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Ford Freestyle Tires

13

Comments

  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    For areas with a chance of ice/snow, the Goodyear Fortera Tripletred 225/65-17 has the distinction of having a Snowflake-on-the-Mountain severe snow service rating in a good HR summer tire. That combination is very hard to find. Goodyear is very proud of that severe snow/ice rating in a year-around tire that can spin at 130 mph!

    For warm climates, I'd recomend the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza in 225/65-17 due to its 600AA rating in an HR tire, and Bridgestone has a good reputation.
  • rjc281rjc281 Member Posts: 2
    I have 38000 miles on the original Continental tires that must be replaced before winter. I live in upstate NY and need reasonably good winter performance.

    Has anyone tried Hankook Optimo H727 tires? They have a 98T 700AB rating and low price from Pepboys. I haven't been able to find any winter reports on this tire. I am leaning toward Yokohama Avid TRZ as they have almost as good winter rating as the Goodyear TripleTred and better than Michelin HydroEdge at TireRack and are less expensive than both.

    Has anyone experienced any change in gas mileage after switching to the wider 225/65R17 tires?
  • saabturboidsaabturboid Member Posts: 178
    One thing I've learned is tires isn't a place to try and save a few bucks. For one, they are the most important safety device on your vehicle, and two I've learned through trial and error that a few bucks saved on the purchase price doesn't usually equate to long term savings. Here's why:

    Not having been satisfied with the 30,000 miles I got out of the original Continentals I tried to go the mid-range route on my Freestyle with a set of Yokohama YK520s a couple of years ago, which were more expensive than the Contis but $25 per tire less than the Goodyear Assurance Triple Treads I really wanted. The Yokos disappointed. They wore very quickly, rode harshly, and got noisy as they aged. They were 60,000 mile rated tires but once again after 30,000 miles they were shot.

    This time I paid the extra and got the Goodyear Assurance Triple Treads. I know these will be great tires because I've been running them on my Saab station wagon and with over 40,000 miles they still have more than half their tread left. They are rated for 80,000 miles so even if they wear faster on the Freestyle than on my Saab they will still last longer than the previous sets ultimately saving money. Lastly, they have a winter oriented all-season tread that does great in ice/snow. I can attest to this. Since you live in upstate New York where I know it snows a lot, I'd definitely go with the Triple Treads. They will not disappoint.
  • rjc281rjc281 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your advice about the Tripletreads. Have you had any problems keeping them balanced? I have read several postings where people loved the tires except they could not keep them balanced.
  • saabturboidsaabturboid Member Posts: 178
    While I can't comment on how the Triple Treads have stayed balanced on my Freestyle because they were only installed a couple of weeks ago, I can say that after 40,000 miles on my other car they're just fine. I've never had to re-balance them and the car still drives smoothly.

    I suspect that any tire that lasts a long time is going to be more likely to develop some irregularity in balance simply because they've been around a lot longer than a lesser tire that has already worn out and been replaced. Just a thought. Also, to help a tire last a long time and remain round it does need to be rotated regularly, which I suspect most people don't do.

    - Chad
  • jessealanjessealan Member Posts: 11
    I am thinking of the Hydroedge by michelin. Or the good year tripple treads. Give me some feed back if any one has more experience with these tires.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    The 225/65-17 Goodyear Fortera Triple-Treds have amazingly good reviews on Tirerack - click here. After reading some of the reviews, I've got to think this one is a winner. Note the 225/65-17 is the tougher version of the Triple-Tred, not the passenger tire 215/65-17, although I don't know what all the difference would be. Note the 225/65-17 size Fortera Triple Tred has a "snowflake-on-the-mountain" symbol on the sidewall, meaning it performs about as well as a good snow tire, although its an all-season tire. Not bad.
  • saabturboidsaabturboid Member Posts: 178
    In my opinion the Fortera Triple Treads are the wrong tire for a Freestyle.

    The Forteras are truck tires, meaning they are designed for higher loads and light off-road duty, where as the Assurance tires are passenger vehicle tires designed for mostly paved road use. While it might sound appealing to have the truck tires just in case, they come at the cost of a thicker and heavier tire carcass that the Freestyles suspension was not designed for. Ride quality would likely suffer and the shocks likely wouldn't be up to dealing with the extra unsprung mass. At the very least you'd likely get lower gas mileage as a truck tire is going to have higher rolling resistance.

