IZZYAZ

Reason??? Every mfr. has a set of tires that are garbage. I have only had the Cooper ST and SST truck tires. If they can last 40k miles to my abuse and my brother-in-law works for a quarry and his company truck they run the same type tires and he will get 25k to 30k out of the Coopers. BFG, Goodyear, Firestones all last about 15k to 20k. So if you don't like Cooper tires that's fine, lets just hear why!!!!

I have ran Cooper ST and SST tires on my trucks for the last 6-7 years. They are a great tire, have great traction in every condition and wear evenly and I get about 40k miles out of them. And for the way I treat tires that is a long time. The only problem with Cooper tires, they are in finacial problems from what I hear and the price of their tires are going up, I assume to make up for their cash short fall. Never the less, they are still cheaper then the larger companies and in my opinion for an all-terrain tire the best money can buy. Now back to the subject at hand, Kiese02, I looked at them before I got my Firestones and couldn't find any to fit the stock 18" rim. Do you have the 17" rims? or how/what size are you rrunning?

I ended up getting the Firestone Destination LE. I may not be as happy with them as I would be with the Michelins, but I have a buddy that is a manager at a Firestone dealership and he got me a set for $435 plus $100 cash card. So for basically $80 a tire. The Michelins that I was looking at where twice the price. So the checking account won this time.

I haven't had either one of these problems, but your mpg sounds kind of low. I have an 07 SEL+ that just hit 24k miles. In the winter here in Iowa the mpgs will drop to 18-20 when it's below 0, but most of the time in the winter it stays around the 20-22 mpg range. Summer I have seen 24-29 out of it. Now those are running mostly hiway but some in town. In town alone this thing sucks. I have seen 13s and 14s for a half a tank of all in town use. My 74 F100 with a 390 gets 12 all the time.

You shouldn't get any 'crap' from your service manager. These wheels seem to be a fairly wide spread issue. Plus I don't think anyone has had a problem with the chrome cladding, only with the clear coat coming off of the wheel lip. From what I have seen and heard the problem only exists on the 18" CHROME CLAD wheels. The 18" aluminum wheels I haven't seen or heard of any problems with these. So when someone says they have an issue with their Chrome Clad Wheels, they aren't talking about the chromed plastic hub cap. Also, for a little added insurance and for looks, when I get my rims replaced next month, or so, I am going to have them put the weights on the inside lip and/or glue them to the inner part of the wheel behind the face of the wheel. All the custom wheels I have had this is where the weights have been put on.

Cool, thanks for the leg work ACLazer. I will look into that when I order my new rims in a month or so. That is if this damn snow ever goes away!!!!!

From what I have heard on here and from my dealer is that it is a road salt issue. When you take it in only have them document it for now. Then come spring take it in to get your new rims under warranty. That way you can atleast have the spring, summer and fall with good looking rims.

I haven't seen a picture on line yet, but the 18" rims are an aluminum rim with basically a chromed plastic hub cap attached to it. Where the chrome plastic meets the aluminum rim the clear coat on the rim starts to pit, dis-color, and flake off. So basically the lip between the tire and the chrome plastic goes from a nice aluminum look to having black spots and flaking clear coat. My wife who drives the Edge everyday, but never washes it, never noticed this. But she can notice when I have flipped thru her Victoria Secret catalogue? So weird!!!

ACLazer, As the post I left just above yours they do have a new part number for the wheels as of December 2008. Maybe a little earlier. I was just in the dealership the other day and the parts guy flagged me down and said he had a new set and a old warranted set. So I went into the back and looked them both over. You couldn't tell a difference between the 2 rims, besides the clear coat coming off of one. I am waiting until April or so when the snow and salty roads leave, then I will be getting my new rims. Atleast then they will look good for one year. I am trying to buy or have Ford give me my old rims. I figured then I could have a winter and summer set. But haven't got very far. Parts guy said he would look into it for me, but wasn't very positive on finding a solution besides buying a new set at $800 each :wacko:

I have not had this on the wifes Edge, but it happened to my Superduty a few years back. The brake fluid was just a little low. So I would start there. Otherwise, if you take it to the dealership for service, ask them to look into the problem.

I found this claim un-true. I was told this morning that Ford has a new part number for the 18" chrome clad rims and they would replace my peeling rims with this new part number. I am going to hold off until this spring (that is if Ford can hold on that long) so the winter salt and road grime stays off the new rims for a couple months.

