Bridgestone Duelers – slick at -30 !!!

Clappr · December 21, 2004

The temp dropped to a numbing -30 up here in North East and once again I find myself wrestling to keep the truck between the mailboxes. The tires will break loose under very little acceleration.

I’ve driven many of trucks and SUV’s with different tire makes, and never have I had to focus 100% on not crashing on bone dry pavement.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Do you think it is the tire compound that loses its pliability?

…

thanks ahead of time for the comments….

Air Biscuit · December 21, 2004

Doesn't get to -30 around here so couldn't really say. Might be more useful for the rest of us if you could tell us which particular version of Dueler you have. Lots of folks on the board have some sort of stock Dueler as OEM tires and many of us have replaced out OEM with Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos. I believe there are a number of other Dueler Mud/Ice/etc tires, too.

I have the Revos. I expect to be in the -20 range over Christmas so I hope they don't harden up too bad.

The temp dropped to a numbing -30 up here in North East and once again I find myself wrestling to keep the truck between the mailboxes. The tires will break loose under very little acceleration.

I’ve driven many of trucks and SUV’s with different tire makes, and never have I had to focus 100% on not crashing on bone dry pavement.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Do you think it is the tire compound that loses its pliability?

…

thanks ahead of time for the comments….

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yukon04 · December 21, 2004

It was a relatively warm -2 here in MI today, however I am having to opposite experience. Maybe it will change as it gets colder, but my soon to be changed duelers stick surprisingly well. Checked the pressure??

Wingnut · December 21, 2004

Best tires I ever had in ice were the Big O "dual groove" AT tires. Lasted about 60k miles until I sold them, and I bet they would have lasted another 15 to 20k. This is when I lived in Denver, and made very frequent snowboarding trips up through the pass. They don't look it, but they sure stuck like glue (compared to the BFGs they replaced anyway) on the ice.

Big O.

100R1 · December 21, 2004

Hell it does not even get to +30° F. here,

But when the wind whips up and blows the beach sand on the road, People from north of the mason dixon line (d**n yankees!) say it's like driving on black ice.

Ah Yes Now I remember, I need to put sun tan lotion on my santa wish list.

* just thought I would rub it in a little, I don't know how you guys can take the cold like you do.

> rubber compounds change with temperature. some are engineered for better traction in cold weather than others. Remember that there will allways be a compromise in which direction they are compounded.

Hope you keep it between the lines!

Clappr · December 21, 2004

Great points guys! I agree that tire pressure, specific compound, and also physical road temp. will make a difference.

Everything has a freezing temp; any clue as to what the average freezing temp of tire rubber? Today it was *only* -20 and the tires were perfectly normal.

Maybe I should follow suit and put sun tan lotion on my Christmas list and head south!

budhayes3 · December 21, 2004

Hell it does not even get to +30° F. here,

But when the wind whips up and blows the beach sand on the road, People from north of the mason dixon line (d**n yankees!) say it's like driving on black ice.

Ah Yes Now I remember, I need to put sun tan lotion on my santa wish list.

* just thought I would rub it in a little, I don't know how you guys can take the cold like you do.

Hope you keep it between the lines!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's some good stuff ...as far as dealing with the cold, I bundle my ass up! It was about 6* last night and frickin windy. You won't catch me without a hat on my head in the winter (I don't have anything else on top but peach fuzz!)

Mighty HD · December 22, 2004

It was a relatively warm -2 here in MI today, however I am having to opposite experience. Maybe it will change as it gets colder, but my soon to be changed duelers stick surprisingly well. Checked the pressure??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

-2 warm? WTF!!!! -30? My goodness that's fawkin cold man! Does the truck even start?

It gets 30-40deg here and we're about to die. Heaters are running full blast --trying to keep it 72-75 in the house, let the truck warm up for 30 min to get the heat roaring....whew...

ronterry · December 22, 2004

I have a set of Big'O's' (Not 'wingnut's model though, but I'm still in Colorado ), and I hear you on the grip-less characteristics. Like you, it was like driving on ice! I forget the outside temps, but it was pretty cold. I think a couple of factors I figured that were to blame; 1. The Torque/HP increase from the denser air, 2. Tire PRESSURE, and 3. The compound of the tire was much more rigid.

Driving around that day was like having a flat tire, in fact after fish tailing through a turn, I pulled over assuming I MUST have a flat! But no every thing was up, but in fact I was driving with who knows what tire pressure in all my tires.

I was running 35psi or so, at about 60°, so you can imagine the pressure in the tire when temps where sub zero.

Yea-yea very low for E rated tires. I since bumped them up to 45psi.