    - Chad
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    I see what you're saying about the mass issue:
    According to tirerack.com,

    215/65-17:
    All are car tires in this size, and have a 1650 or 1700 lb load rating:
    Original Equipment Continentals:26 lbs
    Continental ContiProContacts: 23 lbs
    Bridgestone Turanza Serenity: 30 lbs
    Goodyear Assurance TripleTred: 30 lbs
    Michelin HydroEdge: 27 lbs

    bigger 225/65-17 (adds 1/4 inch to ride height):
    Every tire listed in this size has an 1800 lb load rating:
    Continental 4x4 Contact: 27 lbs (truck)
    Michelin Energy LX4: 28 lbs (car tire)
    Michelin CrossTerrain SUV: 29 lbs (truck)
    Goodyear Integrity: 27 lbs (car tire)
    Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza: 32 lbs (truck)
    Goodyear Fortera TripleTred: 32 lbs (truck)
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Note the smaller Assurance TripleTreds are within 2 lbs (about 8%) of the bigger Fortera TripleTreds. That doesn't seem like enough to worry about.

    If mass is an issue, the real choice seems to be the ContiProContacts in the smaller 215 size, which are a light 23 lbs each. Lighter tires do improve the ride though the reduction in unsprung mass.

    Note that some of the truck tires in the larger 225 size are actually lighter than some of the passenger tires in the smaller 215 size!

    I doubt if there would be much difference in rolling resistance getting the Forteras over the Assurance tripletreds.
  • style13style13 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone have some experience with the Toyo Versado or Dunlop Sport for the Freestyle AWD? I am in New England so we get the full mix of weather. My Pirelli P6 are fully worn out at 36k miles. Not sure if another tire would be a step up or just the same. My priorities are safe in wet weather, wear well, good mileage. Then low noise followed by snow. We are on the coast so snow is not that major. Not looking for brand names but these tires were recommended by Town Fair Tire Store.

    Thanks.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    style13,
    For those conditions, I'd get the BF Goodrich Traction T/A, as they got a "AA" traction rating (temperature was "A"). Two A's for traction aren't that common, and it means they are very grippy. Reference tire rack's web page -- click here
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Getting back to the issue of weights of a tire+wheel, I was wondering what the best and worse case would be. How much variation is possible?

    (for 215/65-17 original size)
    Lightest: OZ Ultraleggera wheel with ContiProContacts would be 40 lbs total.
    Heaviest: Sport Edition TK1 wheel with Goodyear Assurance Tripletred would be 60 lbs!
    Stock: I think is about 53 lbs

    The variation is substantial. The lighter the wheel/tire, the smoother the ride, through less unsprung mass. There is a 20 lb per tire/wheel spread in possibilites. Makes you think.

    I know this is the kind of thing that racers pay attention to, but there are ride quality consequences for we Freestyle owners. Thinking of the physics of this, it would mean a more massive tire/wheel would not stick to a bumpy/wavy road as well, meaning you could lose traction sooner. Also, braking/acceleration would be worse in the highest mass case.
  • mark115mark115 Member Posts: 3
    Anyone had better luck with these tires? I bought 4, 205 60R16 Goodyear assurance tripple treads for my Hyundai XG 350 2 years ago.They were great the first winter even ok the second winter but now after only 32K miles they are worn to 3/32 and hydroplane and slip like crazy. And they are "LOUD" lots of road noise. They were rotated every 5-6ooo miles and no allignment problems Goodyear won't do anything till they are at 2/32 but I cannot keep em on the car another winter.Thanks Goodyear for your 80K mile warranty! :(
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Just got some new Freestyle tires: 225/65-17 sized Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow.

    Highly recommended. TR speed rated, so they are tough enough to withstand 118 mph sustained speeds. I'm going to leave them on year around, even though they are snow/ice rated. Recommended for any northern state & Canada. The 225 width fits better than the 215 stock tires.

