Goodyear Fortera TripleTred Review

[Buckfever]

I was at 54K on the stock Bridgestone Dueler HT and the performance in the snow has really fallen off. My primary was performance in the snow and ice, in an all season tire and my initial inclination was towards an All Terrain tire. But thinking on it some I realized that mostly I was thinking about the boss look of an aggressive tread and not what my realistic needs are. And while I do take the 4Runner when I hunt, except for digging out of a rough snow covered parking area or parking on the side of a road, I really don't do any off roading. So while I was initially leaning towards the Wrangler Silent Armours or the Michellin LTX A/T2 and believe me I'd still like to try both, realizing my actual needs I extended the search to All Season Highway tires and that's where the Goodyear Fortera Triple Tred entered. So with those three I looked at pricing and availability and truth be told if Sam's club had the Michellins in stock it would have been a harder decision, but at $810 out the door for 4 Fortera TripleTreds, plus a $40 rebate an hour and a half later, they were on the 4Runner.

Now a bit of bias entered into this. I have wanted to try these tires since I first saw them. I do think they look boss, so the kid in me did have a hand in this after all.

Now there are some issues with these tires going into it. One is treadwear. Now I haven't followed the tire over time, I don't know if there have been any changes, but there have been sporadic reports of less than favorable treadwear. So the price here did make this purchase a little more palatable as I was looking at $175 more for the Michellins.

Secondly there was a issue of noise, but then I think that when considering the primary objective of ice/snow performance, that was going to be somewhat of a given regardless of choice.

Finally gas mileage, time will tell of course just how much of a hit these tires will cause, but with this kind of aggressive tread pattern, I'm expecting it, but would have with any of my choices, but maybe moreso here.

Now these are just my initial impressions.
Ice/Hardpack performance:
I had the opportunity to test the performance on ice/hard pack snow extensively and the performance is absolutely amazing, exceeding my expectations. I was hard pressed to get the ABS to kick in, short of slamming on the brakes on ice, traction control never kicked in. Now keep in mind I am probably a comparitively conservative driver, so your results may vary.

Noise:
No doubt about it the noise level is higher although it very quickly went unnoticed as a faint white background hum. I will test this at higher highway speeds and report back.

Dry Pavement Handling:
This is not why I bought the tire, but it is absolutely mentally re****ed. It completely changes the responsiviness of the vehicle. That sidewall must be some kind of firm, combined with the aggressiveness of the tread pattern and perhaps the squareness of footprint, the responsiveness on dry pavement is markedly improved. It's a double edge sword though and I can also tell right off that the tires don't roll as freely. And while I know it's anecdotal, IMO it's going to take more to get to speed and if you have a heavy foot, it's going to cost you some MPGs.

Yet to be determined:
Wet pavement and Deep Snow Traction.

I am a little bit concerned about the deep snow traction and here in NE, IL we get every iteration, deep powdery, deep heavy etc, we'll see how it goes. I think to an extent, you do your research but then it still feels like a crap shoot at some point you just got to pull the trigger.

For sure though I'm having a lot of fun with this purchase. I'll get some pics up here in the next few.

 

[Thai]

Thank you...very good detailed review!!

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Good review, looking forward to more details as you learn them.

Did you use stock or go one size up?


:cheers:

 

[Buckfever]

Good review, looking forward to more details as you learn them.

Did you use stock or go one size up?


:cheers:

I went stock 265 65R17 which was another reason I jumped on them as they weren't regularly available at Sam's in that size. Sears had them but they were $176 more there. I do have this question in my mind about the degree of impact on MPG, so I wanted to keep them the same and quite frankly I hadn't considered the issues of going up in size.

Today we had a 1-2" coating of the fresh stuff, it's cold here 9 degrees so I got to test them a bit more. Clearly these are the kind of conditions this tire was designed for. And I won't kid you, they are really loud in these conditions, you can hear the tires just digging in:

Here a look at the tread:

The cornering ability in these conditions, will put a smile on your face and I tested the impact of lane changes from one snow rut to another and it was real smooth, but again these are the optimal conditions for this design, not the deep snow testing that will really tell me something. I want to see if the lack of give of the sidewall gives problems with manuevering in deeper snow ruts. I did test it a little bit by taking the one side off the shoulder onto some rougher snow covered hard pack and it was good but just not enough testing to form an opinion. Stopping ability even hard braking on unplowed side streets, from 30mph hard enough to engage the ABS, the tires just dig in.

