OEM Hankook Tires, Like or Dislike

[tmg19103]

Does not necessarily depend on quality of tire. Any high performance, low sidewall tire that takes the brunt of the weight of a vehicle on on a wide yet narrow sidewall tire will flat spot if parked in one place long enough - such as in a dealer parking lot. Long delivery times - like on a boat from overseas can do it too. What overseas makes will often do is overinflate the tires while transporting them overseas. Add to the that the weight of the Ex and flat spotting does not surprise on low profile tires.

That being said, lesser quality performance tires can flat spot easier/quicker than higher quality ones. It can also become a permanent problem if a car sits long enough. Even high sidewall tires on 16's can flat spot. That's why I inflate the tires to 50 psi over the winter while my Escape sits in the garage for 6 months off-season on Nantucket.

 

[peterk9]

It's funny you mentioned flat spotting....We test drove our 2014 Ex XLT with Hankook tires. As we drove the first 1/2 mile, the wifey and I noticed a very solid vibration in the front end of the car.( I could see her leg bouncing around). It was in the city, with winter pot holes and such on the road, so I said let's get out on the highway with some better roads. Within a few miles we hit some 65 mph roads and the vibration was stronger yet. I told her to turn the thing around as this thing has a tire out of balance or an axle problem. As we returned it to the dealer, we both mentioned the horrible vibration to our sales guy. He immediately mentioned "flat spotting" as the probably the culprit. My wife was convinced the care was defective. The sales guy talked to his manager and they let us drive the car home on a Saturday evening and said they bet by the time we got home(30 minute drive) the vibration would be gone. When we got home....the vibration had subsided and all was well. The dealership saved a sale...but I didn't think tires flat spotted anymore, so that was news to me too. So are Hankook tires cheap and that's why they flat spot or do all tires still do this?

20" tires and larger, are prone to 'flat spotting' if the vehicle sits for a couple of days or so but even in a shorter time if the weather is cold. I could be worse in cold weather but since I used dedicated Winter tires (17") I can't say for sure.

Peter

 

[tmg19103]

20" tires and larger, are prone to 'flat spotting' if the vehicle sits for a couple of days or so but even in a shorter time if the weather is cold. I could be worse in cold weather but since I used dedicated Winter tires (17") I can't say for sure.

Peter

I have a 45 sidewall on my Saab and this go around I bought an inexpensive Korean tire brand that did come with excellent reviews.

No prob with flat spotting and it sits one month every September without driving. I always keep the tires 3 psi above recommendation, so I think that helps. Will increase wear a little, but help with mileage.

I would not expect flat spotting that can be noticed in a week of sitting. 3 weeks plus, yes. Like I said, the weight of the Ex does not help either. If flat spotting is happening with the Hankooks in a few days or even a week of sitting, I'd blame the tire.

 

[Tony407]

Well, I haven't had a chance to drive my XSport in the rain or snow yet, but for an inexpensive OEM tire, the Optimos have impressed the heck out of me.

I can take a sweeping 270-degree interchange ramp at 60+ mph, and probably even faster if I wanted. This is faster than my 2012 Kia Optima with 19" Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires.

They're quiet, responsive, and feel very solid at all speeds. I don't care what the reviews on Tirerack say, they seem like a very good tire. I do reserve the right to change my mind once fall gets here and the Portland, OR rainy season starts. I really don't expect a great deal out of any all-season tire in the snow/ice though, so my expectations are pretty low in this respect.

Tony

 

[rman66]

Re: 2014 Explorer ltd with 20" Hankook Optimo H426 tires
I grazed a 5inch kerb going at 10mph on a left turn and both my tires, sidewalls tore.
I had Cooper on my Odyssey and they have always withstood minor curb rashes. Now, I am contemplating getting rid of the other two and getting something decent. Any suggestions?

 

[Sgt1411]

Yup, learn how to drive!

 

[rman66]

Yup, learn how to drive!

Its a poor joke but I kinda like and hate it.