    There has been a class action lawsuit on tires similar to the 215/65-17 Continental ContiTouring tires original equipment on Freestyles. The same tire with the anti-puncture (ContiSeal) version was the subject of the lawsuit for fast tread wear. Those were fast wearing tires for most people!
  • freestylephilfreestylephil Member Posts: 7
    Anyone have PERSONAL experience with THIS PARTICULAR tire? (Please don't tell me about your brother-in-laws experience with the old 721's or the problems with the Explorers with underinflated tires.) I have had this recommended as a good tire by a few different dealers for my wifes 07 fwd Freestyle. Best price is about $100-105each depending on size. I am leaning toward the 225/60/17. The original Continentals are close to the wear bars with about 25K on them and have been OK until we got some snow. The ABS helps with stopping but any gas from a dead stop and there is an amazing lack of traction. My wife only drives about 8-10K per year so I cannot justify $140-$160 for tires that are supposed to last 80K. I just want some better tires than the Continentals(quieter and better snow traction) and don't mind getting a new set every 3 to 4 years.
    Thanks,
    freestylephil
  • freestylephilfreestylephil Member Posts: 7
    I am gettting the 215/65/17 Firestone FR710's tonight. It is supposed to snow on Sunday, so I will report back on what I think about the tires. All four with lifetime(60k) balance/rotaion/flat repair is just under $500.

    freestylephil
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Don't get the 225/60-17 size. Its too small. Diameter is less than stock. Get the 225/65-17 instead. Or, of course, the stock 215/65-17 isn't bad either.
  • freestylephilfreestylephil Member Posts: 7
    We got about 5" of snow, temp is about 3degF. Traction is very good starting,stopping and turning. I will report later after we get some of the real icy stuff. After a couple of minutes of driving I really wasn't even thinking about the snow. Even with only fwd, the Freestyle and Firestones felt very controlled and I am sure even my wife will drive with confidence in the snow.

    freestylephil
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    Hi folks, I am the newest Freestyle owner on the board! Have a Five Hundred as well.
    I have the stock tires which I knew would be OK at best and they looking like they might need to be replaced fairly soon. I am looking at buying new tires sooner rather than later.

    I have seen some posts for the Firestone FR710s, and haven't found any ratings for them. Are they new? Are they OK on Ice? My Cooper CS4's were decent on my old car, but were not good on ice. I am also considering the TripleTreads and maybe the Yoko TRZ's as well.

    I live in Wisconsin, and we get alot of snow/nasty weather.

    Thanks!
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    o1taurussel, Very cool! Both a Freestyle and a 500. I bought my Freestyle at the same time I got an F150 2wd, so I'm driving Fords a lot, too.

    I really think people up north like you (and I'm in Colorado) should put on Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow (click here for info on that tire). Its a high-speed (TR rated to 118 mph) snow tire, very tough, that can be used year-around, as its got thick tread and will last. I love'em on my Freestyle, wet, dry, or snow. They do have the snowflake-on-the-mountain rating, which means they get traction.
    Be sure to fit the 225/65-17 size, as I think they fit better than the 215 mm width ones the Freestyle/500 came with. (For 18" wheels, stick with the stock size tires.) I wouldn't run them year around if you live where it gets very hot, but this is one tough high-speed rated tire, so you could.
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    It gets "hot" here in Wisconsin during the summer. I have snow tires for my 500 so if the weather is bad, we just use that car. My wife would frown upon me getting another set of snow tires :surprise:
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    It is better to use all-season or summer tires in hot weather. However, since Pirelli got a 118 mph max speed rating (TR) on their Scorpion Ice&Snow tires, that really shows they can handle about anything we could possibly throw at it, similar to an all-season tire. The thing that limits a tire's speed in those tests is heat buildup. The tread compound isn't as soft as on Bridgestone Blizzaks. Other snow tires only get about a 99 mph speed rating (QR), except for a few high-performance ones.
  • poolman1234poolman1234 Member Posts: 2
    I am purchasing a used 2007 freestyle and live in the chicago area.What tires would you recommend. The current tires look pretty beat and they seem to be the original tires with 20,000 miles on them
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Forget the 215/65-17 size and get 225/65-17, Goodyear Fortera TripleTreds or Pirelli Scorpion Ice&Snow. Those are the only high-speed rated tires I know of that both also earn the Snowflake-on-the-Mountain traction test rating. That combination of attributes is rare, and it means you're getting tough tires that also have great traction. ( Maybe someone else can recommend something in the 18" wheel size if that is what you have. )
  • poolman1234poolman1234 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking for 225/60/r18 some one recommend the good year comfort tread.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Check www.tirerack.com and put in your size.
    I'd get the BF Goodrich Traction TA -- click here.
    Its got a double-A traction rating, bad-[non-permissible content removed]. H-speed rated. Not bad.
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    My dad has Cooper CS4 on his 05 500 Limited w/ 18 inch size.........55k on them and about "half" worn (much better than those stock tires). He claims they are good in everything but ice.

