Hey whats up!
Ive been reading about tires on here, and it seems that the P235/75/15XL's are the tire of choice. My van came with 255/70/15's....it even has that on the driver door sticker, which im thinking the van was ordered with those. I was at discount tire the other day and asked the guy there about the best tires for this hightop van without mentioning anything that ive read or what i have. He said that the best tire for the hightop was the 255/70/15's because they were slightly taller and wider which makes for better handling, especially with a little wind blowing. Any opinions??

Thanks,
Mike

 

Hi Mike:
I've had vans and trucks for over 30 years now, and the 255/70 has always been the standard "hotrod" replacement for the 235/75. The 255's are almost an inch wider but are virtually the same diameter as the 235's. I have put the 255/70's on four or five of these trucks or vans, actually.

If your door sticker says 255/70, this was likely put on by the conversion company--the factory never put 255/70's on the big vans.

Now the handling thing is not a clear answer. The tread on the 255 is definitely wider, which would theoretically have more grip....BUT, if you have the standard 7" wide wheels, the 255's will also tend to "flop" around from side to side more than the 235's--which can be a problem in side winds and the like. If you have 8" wide wheels, the 255's would be less likely to move side to side. The stock Ford wheels will be 7" wide.

Another thing I've found is that I generally have lost about 1-1.5 mpg moving to the 255's.

The newer 235/75's that Ford uses are the "XL" load rating and take higher tire pressures than the older 235's, and I might be most likely to use a 235 XL tire (like the Michelin LTX M/S's I have on my '02 E150--these came stock and I replaced them with the same). The XL's will take 41-44 lbs of air, and are stiffer than the old 35 lb max 235/75 tires. I prefer the looks of the 255/70, but with gas costing what it does, I stuck with the Michelin LTX M/S which are a REALLY good tire--Discount Tire carries these and they are reasonably priced in the 235/75 XL size--snd they will last a LOT of miles. (Bigger sizes of the LTX get pricey.)

Alternatively, moving to a 235/75 "LT" tire would give you even more stiffness because they are a truck tire (with a 50 lb air pressure capacity in most cases), but you WILL lose ride quality.

Good luck,
George

 

Hey George - Great Info!.......well, im thinking that the conversion company DID put these tires on like you said, because its got the trim package also, and the van has alot of extra's, its done by LA West. So, what i will do is use these 255's until they get worn, then probably go to the 235 XL's. It does seem like the ride isnt as firm as i would like when i roll over bumps, it seems like the rearend isnt real stable, Ive read on here how some have put a leaf kit on, or a rear sway bar, or both. Do you have any thoughts on that George?...or anyone else?

Thanks,
Mike

 

I'd make sure the tires have some decent pressure in them (40 lbs if that's within the max pressure of the tire) for starters. How many miles on the van--might the shocks be getting tired? Finally, a rear anti sway bar would probably be helpful with a high top van. Or stiffen the rear springs if you carry a lot of weight or passengers a lot of the time.

Mine is an '02 E150 low top and still has the original shocks on it at 71k miles...I'm thinking of changing them out. I'm thinking of something like the KYB gas a-justs as a cheap alternative to the Bilsteins I'd really want. These would both be firmer than factory shocks. And with a high top van, you just have to accept that it's got a high center of gravity and the wind resistance of a barn

George

 

Hi George - Thanks for the info.....Ive heard a few different opinions on what should be done to tighten up the ride....i started a new thread about it, feel free to reply.

Thanks,
Mike

 

I been down this road. So I went to get the information from Michelin themselves.

The max tire pressure for LTX M\S2 are 50 PSI hot. Not cold. When you reach the GVW while towing. If it's a conversion van. They ask that you have it weigh on the front and rear. As each conversion is different.

They also ask you check to see if the E-150 has the standard 3\2 rear leaf spring. As most are bought as cargo vans. Then converted. Which mine was. So I installed 4/3 E-250 leaf springs which are rated for 800 lbs. more. As I have the hightop conversion. Install single piston mono tube shocks and you're suspension and tires will love you.

I use 38-40 PSI cold. Which is 42-44 PSI hot. As this seems to work best.

 

Hey Muffinman--this thread is 6 years old so the original poster is probably long gone.

I put some MS2's on my van last year (after 2 sets of MS's--the original and first replacement set) and the allowable pressure is now up to 50 psi. The original set from 2002 maxed out at 41 or 42 lbs, same as the recommended pressure for my van.

I run the new tires at the same 41-42 lbs, replaced my shocks at about 100k miles with some Monroes, and all is well; the van still runs well but mine is a low roof.

George

 

I just installed four new ones today.

I talked to the Michelin guy. They said only run 50 PSI if you're towing something to get the maxium wear. So I run 40 PSI cold which is 44 PSI hot.

I replaced my leaf springs as they showed signs of sagging. As the hightop adds 500 lbs plus all that wood for storage in the rear. Which I figure I added about 200 lbs up there in stuff. The 4\3 springs fixed the sagging and rides pretty good with mono tube shocks now. When I tow something now it stays pretty level.