• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Winter - All seasons or Winters?

Messages
68
Reactions
10
Points
7
Location
Western New York
Vehicle
20' Explorer ST
#1
Ayo! I have a 20' ST. I'm looking planning for new set of tires for the cooler months/winter. The current tires on the ST are Michelin Latitudes Sport. The dealership installed them when I purchased the ride, it seems their summer tires.
I've had a few folks at other groups recommend just moving to all seasons from michelin and using that, OR would it make sense to just get dedicated winter tires and swap them each season? (I might splurge and get a winter set of wheels with it)

Bonus Q: I have 21" wheel/tires, I'd imagine I can drop down to 20" while being the black rims still? What are the go-to sites for different rims?
 

Messages
136
Reactions
66
Points
27
Location
Grimsby, ON, Canada
#2
20” works perfectly fine. I have the stock rim/rubber combo for summer. Purchased winter wheels. Blizzaks mounted on 20” FAST rims
 

Attachments

King7878

New Member
Messages
21
Reactions
9
Points
2
Location
Red deer, AB
Vehicle
2023 explorer ST
#3
I went totally different route with my rims ordered interceptor 18 in steel rims from ford. Installing Bridgestone blizzak tires on rims best winter tire I’ve ever used. -40 and still grip well in ice storms too.
 

Chamorro85

Active Member
Messages
529
Reactions
254
Points
52
Location
Round Lake, IL USA
Vehicle
'21 Explorer ST
#4
It's going to come down to personal preference and how much you drive. When I was driving an hour every day for work it would have been easy to stick with all seasons. Thats when my vehicle was just front wheel drive. After trying snow tires on FWD I felt invincible and then a great all season on AWD it was pretty comparable.

The consistency of snow tires can't be beat when its cold hands down. You been in NY and even with limited snow I got in Jersey it was great. Now back in the midwest I wouldn't hesitate to get dedicated winter set.
 

OP
MyNameisE
Messages
68
Reactions
10
Points
7
Location
Western New York
Vehicle
20' Explorer ST
Thread Starter #5
I went totally different route with my rims ordered interceptor 18 in steel rims from ford. Installing Bridgestone blizzak tires on rims best winter tire I’ve ever used. -40 and still grip well in ice storms too.
I called Ford department they told me that the 18" wouldn't clear my big brake/rotor kit.
 

OP
MyNameisE
Messages
68
Reactions
10
Points
7
Location
Western New York
Vehicle
20' Explorer ST
Thread Starter #6
It's going to come down to personal preference and how much you drive. When I was driving an hour every day for work it would have been easy to stick with all seasons. Thats when my vehicle was just front wheel drive. After trying snow tires on FWD I felt invincible and then a great all season on AWD it was pretty comparable.

The consistency of snow tires can't be beat when its cold hands down. You been in NY and even with limited snow I got in Jersey it was great. Now back in the midwest I wouldn't hesitate to get dedicated winter set.
Understandable. It's my all year around car, my summer ride is my Mustang. But I still see at least 15-20k of miles a year on the car. So I don't mind getting dedicated tires.
 

Messages
68
Reactions
16
Points
7
Location
Frederick md
Vehicle
2021 Explorer ST
#8
I went totally different route with my rims ordered interceptor 18 in steel rims from ford. Installing Bridgestone blizzak tires on rims best winter tire I’ve ever used. -40 and still grip well in ice storms too.
What size wheels do you have? 20", 21" or something else?
 

I Bleed Ford Blue

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
759
Reactions
521
Points
232
Location
Ohio
Vehicle
23 Rapid Red Explorer ST
#9
My ST came with the 20's new with michelin A/S tires. I bought a set of 22" wheels and put on some continental summer only tires on them. I run the 22's in nice weather and put my stock 20's back on for winter use. 98% of my winter driving is the west side burbs of Cleveland where we don't get a lot of snow, so the michelin a/s is good enough. Now if I lived on the east side where they can get hammered with snow, I would buy some dedicated winter tires.
 

Blue Beast

1000 Post Club
U.S. Army Veteran
Law Enforcement
Messages
1,579
Reactions
623
Points
262
Location
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Vehicle
2020 ST
#10
I have been in some of those Cleveland snows. Wicked
 

Messages
29
Reactions
13
Points
2
Location
Long Island, NY
Vehicle
2021 Explorer ST
#11
Being you're from Western New York, you may want to go with 2 full sets of tires and wheels. For me on Long Island, all-season is the way I will go. Take a look at the Pirelli Scorpion Weatheractive. These may work for you all year round. They will be my next set.
 

King7878

New Member
Messages
21
Reactions
9
Points
2
Location
Red deer, AB
Vehicle
2023 explorer ST
#12
As as Western NY resident, from November thru March I run 265/65R18 Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 on aftermarket 18" wheels (AE900:18x8,+35mm) - all from TireRack
What size wheels do you have? 20", 21" or something else?
21" for summer and 18" blizzaks for winter I don't think I'll ever run another type of tire except the blizzak or a yokamoh ultra soft winter (same compound as blizzack) ever again. I got to drive in some winter extreams -36 degree Celsius for weeks of winter and for almost all of that time black ice mixed with 25 degree Celsius temp swings so fun.
 

Last edited:
Messages
208
Reactions
92
Points
27
Location
Arden Hills, MN, USA
#13
Just put Pirelli Scorpion Weatheractive to replace the Michelin Primacy tire that came with the ST. They only have 26,500 miles on them with no hard driving, I replaced them because over the past 2 weeks we have has a lot of rain and the St was all over the place and a couple of times I had to place it in slippery mode to keep it under control at normal highway speeds. Tires have been fine until the last month there is still plenty on them but drivability has diminished. There tire feel way better than the Michelins did new.
 



Top