So we just recently bought a 06 FEH, and I can tell the new tires on it are not stock. But I can't seem to find any info on it. The size is normal 235-70-16, has ALL SEASON TRAIL A/P in white written on the sidewall. No mention of manufacture, but max psi of 35psi.....
So who manufactures these tires? And is this brand any good?

 

Can you post a photo of the tires? If you are into getting the best possible mileage, then a low rolling resistance tire would be best. Since your tire states "trail", it is likely these tires do not provide low rolling resistance. That said, they may be suitable for winter condition where traction is desired. Where do you live--what conditions are you looking for--what do you value in tires--is mileage (low rolling resistance) the prime factor or is handling or other-- are some of the questions one has to ask prior to purchasing tires.

 

Well, the tires are brand new, so i'm not going to ditch them for LRR tires just yet. Although LLR's are my future tires when these wear out. I just want to know what kind of tires they are, and why it's only rated for 35psi max.
car in question

Tire in question

 

I think this may be your tire:
http://www.vulcantire.com/cgi-bin/ti...ad=PriceGr4408

GaryG

 

Could be, but the tires on that link has TRAIL CAT on it.
And the tire I have has a 104s "load rating" non of the tires on that site has a 104. I'm puzzled that it this hard to find info on a tire LOL

 

I believe your tire is made by Medalist it is the standard 235/70/16 tire with A traction and C temperature rating. It carries a 420 treadwear rating.


If you don't like the tires, it might be possible to trade them as "pull-off's" but I do not know how much credit you would receive. this link: http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&Cookie=nextag_Medalist&details=O rdern&typ=R-144768&ranzahl=4&nichtweiter=1

may reveal these tires can be purchased for around 76 bucks.

 

Thanks, I think that might be it. Although on the tire, it said traction A temp B. Whatever, it seems that they are some cheap replacements. I'll use them till they wear out, and replace them with something better. Rides not bad, traction's not bad, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 35PSI MAX!

 

Agreed. Most 06 FEHs came with Continental EcoTrac or Contitrac tires. My understanding is that Ford signed on with Continental following the Bridgestone/Firestone debacle 8 years ago.

I roll Nokian Vatiiva H/T tires on my 06 FEH. They are still new, and, not surprisingly are much quieter than my old Continentals. I was impressed with Nokian's Hakkapeliitta snow tires when I lived up north, so I sought them out down here in Texas.

Fuel economy is a bit better with the new tires.

 

Most tires are 35PSI max.
Some tires are 44PSI max.
"Extra Load" Tires are usually 50PSI max.
Load Range "C" Light Truck tires (LT instead of P on the size) are 50PSI max.
Load Range "D" Light Truck tires are 65PSI max.
Load Range "E" Light Truck tires are 80PSI max.

I've been an auto tech for over 15 years now and seen all types of tires. The VAST majority of passenger tires are 35PSI max. This is nothing extraordinary, nor is it uncommon, although I am seeing a increasingly amount of passenger tires with 44PSI max.

People tend to think 'more is better' but in all reality all it really means is the tire needs more pressure to safely hold the same maximum amount of weight. Regardless Max PSI is no indication to the quality of the tire.

As for the Graded ratings... AA is the best, C is the lowest required to pass DOT standards. It is not at all uncommon to see a "B" rating (even some Michelins have B ratings), nor is B necessarily bad. Keep in mind, traction is a measurement of braking traction on wet roads. Temperature is how resilient the tire is to temperature extremes.

Your treadwear rating "420" really doesn't mean much. Each manufacturer picks a tire and gives it a rating of "100". What the "420" means is that that tread of that specific tire will last 4.2 times longer than their test tire. This is different for each manufacturer... EXAMPLE a Michelin with a 500 rating is NOT the same as a Firestone with a 500 rating. I suspect that pretty soon, there will be a similar rating for rolling resistance.

Believe it or not, Light Truck tires have a LOWER load rating per PSI than a Passenger tire. A Passenger tire at 35PSI will safely handle MORE weight than a Light Truck tire at 35PSI. The difference is a Light Truck tire can hold more pressure, which allows it to carry more weight safely overall. A 'general' rule of thumb if you put LT tires on a P tire application is to increase the recommended pressure by 15PSI (if 30PSI was recommended, put at least 45 in the LT tire), without exceeding it's maximum pressure.

I know this doesn't necessarily all apply to you, but it's still interesting to know.

One more thing, you might want to check the DOT number on your tires, specifically the last four digits. This indicates when the tire was manufactured. 0408 for example means that the tire was made in the fourth week of 2008. Looks like they put on the cheapest things they could find to make it look good, so you'll want to make sure you don't have tires that have been sitting 'on the shelf' for several years.

(For the record, I would GLADLY replace my choppy, noisy Junkinentals with your el-cheapo generics anyday!) I'm just dealing with the noise until the tread wears down enough to justify their replacement.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the load of info. It's been a while since i've seen tires rated at a 35psi max. and having everyone here talking about 44psi max, i couldn't help but wonder. As far I can tell, the tires aren't bad, it's not noisy, ride is decent even with max psi. It's also brand new, so kinda hard to justify another set of tires to replace these. So like you, i'm gonna wait it out till these wear down.