Looking for advise on tires...

[craig2436]

Hello! I have a 2015 Exp EL Platinum running Yokohama YK-HTX 275/55/R20 117H tires and am wondering what you'd recommend to replace them. I live in NC, don't go offroad and am not in snow more than a 1-2 weeks a year. Over-the-road ride quality and handling are the priority. Not trying to be cheap but a good price is a bonus! Any suggestions?

 

[ExplorerTom]

Go to Tirerack.com and look. Tons of reviews and opinions (just as valid as any here). You’ll be able to compare one tire’s reviews with 100k miles collectively against another tire’s reviews with 1.5 million miles collectively.

 

[Hamfisted]

Can't go wrong with Michelins. Do you have a Sams or Costco in your area ? They generally have the best prices on Michelins. The LTX A/S line is a great riding general purpose tire.

Michelin LTX A/S Tires






.

 

[07navi]

A lot of people run Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires on these trucks because they are quiet and last a long time mainly but they are expensive and I think there are other tires out there that are just as good.

 

[dcsang]

I agree with the Michelin LTX M/S2 or Michelin Defender LTX M/S. The primary differences are speed rating and tread wear but both are excellent and Costco periodically offers $150 off a set of four. I've always had positive experiences at their tire centers and the nitrogen fill is a plus (arguably).

BFGoodrich and others make good tier tires but I'm sticking to what I know.

EDIT: Typo

 

[os1kne]

I've had a lot of luck with the Michelin's for 20+ years, so I tend to stick with them. Reviews on tirerack.com should point you to other good options. Good luck!

 

[tommyddsr]

I have the Michelin's now and have to say the ride is excellent. Previous tires were Coopers and B.F.Goodrich. Michelin's were a huge upgrade.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

+1 on the Michelins. They're not great in the snow after they've worn down a bit, but aside from that I've been happy with them. I was just looking at my records and just broke 70k on the last set (really should have been replaced around 65k, but I was waiting on the sale). Costco/Sam's Club will have the $150 off a set of 4 again within the next few months. Free rotation, balance and best of all, road hazard.

 

[07navi]

They do last a looong time without any trade offs. Mine still look the same since I bought the truck 1 1/2 years ago. Not buying them again though.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

FWIW, I paid $749.87 for a set of 4 in January at Costco ($789.34 - 5% cashback from my credit card for spending in the wholesale club category). Not too bad for tires that last as long as they do.

MICHELIN X LT A/S 275/55R20 113T BSW ALL SEASON

 

[WEDGE]

I run the Cooper ST MAXX in the 275/65/20 size. Great tire, they are 10 ply (I tow my camper 5-6 times a year) fairly quiet on the highway for an aggressive tire. Vehicle does see dirt roads and mild offroad driving so I'm happy with my choice

 

[07navi]

I run the Cooper ST MAXX in the 275/65/20 size. Great tire, they are 10 ply (I tow my camper 5-6 times a year) fairly quiet on the highway for an aggressive tire. Vehicle does see dirt roads and mild offroad driving so I'm happy with my choice

I run the 60's but wondering if the 65's will fit without a leveling kit. Those are nice tires you have, I think they have 3 ply sidewalls also.

 

[Retiredusps]

I have had good results with coopers at3 3 rd set 210,000 miles. son just put all 4 on his f-350

 

[craig2436]

Just wanted to say "thanks" to everyone who commented!

I ended up getting Michelin Defender M/S2 tires installed this morning - so I can't really comment yet - lol... I'll leave another note after I have some miles under them.

Awesome community!


PS: Ran a couple sets of Coopers on a Honda Odyssey we had for years - great tires! Just loved them. They were CS5 Touring I believe...

 

[nightfly]

FWIW, I've been using these for 4 years, got them on sale at walmart for $90 each. Good in snow, have been good in rain, and not wearing much, but then I do mostly highway. I have 30k miles on them and have almost unmeasurable treadwear so far; MAYBE 1/16"? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cooper-Discoverer-A-T-All-Season-265-70R16-112T-Tire/926617294 HOwever, a local tire place said that next time before I go to walmart or anywhere else that's having a sale, come to him and he will beat their price. Before the Coopers, I had the standard, Goodyear Wranglers which were close to $200 each, which is why I went with the Coopers (I've had cooper discoverer radials on other full size SUV's before, and they were all excellent and cheaper than the big brands.

 

[Herby]

I have a 2007 Ford Expy EL Limited. Just picked up a set of Cooper Evolution tires. Ride is great and at a good price. Picked them up from Mavis Tires.

 

[GlennSullivan]

As others have said: the Michelin LTX M/S2 or Michelin Defender LTX M/S are great tires and they are surprisingly good in the snow for a tire that does not have an aggressive tread pattern. Again as others have said, The primary differences are speed rating, tread wear and also tread depth, but both are excellent. My 2011 Expedition came with Pirellis and they sucked in the snow. I am currently running the "Defender LTX M/S" and compared to the "LTX MS2" they have a deeper tread depth and are better in the snow (both tires have lots of sipes for snow and ice traction. On long trips at highway speeds they are smooth and quiet.

 

[10Expedition]

If you like Coopers, Pep Boys is running a buy 3 tires, get the 4th free with no installation cost. It comes out to $621 out the door. NOBODY beats that price.

 

[gene34mml]

I recommend the Nitto Crosstek with the 8 or 10 ply (I forget which I bought 6 years ago). The Crossteks may be replaced by the Crosstek IIs by now. The original Crossteks have 76,000 miles on them and I'm just now getting close to the wear bars - little worry for next winter in VA. The tires have solid sidewalls, deep tread, and toughness for mild off-roading. NTB has a buy2-get2 sale often for a good buying opportunity, as the tires cost about $170 apiece. Two sizes work for the Expy, so go for the one with the higher ply rating - it's tough without rolling laterally. The Nitto company has been expanding from Class-8 truck tires down into passenger trucks, so they bring commercial tire knowledge. Worth the peace of mind.

 

[Brons2]

If you like Coopers, Pep Boys is running a buy 3 tires, get the 4th free with no installation cost. It comes out to $621 out the door. NOBODY beats that price.

Not that it's the same tire, but I got a set of 275/55R20 Yokohama Geolandar HT G056 for $590 all in on sale on Walmart.com. The normal price on this tire is around $180 per tire and a set of these at Discount Tire is over $1000 with mounting, balancing and road hazard.

I took a chance and let Walmart mount them. The premium mounting balancing includes road hazard and was around $115. They didn't damage anything, I was worried about them marking up my rims, but the tires need to be rebalanced after a couple of months, not surprising. If I lived in a state with lower speed limits, the current balancing would be fine, but there are multiple freeways around here with limits of 75, 80 even 85 MPH and the shimmy is noticeable above 75. I'll probably take it elsewhere for the rebalance. Still. overall, I saved close to $300 over "Discount" Tire and even if I pay $50 to get them balanced elsewhere, I'm still way ahead.

My use case is 100% on road and I am happy with these tires for that, they are quiet and ride great. Some of the online reviewers for this tire model complained they weren't good in the rain, but they seem fine to me as long as you slow down to a reasonable speed for the conditions, 60 mph or so. Granted, the reviews were on all types of vehicle and all sizes of this same tire. As we all know these vehicles are about a couple donuts short of 3 tons, so maybe that helps with plowing through deep puddles. And we do a lot of that around here - the rain comes in buckets when it comes, all on or all off. I'm from Oregon originally and this area gets 90% of the rain that I got in Oregon, but it arrives in 100 less cloudy drizzly days.