22's with Curb Rash

Guess I'm just a curmudgeon. But I analyze things myself and don't mindlessly follow current trends. The subject of this thread is curb rash, to which wider rims are particularly susceptible. I concluded that the style factor isn't worth the cost, given the reasons stated above. I hunt archery elk each year, 22's don't belong on dirt roads at 10,000'. And no, I didn't ask tire diameter for the reason you stated. I asked because if they were different, Ford would have to calibrate the speedos based on which wheel/tire combination was supplied. It appears that some people look at wide rims and think they're cool, whereas I see them as silly. Kind of like some people think tanned skin is cool, I see sun damage, wrinkles and skin cancer. To each their own. Free country and all that. Oh, I actually ordered my XLT with leather because it's easier to clean. However, I was disappointed to see that it's perforated, because spills can soak in more.

The thing they all forgot to mention is how much more stability the bigger wheels add. The more sidewall you have, the more movement you have, so it rides better, but also wanders around. I don't consider this an off-road vehicle in the first place, so theres no need for sidewall in my usage as a on road people mover.
I have a real truck for my towing and off-road needs, its a 3/4 ton thats made to be durable. This Expedition was never meant to be an off-road monster in my opinion......

Automakers are increasing sacrificing form over function. As with all things in life, the nicer it looks, the higher the cost, and even higher the headache. 30 years ago, the only cars with curb rash should be Ferraris. Today, practically every vehicle is offered with increasing larger, fancier wheels.

My wife got some really nasty curb rash, which easily eclipses yours by 10-fold. A new wheel is close to $1000, so replacing the damaged wheel with a new one isn't financially smart. Because these are brushed aluminum, I used a coarse sandpaper to sand away the damage by hand, followed by a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Lastly I used an aluminum polish compound with a polish head mounted on my drill. It minimized the appearance of damage by 95%, but if you look closely, you'll notice the imperfections.

gordonf238 said:

Automakers are increasing sacrificing form over function. As with all things in life, the nicer it looks, the higher the cost, and even higher the headache. 30 years ago, the only cars with curb rash should be Ferraris. Today, practically every vehicle is offered with increasing larger, fancier wheels.

My wife got some really nasty curb rash, which easily eclipses yours by 10-fold. A new wheel is close to $1000, so replacing the damaged wheel with a new one isn't financially smart. Because these are brushed aluminum, I used a coarse sandpaper to sand away the damage by hand, followed by a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Lastly I used an aluminum polish compound with a polish head mounted on my drill. It minimized the appearance of damage by 95%, but if you look closely, you'll notice the imperfections.

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I may give that a try on my booboo...thank you!

Deadman, my Expy tracks true and handles quite well. Not like our E39 528i, of course, but confidently.

Agreed, Gordon, on your form over function point. Consider that the panoramic moonroof decreases your roof rack carrying capacity from 200 lb to 125 lb. I avoided that silliness as well.

I have 2 Ford Flex's that are identical except for one has 19" wheels and one has 20" wheels and my wife always comments on how much better the one on the 20's drives. She says the one on the 19's wanders a little, and It absolutely does. I know its a different car, but theres truth to it.....

Deadman said:

I have 2 Ford Flex's that are identical except for one has 19" wheels and one has 20" wheels and my wife always comments on how much better the one on the 20's drives. She says the one on the 19's wanders a little, and It absolutely does. I know its a different car, but theres truth to it.....

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I used to have a 2010 Flex EB I factory ordered at the time. Now I have 2014 Lincoln MKT

Cue the whale tail remarks! But seriously, I haven't had a single issue with it up to last month and now have to replace the FCIM...ugh.

Gumby said:

I used to have a 2010 Flex EB I factory ordered at the time. Now I have 2014 Lincoln MKT

Cue the whale tail remarks! But seriously, I haven't had a single issue with it up to last month and now have to replace the FCIM...ugh.

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I still love those vehicles. The Ecoboost Flex rides hands down smoother than my Expedition.

Sorry for getting off topic.....

NyackRob79 said:

Automakers are increasing sacrificing form over function. As with all things in life, the nicer it looks, the higher the cost, and even higher the headache. 30 years ago, the only cars with curb rash should be Ferraris. Today, practically every vehicle is offered with increasing larger, fancier wheels.

My wife got some really nasty curb rash, which easily eclipses yours by 10-fold. A new wheel is close to $1000, so replacing the damaged wheel with a new one isn't financially smart. Because these are brushed aluminum, I used a coarse sandpaper to sand away the damage by hand, followed by a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Lastly I used an aluminum polish compound with a polish head mounted on my drill. It minimized the appearance of damage by 95%, but if you look closely, you'll notice the imperfections.

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My wife's former car was a Lincoln MKX with polished 20" rims and she parked "by feel" so often that I got pretty good at shade tree restoration of the roughed-up bead areas. As NyackRob79 said, use varying grits of sandpaper and get it smooth enough to polish. I have a die grinder and used a fine sanding disc to get the scratches close to gone and then finished with jewelers rouge on a polishing wheel in the same die grinder Whichever way you go, try to finish with a light application of clearcoat finish for wheels. Wife's current car has black painted 22's so I can fill the narrow scratched with JB Weld steel putty, sand, paint and clear coat just the damaged edge...usually around 1/8" I keep telling her to use her 360° cameras when parking by curbs, but... BTW, I only have one spot of curb rash on my Expedition and I wasn't the one who did it either.

aggiegrad05 said:

Accurate. They look amazing, that’s why they’re on there. As can be said for a lot of the stuff on the platinum trim...which is why I paid up for it.

It’s pretty obvious from the size of the wheel wells, the vehicle was designed for 22s. The smaller stock wheels makes the vehicle look like a buffalo on roller skates.

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These vehicles really do look better with some tire and wheel upgrades. I've seen great examples of 18", 20" and 22" setups. I loved my 18" with the lift, but also loved the 20" wheels in the city. I'd only brave 22" with the CCD suspension.