Ongoing Review of Revo 2 LT Load E

[kowski49]

No spare huh? Sounds like you're all good if you're near your trailer. Hell, you've potentially got 3 spares if you're near the trailer!
I'll do some measuring and see if the Revo will fit. Traveling without a spare makes me feel weird. My wife's BMW came with run-flats and doesn't have a spare; it just doesn't feel right.
In regards to your other dilemma…
Buying 7 Revos would be a decent chunk of change and I would think you'd be ok throwing a smaller one on as a spare. If you do change all 7 tires you'd have no problem selling the low mileage tires to help recoup some of the cost.

Good luck with that vodka!

 

[JB.]

I read this thread multiple times while researching tires

Man, you deserve a medal.:ranger:

Does the revo fit under the truck?

Any 265/70/17 tire should fit easily. Mine fits easily even though stock spare was 265/65/17 (4th gen).

 

[kowski49]

Man, you deserve a medal.:ranger:



Any 265/70/17 tire should fit easily. Mine fits easily even though stock spare was 265/65/17 (4th gen).

Haha yeah, very in depth review…
Thanks for the info, I'll pick up a spare hopefully before I head back to the Nat'l Forest later this month.
I should mention, I did manage to make a hole in one of these tires. I think it happened when I went camping in the Ouachita Nat'l Forest about a month ago. I drove over lots of sharp rocks and fallen pine trees. I only aired down to about 23psi (I hadn't bought my compressor yet and to drive 20 highway miles to air back up); maybe lower pressure would've prevented it.

3 weeks after the initial trip, I noticed the rear passenger tire was about 10psi low before I went on a 2nd camping trip. Aired it back up and hit the road. I stopped to check pressures several times on my 3.5 hour drive and it held steady; held steady all weekend. 2 weeks later, the night before another road trip the same tire was 10 or so psi low. Dropped it off at Firestone and they patched it. They couldn't tell me what caused the hole, but obviously a very slow leak.

 

[JB.]

Haha yeah, very in depth review…
Thanks for the info, I'll pick up a spare hopefully before I head back to the Nat'l Forest later this month.
I should mention, I did manage to make a hole in one of these tires. I think it happened when I went camping in the Ouachita Nat'l Forest about a month ago. I drove over lots of sharp rocks and fallen pine trees. I only aired down to about 23psi (I hadn't bought my compressor yet and to drive 20 highway miles to air back up); maybe lower pressure would've prevented it.

3 weeks after the initial trip, I noticed the rear passenger tire was about 10psi low before I went on a 2nd camping trip. Aired it back up and hit the road. I stopped to check pressures several times on my 3.5 hour drive and it held steady; held steady all weekend. 2 weeks later, the night before another road trip the same tire was 10 or so psi low. Dropped it off at Firestone and they patched it. They couldn't tell me what caused the hole, but obviously a very slow leak.

Between the two, I'd guess it was the fallen trees. I'm always extra careful when I have to do that.

Still, the only flats I've ever had came from man made objects (those were on the BFGs).

Sorry about the leak. That stuff is pretty random, but it's a natural reaction to wonder about the tires after getting one. Hope you're still liking them. Just remember that you're running a tire that performs well off-pavement while retaining maximal braking capability on-pavement (you know, for those deer that love to surprise you on the way home).

 

[AKmoney]

This is a phenomenal review [MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION]. You must sit at home and make Excel spreadsheets just like I do.

Since you spend a lot of time in the desert and I suspect you use your truck in much the same way I do (and will) use mine, I was wondering if you could comment on a couple aspects of the Revos in comparison to the BFG A/T KOs:

- Noise
- On-pavement handling, straight-line tracking at highway speeds
- Any differences in fuel economy
- Rain/wet performance (a buddy of mine has the BFGs on his Disco and he describes them as "scary" in the rain)

I'm looking into going 265/70/17 on all five wheels and these two tires are pretty interesting to me (Load C on the BFG, Load E on the Revo). The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 is another one; it's offered in both "C" and "E", although from what I've been able to determine, the "C" version weighs the same as the "E" at 50lbs. The fact that the Revo is an "E" rated tire at sub-50lbs makes it very interesting. Unsprung weight is thy enemy.

 

[JB.]

Since you spend a lot of time in the desert and I suspect you use your truck in much the same way I do (and will) use mine, I was wondering if you could comment on a couple aspects of the Revos in comparison to the BFG A/T KOs:

- Noise
- On-pavement handling, straight-line tracking at highway speeds
- Any differences in fuel economy
- Rain/wet performance (a buddy of mine has the BFGs on his Disco and he describes them as "scary" in the rain)

Since the easiest and most vivid comparison when getting new tires is a comparison of the new with old (as in right before the old were taken off), I'm not all that confident in the accuracy of my memory of new vs new, especially since I paid much closer attention to the performance of the Revos than I did the BFGs (the KOs were my first all-terrain tire and I knew nothing about tires at the time). As far as any new tire attributes that could be compared against the worn-out BFGs in even a remotely fair way, the much crisper turn-in on the Revos was really noticeable. Load E vs Load C is an unfair comparison, but I presume a not insignificant portion of that was also the cap ply and general tread area construction.

