So I put Bridgestone Revos on the 97 last week, replacing the faithful but worn Michelin LTXs. Liked the Revos a lot - especially the shorter braking distance numbers for wet AND dry, plus similar wet/dry handling improvements. Smooth and quiet. That's when the trouble started.
The Coopers on my DD - the 93 - are great tires and suit my needs well for a great offroad tire with good road manners. And they're virtually new. But. But they're pretty rough riding and simply can't run smooth at highway speeds. The contrast was even greater to the 97 now that it was shod with Revos. I'd jump back in my truck and the Coopers started to seem downright annoying. Driving along, I began to realize that for a long, long time the thumpity thump and bouncing was a source of irritation - causing the CD to skip on railroad tracks, humming treads at city speeds, etc. So I caved in completely and called the tire guy to have him order a second set of Revos. He was pretty happy, but this changed when I picked up the tires this morning and brought them to Les Schwab instead of having him mount them. He simply doesn't have good equipment and LS has the latest Hunter Road Force machine for another $4 per tire mount/balance.
Got on the freeway for an appointment 10 minutes away, and - sweeetness and smoothness. Gone are the 8 ply jiggles and slight wander from an aggressive tread pattern, and I found myself wishing I'd done this sooner.
I gave up a small amount of offroad traction and a slightly larger amount of offroad durability. I got a large increase in onroad traction under all conditions, and a much smoother and more relaxing ride. And I suspect I will get a MPG boost based upon the much lighter tire weight and more MPG friendly tread pattern. The better acceleration from a stop is also immediately apparent though both tires are the same diameter - it's the tire weight factor.
So, I'm a wuss - can't handle a DD with aggressive rubber anymore, the spilled coffee, the change rattling, etc. The trucks now look so identical with their new ARBs and new Revos it's kinda comical. I'll be subscribing to Good Housekeeping magazine soon....
DougM
The Coopers on my DD - the 93 - are great tires and suit my needs well for a great offroad tire with good road manners. And they're virtually new. But. But they're pretty rough riding and simply can't run smooth at highway speeds. The contrast was even greater to the 97 now that it was shod with Revos. I'd jump back in my truck and the Coopers started to seem downright annoying. Driving along, I began to realize that for a long, long time the thumpity thump and bouncing was a source of irritation - causing the CD to skip on railroad tracks, humming treads at city speeds, etc. So I caved in completely and called the tire guy to have him order a second set of Revos. He was pretty happy, but this changed when I picked up the tires this morning and brought them to Les Schwab instead of having him mount them. He simply doesn't have good equipment and LS has the latest Hunter Road Force machine for another $4 per tire mount/balance.
Got on the freeway for an appointment 10 minutes away, and - sweeetness and smoothness. Gone are the 8 ply jiggles and slight wander from an aggressive tread pattern, and I found myself wishing I'd done this sooner.
I gave up a small amount of offroad traction and a slightly larger amount of offroad durability. I got a large increase in onroad traction under all conditions, and a much smoother and more relaxing ride. And I suspect I will get a MPG boost based upon the much lighter tire weight and more MPG friendly tread pattern. The better acceleration from a stop is also immediately apparent though both tires are the same diameter - it's the tire weight factor.
So, I'm a wuss - can't handle a DD with aggressive rubber anymore, the spilled coffee, the change rattling, etc. The trucks now look so identical with their new ARBs and new Revos it's kinda comical. I'll be subscribing to Good Housekeeping magazine soon....
DougM
