How To Choose Tires For Ford Ranger

By Nick Marchenko, PhD

Updated: October 5, 2023

Tires are like comfortable shoes, but only for cars. When you save money on sneakers, you suffer a lot: they rub your feet, it becomes unpleasant to walk and run in them, and the materials wear out quickly. 

The same goes for Ford Ranger tires. When choosing bad or low-quality rubber, you will notice something needs to be fixed. The car becomes less dynamic and less controlled, and unpleasant feelings may appear when driving, such as vibrations, howling, etc.

And the saddest thing is that it can lead to an accident - if suddenly you can't brake in time, you can't handle the steering, or the tires of your Ford Ranger lose grip with the road.

The best thing is not to save money on tires for your Ford Ranger, as they are crucial in providing safety on the road.

Today, we'll dive deeper into this topic to help you choose tires for Ford Ranger models.

Key Takeaways:

• The quality and condition of tires directly affect the safety and performance of a Ford Ranger on the road.
• Tire size, speed rating, load index, and type are critical factors to consider when choosing the right tire for your Ford Ranger.
• Regular inspection of tire tread, age, and overall condition is essential to determine when it's time for a replacement.
• When purchasing used tires, it's vital to be cautious, ensuring the tread depth is adequate and checking for damage, repairs, or signs of excessive wear.

How to choose tires for the Ford Ranger

Not all tires are the same. Every tire has sizing options that can fit one Ford Ranger model year but not another. There are a lot of different factors to take into consideration.

What tire size will fit your Ford Ranger?

All tires have special markings on them. You may even wonder what all these numbers and symbols carved on your tire bead mean. Let's find out about it in more detail below.

The tire size always has the following format: 205/55R18 (as an example).

So, how do you read these symbols and numbers? How do you find out what tire size will fit your Ford Ranger? Everything is quite simple:

The first number, which is “205” in our case, represents the tire width from one sidewall to another of the tire.

The second number, “55”, is the tire's aspect ratio. This number shows the percentage of the tire width. It means that if your tire`s width is “205”, its height is "55" percent of its number, meaning that the tire height is 112.75 mm.

The letter “R” means the tire has a radial tread design. Other types aren't used; however, you can still find diagonal (“D”) ones on older cars.

The last value, which is 18, represents the diameter of the wheel, i.e., the rim. That is why, before choosing tires, you should decide which rims to put them on.

Remember, only tires and rims with the same diameters are comparable; you won't be able to put an 18th tire on a 20th rim, and putting a 21st tire on 15 rims is not an option.

Ford company specifically indicates which tires suit your Ford Ranger model year. You can find this information in the owner’s manual.

Please follow these tips or at least not deviate too much from these recommendations. 

If you choose too big tires, you can get an unpleasant outcome. When you load your Ford Ranger or turn, the wheels will touch the arches and fenders of your car and rub against them, leading to their quick wear. Moreover, large enough tires may not fit in the wheel wells.

Therefore, use factory-approved tires. You can view the list of these tires here.

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Ford Ranger Tire Speed Rating

Decide what type of driver you are: do you like to drive calmly and without fuss, or do you prefer to press the throttle pedal to the floor?

This is of great importance. Each tire has a speed limit; if you exceed it, it can destroy the tire and even cause an accident!

A tire speed rate is a code or letter found on a tire's sidewall showing the highest permitted speed a tire can maintain under a given load. 

It is an important aspect of tire safety and performance, and it is frequently utilized to match the tire's features with the car's maximum speed capacity. For high-performance and sports cars, the speed rating is especially important.

The tire speed rate, carved on a tire's bead, refers to a specific speed limit in kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph).

Below, you can see all possible speed rates and their specifications, along with the vehicles to which they can be applied:

• L (120 km/h or 75 mph): passenger car tires intended for sedans, hatchbacks, or minivans.
• M (130 km/h or 81 mph): this rating is also for passenger cars; however, it offers higher speed capability than "L”-rated tires.
• N (140 km/h or 87 mph): tires created for sports sedans and high-performance vehicles.
• P (150 km/h or 93 mph): tires intended for high-performance sedans, coupes, and some sports cars.
• Q (160 km/h or 99 mph):  tires designed for performance-oriented vehicles like sedans and crossovers.
• R (170 km/h or 106 mph): common on light trucks, SUVs, and some passenger cars.
• S (180 km/h or 112 mph): basic tire rating for many family sedans and coupes.
• T (190 km/h or 118 mph): applied to a wide range of passenger and touring tires.
• U (200 km/h or 124 mph): such tires are great for sporty performance vehicles.
• H (210 km/h or 130 mph): suitable for sports cars, luxury sedans, and higher-performance vehicles.
• V (240 km/h or 149 mph): created for high-performance and sports car tires.
• W (270 km/h or 168 mph): high-performance rating, commonly seen on sports and supercars.
• Y (300 km/h or 186 mph): intended for ultra-high-performance and exotic sports cars.
• (Y) or (ZR): for supercars and hypercars with top speeds that exceed 186 mph (usually designated with specific manufacturer approvals).