With that said, I'll attempt your list:

- Noise - The Revos are exceptional. Even new vs new, I'm confident saying they're definitely more quiet than the BFG.
- On-pavement handling, straight-line tracking at highway speeds - Revos are still perfect at 60k+. I developed a tire(s) caused pull on the BFGs somewhere around 40k. Both tires were rotated on schedule but the BFGs were rotated same side per the manual. Revos were cross rotated.
- Any differences in fuel economy - I presume so but didn't track it closely enough to be able say.
- Rain/wet performance (a buddy of mine has the BFGs on his Disco and he describes them as "scary" in the rain) - No problems with the Revos. Can't honestly comment much about the BFGs in that department. They didn't see much wet pavement.

The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 is another one; it's offered in both "C" and "E", although from what I've been able to determine, the "C" version weighs the same as the "E" at 50lbs.

After 2 email requests over more than a month, I was finally able to get a reply from them. The weights are 47 and 50 (C and E).

The fact that the Revo is an "E" rated tire at sub-50lbs makes it very interesting. Unsprung weight is thy enemy.

I originally wrote 47lbs but it's actually 46. Yes, I love being able to get a load E that light. It's a significant differentiator for me. Since they've proven themselves off-pavement, I'm heavily leaning towards getting them again at this point. In addition to the excellent direct feedback on all surfaces, I like knowing that day-to-day emergency stopping ability is maximized. It's a hard combination to beat for my use.

 

[AKmoney]

Very valuable feedback, thanks again. Since I plan to stay *relatively* light on my truck, ie no steel bumpers or gigantic roof rack, I think Load "C" tires will probably be fine, but if I can get "E" with zero weight penalty... The main motivation for me would be sidewall durability. How warm and fuzzy will I feel as my teeth are rattling out driving down the washboard on Racetrack Road in Death Valley? At the same time, most of the miles driven in the truck will be the drive *to* Death Valley on pavement so some semblance of crisp turn-in and a lack of high-pitched singing at 75mph is also appreciated.

I made an expensive mistake going to Silent Armors in "P" grade, stock size a year ago, so the next time I do this I'd like to get it right. What I really need right now is for one of those "Buy One, get a $70 Rebate Card" promos that tire companies do every few months...

 

[JB.]

VThe main motivation for me would be sidewall durability. How warm and fuzzy will I feel as my teeth are rattling out driving down the washboard on Racetrack Road in Death Valley? At the same time, most of the miles driven in the truck will be the drive *to* Death Valley on pavement so some semblance of crisp turn-in and a lack of high-pitched singing at 75mph is also appreciated.

As I'm guessing you might agree, there are conditions where you are amazed to make it through without a shredded tire, regardless of what tire is being run. Each tire has seen plenty of that. Having yet to experience an off road flat, my feeling now is that airing down is such a dominant part of the equation, that concerns over toughness are sometimes given too much weight.

 

[Titanpat57]

Very valuable feedback, thanks again. Since I plan to stay *relatively* light on my truck, ie no steel bumpers or gigantic roof rack, I think Load "C" tires will probably be fine, but if I can get "E" with zero weight penalty... The main motivation for me would be sidewall durability. How warm and fuzzy will I feel as my teeth are rattling out driving down the washboard on Racetrack Road in Death Valley? At the same time, most of the miles driven in the truck will be the drive *to* Death Valley on pavement so some semblance of crisp turn-in and a lack of high-pitched singing at 75mph is also appreciated.

I made an expensive mistake going to Silent Armors in "P" grade, stock size a year ago, so the next time I do this I'd like to get it right. What I really need right now is for one of those "Buy One, get a $70 Rebate Card" promos that tire companies do every few months...

I don't know that you would notice the difference between a C and E....outside of less chance of puncture with an E. You can also air down a little less with an E rated tire. I've never done it (long range washboard driving), but would you drop down some psi's to tone down the ride on those areas?

 

[AKmoney]

I don't know that you would notice the difference between a C and E....outside of less chance of puncture with an E. You can also air down a little less with an E rated tire. I've never done it (long range washboard driving), but would you drop down some psi's to tone down the ride on those areas?

I think as far as C vs. E, it comes down to the tire choice. I'd never get the BFGs or Cooper AT3s in E grade because they're too heavy compared to their C grade counterparts and don't offer enough (perceived?) additional puncture resistance for the weight penalty. But the Revos in E weigh the same, or maybe even a little less than the other two in C, so if I can combine that with decent on-road manners then it becomes compelling.
[MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION] could be on to something. And you haven't experienced a washboard road until you've driven to The Racetrack in Death Valley...

 

[AKmoney]

[MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION], you've sealed my fate. I emptied my wallet at America's Tire today and my truck is now equipped with five LT265/70/17 Bridgestone Revo 2s. Initial impressions are positive; there's little if any perceptible change in ride quality and noise at ~70mph is barely detectible. I hope to get my truck out onto the dirt prior to my trip to Moab in early April. Sliders are on the way from White Knuckle... This truck is setting my retirement back slowly but surely.

