Tires need to be replaced for 2015 Expedition EL - mostly for towing

[grey2112]

So, I bought a 2015 Expedition EL 2WD. I feel like the tires on it are not ideal for towing my almost 8000 pound boat/trailer. They are Michelin LTX M/S2 tires that are only 114T load rated - 2600 pounds at a max inflation of 44psi and are nominally supposed to be around 36psi according to Ford.

I feel like Load Range E tires (80PSI) would be much better.

These tires I do have are brand new and only have about 2000 miles on them - they usually go for around $225 each new so I'm wondering how much I could get for them if I sold them on Craigslist - maybe $125 each?

Any suggestions for replacements? I was reading very good things about the Firestone Destination AT tires - about $225 each.

Also the Michelin LTX Winter - even though I don't need a winter tire, it gets some good ratings and write-ups as an all around all-weather tire with good wear characteristics.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

The 114 load rating gets you to 10,400 lbs. I don't know exactly what a '15 EL weighs, but let's assume ~6,700 lbs. Max tow capacity is 9,200 lbs and max tongue weight is 10% of that (920 lbs). That's 7,620 lbs on the vehicle, which gives you nearly 3,000 lbs of passengers/cargo in the truck before you exceed the tires' load rating. You can certainly swap them out if you want, but it's not necessary. Realistically, those tires can be had for about $175 each new. With only 2k on them they're worth $125 for sure, but whether you'll get it ... dunno. Much of Craigslist is simply timing. I sell stuff on there pretty often and sometimes an item can sit for weeks at a lower price, then get a half dozen offers in a day at a higher price.

As for other tires, the tire you already have would probably be my first recommendation. Continental and Cooper make some decent highway/AS tires for the Expedition that are worth considering. I wouldn't really recommend an AT tire if your main use is on-road towing. It will give you a rougher ride and poorer fuel economy for what (in your situation) is probably little to no benefit.

 

[grey2112]

The 114 load rating gets you to 10,400 lbs. I don't know exactly what a '15 EL weighs, but let's assume ~6,700 lbs. Max tow capacity is 9,200 lbs and max tongue weight is 10% of that (920 lbs). That's 7,620 lbs on the vehicle, which gives you nearly 3,000 lbs of passengers/cargo in the truck before you exceed the tires' load rating. You can certainly swap them out if you want, but it's not necessary. Realistically, those tires can be had for about $175 each new. With only 2k on them they're worth $125 for sure, but whether you'll get it ... dunno. Much of Craigslist is simply timing. I sell stuff on there pretty often and sometimes an item can sit for weeks at a lower price, then get a half dozen offers in a day at a higher price.

As for other tires, the tire you already have would probably be my first recommendation. Continental and Cooper make some decent highway/AS tires for the Expedition that are worth considering. I wouldn't really recommend an AT tire if your main use is on-road towing. It will give you a rougher ride and poorer fuel economy for what (in your situation) is probably little to no benefit.

Hmm - I guess I 'm just trying to be safe and am concerned with towing that much for 450 miles in one day down to the Keys at 65 mph - my rear end of the Expedition really squats after hitching up, and the front comes up a bit - maybe instead of new tires I should just go ahead and invest in a WDH hitch?

 

[Jimdar]

Regardless of the truck tires, you should be using a weight distributing hitch. And make sure your trailer tires are rated for 65mph. A lot are only rated for 60mph. Those are the tires I would be more concerned with.

 

[brick]

Keep your LTX's. Great tire - have used them for years.
If your boat trailer has surge brakes, then you probably don't want a WD hitch, as it can affect the surge coupler operation. Check your tongue weight. Boat trailers are usually well under 10%. Have you weighed your boat/trailer to know the actual total weight ? They tend to weigh more than you expect.
brick

 

[grey2112]

Keep your LTX's. Great tire - have used them for years.
If your boat trailer has surge brakes, then you probably don't want a WD hitch, as it can affect the surge coupler operation. Check your tongue weight. Boat trailers are usually well under 10%. Have you weighed your boat/trailer to know the actual total weight ? They tend to weigh more than you expect.
brick

Need to weight it, yes. There are WDHs that work with surge brakes, like the Equal-I-Zer -

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Hmm - I guess I 'm just trying to be safe and am concerned with towing that much for 450 miles in one day down to the Keys at 65 mph - my rear end of the Expedition really squats after hitching up, and the front comes up a bit - maybe instead of new tires I should just go ahead and invest in a WDH hitch?

Start with the WDH hitch and go from there. If you're still having problems you can consider airbags, add-a-leafs, etc. WDH should be sufficient though imho.

 

[montecarlo31]

The 114 load rating gets you to 10,400 lbs. I don't know exactly what a '15 EL weighs, but let's assume ~6,700 lbs. Max tow capacity is 9,200 lbs and max tongue weight is 10% of that (920 lbs). That's 7,620 lbs on the vehicle, which gives you nearly 3,000 lbs of passengers/cargo in the truck before you exceed the tires' load rating. You can certainly swap them out if you want, but it's not necessary. Realistically, those tires can be had for about $175 each new. With only 2k on them they're worth $125 for sure, but whether you'll get it ... dunno. Much of Craigslist is simply timing. I sell stuff on there pretty often and sometimes an item can sit for weeks at a lower price, then get a half dozen offers in a day at a higher price.

