Get Tires, Wheels and Loading -> SNOW TIRES AND CABLES Guide for Ford Explorer SUV Fifth Generation (2005-2011)

Tires, Wheels and Loading

SNOW TIRES AND CABLES

WARNING: Snow tires must be the same size, load index, speed

rating as those originally provided by Ford. The use of

non-recommended tires and wheels could cause steering, suspension,

axle or transfer case/power transfer unit failure. Using any tire or

wheel not recommended by Ford may increase the risk of loss of

vehicle control or vehicle rollover, which could result in personal injury

or death.

The tires on your vehicle have all-weather treads to provide traction in

rain and snow. However, in some climates, using snow tires or traction

devices may be necessary. Ford offers tire cables as a Ford approved

accessory and recommends use of these or SAE class “S” tire cables. See

your authorized dealer for more information on tire cables for your

vehicle.

Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and traction devices:

• Use only SAE Class S cables.

• Cables should only be used on the rear wheels.

• Do not use tire cables or optional traction devices on 17, 18 or 20 inch

wheels and tires.

• Install cables securely, verifying that the cables do not touch any

wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.

• Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables rub or bang against the

vehicle, stop and retighten them. If this does not work, remove the

cables to prevent vehicle damage.

• Avoid overloading your vehicle.

• Remove the cables when they are no longer needed.

• Do not use cables on dry roads.

• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) with tire cables on your vehicle.

Consult your authorized dealer for information on other Ford Motor

Company approved methods of traction control.

VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER

This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or

trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating

capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will

provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading

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your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining

your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s

Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label:

Base Curb Weight – is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of

fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or

optional equipment.

Vehicle Curb Weight – is the weight of your new vehicle when you

picked it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket

equipment.

Payload – is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the

vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found

on the Tire Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door

(vehicles exported outside the US and Canada may not have a Tire

Label). Look for “THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND

CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb.” for

maximum payload. The payload listed on the Tire Label is the maximum

payload for the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket

or authorized-dealer installed equipment has been installed on the

vehicle, the weight of the equipment must be subtracted from the

payload listed on the Tire Label in order to determine the new payload.

WARNING: The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can

be limited either by volume capacity (how much space is

available) or by payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should

carry). Once you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle,

do not add more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or

improperly loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle

control and vehicle rollover.

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Example only:

Cargo Weight – includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,

including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load

or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.

GAW (Gross Axle Weight) – is the total weight placed on each axle

(front and rear) – including vehicle curb weight and all payload.

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GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable

weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These

numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label

located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The total

load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR.

Note: For trailer towing information refer to Trailer towing found in

this chapter or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your

authorized dealer.

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +

passengers.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable

weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment,

passengers and cargo). The GVWR is shown on the Safety

Compliance Certification Label located on the B-Pillar or the

edge of the driver’s door. The GVW must never exceed the GVWR.

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• Example only:

WARNING: Exceeding the Safety Compliance Certification Label

vehicle weight rating limits could result in substandard vehicle

handling or performance, engine, transmission and/or structural

damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal

injury.

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GCW (Gross Combined Weight) – is the weight of the loaded vehicle

(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.

GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable

weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and

passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.

(Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at

GVWR, not at GCWR.) Separate functional brakes should be used for

safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the

towing vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle.

The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.

Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight – is the highest possible weight of a

fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only

mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of

10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth wheel

trailer), and driver only (150 lb. [68 kg]). Consult your authorized

dealer (or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your

authorized dealer) for more detailed information.

Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight – refers to the amount

of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.

Examples: For a 5,000 lb. (2,268 kg) conventional trailer, multiply 5,000

by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lb.

(227 to 340 kg). For an 11,500 lb. (5,216 kg) fifth wheel trailer, multiply

by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to

2,875 lb. (782 to 1,304 kg)

WARNING: Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on

the Safety Compliance Certification Label.

WARNING: Do not use replacement tires with lower load

carrying capacities than the original tires because they may

lower the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires

with a higher limit than the original tires do not increase the GVWR

and GAWR limitations.

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WARNING: Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could

result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.

Steps for determining the correct load limit:

1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo

should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lb.” on your vehicle’s placard.

2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will

be riding in your vehicle.

3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX

kg or XXX lb.

4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage

load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lb. and

there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of

available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb. (1400-750 (5 x 150)

= 650 lb.). In metric units (635-340 (5 x 68) = 295 kg.)

5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on

the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and

luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.

6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be

transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this

reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.