 

[JB.]

...my truck is now equipped with five LT265/70/17 Bridgestone Revo 2s. Initial impressions are positive; there's little if any perceptible change in ride quality and noise at ~70mph is barely detectible.

Hope you like 'em. Let us know.

As it happens, the tires have been used unusually hard in recent weeks so at the moment I'm feeling particularly confident of their trail worthiness.

 

[AKmoney]

Hope you like 'em. Let us know.

As it happens, the tires have been used unusually hard in recent weeks so at the moment I'm feeling particularly confident of their trail worthiness.

What pressure do you run on the street? The guys at the tire shop mindlessly set the pressure to 32 psi, which of course would be correct for the stock P - metric rubber. I pumped them up to 42 but the ride is a touch harsh; I may back off a bit.

I still can't believe how quiet they are. Definitely less noise than the Goodyear Silent armors (which didn't live up to their name, frankly).

 

[JB.]

What pressure do you run on the street? The guys at the tire shop mindlessly set the pressure to 32 psi, which of course would be correct for the stock P - metric rubber. I pumped them up to 42 but the ride is a touch harsh; I may back off a bit.

I still can't believe how quiet they are. Definitely less noise than the Goodyear Silent armors (which didn't live up to their name, frankly).

35-36psi for 2 1/2 seasons or so, then add a couple when it starts to get real warm and a couple more in the dead of summer.

Yeah, they seem quieter than they have a right to be for the level of tread aggression. It's an interesting tread pattern approach that trades center void for shoulder void which perhaps aids the low noise level. It works out well because when aired down off-road the shoulder voids come into play a little more when you need them.

I've looked at a few other ATs in roughly the same aggression category that have narrower shoulder voids but use a scalloped approach for shoulder traction. When running my hand along the shoulder bend, though, they never feel as aggressive as the Revos do. Of course, most of those tires have more void in the center so Revo should feel more aggressive in the shoulder to keep pace. Overall, it seems like a pattern that works very well.

Example vs a Nitto Terra Grappler in P-metric that I parked next to once. It doesn't really look like the Nitto has more center void but it very well might on the LT version.

 

[JB.]

Following up on post #4 -- stone retention dropped quite a bit shortly after that post. The dropoff occurred at about 12/32 inches (9.5mm) or a little less of tread depth. Pics are in chronological order with top pic being 2 rotations after post #4 and the bottom pic being the last rotation a few days ago. For each picture, the tires had at least 100 miles accumulated off-pavement. The tread is currently at about 8/32 inches or slightly less (6mm).

I have no idea how much the average AT picks up and retains stones, but seeing, firsthand, the effect that tread depth has on the process has been interesting. I think I'm less persuaded now the the Revo 2 picks up any more stones than the average AT, especially after 12/32s of tread depth has been reached.

 

[AKmoney]

I just returned from an ~1800 mile round trip to Moab, UT. No issues with these tires whatsoever. I find that running them at 40-42psi, while perhaps not the softest, has pretty decent road manners. I aired them down to about 30psi while offroad and they worked great crawling on the rocks or through deep, soft sand. Highway mpg was about 17 or so, despite UT highway conditions (75-80mph speed limits, strong crosswinds, steep mountain passes).

Link to my trip:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/166144-quick-moab-report-lotsa-pics.html

 

[JB.]

I just returned from an ~1800 mile round trip to Moab, UT. No issues with these tires whatsoever. I find that running them at 40-42psi, while perhaps not the softest, has pretty decent road manners. I aired them down to about 30psi while offroad and they worked great crawling on the rocks or through deep, soft sand. Highway mpg was about 17 or so, despite UT highway conditions (75-80mph speed limits, strong crosswinds, steep mountain passes).

Link to my trip:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/166144-quick-moab-report-lotsa-pics.html

Thanks for the link, good stuff.

Looks like the truck performed well. Glad you seem pleased with the tires.

If 30psi gave you all the traction you needed that's great. Was the reason for not going lower because of wanting maximum clearance?

 

[AKmoney]

Thanks for the link, good stuff.

Looks like the truck performed well. Glad you seem pleased with the tires.

If 30psi gave you all the traction you needed that's great. Was the reason for not going lower because of wanting maximum clearance?

To be honest I wasn't being particularly scientific about it... There was a big-ish group of people, I didn't want to cause too many delays fine-tuning tire pressure, I just figured, "Hmm, let's try 30". My truck isn't lifted that much (only 1.5"/0.75" over stock) so now that you mention it, I probably wouldn't want to go much lower.

 

[JB.]

I'm not lifted at all but I'm thoroughly spoiled by the comfort and traction of low psi. About midway between 15-20psi is my go to pressure.

Be forewarned. If you ever try it, you may become spoiled too.

 

[AKmoney]

I'll try going lower next time. I need to get out to Anza Borrego or Death Valley soon before it gets too hot...