    Just my 5 cents......
  • finelinevanfinelinevan Member Posts: 6
    Good tires for a Freestyle.I like everyone has experienced what pure crap the Contis that came with the Freestyle are. I went on for week reading the blogs with who bought what they felt was a good tire ro replace the old Conti which had 30k on them and where shot. I was considering Michelin, Good years as I narrowed them down. But did read cons on everyone of them. Well I called to order the Good years from this tires place which is probably 100 years old in my area and have always trusted the old lady who runs the place. She recommended that all her customers she sold these Mastercraft Touring RS tires to have raved about them. I said I never heard of them before. She said Copper Tires makes them and to go on line and check them out. Which I did and other who have them really liked them a lot. Copper is a American made tire company that is smaller but have a good reputation. They are not cheap at 150 per tire installed balanced etc. But then again so were all the other good brand tires. I wanted tires that were not noisy, held the road well, great in snow and finally lasted. These tires are rated at 80,000 miles. So since the old lady never steered me wrong the years I have been dealing with at her old rundown tire shop. I swallowed the cost of a whole new set. :cry: Well I live in northeaster Pa. Poconos and we just got dumped on with snow this winter. These tires grab and stop me perfectly. I even got up a good head of steam and locked up the breaks to stop, they grabbed and we stopped quickly. Handling ahh they make the Freestyle feel so upright and balanced around tight curves. Quiet really quiet. Its such a pleasure to feel like I am gliding along. last well who knows other then what I read but its an aggressive deep thread pattern that should hold up with proper rotation. Thats something the Contis cant say rotation or not they wore and wore fast. But they wore perfectly even on all four tires. So the Freestyle alignments good. I was averaging locally 20 to 24 Mpg Hwy 24 - 28 with the Freestyle. I dont know if the tires will effect that any but time will tell. If so I safety and comfort they provide may be worth a Mpg. Hope this helps anyone out in the What is the best tire to replace on a Freestyle.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    I just had Michelin LX4 225/65/17 put on my Freestyle. Very pleased. Smooth, much quieter and more poised. The Contis were getting pretty noisy and rough.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    bruneau1 said "I just had Michelin LX4 225/65/17 put on my Freestyle. Very pleased. Smooth, much quieter and more poised."

    Not a good choice.

    First of all, the max PSI on that tire is 35 PSI, way too close to the Freestyle's placard 34 PSI. That should be 41 or 44 PSI like the Ford engineers specified.

    Secondly, the LX4 has a lower speed rating, which means sidewall stiffness and heat resistance strength is below Ford engineer's specs as well. Its an SR tire, and a TR or HR is the recommended.

    Many installers will catch those mistakes, although I guess not all are paying attention.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    What nonsense about speed ratings. I really doubt that anyone driving a Freestyle will try to exceed the speed rating of an S tire. Secondly, tires with H ratings have stiffer sidewells and generally stiffer rides which I wanted to avoid. What is the speed rating of the Conti 215/65/17 on the majority of Freestyles and Taurus X? Do you really think that tire is superior to the LX4???? And your comments about air pressure make no sense. Where do Ford engineers specify 41 or 44??? At that pressure, the vehicle would have a horrible and noisy ride, erratic handling, and would be dangerously subject to impact damage. I even find the 34 suggested for the rear tires too stiff and thumpy. we rarely carry much weight in the back, so 32-32 produces a more civilized ride and a little less noise from the rear. By the way, S tires have a speed rating of 112 and T 118. Can a a Freestyle even go that fast?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I really doubt that anyone driving a Freestyle will try to exceed the speed rating of an S tire.