My concern remains how they will performs in the deep heavy wet stuff, really whether the stiffness of the sidewall and the squareness of the design, works in those conditions. So far the tread design has not disappointed.

 

[MAC4Runner]

I've had a similar experience Buck. Keep in mind I'm running these tires on my MDX, but I would agree with everything Buck states in his post, however I did not notice any noise increase from the stock Michelin CTs. Anyone looking for great all-weather performance (rain, snow, ice, etc.) should seriously consider this tire.

See my initial review here.

Enjoy the new rubber. :bigok:

 

[Buckfever]

Had the opportunity to test the noise level at some higher speeds on dry pavement today. Again keep in mind that this is relative to the Dueler HT. While in general they are a touch louder on dry pavement it's pretty much a non issue until 73 mph at which point if you tend to be nuerotic about such things, I'm sure it would drive you nuts. I tested this multiple times from my typical cruising speed of 68 and bringing it up to 73. Even at 70 not a marked increase, but time and again at 73 the noise ramps up markedly. It doesn't bother me a lick, but I certainly can appreciate that someone wanting a smooth quiet ride at higher speeds, for all but the winter months, might be better served by dropping a grand on designated winter tires mounted on some inexpensive rims.

As far as the hardpack snow/ice performance I continue to be blown away.

"So much so, that I'm putting the passenger version of these, the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred on my wife's 325xi."

Well it turns out that the seped rating on the Assurance Triple Tred is not right for the 325xi. I'll need a different solution for that, maybe a designated winter tire/wheel package.

Still waiting on the deep snow. I'll report back with the deep snow performance impressions, when it comes.

 

[Buckfever]

While this is slightly off topic it still strikes me as somewhat relevant. After a lot of research I went ahead and ordered a winter wheel and tire package for my wife's BMW 325xi. I got the Blizzak WS-60 which is pretty highly rated as a designated snow/ice tire mounted on some inexpensive wheels, commonly used and recommended for that model. The BMW is all wheel drive but I think it is like 65/35 so it won't be a straight up comparison, but the frame is pretty stiff and it should give me at least a taste of what a designated winter tire does, compared to an all season with a snowflake rating. The package from Tire rack with the tires and wheels mounted and balanced(Free) and shipped came to $826.20. Hell I paid that just for tires.

A lot of this whole thing for me came about when she wiped out here recent. No harm came of it, but we've had a lot of snow in recent years so this whole area of consideration has definitely been elevated.

 

[cmb]

My tire choice front runner so far is the Wrangler AT/S in- C -range.I'll sure be watchin' your updates though, the dealer where I'll buy, sells both models.

 

[THEREED]

Fortera Triple Tread

I just purchased a used 2006 runner SE V8 that has the Triple Treads on it. I was skeptical at first as I previously had BF Goodrich AT KO's on my prior vehicle a GMC Yukon and those have a much more visible aggressive tread.

I can pretty much "second that" from Buck on his review with the exception of noise where I find them to be very quiet.

In a nutshell they have MUCH more snow and ice traction than I would have guessed but they absolutely handle excellant. Combine those with the XREAS suspension and V8 and I feel as though I am in a sports car on the road.

We just got 14" of snow and I was out in it all day. THe tires have GREAT straightline traction and the only major difference from other more agressive tires in snow was that the Fortera's have less lateral traction.

Overall, if you have traditionally been more of a all terrain or aggressive tread person even though the bulk of your driving is on the road, I would DEFINITELY add these to your list. They have a very cool look and the performance is exceptional!

 

[Buckfever]

Well I had the day off so I took a drive out to Starved Rock about a 225 mile round trip. Mostly driven at 73, I go 8 over in a 65. Really my first extended ride on dry pavement and I was well pleased by the noise levels or I should say lack of noise. As loud as they are in the wet and especially in the snow, these tires are really quiet on dry pavement. Now the tires do let you feel the bumps, but the tires really make for a much more relaxing highway drive as the vehicle just feels so much more responsive. Even with heavy cross winds the vehicle "feels" more stable.

I don't know about the treadwear, the MPGs or the deep snow performance yet, but so far these tires have exceeded my expectations.