I am kicking myself in the ass for not watching that Kerb as it has costed me dearly. That said, the Hankooks are the worst tires I have owned in decades. I have never come across a tire that splits even at the gentlest curb rashes. They must have made the side walls with felt. Never again!. I am thinking about the Pirelli scorpion Verde.. any experience on that?
Also is it ok to drive with different sets of tires in the front and rear? if yes, then maybe I could get a pair or Pirellis and place them in the front and move the LH side Hankooks to the rear for the next 5K miles and then rotate

 

[Sgt1411]

Its a poor joke but I kinda like and hate it.

I am kicking myself in the ass for not watching that Kerb as it has costed me dearly. That said, the Hankooks are the worst tires I have owned in decades. I have never come across a tire that splits even at the gentlest curb rashes. They must have made the side walls with felt. Never again!. I am thinking about the Pirelli scorpion Verde.. any experience on that?
Also is it ok to drive with different sets of tires in the front and rear? if yes, then maybe I could get a pair or Pirellis and place them in the front and move the LH side Hankooks to the rear for the next 5K miles and then rotate

I was just kidding .....but I did ask a few contacts about HANKOOK tires and was told their sidewall construction is better then most so the damage could be related to the roughness/sharpness of the concrete curb.

 

[CalifLove]

I put the ride through its paces but do not track the ExSpo. As such, I have seen no problems with the Hancock. If I was out pushing more HP and modding the car with gobs more power OR looking for a truck to ride on rails with exotic suspension and brake setups, I'm sure I would look into alternatives.

I too took a look at the tirerack ratings and reviews in general of the tire and was a bit disturbed but thus far I find the ratings unwarranted. Tread ware seems good, grip seems good. Since we're in a drought out west I haven't had a whole lot of opportunity to drive the ExSpo in the rain so I'll reserve judgment for wet grip but overall.. yea, they seem to do the job. Not sure I would spend hundreds more on another option hoping they are better without some real firsthand reviews out in the real world from people with Explorers to tell me the difference/gains they feel with more expensive options. Fortunately, or un - depending on how you look at it, there are not a ton of options for us without changing size.

I suspect if these things make it to 30-40k with the way I drive I'll just buy another set of the same!

1 thing to note, you really have to pay attention to the cars reviewers are matching their tires up with. For example, if you stuck a set of these hancocks on something like a M3 you probably would be disappointed just like you probrably wouldn't stick a set of Michelin Pilot Pro Sports on the ExSpo...(even if they make a model speced for the load of an Exspo)....

Anyway, like everything else - too each their own!

 

[GSX-WE4]

This ridiculous thread is... tiring.... at least that's what I read, and 100% believe, on the internet.

 

[Snewt1]

Here's a real world first hand review!

I like many was disappointed in Ford's choice of tire for the ExpSport. To go to the trouble of stiffening the chassis, strut tower brace, and adding bigger breaks does little if the weak link is the tires. There are plenty of options in the sport suv tire category. Let's face it, European suvs come with sport tires when you check the sports package on the order form. I chose to go with Audi's option, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV-4x4 AO in 275/45-20. (there is a non Audi version in the same size it's W rated were this is Y rated) These there is minimal difference in diameter vs the oem size so they fill the wheel wells better than the Ford summer option witch is decidedly smaller. You also get 1.5" more tread width vs oem.

Noise is comparable to the Hankooks the ride is a bit stiffer but definitely not harsh. You will feel more of the road surface with these. However the increase in steering response, increased grip, and just overall improvement in handling more than offset that. You could definitely go more sporty /harsh if you wanted a true track tire but for everyday use these make you feel like you are driving a sports car while keeping you comfortable at the same time.

The main drawbacks so far are one, cost these are expensive. And two, treadwear rating. Judging from the roughly 10k on them so far I figure I should get around 30k out of them. For a summer ultra performance style tire I'm OK with that.

Lastly, I did get a chance to drive these on track. Took part in the Red Cross charity drive at Talladega. Managed to get the spacing right with the car in front of me to be able to accelerate to between 135-140 through turns 1 and 2 these tires were rock solid and smooth. The expy was unflappable, I seriously think you could have topped 160 in the turns safely but of course they were pacing the pack to prevent that type of speed.