    Never underestimate the willingness of people to test safety margins. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    brueneau1, Speed ratings on tires reveal a certain sidewall stiffness and belt strength, so they are important for those parameters. How fast you go is not that relevant. Note the stock OEM Conti tires which Ford engineers chose as the baseline, are TR speed rated and have 44 psi max pressures. The Michelin LX4s you mentioned do not share comparable specs, as the speed rating is too weak, and the 35 psi max pressure is far too close to the Ford engineers pressure recommendations. The safety margin between the placard 34 psi and the max psi rating is the salient spec here, and is strongly suggested to be higher.

    Rule Number 1: Never put weaker speed rating tires than OEM on your vehicle.

    Rule Number 2: Never put a lower max pressure tire on your vehicle than OEM.

    Since some people will put that LX4 on the vehicle, you should be fine as long as you keep no more than 35 psi (and don't go below 32 psi all around, narrow range), don't load the vehicle up with people and/or cargo past around 75% of max payload weight capacity, and when carrying more than just a driver and one passenger, keep your speed below about 70 on a hot day, and 80 on a cold day. Following those guidelines should provide the approximate original amount of safety margin. To me, it would simply be easier to put correct tires on and go right to the limits of the machine as tested and designed for by Ford engineers. Recommended.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    the only reason Ford put the T rated Conti on the Freestyle is that it was the cheapest they could find. the s rated LX4 has been around for some time and has been used on heavy vehicles like Marquis and Town Cars. I believe it is still standard equipment on a Lexus SUV. And no, there haven't been any reports of unusual failure or blowups, etc. I find your implication that putting this tire on a Freestyle might be dangerous to be ridiculous. A Freestyle can't even go 112 miles per hour and any idiot who would try deserves what he gets. Michelin people say the maximum pressure figures on lots of tires encourages some people to go there with bad results. The LX4 is a much better tire than the original cheap, noisy, low mileage Conti. So many new cars are coming out with low profile tires with high speed ratings and the result is nothing more than inferior ride and more noise.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    brueneau1, Maybe I wasn't clear. My bad. Please read my previous post again. Here is a list of points:

    1. Ultimate speed is not really the issue here. Ford specified a TR tire because of sidewall stiffness and stress/durability issues. It ties into the handling. When we deviate from Ford engineer's specs, then handling degrades.

    2. The fact that Ford recommends 34 psi, and your LX4 has a max pressure rating of 35 psi is just way too close. Many gauges aren't even that accurate, so you might think you're putting in 34 psi one day and you're actually at or above the max psi pressure rating on the tire sidewall. Not wise. Ford OEM tires have a max psi rating of 44 psi, the normal safety margin.

    And one more point: The OEM Conti tires are very strong, stiff, and get good traction. The only problem they have is Conti didn't put enough rubber on the tread, making them wear out very fast. And I think the tread compound they used also causes fast wear.
  • volfangaryvolfangary Member Posts: 105
    What I find amazing is that I have almost 51,000 miles on my Conti's and still can most likely go another 5,000 miles and still be safe. Wonder why Conti's on other Freestyles wear out faster? I've been pleased with my four Conti's. Not the smoothest ride I have ever had but they have worn well.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    volfangary, Some folks get good wear results with the OEM Conti's. There was a class action lawsuit on that same tire with the ContiSeal "goo" inside the tire to prevent flats, and there should have been a recall on the non-ContiSeal versions of that same tire (ContiTouringContact CT95). There was evidence presented that the factory inconsistently formulated the rubber compounds in the CT95, in both the ContiSeal versions and the regular non-ContiSeal ones on Freestyles. You, apparently, got a set made on a good day. I and many other people were not as lucky as you. (Only the ContiSeal version of the CT95 made the class action lawsuit as a stupid lawyer compromise in deal-making suit negotiations.) The lawsuit contended that the CT95 didn't last very long at all. That said, the rest of CT95 construction is very good. Good traction, strong tire overall.
  • volfangaryvolfangary Member Posts: 105
    coldcranker, Thanks for the good information. When I go to look for new tires, what tire would you recommend for someone who lives in Tennessee and rarely goes anywhere it snows.
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    Based on the recommendations/reviews at Tiremax, I'm considernig the Michel Primacy MXV4 tires for both my Freestyle LTD and Five Hundred AWD LTD.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    For 17" wheels, and no worries about snow/ice, I'd get the Latitude 225/65-17 size -- click here, which is a better size than the 215/65-17 size that came on 17" wheels. Its closer in size to the 18" wheel/tires that come on Limited models.

