I generally avoid trying to criticize other folks’ rides, or their modifications, but when I first spotted this Explorer a ways directly ahead of me, it looked rather bizarre, due to its wheels and tires having decidedly less track than stock. It looked like one of those pickups the railroads use with special wheels so they can ride the tracks.
Fortunately, it decided to turn left at the T intersection, and I was headed right, so I had a shot at getting a bit closer to it.
As I got closer I could see they were aftermarket alloys with low profile tires. Undoubtedly they started out life on a sedan of some sort, as no one with an SUV would want to put these undersized, narrow track wheels on their ride.
But then it is an Explorer Sport, so who knows?
I’m no longer astounded by the weird (and sometimes unsafe) wheel-and-tire decisions made by vehicle owners. However, I am surprised that wheel-and-tire shops are willing to take on the liability of these choices just to make the sale.
One of the more strange fads (that seems to have been made possible by large diameter rims and short sidewall tires) is where the wheel/tires have an extreme 45 degree angle and the tire is riding nearly exclusively on the inner sidewall.
While it’s certainly attention-getting, I can’t imagine that having any kind of actual positive effect on driveability or wheel bearing and tire longevity.
I’ve seen those, too, often in conjunction with “slammed” suspension. In civilised countries, such modifications make the car instantly (and enforcedly) unroadworthy.
It’s called VIP Style.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIP_style
Perfectly legal in Japan, which qualifies as “civilized”, by most all metrics.
Not so sure it’s actually legal in Japan. Common, no doubt but legal is a different question. I had a friend in Japan who was part of a “Midnight Skyline Driver’s Club” who had a highly and illegally modified Nissan. He explained to me that while the police might ticket them for speeding, noise, and unsafe driving, etc, they were very rarely bothered by them about the cars per sec. The Police focused on conduct. However, when periodic safety inspections were done all the modifications had to be removed and the stock parts replaced for the inspection. This included repainting the paint stripes the Inspectors put across the nuts on inspected parts using the correct paint. It was a pretty open secret.
Uh…yeah, {{citation required}} on Roger’s assertion it’s perfectly road-legal in Japan. The linked Wikipedia article makes no such claim, not even an unsupported one. And Japan’s roadworthiness inspections are notoriously strict and stringent. I saw plenty of purely cosmetic vehicle customisations in Tokyo, but not even one instance of anything even remotely approaching this “VIP Style”.
Apparently, although it goes by different terms, extreme negative camber wheels/tires is mostly known as ‘demon’ camber. As one might surmise, the original intent was to improve cornering on race cars but it’s been appropriated as a styling fad.
I will admit it’s quite attention getting. But from a practicality standpoint, it has to be one of the most silly (as well as dangerous and expensive) automotive fads I’ve ever seen.
The owner may have bought the tires and rims off Craigslist (or used a set laying around their garage), which removes shops from the equation.
I’m surprised the tire’s inner sidewall does not rub on the rear leafs, or contact front suspension components. Typically, component clearance prevents you from using an offset that moves the rim inward.
Having said that, I suspect the rim width is narrower than the stock wheel, which creates more room on the inside, but also reduces overall track width that much more…
Probably true. This rig looks almost identical to one being driven around here by a 20-ish guy. Lots or younger people really don’t like stock 14 or 15 inch rims. Seems like they will put on ANYTHING, just as long as its nor stock. Even if the rims in question are ruined by corrosion. Functionality doesn’t seem to matter. They will take wheels that rub inner fenders or suspension parts. They will take ones on lowered cars that will rub and chew up the wheel openings and gouge tire sidewalls.
All for looks.
I’ve had a couple of cars back in the day that had a California Rake… spring shackles and 10 inch wide rims out back. Seems really tame compared to what goes on now.
Poor Explorer. I really would like one of those. If I changed anything at all wheel/suspension wise, it would be a 2-3 inch lift at max and stock sized rims with all terrains, nothing more than 31 inches. Happy trails (riding)
I agree that it was more likely to be a craigslist purchase or something lying around from another vehicle than a shop selling them this.
