Ford has announced that the new 2017 F-150 Raptor will be rolling into showrooms this fall shod with a new BFGoodrich all-terrain T/A KO2 tires the automaker says will provide better grip both on and off road as well as increase the overall ride comfort of its high-performance, go-virtually-anywhere pickup. Co-developed by engineers from Ford and BFGoodrich, the new T/A KO2 tires went through more than a dozen preliminary design treatments before the production configuration was finalized. Ford notes the testing process matched numerous computer simulations with a full range of real-world performance evaluations – which ultimately included their fitment on competition-spec Raptors that competed in the Best in the Desert race series.
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To help deliver a more comfortable ride on pavement, these Raptor-spec T/A KO2s feature a new internal structure that combines steel and nylon belts in a way that keeps them in closer contact with the road surface. Equally key to Raptor owners, this new-iteration T/A KO2 boasts a revamped tread pattern with an optimized contact patch that combines greater surface area with larger drainage channels. That, plus more prominent sidewall lugs boost the truck’s already formidable capabilities on sand, in mud and over rocky terrain while contributing to longer tire life.
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