    For 18" wheels on Limited models, Barnstormer's choice is a good one.

    Actually, if you don't have to worry about ice/snow, you could go with whatever the cheapest tire is you can find that still has a 44 psi max sidewall pressure and TR speed rating.
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    Hi folks, Firestone has 35% off their tires......Bridgestone Turanza Serenity? Anybody have any luck with those? $100/piece.......I could get Firestone FR710 for under $350 installed!...My "stock" Conti's are down to about 6/32 - 7/32 so I am just thinking.......
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    It seems like tires are always on sale these days.

    Discount Tire has a short deal for $70 off 4 Michelins. (link)

    Continental is doing a $75 rebate deal.

    BJs is doing $60 off Michelins if you have one in your area.

    The 35% Firestone deal looks pretty hot, if you find a model you like.

    The Tire Rack has customer reviews (and some tires on sale too, but their current offerings seem to be pricey high performance tires).
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    Fr710's arent really listed on TireRack......The Serenity reviews are kind of "Varied", individuals here seem to be knowledgeable........I have to get my CVT flushed on Saturday ($300.00), so the tires might wait for if the Firestones are OK, they are worth it! Wife has the final say :)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, if you have to, you can wait about 40 days until the next round of tire sales. :)
  • 01taurussel01taurussel Member Posts: 43
    :) yes...I have a coolant leak as well - hopefully that doesn't cost me an arm leg and my wife! No idea......
  • gateguardgateguard Member Posts: 1
    at 30m miles I was being advised to replace. Now at 35m it is a must. Any solid recommendations out there for replacements?
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    Hi, i see you are still obsessed with the T rating and 44lbs max pressure. The only thing Ford specifies is either 215/65/17 or 225/60/18. There are no specs for speed rating or max pressure. Since the max speed of the Freestyle is a governed 110, any tire with at least an S rating is fine. I, and several others, are now using a 225/65/17 with excellent results. The 215/65/17 is a little too small for the size and weight of the vehicle. The Serenities are very quiet, but much heavier leading to more unsprung weight.
  • volfangaryvolfangary Member Posts: 105
    Wouldn't the 225 size be bigger in diameter and cause your speedometer to be inaccurate? 28" diameter vs 28.5" diameter?
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    bruneau1 said: "Hi, i see you are still obsessed with the T rating and 44lbs max pressure. The only thing Ford specifies is either 215/65/17 or 225/60/18. There are no specs for speed rating or max pressure."

    Wrong. We automotive engineers know that a tire with a recommended placard operating pressure of 34 psi on the Freestyle is not compatible with a 35 psi max sidewall replacement tire. Thats only a 1 psi margin. Its obvious. Thats why Ford engineers put 44 psi max sidewall pressure tires OEM on the vehicle. That was no accident its 44 psi.

    "Since the max speed of the Freestyle is a governed 110, any tire with at least an S rating is fine."

    As I've said before, the critical parameter is lateral stiffness, something a TR tire (OEM style) has more than an SR tire. Max speed is not the important factor, although a TR tire would be more tolerant of low pressure / high temp conditions before blowing out, a greater safety margin. Safety margin and ruggedness is important to some people; possibly not you, bruneau. Greater lateral stiffness allows better "L" obstacle avoidance maneuvers compatible with the suspension dynamics and CG position on the Freestyle, a problem seen in some SUVs in the past and corrected in more modern cars like the Freestyle, if you stick to the Ford specs of a TR tire. (See Toyota 4Runner as a bad L-maneuver vehicle, for one example.)
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