I agree. I have 31-10.50 15s on my ’83 Ford Ranger 4×4, and Costco refused to sell me tires because they are not OEM size, despite the fact I’ve been running them since 1997 (still have the truck)
It looks like they may have decreased the profile of the sidewall without increasing the size of the rim. The result is that there is not enough tire filling those wheel wells.
That’s just part of the problem. The wheel offset is clearly wrong for this car.
But of course it fits – it has the same bolt pattern! 🙂
This is probably my biggest car mod peeve. In my years moderating a car forum I have come to the conclusion that people shopping for custom wheels find a picture of their favorite spoke design/colors and when they ask the community “will these fit my _____”, they only actually want to know if it’s the right bolt circle and whether or not they’d they rub on something. Offset/backspacing? No care, as long as they look good from a 2D side view they’re good enough apparently.
Rarely is there a functional reason to change wheels from OE, and while I try to judge less, when something is done exclusively for looks and it looks bad, not to mention making the vehicle functionally worse, I have a hard time holding back my opinion. I don’t consider unscrewing 20 lugnuts and swapping on off the shelf pep-boys wheels artistic vehicular expression.
This guy is probably too young to remember ‘Rollover-gate’. Hopefully, he won’t be given a history lesson the hard way.
Years ago my brother put what felt like cast iron 22s on a Sunfire. They looked ridiculous. He couldn’t keep tires on the car, his suspension died in short order, and the car was a dog under acceleration.
He might have purchased the car that way and doesn’t have enough to change out the wheels and/or doesn’t care. I’ll be getting a car soon that doesn’t have stock wheels, they came off a 79′ Firebird. I’m sure as heck keeping them on there because I like them. I’m not sure I’d drive that SUV though, reminds me of the tires on mt friend’s 72 Ford Maverick.
Giving the guy the benefit of doubt, it’s either that or the correct wheels and tires were stolen and he’s just doing what he can afford to stay mobile.
Fortunately wheel choices over here if they differ too much from stock require an engineers certification like all modifications out side certain parameters if seen by a traffic patrol such vehicles are usually pulled over for a cert check and often towed from the scene, just because the PCD matches doesnt mean you should be driving it.
I don’t see how they could drive that Explorer any faster than 30mph or so, given the high center of gravity that required tire pressures be set at 26psi to minimize the tendency to flip over.
Well they drove from Montana which means these cannot be that bad, but I agree, the wheels on this have me concerned.
The early Explorer used Ford’s common 5 x 4.5″ pattern and a rather small hub, with zero or very close to zero offset. The later Explorer kept that bolt pattern but switched to a high offset ~2″ which is also shared with the 2003- Panthers and 2005- Mustangs. The SN-95 Mustangs also have the same pattern but with a ~1″ offset. So chances are these were originally on one of those cars which would explain the smaller diameter and the the extreme offset.
I do have to wonder about front clearances with that dramatic of an offset change. The larger diameter probably helps some.
“The early Explorer used Ford’s common 5 x 4.5″ pattern and a rather small hub, with zero or very close to zero offset.”
Also shared with the Ranger & Aerostar, as well as the XJ Cherokee and the Wrangler. That’s how I was able to use a 15″ wheel (shown below) off of one at Pull-a-Part as a spare tire for my 2011 Ranger (fyi it came with just a temporary spare). This particular style was common on both Rangers AND Explorers throughout the ’90s & was oddly available as a 14″ OR 15″ wheel–measure it FIRST to be sure of compatibility with your model. Besides the tire itself (for obvious safety reasons), nothing else had to be changed.
I agree about that tire-wheel fitment not being a good idea. Unless I have no choice, I stay FIRMLY with factory tire & wheel sizes.
Knowing the stability these are famed for in stock form, I would want to get away from this as quickly as possible just in case….
“Nice” Explorer! I’m surprised it isn’t “upgraded” with misaligned aftermarket fender vents.
I’m having trouble seeing exactly what is going on there. It just looks weird. I had one of those Explorer Sports. It was a happy little thing and felt like an old Jeep CJ, except with a buttery-smooth clutch. It actually had slightly upsized rims from a newer Escape but with bigger tires. Looked cool but would bounce the fillings out of your mouth. I can’t imagine what that would ride like.
This is what happens when you stop paying Rent-A-Rim their monthly vig.