 

[Buckfever]

So the Blizzak WS-60 tires/wheels came in today. Took me about 45 minutes to install them, the first one the wheel was froze so that took a while for me to figure how to pop that one off. I used the spare jack and did one tire at a time, once I got the hang of it I flew through it. I thought the spare jack worked great. Torqued them all to 85-90Ft/lbs, visually just under 90ft/lbs. And a little test drive in the ice/ hard pack snow. The traction on these is just ridiculous. I then took out my V8 4x4 4 Runner immediately after to compare the Fortera TripleTred and it was a clear advantage to the Blizzak WS-60s. The Blizzaks just bite tenaciously. The idea that with a small investment one can turn their 325xi into a vehicle that exceeds the Ice/Hardpack capabilites of the 4X4 4Runner running an all season tire, with a Mountain/Snowflake severe weather rating, is pretty impressive and a great comfort. The value of designated winter tires/wheels for the BMW, for our harsh winters here in NE, IL is IMO profound, severely and immediately, exceeding expectations. IMO the BMW went from a lousy to a very capable, winter weather vehicle.

I also drove a bit on the dry pavement and the ride isn't near as spongy as I thought it would be. For sure though the Blizzaks, are extremely loud in the snow, even louder than the Tripletreds, but I view this as a small price to pay for the phenomenal snow/ice performance. I am curious to see the deep snow performance of thses tires.

Kudos to TireRack for the speedy delivery.

I just need to pick up some BMW centercaps to change out those out when I pull them off in the Spring. I'll get some pics up soon, it was too dark by the time I finished up this evening.

 

[4dailyRunner]

TRIPLE Tread

Hello:

I have about 35k on these tires. Our '03 has 88k miles on it.

I have good experiences with them as well. I LOVE the 30 foot rooster tail in the rain. I don't recall a bad experience in the rain.

I drive on pavement 90% of the time. These are great for the environment. They hold up well.

I would want something different for mud, loose gravel, or dirt.

4dr

 

[Mirlen]

I went with 4 of these tires on the wifes Honda Pilot to replace the factory tires. I had hoped that they would help reduce the body roll on the Pilot and they did. They seem to have a much stiffer sidewall vs. the stock tires since they are a light truck tire.

So far the wife reports they're working pretty well in the snow, I haven't driven on them much since I'm all giddy to drive the 4Runner any time it snows (Still stock Dunlops on there)

I'm not sure I want to put them on my 4Runner but only because I would like to eventually start my mods for a more aggressive look and off-road ability but I'm still a mall-crawler right now but am getting the itch to go somewhere...alas with the downturn of the economy came an elimination of my job and well, the hopes of doing mods are gone...oh and 2 more kids on the way too...OY!

So anyhow, I think I'd give these a thumbs up for a daily driver that would see little off-road driving and for someone who wants some decent snow traction but doesn't want to go with a dedicated winter tire. Be aware that the tread pattern is directional so you won't be able to rotate these side-to-side.

 

[Buckfever]

Curb Jumping

Ever since I've gotten the 4Runner I've developed this nasty habit of running the one side of the truck up and over curbs. Now I haven't had much occassion recently with all the snow accumulation till here recent I was picking up my daughter from school and the curb was clear, so up and over I went. But boy did the the tires complain, they did not like that at all and let out an ugly screetch. That is not a habit these tires will support and a clear indication of the lack of offroad prowess.

 

[jmorabito25]

Buckfever - how many miles do you have on them now? Have you noticed any treadwear at this point? I am contemplating on putting this on my 05 SE 4x4 vs the Dueler HL Alenzas.

 

[Buckfever]

Buckfever - how many miles do you have on them now? Have you noticed any treadwear at this point? I am contemplating on putting this on my 05 SE 4x4 vs the Dueler HL Alenzas.

I'm at 63682 so just under 10K, no appreciable wear visible:

I remain extremely pleased.

 

[martini]

I had these tires for about 20K miles on my '99 4Runner. I had two problems with them though, first they never balanced. I must have had the tires balanced 5 times, and one or two alignments done while I had the tires and they never balanced. My steering wheel would always vibrate at highway speeds. Second constantly lost air pressure, so I had to put air in the tires.

I liked the tires excepts for the vibrations, because of that alone I'm extremely hesitant to put them back on a 4Runner.

 

[Toyodas]

Any updates?

Hey Buckfever any updates on the treadlife of your GY Fortera Triple Treds?

