Tire Review: Dueler A/T Revo
Bridgestone’s Dueler A/T REVO is a Tire that Does It All
by Larry Walton
Contact patches are a vehicle’s only grip on the planet, which is why “where the rubber meets the road” expresses so well the idea of what really matters.
But what rubber? There is no one answer. There is, however, an ideal tire for almost every road surface imaginable. Dry pavement, wet pavement, gravel, dirt, mud, sand, ice and snow each have their ideal tread pattern and rubber compound. For example, the perfect tire for dry pavement is a slick, which provides maximum contact to grip this surface, but it doesn’t work well for other surfaces or even when pavement gets wet.
Ice gets long spikes and soft snow gets angular ridges. For soft sand, use paddles in the back and up front a slick with a heavy ridge running around the circumference. The best mud tires have tall tread blocks with large voids.
Obviously, what is ideal for one surface does not work as well on other surfaces. This is also true of tire diameter, width, sidewall height, inflation pressure and rubber compounds.
Since our pickups operate on a variety of surface types, many of us equip them with tires that are the best possible compromise for the road surfaces we encounter, which usually means an all-terrain tire.
Bridgestone’s Dueler A/T REVO does all of the things you would expect from a good all-terrain tire. Most contractors need a year-round road tire that may see occasional off-road use and the Dueler fills the bill. The Dueler’s tread grooves are designed to handle standing water, but these grooves also have a special surface that reduces flow resistance along the groove walls, which means water moves through them more efficiently.
Long-length carbon structure makes it a tougher tire. Tire components resist cracking, chipping and tearing thus improving tread wear.
It does wear, of course, but as it wears, advanced anti-aging technologies, including an anti-hardening resin and a link stabilizing agent, help counteract the effects of heat so these tires have the flexibility needed for wet performance as they wear. Additionally, a dual-layer tread minimizes the effect of wear on wet tire performance by exposing high-grip rubber as the tire wears.
Our tests found this tire to be quiet and smooth whether the truck is empty or loaded. We tested it under heavy loads both towing and hauling and found it to be a stable tire.
The Dueler provides good traction on wet pavement, snow and moderate mud. The tread grooves tend to hold small rocks on gravel roads. Mud clean-out is not as good as a high-void mud tire, which is not unusual in an all-terrain.
As an everyday, all-around tire, Bridgestone’s Dueler A/T REVO gets the job done. It’s available in sizes from P235/65R17 to LT275/65R18. Contact: www.bridgestonetire.com.
