Bad tires, or bad luck?

[duneslider]

So, I have had a number of flat tires on the expedition now. The stock michelins had repairs done 4-5 times. All the times the tech told me it was a rock, smaller rocks that pierced the tire and we had slow leaks. I just chalked it up to cheap stock tires. When it came time to get new tires I didn't have a lot of choices (presumably due to covid) and I ended up getting Big O Big Foot AT's (they claim these are good tires and made by Cooper). These wouldn't have been my first choice but options were pretty limited, the price was good, warranty was good, and availability was good.

I have now had 2 flat tires on the Big O's. One was on the road and I have no idea what made the hole but it was large and Big O replaced the tire under warranty. I got another flat this weekend driving a dirt road going to cut down a christmas tree. It again was a pretty big hole but was repairable. Now, I was driving pretty fast on the dirt road (45-50) but no different than I have every year in every suv I have ever owned (Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Commander). I have had more flats on the Expedition than every other vehicle I have own combined and I have NEVER had a flat that could be attributed to a rock. All flats have been in the tread area of the tires, not any sidewall type damage.

Is the expedition just too big and too heavy for load range D tires? Is that my problem here and I just need to go to Load range E for a more durable tire? Or are these tires I have had just that crappy and not up to driving on dirt roads?

For the record, I have never used michelins or Big O tires and have always had BFG, Goodyear, Toyo, Nitto, Cooper. My wrangler has always had load range D mud tires and the commander had a weird size tire and may have been load range E. Anyway, just curious if I am having bad luck or bad tires.

 

[Jettix2]

std or max? What size wheels? Big difference in tire choices going from an 18 to a 20 or 22”. I’d recommend an E load rated quality tire with 8+ ply like a BFG KO2, Falken Wildpeak AT3, etc.

 

[sjwhiteley]

Tires and windshields: all down to luck, and not the materials, I think. I’ve had vehicles where the only tire issues is they wear out and need replacing after 50k. Others, it is several replacements in a year due to various road damage events.

 

[duneslider]

std or max? What size wheels? Big difference in tire choices going from an 18 to a 20 or 22”. I’d recommend an E load rated quality tire with 8+ ply like a BFG KO2, Falken Wildpeak AT3, etc.

Max with 18" wheels. Neither the BFG or Falken was available when I bought the tires and due to the stock michelins being toast I had to do something and the Big-o's were in stock. I am planning to go to E's next time. I am just surprised I have had so many issues with 2 sets of tires now on one vehicle. I haven't had to change a flat on my Jeep in over 200k miles. I have taken it in a couple times to have nails removed.

The spare has been on the Expedition 3 times now but the stock michelins had flats repaired 5 times, 4 were just slow leaks. I only have about 5k on the Big-O's so still a lot of tread left on them.

 

[duneslider]

Well, another trip to Moab and another destroyed tire. I really just don’t think you should run anything but load range E tires on the expedition.

I had another small rock pierce a rear tire which led to a scary tire change on the side of the highway, trailer sunk in the mud up to the rims, passenger side of the expedition sunk almost to the rims. Had to use the stock jack, trailer jack, and firewood to get the expedition high enough to get the spare out. Barely got the spare on.

Luckily, the 4x4 is exceptional and pulled right out of the mud and back onto the highway without dying.

Local tire place has some bfg at load E, so I am gonna give them a try and hope for better luck.

 

[Deadman]

E's will be a LOT tougher, but they will ride like $hit on the road. They're just really stiff for a 1/2 ton.

 

[duneslider]

E's will be a LOT tougher, but they will ride like $hit on the road. They're just really stiff for a 1/2 ton.

I have 18’s though so probably not much worse than those with the 22’s.

I have had at least 7 flats since getting the expedition. 3 on the stock Michelins and now 4 on the current tires. Most were rock punctures through the tread, none were sidewall damage.

I’m just not sure if any lighter tire is gonna hold up.

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

Wow. I have a '20 FX4 MAX with 18" OEM Michelins 30,000 miles, only 14 States, never more than a few miles west of the Missouri River, though. So, NO sharp rocks. No flats so far. It sounds like you're hitting rocks so sharp that they are destroying the structural integrity of the belts. I talked to some of my Jeep off-roading friends. They said that modern bias ply off-road tires are less likely to puncture off road than radials....maybe you need to swap into some bias ply off-road tires when driving over sharp rocks? Note that they all trailer their Jeeps; so, none of them had actually driven their bias shoed Jeeps on pavement.

Good luck and let us know if you find something that works!

On another note....sounds like you're getting a lot of use of your spare. If you haven't already...you may want to get it balanced as Ford does not balance the spares in the factory.

 

[duneslider]

I have had a ton of flats for sure. I am also not doing anything crazy here, I am driving the same dirt roads I have been driving for 15 years and never had issues. I'm not alone on these roads either and I seem to be the only one having issues. This weekend my brother and FIL went everywhere we did (they were driving an F150 and Ram 1500). So, its not like I am out trying to do hardcore offroading in the expedition, this is just dirt roads where I believe the issues are originating. This is the 3rd hole that was big enough that they wouldn't even repair it and had to replace the tire.

I am going to have the spare balanced when I go in, it was noticeable that it wasn't balanced driving for 100+ miles with the trailer. Didn't help that it had a bit of mud on it either.

Maybe I am driving too fast offroad, never thought I was and I don't think I am driving much different than I ever have or different than other people I am with.

 

[Deadman]

What air pressure are you running? Are you running them soft?