Hankook tires?

[WBusa]

Anybody have experience/opinions regarding the Hankook Dynapro AS RH03 tire, or with Hankooks in general? I'm still searching for the best combination of low rolling resistance and wet traction in a load-range E summer tire, and in a recent Consumer Reports test of light truck tires the Hankook ranked third overall (in a field of 22), with great scores for braking, handling, traction and hydroplaning, and was the only tire in the top five to receive a "Very Good" rating for rolling resistance. Unfortunately I've never heard of Hankooks before, so I'm a little leery... .

 

[john3976]

I have seen a lot of them on 18 wheelers, also seen their car tires for sale in a lot of stores.

 

[SOOT]

I used to use Hankooks on my old chevy PU. Took lots of abuse. Never had a flat or blow out.

 

[WBusa]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Based on the Consumer Reports rating I'm going to go ahead and give 'em a try... at $109/ea. , the price ain't too bad (sure beats the Michelin XPS Rib!). I notice from the Hankook web site that the Dynapro AS RH03's are OEM on Ferd trucks... but I won't hold that against 'em). I also notice there's no treadwear warranty on the OEMs, only on replacement tires... so I assume the Ferd OEMs are a cheezier version of what I'm buying. I'll keep y'all posted after they've been through a few rainstorms and tankfuls... .

 

[RustyJC]

Just curious - since you compare the Hankooks to the Michelin XPS Rib, are the Hankooks of the same all-steel construction, or are they a fabric-and-steel construction radial like the Michelin LTX, Goodyear Wrangler AP, etc. ? The Michelin XPS Rib is a totally separate animal from the Michelin LTX.



I'm just trying to figure out if the $108 Hankook is an apples-to-apples comparison to the XPS Rib.



Rusty

 

[WBusa]

Rusty, the Hankooks are 2 steel + 2 polyester + 2 nylon, so yeah, they are different in construction from the Michelin XPS Rib. That said, functionally they're pretty identical... both are ribbed highway tires not intended for snow, with better-than-average rolling resistance.



I just got home from a 20 mile drive to get the Hankooks. First impressions:

1. I LIKE the handling and the ride and the quietness... but then, I'm coming fresh off of big ole lugged snow tires, so almost anything else would be smoother and quieter.

2. Don't know about wet traction yet; the roads are bone-dry. Stay tuned.

3. They ran just a touch warm on the way home, but its my understanding that's expected for brand-new tires, until the plies all get to know each other and settle in. Again, stay tuned... .

4. Thank goodness the sidewall lettering is black. I just HATE the name "Hankook". Just screams "oriental import... another job shipped overseas". And, somehow, I find the word "kook" on my tires to be a little disturbing



The guy at the tire store says he sells tons of 'em to ambulance and paramedic fleets. I consider this a good recommendation, since I used to drive an ambulance many, many years ago and know that when you're doing 70 down the wrong side of the road in the rain you live or die by your tires, and ambos are even heavier than our trucks.

 

[wneubauer]

Actually, I think Hankook is another word for Korea... ... (Thought you'd be pleased... )

 

[WBusa]

A quick update on my Hankooks (now that I've been running them long enough to have an informed opinion):



1. The really good news is: since switching to the Hankooks from my snow tires I've seen a consistent improvement in fuel economy of a little over 1 MPG, which I presume is due to their superior rolling resistance.

2. I don't have the proper equipment (i. e. , an infrared thermometer) to adequately judge their running temperature, but judging 'by hand' I'm happy.

3. Wet traction is fine; no complaints.



A 1 MPG improvement is about a 5% increase in fuel economy... not a huge deal, I'll grant you, but think of it as getting almost two gallons of diesel free with every fill-up! Also, as some of you already know, I'm studying the effect of piling on a bunch of mods such as this, that individually yield only small improvements... hoping that the net effect will be pretty substantial. With the tires' rolling resistance now adequately optimized, I'm ready to move onto bigger and better things. Stay tuned... .

 

[kelly4463]

I run hankooks on my truck its a real good tire

I work at sears auto part time we dont sell them but thay are a good tires just my op.