As for other tires, the tire you already have would probably be my first recommendation. Continental and Cooper make some decent highway/AS tires for the Expedition that are worth considering. I wouldn't really recommend an AT tire if your main use is on-road towing. It will give you a rougher ride and poorer fuel economy for what (in your situation) is probably little to no benefit.

This topic has been beaten to death on many sites with TONS of incorrect info. The 114T does not get you 10,400 lbs, I have no idea where that idea even came from. I will try and simplify this to the lowest common denominator so to speak. 114T is the load and speed rating as applied to a P metric (car use) use. So 114 is the load index, which is 2,601 lbs, T is the speed rating, 118 MPH. All four tires have a TOTAL load capacity of 10,404 lbs on a CAR. When installed on a light truck that rating drops to 2,366 lbs or 4,732 lbs per axle and 9,464 per 4 tires. The reality is that it's not that simple, when at full load you will have significantly more flex in a P metric tire vs a LT tire. You will also see faster tire wear and higher temps as a result of deflection. When you look at 4,400 lb rear axle rating vs the 4,732 max you are within 8% of the maximum rating. Way too close to my comfort level especially when using a tire on something it wasn't designed to be used on.

The long and short of what I am saying is upgrade to E rated tires, you will appreciate it with improved handling, braking, reduced tire heat cycling and improved longevity. Also feel free to check out my response to your other post in the 3rd gen area.

 

[grey2112]

This topic has been beaten to death on many sites with TONS of incorrect info. The 114T does not get you 10,400 lbs, I have no idea where that idea even came from. I will try and simplify this to the lowest common denominator so to speak. 114T is the load and speed rating as applied to a P metric (car use) use. So 114 is the load index, which is 2,601 lbs, T is the speed rating, 118 MPH. All four tires have a TOTAL load capacity of 10,404 lbs on a CAR. When installed on a light truck that rating drops to 2,366 lbs or 4,732 lbs per axle and 9,464 per 4 tires. The reality is that it's not that simple, when at full load you will have significantly more flex in a P metric tire vs a LT tire. You will also see faster tire wear and higher temps as a result of deflection. When you look at 4,400 lb rear axle rating vs the 4,732 max you are within 8% of the maximum rating. Way too close to my comfort level especially when using a tire on something it wasn't designed to be used on.

The long and short of what I am saying is upgrade to E rated tires, you will appreciate it with improved handling, braking, reduced tire heat cycling and improved longevity. Also feel free to check out my response to your other post in the 3rd gen area.

Thank you - given that I'm not going to be doing any long-range trailering for at least another 6 months, I'm considering keeping the current tires on it right now and upgrading to E load rated tires before any big hauling trip - that is unless I can find someone to buy my almost-new current tires and then I'll get the E rated ones.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

This topic has been beaten to death on many sites with TONS of incorrect info. The 114T does not get you 10,400 lbs, I have no idea where that idea even came from. I will try and simplify this to the lowest common denominator so to speak. 114T is the load and speed rating as applied to a P metric (car use) use. So 114 is the load index, which is 2,601 lbs, T is the speed rating, 118 MPH. All four tires have a TOTAL load capacity of 10,404 lbs on a CAR. When installed on a light truck that rating drops to 2,366 lbs or 4,732 lbs per axle and 9,464 per 4 tires. The reality is that it's not that simple, when at full load you will have significantly more flex in a P metric tire vs a LT tire. You will also see faster tire wear and higher temps as a result of deflection. When you look at 4,400 lb rear axle rating vs the 4,732 max you are within 8% of the maximum rating. Way too close to my comfort level especially when using a tire on something it wasn't designed to be used on.

The long and short of what I am saying is upgrade to E rated tires, you will appreciate it with improved handling, braking, reduced tire heat cycling and improved longevity. Also feel free to check out my response to your other post in the 3rd gen area.

Clearly, I was referencing the total load capacity when I stated 10,400 lbs. And yes, you are correct that that number has to be reduced by ~10% if we're talking about a P tire on a truck. I didn't even mention the "T" because we all know that's the speed rating. Anyway, if one's tires are rated at 4,732 lbs and the GAWR is 4,400 lbs then the weakest link is still the axle, not the tires. For off-road use, I would absolutely go with an LT tire. For on-road use though, I would consider both. And replacing those tires on the OP's vehicle is still not going to fix the sagging issue since it has nothing to do with his tires. Don't get me wrong - I understand what you're saying and I certainly can't disagree that LT tires are more robust. I just disagree in regards to the necessity of an LT tire in this particular scenario.

 

[grey2112]

Regardless of the truck tires, you should be using a weight distributing hitch. And make sure your trailer tires are rated for 65mph. A lot are only rated for 60mph. Those are the tires I would be more concerned with.

Trailer tires are definitely rated for 65mph - I went one size up from what most people have on their trailers just to be sure. After 4 years those tires are still doing great.

 

[grey2112]

If I do end up with new E rated tires, I'm reading wonderful things about the Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires.