New Exporer might miss its target

[OAC_Sparky]

Oh please. This was in rural farm country, not a major urban area. An old ranger with overinflated tires is still one fo the safest vehicles on these roads, given the rigs you see some farmers going down the road in.

Sounds like you've been sampling the local herbs.

[Sevensecondsuv]

Bottom line, is that you're being dangerous; it's one thing to experiment when your life is on the line, another when you share the road with other drivers.

 

By your own admission, you've driven with intentionally overinflated tires to the point they blew out. Please tell me how this is the responsible actions of an intelligent person?

 

And you never drive faster than the speed limit?

[OAC_Sparky]

And you never drive faster than the speed limit?

Non sequitur.

 

I drive according to the road conditions. Not to the maximum speed limit when road conditions are bad. By your reasoning you would frive 70MPH in a blizzard. Because it says you can go that fast.

 

You can't compare ignoring the engineering and limitations of your vehicle to ignoring a speed limit that is only in part based on safety. My car is maintained and capable of a sustained 200kmh (125MPH) . Z rated tires (inflated to the PROPER pressure), performance suspension and braking system.

 

So do I drive 200kmh all the time? Ummm...no. Actually, never. I usually average 20 kmh (12MPH) over on the interstate and less than that in a residential area. Occasionally more, but only when road and traffic permit. That's why I have no tickets or accidents on my record when I average 35000 miles a year on one of the worst stretched of highway in North America.

 

Your reasoning is that your tire can hold 50PSI so you inflate it to that. That would be like me driving 125MPH all the time because that is what the car is designed for.

[Sevensecondsuv]

Non sequitur.

 

I drive according to the road conditions. Not to the maximum speed limit when road conditions are bad. By your reasoning you would frive 70MPH in a blizzard. Because it says you can go that fast.

 

You can't compare ignoring the engineering and limitations of your vehicle to ignoring a speed limit that is only in part based on safety. My car is maintained and capable of a sustained 200kmh (125MPH) . Z rated tires (inflated to the PROPER pressure), performance suspension and braking system.

 

So do I drive 200kmh all the time? Ummm...no. Actually, never. I usually average 20 kmh (12MPH) over on the interstate and less than that in a residential area. Occasionally more, but only when road and traffic permit. That's why I have no tickets or accidents on my record when I average 35000 miles a year on one of the worst stretched of highway in North America.

 

Your reasoning is that your tire can hold 50PSI so you inflate it to that. That would be like me driving 125MPH all the time because that is what the car is designed for.

 

Nope. That is a flawed argument because tire pressure and vehicle speed are not analagous (if they were, a flat tire would be safer than an inflated tire, just as a stopped car is safer than a moving car) Your reasoning is that I should only inflate my 50 PSI tire to 30 PSI. I have an experiment for us: I'll run my 50 PSI tire at 48-50 PSI, and you run the same tire at 30 PSI. Wanna bet which one of us has tire problems?

 

We already established that a tire should be inflated as close to the max as possible while still leaving necessary margin for tire heat up and vehicle loading. The manufacturer stickers state as much. Ever notice how the pressure listed on those stickers is almost always about 5 PSI less than the "max pressure" on the factory tires?

Edited August 13, 2010 by Sevensecondsuv

[Sevensecondsuv]

I have no tickets or accidents on my record when I average 35000 miles a year on one of the worst stretched of highway in North America.

 

Me too.

[NickF1011]

We already established that a tire should be inflated as close to the max as possible while still leaving necessary margin for tire heat up and vehicle loading. The manufacturer stickers state as much. Ever notice how the pressure listed on those stickers is almost always about 5 PSI less than the "max pressure" on the factory tires?

 

Who "established" that? Max tire pressure rating on the tires I run on my Cobra is 51 psi (Link). I run them between 30 and 32. I'm certainly not going to run them any higher, nor would I advise anyone else to do so.

Edited August 13, 2010 by NickF1011

[Deanh]

Me too.

