bridgestone d693 range

Howdy
My LT697's have 80,000 k's on them with maybe another 5 to 10,000 left and I've been very happy with them. But having said that I too am switching to the Toyo AT2's after the Bridgestones - have got a few friends running the Toyo AT2's and they are all commenting on how good they are in all aspects.

Time will tell I guess

All the best
Gazz

Hi Gazz

The trouble we me is I never ever run my tyres right down, so I will never ever know the true life. I always replace my tyres when they go over the 50% mark, as most of my travel is on outback tracks and the last thing you want is tyre damage from a worn tyre.

Judging by my tyre wear, 30k saw me use more than 50% on my tread depth and was hoping to get near the 40k mark for 50% wear.

At this stage the new Toyo's are just as good as the old 697's in LT construction. Another thing I should have also said, was that there is greater tread depth on the new Toyo's over the Bridgestone which could count for the longer tyre life.



Cheers



Stephen

G'day Stephen

I know where you are coming from.

I, like I'm sure many on here have learned the hard way, by putting your old tyres on when heading bush thinking if you ruin one or two it's not such a big loss - but when you have totally wrecked the two old tyres you are stuffed. I quickly learnt that the newer the tyre with more tread had way less chance of letting you down when the going gets tough !

I now won't let anyone come on my trips with less than 50 to 60 percent good tread left - certainly has saved a lot of headaches and time. I now run two sets of wheels with the best set for heading away.

Load rating - this is another thing I learned about the hard way - I don't think some people put enough research into this as it also has a big affect on tyre life, punctures etc.


Happy and safe tyre trouble free travelling

Gazz

Did anyone actually answer your question?

Hi Bazooka

Not quite sure where you got your pricing from, but here in South Australia, the Bridgestone are more that $100 dearer than the Toyo AT 2, with a lower load rating and less tread .

So from where I am sitting, the Toyo's can not be beaten for value by Bridgestone.


Cheers



Stephen

How much is a 265 70 16 Toyo in SA Stephen?

Hi Bazooka

I can not give you the price on that size, but for my Prado with 265/65R17 in LT construction, the Bridgestone was $350 per tyre from the Bridgestone dealer and an independent dealer here in Clare got me the new Toyo AT2 for $240 per tyre, fitted, balanced and no more to pay, so it was a no Brainer what tyre to go for.

So with $110 per tyre cheaper, higher load rating, deeper tread and made in Japan, why would I go back to a Bridgestone?



Cheers



Stephen

Thanks Stephen. I asked because size (and location) can make a huge difference in price so both our generalisations should be taken precisely as that. $240 for that size sounds unbeatable. Tyresales have the same size D697 LT for $240 where I am and $270 in SA so I think your BS rep was having a lend.

In my response I was looking only at advertised prices (ie not ringing around) for typical tyres for my own vehicle - because David provided no info about his. Both 245 and 265 70 16 D697 are about $100 cheaper than the AT2, although that was countered by the current 4 for 3 offer for the Toyos at Tyresales.

As most know price depends on where you shop and how prepared you are beforehand. Some outlets favour certain brands, presumably because they get better deals from suppliers. It pays to check online and ring around when you have a good idea of best advertised prices. Good tyre places will quickly tell you if they can match or better a price. When I bought my 265 D697s the Bridgestone retail outlets couldn't get near Bob Jane.

Basically my post was simply a suggestion that David shop around. Our separate experiences show just how true that is.

Hi Bazooka

When I purchased my tyres, there was no 4 for the price of 3 deal, so you can see that was not a reason why I also went for the Toyo. As I have said, I have been using the Bridgestone on my Prado for the past 8 years and have been very happy with their performance, but not the way they wear.

At around the 30k mark, they were well worn more than 50%, when I was hoping to get that same wear at around the 40k mark.


From all reports, the new Toyo AT 2 seem to be a better tyre and these are reports from people like me that have swapped over from the 697's.



Cheers



Stephen

I'll certainly put the Toyos on the possibles list for my next replacements Stephen, esp if they are still Japanese factory made.

My BS' have never given the super long life that some people claim, but I replace them according to the wear indicators. I've found that 70-80K is their limit. Can only think that some people have extremely good luck, or they push the boundaries. Another negative for the Duelers which doesn't get much comment is their 2WD blacktop wet ability. Might be vehicle related but the 697 feels much better than the 694 on my Jackaroo in those conditions.