Feature Spotlight: The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor’s Special BFGoodrich All-Terrain Tires

Any car or truck is only as good as the tires it rides on.

In the case of the all-new, 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, the off-road pickup’s factory tires are about as good as they come. Ford engineers worked side-by-side with Michelin’s BFGoodrich to develop a brand new all-terrain T/A KO2 tire model to afford the truck supreme off-road performance, and on-road comfort.

“Compromise?” Ford doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Ford and BFGoodrich went through more than a dozen different drafts of the F-150 Raptor’s new T/A KO2 tire before settling on the right design, spending hundreds of hours running computer simulations. The final version boasts lots of tread area with wide channels, and big sidewall lugs, all of which helps with off-road performance and lifespan. For on-road livability, engineers designed the tire with strong steel and nylon belts that allow the tire to conform to the road surface, making the truck comfortable even out of its natural habitat.

The new Ford F-150 Raptor’s BFGoodrich all-terrain T/A KO2 tire is the latest to come out of a formal partnership between Ford Performance and Michelin, which was announced last November. Michelin already supplies tires for many Ford Performance vehicles, including the Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus RS, and Shelby GT350.