Ford Ranger Load Index

What do you use your Ford Ranger for? Are you taking your family on a weekend trip or making money transporting cargo? You may be surprised, but you need different tires for these purposes. 

Each tire has a load index—the maximum weight of the Ford Ranger at which these tires can perform their functions. If you overload the tires, it can lead to their destruction.

A tire's load index is a number code on the tire's sidewall indicating the maximum weight a well-inflated tire can safely carry. This rating is critical to ensuring that your Ford Ranger's tires can support the weight of your vehicle, passengers, and cargo and are suitable for towing.

The load index is typically a two- or three-digit number representing a weight rating in pounds or kilograms.

Charts of tire indexes provided by various tire manufacturers help determine the actual weight capacity for a specific load index.

You can see some of the examples of common tire load indexes in the chart below:

Load Index	Weight Capacity (kg)	Weight Capacity (lbs)	Vehicle Types
70	335	739	Compact cars and smaller vehicles
80	450	992	Small to midsize sedans and hatchbacks
90	600	1323	Larger sedans, SUVs, and some small trucks
100	800	1764	Larger SUVs, minivans, and light trucks
110	1060	2337	Heavy-duty SUVs, trucks, and vans
120	1400	3086	Larger trucks and commercial vehicles
130	1900	4189	Heavy-duty trucks and vans
140	2240	4938	Commercial trucks and buses

Vehicle Type

Tires are selected individually depending on the type of vehicle and the tasks it performs. On tires, you can see 3 indexes: P, C, and LT. What do they mean?

• P - passenger car tires. Usually, they aren't designed for heavy loads but have a higher speed rate.
• LT - light truck - tires created specially for pickup light trucks. They have a higher load index than passenger cars and can boast a robust structure with deep treads.
• C - commercial - tires for commercial transport. These tires have the highest load index. It makes them suitable for transporting heavy loads. However, because of this, they have a minimum speed rate, so stay within the speed limit.

Where are you planning to drive?

What kind of route do you take most often? In a city with perfectly smooth roads, or somewhere in the woods or swamps without any roads? 

Location is of great importance. Depending on the area of application, you need appropriate tires. If you often go off-road, choose off-road tires (mud-terrain). 

They have deep tread and a massive design that helps the Ford Ranger escape mud. However, they are only sometimes suitable for driving on public roads.

Choose all-terrain tires for the Ford Ranger for frequent off-road visits, but just as often to cities. With them, you can pass almost any obstacle in your way, while on such tires, you can move comfortably even in the city.

You should choose regular tires if you never drive off an asphalt road.

Season

In winter, road conditions deteriorate significantly, which directly affects driving safety. In this case, summer tires cannot perform their functions; driving them in winter is simply dangerous—only one collision with ice, and you risk losing control of the Ford Ranger and flying into a ditch.

Remember, you need specific rubber for winter and summer. Winter tires are hard, which makes them suitable for driving on icy or wet roads.

Winter tires can be divided into studded and studless (friction) tires.

Studded tires

Studded winter tires have small metal studs or pins incorporated in the tread to provide better traction on icy and snow-packed roads. These metal studs easily penetrate icy surfaces, providing outstanding grip and stability. Studded tires are especially effective on icy surfaces, which makes them a popular choice in areas with harsh winters. 

However, they are quite noisy and can cause damage to asphalt road surfaces, leading to restrictions or even limitations on their use in some areas. Studded tires are an appealing option for those who travel on icy roads during the most severe winter conditions.

Studless (friction) tires

Studless, friction winter tires are engineered to provide outstanding grip on icy and snowy roads without metal studs. These tires utilize a special rubber blend that remains adaptive even in below-freezing temperatures, promoting a firm grip on slick surfaces. 

Deep grooves and sipes in the tread patterns of friction winter tires generate numerous biting edges for improved traction. They are an excellent choice for areas prone to winter weather and ice because they offer confident handling and braking while avoiding damage to road surfaces.

However, the winter tire type choice depends on the climate where you live.

If the place where you live has a warm summer but a very cold and fierce winter with low temperatures and constant snow, you need to have two sets of tires—the winter and summer—and with the onset of the first frosts, you need to change the tires:
You may choose an all-season tire if you have a temperate climate and the winters are mild. It doesn`t need to be changed at the onset of another season, and you can ride it all year round. 

