6 ply rated

[P man]

well Im still havin fun with these things after 15,000 clicks.
I still get stuck but that MAAAAAY have something to do with my mazda lol

How much would a locking diff cost lol

Ill post better pics from today a little later but heres the aftermath muhahahaa

[P man]

I think I need to work on that approach angle thing

[AnthonySS]

Looks like fun:D