The reason I'm asking is because my GYFTT's are at the wearbars or 2/32's" on all four and less than 34,000 miles and not even three years old.

Fellow T4R.org members please avoid this tire. Complete garbage from Goodyear if you ask me considering they are Goodyear's premium SUV all-season tire.

I would have been happy to at least get 50,000 miles on them but that was not the case. I had my set rotated/balanced a total of 4 times every 7,500 miles. And since this is a directional tire and you can only rotate front to back and vise-versa, mine wore out quicker on the "V" area of tread and towards the inner wheel shoulder. The outter tread was low, at 4/32's" but not at low as the center and inner tread (both at wear bars).

These tires were excellent all-season tires before 25,000 miles. After that they were a nightmare and almost like pure slicks in inclement weather.

I'm glad Sam's club, where I purchased them, were easy to deal with when it came to the prorated warranty and I was able to get back $80 per tire towards the purchase of 4 Michelin LTX MS2's. I'm still awaiting their arrival from being ordered and in the meantime I drive very S-L-O-W especially when it is wet out. But when the roads are dry these tires have phenomenal grip even with low tread I can take corners like a Grand Prix motorcycle racer.

I should have just avoided the hype with the GYFTT's and stuck with what I have had great service with in the past, Michelin LTX MS. Hopefully the next generation MS2's are even better than the originals.

 

[ToolmanJohn]

I'm getting another set of Triple Treds

I have just over 65,000 miles on mine and they are down to the wear bars, looks like they wear almost exactly what they're rated for (60,000). Going to the local tire place this morning and getting another 4.

These tire have been great for me. I had one leak from a screw puncture at work, and I was able to drive to the repair shop and they patched it (several years ago). They have always performed well in dry and wet weather. I almost never drove them in the snow as I use a a dedicated set of winter tires (Blizzaks) for 3-4 months.

I was contemplating getting the Conti Cross Contact LX or Michelin LTX , but decided since these gave no issues, might as well stick with what I know. THis time around I'll get the stock size tire . The first time, the tires were so new to the SUV market they weren't available in stock size. I ended up with a slightly oversized tire (31") and it does rub under a hard turn and the front tire hits a bump . No damage though just noise.

 

[rebelbowtie]

Hey Buckfever any updates on the treadlife of your GY Fortera Triple Treds?

The reason I'm asking is because my GYFTT's are at the wearbars or 2/32's" on all four and less than 34,000 miles and not even three years old.

Fellow T4R.org members please avoid this tire. Complete garbage from Goodyear if you ask me considering they are Goodyear's premium SUV all-season tire.

I would have been happy to at least get 50,000 miles on them but that was not the case. I had my set rotated/balanced a total of 4 times every 7,500 miles. And since this is a directional tire and you can only rotate front to back and vise-versa, mine wore out quicker on the "V" area of tread and towards the inner wheel shoulder. The outter tread was low, at 4/32's" but not at low as the center and inner tread (both at wear bars).

These tires were excellent all-season tires before 25,000 miles. After that they were a nightmare and almost like pure slicks in inclement weather.

I'm glad Sam's club, where I purchased them, were easy to deal with when it came to the prorated warranty and I was able to get back $80 per tire towards the purchase of 4 Michelin LTX MS2's. I'm still awaiting their arrival from being ordered and in the meantime I drive very S-L-O-W especially when it is wet out. But when the roads are dry these tires have phenomenal grip even with low tread I can take corners like a Grand Prix motorcycle racer.

I should have just avoided the hype with the GYFTT's and stuck with what I have had great service with in the past, Michelin LTX MS. Hopefully the next generation MS2's are even better than the originals.

Your tires were improperly inflated or you alignment was off. Your new tires won't do any better unless you address these issues.

And my opinion is you have a 4x4 truck, put a real all terrain tire on it, most all terrains get between 40-60,000 miles and handle comparable to all seasons but perform much better in all other areas off the pavement.

I actually had Bridgestone Dueller HT and the Revo AT and they both pale in comparison to BFG's. I dare say I went from the Revo's to KM2's and they KM2's handled better even on wet and dry pavement than the Bridgestones and they're a dedicated mud tire...again just my .02

Also fwiw I had a few sets of Michelin LTX's on my dodge ram 2500 an other than broken belts(Michelin replaced for free) they were a great street tire.