However, don't expect to get perfect numbers for both seasons. On the contrary, such a tire will show a slightly worse grip on the road in winter than a winter tire, and at the same time, it will have lower speed indicators than a summer tire. Still, you can ride on it all year round and not think about anything;

If, in your area, winter is only in pictures, then you can drive and not think about changing tires.

Presence of the tire`s inner tube

To perform its functions adequately, the tire must have air inside. The whole difference is where exactly this air is located.

In tube tires, air, as the name implies, is pumped into special airbags in the middle of the tire. In tubeless, the air is filled directly.

Each type of tire has its advantages and disadvantages. Tube tires are more difficult to puncture; even if the outer layer of the tire is damaged, you will still be able to drive, while tubeless tires will leak air through the smallest puncture, and you`ll need to repair it to continue driving.

On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. Among them is the increased weight of the wheel, which carries a greater load on the suspension.

Manufacturers increasingly prefer tubeless tires, and tube tires are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

However, this is how you can determine the tire type by its marking:

• Tube tires have a “Tube” or “T” mark on the sidewall.
• Tubeless tires are designated as “Tubeless,” “TL,” or “TLess.”

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How do you understand that it is time to change the tires on the Ford Ranger?

Unfortunately, like everything in this world, tires aren't eternal. Moreover, using tires that have already worn out is dangerous for you and other road users. Old tires affect handling; the Ford Ranger behaves less predictably and may lose grip on the surface.

The following signs may indicate that it is time to change the tires on your Ford Ranger.

• Worn-out tread. The tread on your tire is critical to retaining grip on the road. A worn-out or destroyed tread reduces traction on wet and slippery surfaces and raises the likelihood of hydroplaning.
• Loss of control. The reason might be insufficient tire grip if you notice an excessive loss of steering control in your Ford Ranger, especially when making turns or sudden maneuvers.
• Frequent wheelspin. Tires should provide solid traction not only on wet and slippery surfaces but on dry tarmac, too. Frequent wheelspin, usually during acceleration or braking, is a sign that your tires have lost some grip.
• Strange noises while driving. Strange driving noises, such as excess road noise or tire screaming, can be related to the tread pattern and structure of the tire. Damaged or worn tires can also be the cause of strange sounds.
• Car vibrations. Imbalanced tires, which additionally have uneven wear, are to blame for vibrations while driving. Ensure your tires are balanced and properly aligned to provide a pleasant and quiet ride.
• Shaking or beating of the steering wheel. If you notice vibrations or beating through the steering wheel, the reason might be in the tires, which can signify that they need to be replaced soon.
• Extended braking distance. Excessive braking distances are an obvious sign of insufficient tire grip. Consistent braking performance is critical for your and other road users' safety.

How do you buy used tires for Ford Ranger?

Life is full of surprises, and buying wheels directly from the store is not always possible. Sometimes, due to a lack of money or needing Ford Ranger tires for specific purposes. There are many reasons, but that's not the main point.

When you buy tires that have already been used, you must be even more careful and attentive because you risk buying a bad product and getting hurt.

Even if the seller assures you that everything is fine with the tires and that after buying, you won't regret it for a second, we advise you not to be gullible and pay attention to the following signs:

The condition of the tread

It should be sufficient - the optimal depth is 8–10 mm (0.31-0.39 in inches). Wear should be uniform, and if the protector is "eaten" more, this indicates a violation of the rules of use.

Presence of cracks

If the tire is cracked or has other mechanical damage, it won't serve your Ford Ranger long enough. Such damage can lead to the destruction of the tire.

The presence of bulges

If there are "bubbles" or bulges on the tire, it is no longer suitable for use and dangerous.

Presence of traces of repair

Any repair doesn`t add to the reliability of the tire. Look for patches or seams on it. If you notice any, it is better to refuse the purchase because such tires may not withstand the next repair. Moreover, if the repair was done poorly, it may backfire on you.

Check the year of manufacture of the tire.

The normal service life of a tire is 5-8 years. Over time, the rubber loses its properties, cracks, and becomes harder, which affects its performance. The older the Ford Ranger’s tire, the more attention should be paid to its condition. If tires are already 10 or older, it is better to refuse the purchase.

Look at the general condition of the tire and check its properties

Normal tires for the Ford Ranger should be elastic and able to return to shape after deformation. Try to squeeze and touch them - if the rubber feels hard enough, it has almost lost its properties, and it is better not to buy such tires.

To Wrap Everything Up

The traction on the surface and the Ford Ranger's controllability in any weather or season depend on the tires.

You need to choose tires responsibly, considering all factors, such as your car and the conditions in which you will use them.

When choosing used tires, avoid buying damaged or old ones.

Sometimes, buying a new set of tires for your Ford Ranger is better. Yes, it will be more expensive, but you will always be sure of constant grip, precise handling, and safety on the road.