Community Forums

patgreenair · 01-13-2021, 12:44 PM

I flat tow a 2018 F150 4 door 4x4 and notice that my tire wear has been considerable on my truck. The original tires are Hankooks and I'm starting to look around for new tires. What tires do you recommend if I'm going to flat tow it on a fairly regular basis, other than towing it, my driving is in town and not off road?

Roy-c · 01-13-2021, 12:48 PM

Hi Pat,
A 4X4 will wear the front tires in a scalloping pattern. Are you rotating your tires regularly ? Does your F150 have a manually shifted transfer case ? If not, that could affect tire wear.

Mr JP · 01-13-2021, 01:10 PM

I run Michelin on my escalade with no issues. They are a 60,000 mile tire but on the odometer I only get about 40,000 miles and 2 years. I get at Discount tire and they will warranty them back thru Michelin and I get a good discount on replacement tires. I get them rotated regularly and always check the pressure and I have no bad wear pattern

patgreenair · 01-13-2021, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy-c

Hi Pat,
A 4X4 will wear the front tires in a scalloping pattern. Are you rotating your tires regularly ? Does your F150 have a manually shifted transfer case ? If not, that could affect tire wear.

I have not rotated my tires yet, but have thought I should do that soon. My F150 only has about 20k miles on it and the original tires, but I have flat towed it about 8k to 10k miles. I don't have any real uneven wear or scalloping that I see, but after a recent trip I noticed the tread had really gone down. It could be the Hankook brand or it could all be normal, I'm just looking for recommendations.

patgreenair · 01-13-2021, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy-c

Hi Pat,
A 4X4 will wear the front tires in a scalloping pattern. Are you rotating your tires regularly ? Does your F150 have a manually shifted transfer case ? If not, that could affect tire wear.

Also, the transfer case is "shifted" into neutral for towing with electrical switches on the dash, then you leave the main "shifter" in neutral for towing. Can you tell me how that would affect tire wear?

Craig36 · 01-13-2021, 01:57 PM

We tow a full size Ford Explorer 4X4 that is running on General Tires. We check inflation pressure and have had very little wear, and nothing uneven.

Winepress · 01-13-2021, 02:03 PM

I have a 18 F150 with the same tires. 50,000 miles total, 25,000 flat towing.
Tires look good. Rotate every oil change which is about 7,500 miles. Flat towing is tougher on the fronts. I run 38lbs all around.

Rob_M · 01-13-2021, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patgreenair

I flat tow a 2018 F150 4 door 4x4 and notice that my tire wear has been considerable on my truck. The original tires are Hankooks and I'm starting to look around for new tires. What tires do you recommend if I'm going to flat tow it on a fairly regular basis, other than towing it, my driving is in town and not off road?

You are unlocking the steering wheel correct?

Does it have a lift kit?

Roy-c · 01-13-2021, 02:13 PM

Hi Pat,
If the transfer case doesn't truly go into the neutral position then the transmission components are still turning which can cause strain on the tires when cornering and create wear on turns. Much like how you can feel the tires scuff if are turning on dry pavement while in 4 wheel drive. We tow a Wrangler and it has a manual transfer case. You put the transfer case in neutral and leave the trans in park. The trans is disconnected from the drive train by the transfer case. The Hancook tires have a good reputation so I am a little surprised that they are wearing at 20K miles. Is it both front and rear or only the fronts ? Check your owners manual and see when rotation is recommended.

ArtJoyce · 01-13-2021, 04:06 PM

Michelin I liked the Michelin LT tires.

Dutch Star Don · 01-13-2021, 06:51 PM

Pat.....in my younger days I use to sell tires. If you want them to last, especially on a truck, you need to rotate them regularly. On my F-150 I change the oil and rotate the tires every 5K. That's a little excessive, but just what I do, especially with a twin turbo engine.

A front tire ALWAYS wears differently than a rear tire, consequently you need to rotate them to even out any unusual wear the steering tires have. At a minimum, you should be rotating them every oil change.

4B77 · 01-13-2021, 07:34 PM

2016 F-150 with 66k on the odometer and another 25k towing. Still running original Good Years. I will be replacing them later this year. No issues with wear. I rotate at every oil change

Dsmullen · 01-13-2021, 07:40 PM

We had Hankooks on a 2013 Kia Soul for 7 years and saw no unusual wear at all. Probably about 45,000 miles total.

danleininger · 01-14-2021, 05:31 AM

Something else to consider... Have you had the Alignment checked on your F150. Toads take a beating behind our MHs. Like so many have stated, I have many miles on my Expedition with no abnormal wear on the tires. I am running Michelin also.