 

[peteexplores]

Explorer Sport tires

Hey guys,

My 2015 Explorer Sport came with Hankook P255/50 R20 tires. I live in far northern Illinois so I was doing a little research about these Hankooks and found that their winter handling reputation is miserable. Reviews have called them a danger and rate them around 2/10 in the snow. I guess I'll find out soon since it looks like we're gonna have a good northern winter.

I was just curious about your experiences with these tires on this vehicle. I don't know if the 2014's had the same tires OEM but I was wondering what experiences you have had with this tire/vehicle combination. Even though I've owned three pickup trucks prior to this, it's really my first experience with 4 wheel drive vehicles and I was looking forward to having that little extra edge. I wasn't expecting my winter driving experience to be getting worse rather than better.

 

[peterk9]

Only a few members have been happy with them but many have not. There is no way that I personally would go through a Winter with them. The only way to go is with a dedicated Winter tire, especially if you are concerned about safety.

Peter

 

[Tony407]

I love my Optimos, and I'm a very picky driver. Quiet, handle well, and is average in the rain (acceptable, but not noteworthy).

I've found that Tirerack reviews should be taken with a (very) large grain of salt, especially when the tire in question is an OEM tire.

Tony

 

[BADBOYTOY]

Opinions about Hankook Optiom H426 tires

These are original equipment on the 2015 explorer sport. Anyone try these in the rain and snow? Opinions? Comments? Do they handle good? I read some bad reviews and wanted to hear from you guys.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I haven't had any snow yet (Maryland) but so far, they have performed well on my 2015 Explorer with the 20" wheels. I've driven in heavy rain and haven't experienced anything close to hydroplaning or spinning tires. Going down the highway at 80 MPH, they are super quite and handle curves quite well. I'm just waiting on some snow.

 

[peterk9]

These are original equipment on the 2015 explorer sport. Anyone try these in the rain and snow? Opinions? Comments? Do they handle good? I read some bad reviews and wanted to hear from you guys.

I have merged your thread with this existing one. No so called all season (3 season) tire will perform as well or provide the safety that a dedicated Winter tire provides in cold weather. According to tire rack, of all the people that had this tire, only 2 out of 10 would buy it again.

Peter

 

[MikeFreas]

I'm coming up on 60k miles on the original tires and don't have a bad thing to say about them. Matter of fact, during the dealers unsuccessful attempts to repair my navigation system, they measured the tread depth remaining at 4/32. I've driven in rain, deep sand, and heavy snow without ever having a problem. The tires do just what a SUV needs, they are quiet and last a long time. I'm so happy with them they are the only tires I'm considering replacing the originals with.

One of the keys to long tire life is proper inflation and rotating every oil change.

That being said, I've been searching for the best deal on them. It seems discount tire is the best deal with free shipping. Ford service will only match prices for advertised retail stores so they are out. I'll pay 50 bucks or so for mounting, balancing, and disposal. All told it should be just under a thousand dollars with an alignment.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I have the 20" OEM Hankooks and got to test them out in the snow a couple days ago. I was expecting the worst after reading all the inflated horror stories on The Tire "Shack". What I got was very good performance. During my entire commute, I didn't feel any of the tires start to slip. Granted they only have 900 miles on them. Of course they aren't going to perform as good as a dedicated Winter Tire but they seem to be good enough for what I need. I don't think there are too many people running Winter Tires in Baltimore.

On top of the good snow/rain performance they've given me so far, they are extremely smooth on the road and are possibly the quietest tires I've ever had on an SUV. Overall, I'm happy with them. Definitely not bad enough to dish out $1000 for new tires.

 

[MikeFreas]

I have the 20" OEM Hankooks and got to test them out in the snow a couple days ago. I was expecting the worst after reading all the inflated horror stories on The Tire "Shack". What I got was very good performance. During my entire commute, I didn't feel any of the tires start to slip. Granted they only have 900 miles on them. Of course they aren't going to perform as good as a dedicated Winter Tire but they seem to be good enough for what I need. I don't think there are too many people running Winter Tires in Baltimore.

On top of the good snow/rain performance they've given me so far, they are extremely smooth on the road and are possibly the quietest tires I've ever had on an SUV. Overall, I'm happy with them. Definitely not bad enough to dish out $1000 for new tires.

I think a big part of it are all the nanny sensors keeping us from playing in the snow.