Anyone use Bridgestone 697's?

[Snake]

How noisy are the 697's on the highway?

[cruiser 91]

They aren't. They wear really good, good strong side wall thickness, great traction on dirt roads, rocky and rutted tracks. I find them quite good for sand as well. They don't perform well in mud though, but they are a AT.

and a bargain if you can pick them up for $250ea fitted (265/75/16)

[KingBilly]

I changed to the 697s for a trip.  Only did 8000kms, with a fair bit of dirt, but no noise at all on the long bitumen stretches.  Towed all the way.  Found them very good over all. Great grip on the loose stuff.

KB

[AdrianLR]

Another positive from me as a very good all round tyre.

[achjimmy]

Yep I am happy with the noise and grip on the 200. Wear wise I think they will struggle to make 50k.

[outbackogre]

Coming up to 60,000kms, with about 10,000 to go.  They've been good in all conditions (no mud) but on the Pajero (independent suspension all round) they have been getting noisier as they age.  Some complain of it sounding like the wheel bearings are shot.  I recently had a puncture that is deemed unrepairable by my tyre place.  It's a tiny hole (slow leak) that's just off the edge of the tread, so a bit frustrating.

[brickiematt]

Coming up to 60,000kms, with about 10,000 to go.  They've been good in all conditions (no mud) but on the Pajero (independent suspension all round) they have been getting noisier as they age.  Some complain of it sounding like the wheel bearings are shot.  I recently had a puncture that is deemed unrepairable by my tyre place.  It's a tiny hole (slow leak) that's just off the edge of the tread, so a bit frustrating.

I have found the same thing. Ours have done just on 46000ks  and are getting noisy now. 60000 will be their limit I think. Not sure if it is a Pajero thing with the independent suspension, but mine tends to go out of alignment rather quickly. The shoulders are now wearing more quickly, and I've noticed a few new chips after this weekend.
I have been happy with them, but I think I will look at other options when the time comes to change.
 

[Suncruise]

Great tyres.

Got them on the Forester and get approx 70,000km out of them (previous best tyres 45,000km) and also use the on our Landcruiser however yet to wear them out.

They are really resistant to chipping on gravel which sees lesser tyres wear quickly.

[D4D]

I have a mate with an identical Prado to mine, I run BFG AT, he runs D697. The noise difference is amazing, the cabin noise is greatly reduced on the 697s.

[fluids]

I put a set on my D-Max and have been very happy with them. Very little road noise, if any.

Was so happy with them after a few months I put a set on my Discovery2 as well ... Generally if it's being driven there's a Kamper in tow. Really pleased with them on the disco and towing, and again, no road noise issue.

Both vehicles shod with 265/70 size. Excellent off-road but have yet to tackle mud or beach. Previous tyres were Cooper ST's .... D697 are superior and quieter!

[jeeps]

I've been using them for about 3 years and have found them very good on bitumen and gravel roads. Extremely good in the wet on road.

[heath74]

Hmmm sorry to be a downer, but I've had two irreparable in 30000. One had a sidewall tear on a rocky section of road. Fair enough, but a bit dissapointing I thought, given the big sell on the LT construction and strong sidewalls.

Second one lost a tread block. YES a tread block on an AT. This was during a long outback trip towing my van.  Bridgestone would not warranty it, which I thought was very poor. It was deemed wear and tear.

Road noise is low though.

So all in all for me , never again. I'll be back to either a Mickey or a BFG

[KingBilly]

Hmmm sorry to be a downer, but I've had two irreparable in 30000. One had a sidewall tear on a rocky section of road. Fair enough, but a bit dissapointing I thought, given the big sell on the LT construction and strong sidewalls.

Second one lost a tread block. YES a tread block on an AT. This was during a long outback trip towing my van.  Bridgestone would not warranty it, which I thought was very poor. It was deemed wear and tear.

Road noise is low though.

So all in all for me , never again. I'll be back to either a Mickey or a BFG

Both of those failures could happen with any tyre.  Incorrect tyre pressure and incorrect speed are the major factors in premature tyre failures.  Not saying yours were the result of either.