So last spring with almost every other Edge owner in the snow belt, I noticed the rims where peeling around the lips. So the next service I mentioned it to the service guy. He said he was aware of the problem and would replace the rims for me, but they where the same part number as the ones I already had. So he couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't do it again. He also told me that he had been in contact with Ford about the problem and told him they where working on a solution. Now skip ahead 8 months. I took the Edge in for service this morning. Being the pain-in-the-@ss that I am, I asked about the rims (again). He told me that Ford has released a new part number for the rim. He told me there has been no mention of the fix from corporate, but since there is a new part number on the rim he is lead to believe that they have fixed the clear coat problem on the rims. He said he would order the rims for me today and get them on this afternoon. I told that would be great, but hold off until this spring when I am in the clear for salt and road grime that caused the problem in the first place. So in summary, they have a new part number on the rims. So they should have fixed the problem with the old design, but can't be 100% positive yet since Ford hasn't announced it.

I guess if it where me, I would hang onto the supports until the end of your lease, then remove the hitch and other supports and then turn in the Edge. After that try and sell the hitch and related parts. That way your not giving your hitch to the leasing company. Plus scrap metal prices are in the tank right now. You would be better off throwing it in a recycling container and save your time and money for gas.

I haven't ready any where on here what happens if you are driving down the road at 60 mph and drop the tranny in to low. Well, I finally gave it a try the other day to see what would happen. I was in my wifes 07 SEL+ FWD Edge last week, by myself of course, and was coming up to a stop sign in the middle of no where. Since I am use to driving my F150 and down shifting to a stop sign I shifted the Edge into low at 60 mph with out thinking what vehicle I was in. Well, the engine and tranny are still there and working fine. I figured out that it will only rev to about 4k or so rpm and when you let the engine brake you and the rpms drop it will continue to down shift thru the gears. Kind of a nice set up and will have to do this the next time I pull my boat. So it's not the best set up for engine braking, in my opinion, but it is better then just turning off the OD. So all you people that live in the mountains, give it a try and report back on how it works for you.

BBF, I hear what you are saying about the tin foil hats. I just like to get all the research I can and hear as many different opinions as I can before I go blow $500-900 on a set of tires. Like I said in my original post I have only purchased tires for my trucks. The wifes car usually gets traded off before needing tires. I just can't believe that an OE tire today will only last 20k miles. But then again, after looking on Tire Racks web site and compairing other OE tires to the Continentals, I see why we only got 20k out of them. I am leaning towards the Firestore Destination LE or the Michelin LTX . I have always heard good things about Michelins, but not sure if it's worth the extra $200 for a set. I had Firestone Destinations on my last F150 that where OE and they where very good tires. They lasted almost 35k miles, and that is with 30%+ driving on gravel, which eats tires. Now the wifes Edge has never seen gravel, and never will, so that is not an issue. So with that said, I guess what the wifes wants in a tire are something that is round, holds air, and is quite. Myself, I am looking for something that too has those first (3) fine qualities, but I also want decent traction in the snow/ice, as well as dry. I guess I want everything for nothing.

My wifes 07 Edge SEL+ FWD 18" rims, is in need of a new set of tires. The OE tires (Continental ) are shot at 20,000 miles (imagine that) with rotating every 6000 miles and mostly hiway driving. I need to get her a new set before the snow starts to fly in a month or so. So what tires do you have on your Edge? How much did you pay? How is the wet traction? Dry? Snow? How many miles do you have on your tires? Noise? Etc. I've been to TireRack.com and looked thru there, and nothing really popped out at me. So I am looking for some other Edge owners opinions. I have always drove trucks, so I have always put on mud-terrain tires, just don't think those would be the best tires for the Edge

At 60 mph in 6th gear I am running right around 1400 rpm. At 70 it is running around 1500-1600 rpm. As far as knowing what gear you are in, you can always count the number of shifts or lock out OD and when you get to cruising speed turn the OD back on and watch the tach drop.

I have not had this problem in a Fuel injected car, but here is my opinion. Log everytime that it happens; time of day, exterior conditions, driving conditions, how long the vehicle has been on, etc. Also, there is usually a small variation in RPM when the AC is turned on and off. The rattle may be the AC clutch kicking in and out, but I can't even hear mine in the car, only when the hood is up. Do the log for a couple times, I would say a minimum of 5 times. After that, take it back to the dealership and have them take another look at it. This may help them find the problem. The biggest problem is they probably just hook it up to the computer when you bring it in and the computer says everything is normal. The key is to get it to happen when they have it. So this log may help them replicate the same conditions. The worst case is contact Ford directly. Only do this if your dealership cannot or refuses to fix the problem. Good luck!!!

