Largest Duratrac Tires (with no rubbing and on stock wheels) for Expedition Timberline

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Timberline

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My Timberline Expedition is supposed to be built this month (low confidence),
and I have been pleased with Duratracs on my 2000 Expedition in the mountainous and snowy environment I live in.

It may be too soon for someone to have figured this out...
but does anyone know what size Duratracs are possible while still maintaining ample clearance with the stock 18" wheels on a non-lifted Timberline?
And if so, do you know how much taller your vehicle is with the tires you chose? (I have miniscule additional clearance with my garage door.)
 

Slipstream

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I am wondering the same thing....about to ditch the stock tires from my Timberline and trying to decide whether I get 275/70 (on stock wheels) or would somethin' closer to 34" fit with no rub (I do off road)
 

Slipstream

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Also side question - how is the noise level with the Duratracs? Did you have E or D load? This is one of tires I am considering b/c its on a lighter side for E rated and also comes in a D which I would probably prefer. I am used to All Terrains in general (have had KO2s, Wildpeaks, G2s etc and love them all), but heard that Duratracs are loud at speed.
 

Pawpaw

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I've got a '21 FX4 which is pretty close to a Timberline . Running 275x70x18 BFG's on stock FX4 wheels. These are 33.2x11 and give ample clearance even when towing our camper. I would not go any larger at stock height. Not much height increase over the stock 275x65x18 Michelins and didn't disrupt the speedometer or 3.73 gearing too bad. Running these tires at 42 psi cold gives a fairly smooth and quiet ride. Expect a 1 to 2 mpg drop in fuel mileage but I'm still getting 17 mpg in my daily driving and 19 mpg at 70 mph on flat highways. Very pleased with these BFG's so far. I'm sure the Duratracs should be close in performance. The Falken Wildpeaks would be a good option also. IMG_6207.JPG
 

LazSlate

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My Timberline Expedition is supposed to be built this month (low confidence),
and I have been pleased with Duratracs on my 2000 Expedition in the mountainous and snowy environment I live in.

It may be too soon for someone to have figured this out...
but does anyone know what size Duratracs are possible while still maintaining ample clearance with the stock 18" wheels on a non-lifted Timberline?
And if so, do you know how much taller your vehicle is with the tires you chose? (I have miniscule additional clearance with my garage door.)
I have one on order and have been researching. The Timberline is 1" higher than the other trims. So seems at least 2 sizes or more up would be fine from the 265s. The SEMA build had it up 2" from the stock and had 35s on it.
 

Lou Hamilton

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Anyone know for certain if the Timberline is leveled or if it has the same rake as a non Timberline where the front is about in inch lower than the rear. Trying preemptively determine whether a ReadyLIFT 3/2 will work on the Timberline.

If it turns out that I will be needed a new one, I will be adding the lift and 285/75 R18's on it (~35x11.5).
 

Pawpaw

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IMG_6227.JPG



Glad I didn't go any higher due to towing our travel trailer which is heavy on the hitch weight. Stock height FX4 offroad coilovers that are taller then the stock height ones. Not much but don't want it any higher since I like the height for daily use. Tires are one inch taller so that gives it enough height. These Expeditions are a little top heavy anyway.
 
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Timberline

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Also side question - how is the noise level with the Duratracs? Did you have E or D load?
Regarding noise levels of Duratracs... Fortunately, I rarely need to drive on highways, and when I do, I drive quite slow anyway. Even though I am something of an audio engineer in my work, I am not the best to review the noise levels of Duratracs.

My 22 year old Expedition is not as well insulated for sound as newer vehicles, so it was already noisy from day 1 with the stock tires before I upgraded to Duratracs. That is one of the main reasons I am excited to get a new vehicle with its better sound insulation AND the opposing wave noise cancellation feature that should be helpful with consistent sounds such as tire friction. However, I could do without the simulated V8 roar Ford is piping in through the speakers along with the 'steady noise' opposing sound waves. - I have been told the fake engine 'vroom vroom' is subtle, but I am still not looking forward to it. I expect to be constantly embarrassed to be driving a car with fake engine sounds piped into the cabin (even when I am the only one in the Timberline).
I will be open to reprogramming the vehicle at some point to eliminate the fake 'vroom vroom' if it can be done safely without causing other issues.

As far as E Load or D Load, I didn't know there was such a thing with Duratracs. I am still learning about tires.
I remember some Wranglers I got before the Duratracs were 'Light Truck Rated' (or something like that). I thought that meant they were made with a harder compound (and maybe deeper tread?). Those things lasted forever, more than doubling the mileage of the regular Wranglers the vehicle was delivered with. -- It's funny... the almost new Duratracs on my old Expedition are worth more than the truck now. I will try to figure out their load rating. I am curious.
 
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Timberline

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I've got a '21 FX4 which is pretty close to a Timberline . Running 275x70x18 BFG's on stock FX4 wheels. These are 33.2x11...
Those tires sure do look good on your truck, and the wheel color/contrast is great, and... I have read that many prefer those BFG tires to Duratracs. My main concern is snow traction because of where I live, and though I am sure most big giant knobby tires should do reasonably well, there seems to be a general consensus online that the Duratracs are a bit better in snow.

The Wrangler Duratracs have seemed to perform noticeably better for me in snow than a couple of different 'regular' Wranglers I have used in the past. I remember the initial surprising feeling of it being so much more difficult to lose traction with the deep tread Duratracs I use now compared to other Wrangler tires. - Even a small reduction in snow performance would be depressing for me at this point, so I am hesitant to try something else.

Edit: I think those gray FX4 wheels on your truck might look better than the stock black wheels on my upcoming Dark Matter Gray Timberline. Not sure if the grays would clash or not. Makes me think about painting my wheels though. Could pick the perfect gray that way, maybe even color matching the Timberline's body as seems to be done with your FX4.
 
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Pawpaw

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Those tires sure do look good on your truck, and the wheel color/contrast is great, and... I have read that many prefer those Michelin tires to Duratracs. My main concern is snow traction because of where I live, and though I am sure most big giant knobby tires should do reasonably well, there seems to be a general consensus online that the Duratracs are a bit better in snow.

The Wrangler Duratracs have seemed to perform noticeably better for me in snow than a couple of different 'regular' Wranglers I have used in the past. I remember the initial surprising feeling of it being so much more difficult to lose traction with the deep tread Duratracs I use now compared to regular Wrangler tread tires. - Even a small reduction in snow performance would be depressing for me at this point, so I am hesitant to try something else.

Edit: I think those gray FX4 wheels on your truck might look better than the stock black wheels on my upcoming Dark Matter Gray Timberline. Not sure if the grays would clash or not. Makes me think about painting my wheels though. Could pick the perfect gray that way, maybe even color matching the Timberline's body as seems to be done with your FX4.

The Michelin tires that came with my FX4 were P rated all terrains. Not bad for fuel mileage but no comparison to the BFG's for durability and towing since they are 10 ply E rated. I wasn't a fan of the painted wheels on the FX4 but my 3 grandsons sure were. Saw it makes me look cool at 74 yrs old. I live close to the Gulf of Mexico and never get any snow so my main worry is rain and light offroading which can mean our wet and muddy yards. Most F150 and Super Duty's I've had in the past I've used Toyo..Nitto..BFG and Michelins. The color on my Expedition is Magnetic Metallic and the wheels are the same. Lucky to find this one on a dealers lot when I was really looking for another pickup last November. Sounds like your Timberline will look great with the Dark Gray Matter. Maybe you can find some FX4 takeoffs or a machined aftermarket wheel that would look good. Painting the wheels to match your Timberline would be an option also. Good luck with your decision.
 
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