Man up, I ride an uninsured Motorbike, with a fake Drivers licence under the alias Jose Mc Lovin, unclothed without a helmet splitting traffic at DOUBLE the speed limit whilst intoxicated...no tickets either...so next up is a "I Hate Cops" tatoo on my entire back....

[Deanh]

Who "established" that? Max tire pressure rating on the tires I run on my Cobra is 51 psi (Link). I run them between 30 and 32. I'm certainly not going to run them any higher, nor would I advise anyone else to do so.

36 36 on the bike...and its easy to tell if pressure has been lost...handli ng changes dramatically.....slight wallowing in higher speed corners....

[Sevensecondsuv]

Man up, I ride an uninsured Motorbike, with a fake Drivers licence under the alias Jose Mc Lovin, unclothed without a helmet splitting traffic at DOUBLE the speed limit whilst intoxicated...no tickets either...so next up is a "I Hate Cops" tatoo on my entire back....

 

LOL.

 

And with that, I'm done with this pointless argument. You guys can run your tires at whatever pressure you want, and I'll do the same. See you all in another thread!

[NickF1011]

and I'll do the same.

 

...preferably nowhere near me at highway speeds.

[OAC_Sparky]

...preferably nowhere near me at highway speeds.

x2

[Mackintire]

No, I'm not assuming I know more than the engineers. They put the maximum pressure on the tire, I run them at that pressure. This means that I fill them up after driving when they are "hot" and on the loaded vehicle. And my load doesn't change much on the explorer - a few hundred pounds. I do run them a little lower in the pickups, due to the possibility of extra load in the bed. And for the record, I AM an engineer (by degree and job title).

 

Now I agree, filling them up to the maximum pressure while the tire is cold and off the vehicle is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, If I used the pressure from the door jamb sticker (which was writen for 35 PSI max factory tires) for 50 PSIG max tires, I would end up with woefully under-inflated tires. That would be another recipe for disaster.

 

 

You sir unfortunately are mistaken.

 

Currently I am an engineer. I used to sell tires. I was goodyear, bridgestone, BF goodrich, michellin and cooper certifed. I was also briefed by two different automotive insurance carriers on this topic with additional input from the NHTSA.

 

As a company you must set the inflation of a set of tires on factory equipped rims to what is stickered on the vehicle. If the sticker has been removed and the factory wheels and tire size is on the vehicle you go by what is in the owners manual or Chilton of Haynes listing. The only way you are allowed to inflate the tires to any other pressure legally is if you have the customer sign a waver. Otherwise if an accident occurs your company can be held responsible for not inflating the tires to the correct specifications.

 

Our insurance carrier was very verbal about this and used Explorers and Jeep wranglers as the most extreme examples.

 

 

I was very good at my job and I performed plenty of tire and rim swaps. Swapping P235/75/15s for 31-10.50 15s requires less pressure to have the same weight carrying capacity, I know this as fact of physics and from practical application.

 

The second part that is related to this discussion is most 31 10.50 15s have 6 belt plys (sometimes 4 with 2 nylon plys in the sidewall) and as a result have a stiffer sidewall then the standard P235/75/15s that came on the explorer. Now if you put LT235/75/15s on you could possibly have a stiffer sidewall.

 

 

 

50 psi on your 89 explorer is considered unsafe as per the (NHTSA) National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations findings.

[Mackintire]

Nope. That is a flawed argument because tire pressure and vehicle speed are not analagous (if they were, a flat tire would be safer than an inflated tire, just as a stopped car is safer than a moving car) Your reasoning is that I should only inflate my 50 PSI tire to 30 PSI. I have an experiment for us: I'll run my 50 PSI tire at 48-50 PSI, and you run the same tire at 30 PSI. Wanna bet which one of us has tire problems?

 

We already established that a tire should be inflated as close to the max as possible while still leaving necessary margin for tire heat up and vehicle loading. The manufacturer stickers state as much. Ever notice how the pressure listed on those stickers is almost always about 5 PSI less than the "max pressure" on the factory tires?

