DEARBORN, Mich. (July 31, 2015) — Ford Motor Co. will equip its 2016 F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks with Goodyear- and Hankook-brand truck tires, according to the makers of the two brands.
Hankook Tire Co. Ltd., which is supplying four different patterns, said this OE contract represents a “strategic advancement of Hankook Tire as a global credible partner in North America.”
The Hankook patterns are the AH11, AH22, DH07 and DH15, Hankook said, with the AH11 and DH07 in sizes 245/70R19.5 and 265/70R19.5 and the AH22 and DH15 in size 275/80R22.5.
The AH11 is the primary pattern, according to the tire maker, and the others will be offered as options.
Hankook said it has been involved with Ford since 2013 in the development of the F-650/F-750.
Seung Hwa Suh, Hankook vice chairman and CEO, said this OE supply agreement with Ford “will be the foundation that we build on to accelerate our business in North America.”
The company describes the AH11 as a tire designed for trucks operating in urban conditions, featuring enhanced resistance to uneven wear as well as chips and cuts from external shocks or heavy loads.
The DH07 has a tread pattern “optimized” for the F-650/F-750, Hankook said, without elaborating. The DH07 has a belt structure that minimizes belt motion, thus reducing heat generation, and features 3D kerf technology for improved traction and higher mileage.
The AH22 uses a tread compound focused on reducing abnormal wear and improving handling performance, Hankook said, while the DH15 provides all-season performance.
The company said that by meeting Ford's strict tire performance requirements, Hankook “has once again demonstrated its ability to provide high quality products based on its proven technologies.”
The tire maker has been supplying OE tires to Ford since 1999. Among its current fitments are the Explorer, Edge, Mustang and F-150.
Goodyear's fitments include the G661 HSA,
The refreshed F-65-/F-750 lineup is being built at a Ford assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, and is being rolled out this summer. Ford offers the line with 6.8-liter V10 gas engine and a 6.7-liter V8 diesel in three power level options — 270 horsepower/ 675 lb.-ft. torque; 300 horsepower/700 lb.-ft. torque and 330 horsepower/725 lb.-ft. torque.
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