Hi,

New member and new ford owner. Getting my 2011 Explorer Limited today
Have a question regarding winter tires and tire re-sizing.

My 2011 comes with 20" wheels (255/50/R20) but I was considering putting some winter tires on it. Typically you go smaller/narrower to get through the snow. I actually have some winter tires on rims that came off my old 2007 Santa Fe. The issue is that they are only 16" (225/70/R16). Is that too small?
The rim should fit from what I see based on lug size, offset, centerbore, etc.
I know the base model explorer comes with 17" wheels so can I go down to 16"?

I am aware that the speedo would be off by 5.5% but that is not a huge concern for me for 4 months or so. Any other concerns?

Don't really want to have to sell my tires & rims if I don't have to.

Thanks!

 

I've no definitive answer for your question, but one thing you need to check is whether your brake disks and callipers fit inside the smaller rims. The best way to check is to just install one wheel ... if it fits, you're lucky ... that's what I would do, at least.

The other thing one should be careful about is the reduced ground clearance when using the smaller wheels, but in your car's case this is negligible (less than one inch, I think, perfectly acceptable for an SUV).

HTH ... good luck!

 

Thanks cougar_fan!
I'll give that a try. I couldn't find much info out there for maximum downsizing of rims, most want to increase wheel size, obviously not for winters.

I guess if they fit I'm good. Think I'm more concerned with body roll or safety more than anything. As you said ground clearance would need to be considered as well.

Thanks for the reply!

 

Oh, and don't forget that most winter tires are unidirectional - just check the arrow showing the recommended direction of rotation when you install them. If you don't have them two CCW and two CW, you should reinstall them as such on the rims. This does make a difference in winter tires.

Good luck!

 

Just wanted to followup for any others viewing this topic. I got a response back from a Ford service guy and he says even if the bolt pattern matches, it is not recommended at all to switch to that size. Says I will have problems in computer system, shift stratgey, ABS, 4x4, etc. I forgot to ask about Warranty.

All-in-all I'm not going to chance it and will sell them on kijiji. Put the ROI towards new rims/tires next winter. Thanks!

 

I personally don't buy that - the two tires differ with 1.6" in diameter. What they're saying is, if you were to have slightly deflated tires (all of them) so yoru car rides 20 mm lower, that will affect ABS, shifting strategy, 4x4 ... I think their explanation doesn't hold too much water. Did they offer to sell you new winter tires?

The comparison below is taken from Tire Size Calculator - tire & wheel plus sizing ... see for yourself. Again, I may be wrong, but my instincts tell me I'm not.


Tire 1 - 255/50R20 Tire 2 - 225/70R16

Overall Diameter:30.03 in (762.76 mm) vs 28.40 in (721.36 mm)

Full data is available from the above website. HTH ... good luck!

 

I don't buy the Dealer "SCARE TACTIC" either...

Can you say "Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act" of 1975...

My 2004 Freestar came with P235/60R16 Goodyear Integrity (Spelled "JUNK") tires that had an overall Diameter of 27". I went to a HANKOOK HPW401 P235/70R16 Snow tire when I had 3,000 miles on the van. After those wore out, I've been runnig the Avalanche X-Treme P235/70R16. Both the Hankook and Avalanche both have an overall diameter of 28.85". That's a 1.85" difference or .925" on the top and .925" on the bottom. The van has never peeped in regards to the size difference and has never been "Re-Programmed" due to the tire size difference. It runs and ****fs just as smooth as the day I bought it new.

You just put your tires on and say nothing. If you have any issues under warranty, you put the originals back on and then take it in for repair. End of discussion.

My 2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD came with 18" on it and I'm running 16" snows all the way around from our 2008 Sable that we had traded in fo the MKZ. Can't remember the tire sizes off hand, but still no issues.

 

Yea I agree with you that it appears to be scare tactics but not to sell me anything cause 1) they didn't offer 2) I live in a completely different city than were I purchased the vehicle and asked the question, and they know that. They know I wouldn't be buying from them anyways. Nothing for them to gain.

I also did the tire size compare awhile back and noticed the change was small. But all in all I decided to not take a chance against warranty or something happening so I sold them. Can't really switch the tires back if end up having an accident on a highway or roll the vehicle. With wife and 2yr old onboard it just wasn't worth the risk, albeit very small.

Appreciate all the comments. Think I'll see how the 20" all seasons handle for this winter and maybe get some 18" ones for next year with a tall-narrow profile to cut through the snow better.
Cheers n Merry Christmas!

 

Just a note ... if I were to carry my wife and my 2yrs old child with me in the car, I'd make darn sure I'd have winter tires on. I have studded tires on my Cougar's winter set, and trust me, they stick to the ice like nothing else. And yes, I drive my child around. Screw the warranty ... safety comes first. If, God forbid, your truck ends up in a ditch or rolls over, that warranty neither will help you much, nor save you any money.

Keep in mind that all-season tires are like Formula 1 slicks when taken on ice or packed snow - they are HELPLESS and USELESS!!! You have been warned ... It makes me angry when I see "automotive experts" scaring reasonable people into making such twisted decisions as to keep the all seasons and see how it goes. It could be that, by the time you saw how it went, the irreparable happened. Yes, this IS scare tactic: I'd rather have you hate me for what I say, and stay alive, than to let you go by the crappy advice you got on the "warranty".

Merry Christmas to you, drive safely and, above all, think clearly!

Cheers,
cougar_fan