 

 

 

Unfortunately this has fail written all over it.

 

My wife's 06 Fusion is stickered at 30psi, the tires are rated for 40 psi max.

 

Thanks for playing.

[Mackintire]

Nope. That is a flawed argument because tire pressure and vehicle speed are not analagous (if they were, a flat tire would be safer than an inflated tire, just as a stopped car is safer than a moving car) Your reasoning is that I should only inflate my 50 PSI tire to 30 PSI. I have an experiment for us: I'll run my 50 PSI tire at 48-50 PSI, and you run the same tire at 30 PSI. Wanna bet which one of us has tire problems?

 

We already established that a tire should be inflated as close to the max as possible while still leaving necessary margin for tire heat up and vehicle loading. The manufacturer stickers state as much. Ever notice how the pressure listed on those stickers is almost always about 5 PSI less than the "max pressure" on the factory tires?

 

 

Lets say you set up a stopping contest.

 

One explorer with 50 psi in the tires and a second one with 35 psi in the tires.

 

What to bet which on stops first?

 

 

 

You know we could just redirect the conversation by inflating the tires with nitrogen. Then the heating expansion is minimal from the inert gases compressibilitiy under heat.

[Mackintire]

deleted

Edited August 16, 2010 by Mackintire

[JimmyL57]

One of those dumb things but, should the tire companies just mark the tires with "MAX COLD PRESSURE" and make it simple?

[T'Cal]

Ford reveals the new Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility tomorrow at 3:00 pm EST!

[97svtgoin05gt]

 

I love that new Explorer.

[T'Cal]

If I had to replace my family mover soon, I'd look long and hard at the new Explorer. I liked the Freestyle (stupid name, tho) and the Taurus X (too much grille chrome, tho) and thought they both looked enough like the old Explorer to have taken that name. The new one takes everything I liked about those two and improves on them in so many ways. It's the front runner as far as I'm concerned.

[theoldwizard]

2011 Ford Explorer With EcoBoost Delivers Class Leading MPG; 30% Better Than Current V-6 Model

 

EPA says the current V6 get 20 mpg highway. 30% increase would be 26 mpg.

Word from engineering is the 2.0L EcoBoost in the 2011 Explorer being "30% Better Than Current V6" is pretty accurate.

 

Unless they can "pull a rabbit out of the hat", 26-28 mpg highway is likely the best they can do, even with the late introduction of the 2.0L EcoBoost.

[NickF1011]

Word from engineering is the 2.0L EcoBoost in the 2011 Explorer being "30% Better Than Current V6" is pretty accurate.

 

Unless they can "pull a rabbit out of the hat", 26-28 mpg highway is likely the best they can do, even with the late introduction of the 2.0L EcoBoost.

 

Still highly competitive and very good for a 7-seater though. I'd take it, especially considering the 23 mpg highway the Edge I'm looking at is rated at.

[theoldwizard]

I also heard that turbo lag on the Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost is "noticeable", especially at altitude.

[theoldwizard]

Still highly competitive and very good for a 7-seater though.

2 of those "people' had better be pretty small. There is less 3rd row seating area than the current model.

 

I know I have a "one track mind" but if you throw out the 3rd seat and back down to (gasp) 15-16" rims, it would improve the economy and performance.

[akirby]

I also heard that turbo lag on the Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost is "noticeable", especially at altitude.

 

The impression I heard from an engineer was not very favorable either.

[NickF1011]

2 of those "people' had better be pretty small. There is less 3rd row seating area than the current model.

 

I know I have a "one track mind" but if you throw out the 3rd seat and back down to (gasp) 15-16" rims, it would improve the economy and performance.

 

Yes, yes, but how often is the 3rd row of any SUV, regardless of size, used for more than children? Not very.

 

As for ditching the seats and going with smaller wheels, gee, it would be great to offer them, but I doubt many people would opt to order one that way even if given the option.