The following gives you a few examples on how to calculate the available

amount of cargo and luggage load capacity:

• Another example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and

luggage capacity. You decide to go golfing. Is there enough load

capacity to carry you, 4 of your friends and all the golf bags? You and

four friends average 220 lb. (99 kg) each and the golf bags weigh

approximately 30 lb. (13.5 kg) each. The calculation would be: 1400 -

(5 x 220) - (5 x 30) = 1400 - 1100 - 150 = 150 lb. Yes, you have

enough load capacity in your vehicle to transport four friends and

your golf bags. In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg - (5 x

99 kg) - (5 x 13.5 kg) = 635 - 495 - 67.5 = 72.5 kg.

• A final example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and

luggage capacity. You and one of your friends decide to pick up

cement from the local home improvement store to finish that patio

you have been planning for the past 2 years. Measuring the inside of

the vehicle with the rear seat folded down, you have room for

12-100 lb. (45 kg) bags of cement. Do you have enough load capacity

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to transport the cement to your home? If you and your friend each

weigh 220 lb. (99 kg), the calculation would be: 1400 - (2 x 220) - (12

x 100) = 1400 - 440 - 1200 = - 240 lb. No, you do not have enough

cargo capacity to carry that much weight. In metric units, the

calculation would be: 635 kg - (2 x 99 kg) - (12 x 45 kg) = 635 - 198 -

540 = -103 kg. You will need to reduce the load weight by at least

240 lb. (104 kg). If you remove 3-100 lb. (45 kg) cement bags, then

the load calculation would be:

1400 - (2 x 220) - (9 x 100) = 1400 - 440 - 900 = 60 lb. Now you have

the load capacity to transport the cement and your friend home. In

metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg - (2 x 99 kg) - (9 x

45 kg) = 635 - 198 - 405 = 32 kg.

The above calculations also assume that the loads are positioned in your

vehicle in a manner that does not overload the Front or the Rear Gross

Axle Weight Rating specified for your vehicle on the Safety Compliance

Certification Label found on the edge of the driver’s door.

Special loading instructions for owners of pickup trucks and

utility-type vehicles

WARNING: For important information regarding safe operation

of this type of vehicle, see the Preparing to drive your vehicle

section in the Driving chapter of this Owner’s Guide.

WARNING: Loaded vehicles may handle differently than

unloaded vehicles. Extra precautions, such as slower speeds and

increased stopping distance, should be taken when driving a heavily

loaded vehicle.

Your vehicle can haul more cargo and people than most passenger cars.

Depending upon the type and placement of the load, hauling cargo and

people may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.

Calculating the load your vehicle can carry/tow

1. Use the appropriate maximum GCWR chart (in the Trailer towing

section in this chapter) for your type of engine and rear axle ratio.

2. Weigh your vehicle without cargo. To obtain correct weights, take your

vehicle to a shipping company or an inspection station for trucks.

3. Subtract your loaded weight from the maximum GCWR in the chart.

This is the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow. It must be

below the maximum trailer weight shown in the chart.

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TRAILER TOWING

Trailer towing with your vehicle may require the use of a trailer tow

option package.

Trailer towing puts additional loads on your vehicle’s engine,

transmission, axle, brakes, tires, and suspension. For your safety and to

maximize vehicle performance, be sure to use the proper equipment

while towing.

Follow these guidelines to ensure safe towing procedure:

• Do not tow a trailer until your vehicle has been driven at least

1,000 miles (1600 km).

• Stay within your vehicle’s load limits.

• Thoroughly prepare your vehicle for towing. Refer to Preparing to

tow in this chapter.

• Use extra caution when driving while trailer towing. Refer to Driving

while you tow in this chapter.

• Service your vehicle more frequently if you tow a trailer. Refer to the

severe duty schedule in the scheduled maintenance information.

• Refer to the instructions included with towing accessories for the

proper installation and adjustment specifications.

Do not exceed the maximum loads listed on the Safety Compliance

Certification label. For load specification terms found on the label, refer

to Vehicle loading in this chapter when figuring the total weight of your

vehicle.

Your vehicle is equipped with a standard Class II integrated hitch and

requires only a draw bar and ball with a 19 mm (3/4 inch) shank

diameter. An optional Class III/Class IV hitch is also available.

Note: Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the

certification label.

WARNING: Towing trailers beyond the maximum recommended

gross trailer weight exceeds the limit of the vehicle and could

result in engine damage, transmission damage, structural damage, loss

of vehicle control, vehicle rollover and personal injury.

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Tires, Wheels and Loading -> SNOW TIRES AND CABLES for Your Ford Explorer SUV Fifth Generation (2005-2011)

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