Reliable Carriers is a good way to go. Another place to check into is the BBB (Better Buisness Bureau). Then you can look up local carriers in Cali or Ohio. Another thing to try is ask around the base. There has to be a couple people around there that have had vehicles shipped. Find out who they are and what they thought about their services. Or when driving down the freeway, take a look around. Write down the name of some auto carriers you see. Look them up on the internet and get a price. Also, I have a guy I work with that has a relative that does what 818EDGE talked about. He is a widower with a daughter that lives in Cali. He drives out there a couple times a year with his goose-neck flat bed trailer. He would be the cheaper way to go, but you would have to have it done on his schedule. The guy I work with moved from Iowa to Arizona. He had a 51 Ford Panel truck that he shipped down to AZ. He had to wait for the guy to get a few other items to haul, but had his panel truck in 2 months. So if you can wait that long that may be an option too. What ever you do, get a reputible company. I have heard some horror stories of people shipping cars and then getting a call from a guy saying I have your car, if you want it, give me another $300. Not trying to scare you, just do your research.

Class II Trailer Tow Package: Class II receiver hitch, engine oil cooler, larger radiator, upgraded battery and cooling fans, wiring harness and 4-pin connector. My bad, your correct Akirby. Above is what the tow package adds. I guess I have always ordered vehicles with the tow package, so I assumed that the tranny cooler is an add on.

There are not only ticket complications, but if you get some a$$hole of an officer, they could actually not let you continue on your travels until the over weight problem is taken care of. In other words, unhook the car from the Edge before he lets you leave. Another thing, if you are renting a car dolly from U-haul, the one that I rented from there didn't have any surge brakes. Plus they will usually ask you what type of vehicle you are towing with and what you are towing and then when they type it into the computer it will most likely say no. Also, since your Tiburon is on coil overs it might not fit onto the dolly. My parents pull their 2002 Buick Regal on a dolly behind their Winnebago motorhome and the rear valance is only about 6" off the ground. So I assume that the Tib... is lower then a stock Buick Regal and you will most likely get your own body damage. Going down the road will be fine, but think about pulling into gas stations, hotels, and restuarants. As the Edge back end goes up, the back end of the Tib... will go down. Also, some states require brake lights a certain distance from the rear of a vehicle, so the lights on a dolly are too far forward. So you may have to rent or buy some magnetic lights to stick on the rear of the Tib... and they are really good on paint Just remember, all these suggestions are coming from Edge owners. And not sure about everybody else, but I have used my Edge for pulling a little bit. I have a Jet Boat that I pull with my Edge. It weighs in around 2400# when I get ready to go to the lake. The Edge handles it good, but I can't imagine adding another 1000# plus behind.

Another thing to consider if you haven't bought a trailer yet is aluminum. You will pay for it, but if your like me and take everything you can think (just incase stuff) the weight savings of the aluminum trailer is greatly appreciated. Also, the OD lock out only locks out 6th gear from what I have counted. The computer controlled down shifting is nice, but still wish I could be incontrol of what gear to put it in. Also, with the OD off and the speed-control on when going down hills, the Edge will down shift automatically to help maintain speed. Now I haven't pulled the mountains in my Edge yet, but with my 2400# jet boat or 5x10 trailer loaded, it pulls great. I actually got 22 mpg pulling my boat to northern Minnesota, and that was with the OD off and keeping speeds around 60-64 mph on the back roads.

Did the Edge come with the towing package? If not I would seriously look into the tranny cooler. Also, what will the cost savings really be by towing it rather then shipping it? Say you tow it, $300 for a hitch, $200 for a tranny cooler and your half way there to the $1000 to ship it. Then think of the reduction in MPG. You will probably get in the mid to low teens depending on how you drive. Say your Edge gets 25 mpg, at $3.80 per gallon of gas and driving 2000 miles thats $304 in gas. Now say you are pulling your other car. Say you are averaging 16 mpg at the same $3.80 per gallon and 2000 miles, that's $475 in gas. So basically $170 more in gas. So now your almost at $700 into a $1000 shipping bill. Have you also thought about extra engine cooling? If you don't have the tow package, you don't have the H.D. radiator. You will be pulling a maxed out load, A/C on, up and down mountains. So turn up the radio, roll the windows down, and move over to the slow lane. Also, have you ever driven cross country in a vehicle that is maxed out in towing capability and most likely cargo as well. IT SUCKS!!! I've done it once, and never again. It takes you longer to get any where you want to go. In the mountains the semi's will be passing you. If you just have the single vehicle it's much more enjoyable trip. My vote would be to ship the Edge and drive the Tiburon. Unless it's heavily modded, it gets a few MPGs better then the Edge. Then pack the Edge full of your stuff, and then find a good shipping company to haul the Edge to Ohio for you. Then take a nice relaxing 3 day trip from Cali to Ohio.

I don't have that problem on my Edge, but my old P.O.S. F100 truck has had that. I cured it by servicing the transmition, new tranny filter and fluid. Otherwise I have no idea. The 2 vehicles are apples and oranges, but you never know.

Double post. SORRY!!!