Hankook Tire will supply original equipment tires to Ford's Super Duty F-450 and F-550 Chassis Cab. The tires of choice are Hankook's all-season tires SmartFlex AH35 and DH35, the latter of which is the latest model added to Hankook's growing U.S. portfolio of truck and bus radial tires.

SmartFlex AH35 and DH35 have a specially designed tread to deliver low rolling resistance and excellent driving performance, according to Hankook. In the case of AH35, the multi-3D sipes anchored in the tread improve traction.

The combination of straight and wave-shaped grooves improves water run-off and sustainably prevents aquaplaning, Hankook says, while the stiffness of the tread blocks promotes fuel-efficient operation. The special tread design also supports even tire wear, reducing the total cost of ownership, according to the company.

The SmartFlex DH35 covers a wide contact area with four zig-zag groove lines across the whole tread surface, which results in increased mileage and driving performance in various road and traffic conditions, according to Hankook.

Hankooks says the improvements in the tire performance have not resulted in the loss of physical appeal. Both tires were honored for design by the Red Dot Award in 2016. SmartFlex DH35 has recently been launched in America and will soon be available to the public in sizes 225/70R19.5 14PR, 245/70R19.5 16PR and 265/70R19.5 14PR.

"Ford F-450 and F-550 deliver excellent handling performance, so it was essential for us to find the optimized balance between the tire's tread compound, patterns, block size alignment, and dimension to enhance block stiffness to find that perfect handling performance," explained Youngjong Kwon, head of R&D TB Development Department. 

Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab equipped with Hankook's AH35 and DH35 are available in 225/70R19.5 size.