KB

[heath74]

Very true KB.

However in 20 years of driving in all conditions, these are the only two tyres I've ever had that have been irrepairably damaged, and I wouldn't have thought the treatment was overly rough.

Have you ever seen a tread block come off an AT?

But that's just my experience. Perhaps I've just been unlucky.

Sorry for the sidetrack.

[RebsWA]

Quietest AT I have had, steer well and OK in wet, no chipping of tread blocks from stony roads. Good for at least 80K kms rotating all five.

[peter01]

changed to 265/70/17 from 65/17 only have had less to 100km's, fixed speedo error (was out by 5kms) and are quiet

 

[fishfinder]

Had them once never again just short of 50 000 km and had to replace due to wear. The tyres I have on now are around 90 000 and still another easy 10-15 000 left on them, same conditions & tyre pressures on both sets.

[KingBilly]

Had them once never again just short of 50 000 km and had to replace due to wear. The tyres I have on now are around 90 000 and still another easy 10-15 000 left on them, same conditions & tyre pressures on both sets.

And they are?

KB

[scott13april]

I got 80k on pajero with these tyre's, towards the end it sounded like the diff was about to explode. The inside edges get worn by the splay of independent suspension when towing, 500km will do it. Once that happens the tires get noisier and noisier. Fitting air bags/stiffer springs into rear is only way to avoid this happening. I've put khumos on afterwards and was happy with them.


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 Nn

[Beachman]

I’ve been using this tyre plus its predecessor for about 13 years and I’ve had my fair share of punctures but 99% of them were nails or screws, so that can happen to any tyre.

As for longevity I have no idea as for my tyres last as long as its not something I measure. Reason is my tyres are either doing city driving or I’m visiting small coastal towns which normally means I’m running then on 20PSI as we are either camping close by on the beach or staying in a house but doing day trips on the sand for the duration of our holiday.

So based on this I keep on buying them.

[Special K]

We run these on some of our work utes which are anywhere between Toowoomba and the Copper Basin in SA. They hold up better than the chunkier AT's  when running constantly on dirt roads, the utes are fully loaded all the time (3700 kg - 3800 kg) and we generally get around 50 000 Km but have got up to 70 000 Km out of a few sets. Not bad considering the abuse they're put through.

[KingBilly]

We run these on some of our work utes which are anywhere between Toowoomba and the Copper Basin in SA. They hold up better than the chunkier AT's  when running constantly on dirt roads, the utes are fully loaded all the time (3700 kg - 3800 kg) and we generally get around 50 000 Km but have got up to 70 000 Km out of a few sets. Not bad considering the abuse they're put through.

Now that's a pretty solid recommendation 

KB

[shanegtr]

I've run the last 3 designs of bridgy AT's over the years. I've had a few punctures with them, but for the price they are compared to other popular AT tyres (eg BFG, Cooper, Micky T etc.) I live with it easily enough.
One sidewall tear in a 693, but I was off the road pushing through scrub at the time so no 100% the tyres fault
About 2 or 3 tread punctures in 694 - all rear tyres on gravel roads in the Pilbara with the camper in tow. Tread depth was never more than 7mm in each occasion. Pressures where probably to high as well as all punctures where rock fractures.
One sidewall in a 697 (brand new tyre at that too - murphys law it never happens to an old tyre). Again very similar to my above mentioned sidewall puncture. Driving around a bog hole or obstruction on a track (cant remember which) and coped a stick or something.

I've never had an issue with noise, but then again I was driving 1HZ powered landcruisers so you'd be hard pressed to notice any AT tyre noise over the engine. Now that Im in a disco 3 I reckon it will be different. Just about to organise some new 697 onto my disco actually after one of the old Micky T's let go a few days ago (cant see any reason for it so far either)

[fishfinder]

And they are?

KB

Maxxis Bravo 751

[KingBilly]

Thanks mate 

KB