Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 is an all terrain tire that provides outstanding performance on dry, snowy, and rough surfaces. It provides drivers with a smooth and quiet driving experience which lasts a while as it comes with 60k miles warranty as well.
Being a tire engineer in my opinion Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 offers a very accurate steering capabilities, considering others in all-terrain (A/T) tires category. But the tire can improve it’s directional grip on dry. The opposite is the case on wet roads, where the acceleration and braking traction is better. Also the tire although does not offer sever winter ratings, it’s not so bad on snow as it’s performance is only slightly lacking from the ones with 3pmsf ratings. Off road the tire does great on sand and rocks, but lacks in mud.
Table of Contents
Tread Design
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 offers a design which provides a sure-footed grip in all seasons on the road. Let’s start things from sides, where I’ve already talked about the sidewalls, see the image above.
The shoulders of Revo 3 are very compact as they are joined together by continuous running rib underneath, which is the main source of the tire’s direct steering capabilities.
All lugs here are staggered on outer edges and have notches towards inner. They are all also equipped with deep thunderbolt lightning siping.
Towards the middle the tire makes 3 longitudinal channels, where the outer ones are slightly broader and the inner one has a curved path to it.
These channels are again made with continuous running ribs which consists of blocks having all sorts of biters on them.
They have interlocking sipes which have micro zigzag structure. The outer edges have powerful snow vices (biters).
And in between these lugs (where all sipes are joining in) are full depth notches.
Tire Sizes
The Bridgestone Duler Revo 3 comes in 16 to 20 inches rim diameters, having following specs.
- Speed ratings: S, R, and T.
- Load ratings: SL, C and E.
- Weight range: 30 to 60 lbs.
- Tread depth range: 12/32″ to 16/32″.
- Warranty: 60k for P-Metric and Metric sizes (Excludes LT Sizes).
All other tires vs Dueler AT Revo 3.
Pavement Performance
In order to accurately assess the dry performance of an all-terrain tire, its best to check out its steering, and cornering ability separately (as done below).
Dry Grip
This grip is calculated with stopping distances (from a specified speeds, I use 50mph). And it’s judged by considering the central section of the tread, as that makes the most (solid) connection with the surface.
That’s why with a greater footprint availability, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T supplies better grip here (saying this after comparing with other A/T tires out there).
Other on-road oriented tires feature larger tread voids and have missing reinforced foundations like the Dueler AT.
Lateral Traction
Lateral traction or handling capability is judged by analyzing the tread flexibility and shoulder structure. These factors tell you about, how much a tire generates g forces on turns.
And considering them, I would have to rate Dueler AT in top 5, when it comes to all-terrain tires.
It’s tread compound is firm enough and don’t allow tread lugs to bend too much and causing a delay in steering response.
And this is further aided by the powerful reinforced foundations underneath those shoulder blocks. Basically all lugs there have a secondary rubber layer inside.
Wet Traction
Wet traction is always a major concern for a majority of off-road tires. And this challenge arises because these tires can not compromise on durability, which means, they must have a stiffer rubber compound, and minimal siping.
Luckily, in this regard, the Dueler AT Revo 3 is a game changer, supplying you with amazing hydroplaning resistance combined with traction. See below.
Wet Grip
When it comes to wet grip, the secret lies in the tire’s sipes (in terms of of how many are they, and how are they structured).
These small slits on the tread’s surface expand as the tire comes into contact with the road, drawing in water particles and expelling them off the path. So this means, sipes require flexibility to move, and a harder tread compound can hinder their ability to function effectively.
And with average tread compound (neither too soft or hard), the Dueler AT Revo 3 features a good enough wet traction overall.
I mean it’s not as great when compared to on-road tires, but looking at other A/Ts its simply put, Okay.
Though the tire can improve its hydroplaning resistance nonetheless, I’ve to add.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning, also known as aquaplaning, occurs when a tire is unable to clear water from its tread fast enough, “through grooves”, leading it to float and lose traction.
And with packed up shoulder lugs, the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 isn’t able to overcome this issue.
As seen in its tread appearance section, its outer lugs have connectors in between, and those prevent water from escaping laterally. This design, coupled with the tire’s continuous running central longitudinal ribs, keeps water handing behind for the sipes to work on.
And needless to say, it reduces overall wet traction.
Fuel Consumption
The correlation between fuel usage and rolling resistance is of a good deal. And rolling resistance is heavily influenced by two factors – the tire’s structural weight and tread compound.
And looking at both it can be seen why Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 outperforms most of its peers in this section.
The tire does not weigh too much, and features a stiffer tread composition.
By using a firmer tread compound, the tire’s tread blocks resist bending during braking and cornering, minimizing the energy lost to flexing and maximizing the energy directed towards rolling.
And with lower weight, well that is further improved.
As a result, the Dueler AT Revo 3 delivers appreciable fuel economy.
Feel of Ride
Noise and comfort are two key factors that contribute to ride quality. So lets take a look at them both one after another.
Tread Noise
Tread noise is a crucial factor part of overall comfort, I believe. And while several factors can impact it, air particles hitting the walls of the tread are the primary culprits.
And as most of this air enters through the shoulder grooves, the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 with super closed-up lugs restrict a significant amount of it, cutting down the noise at the source.
In addition, the tire’s tread is designed to be less deflective, meaning it reduces the groove resonance and further minimize the noise levels (that gets generated from the air particles that still manage to come in).
In this regard, just know that some rubber compounds tend to reflect more noise energy, leading to echoing and amplifying the overall noise level. And Dueler AT Revo 3 isn’t one of those. It’s advanced rubber compound effectively absorbs noise energy, resulting in a quieter and more comfortable ride.
On-Road Vibrations
The absorption of road irregularities is the second major part of overall ride comfort, and in this case the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 can use some help.
While the tire’s rubber compound may not be as soaking as other A/Ts, it still offers exceptional stability and maneuverability on pavements, ensuring a smooth and controlled ride. And I can’t help but putting it into consideration when it comes to overall feel of ride.
However, it may not settle down road bumps as effectively, of course, as its stiffer tread is designed to provide maximum durability and off-road capability.
Off Road Traction
To excel in all types off-road conditions, tires should be able to have strong construction and self-cleaning abilities.
Lets check out all of these “conditions”. See below.
On Mud
A tire’s ability to clear mud from its tread and scoop the ground ‘backwards’ to create forward momentum, are the two main factors when it comes to mud performance.
And considering both, you can’t help but notice how lacking the Dueler AT Revo 3 is, particularly on deeper terrains.
Its design features a continuous running longitudinal rib, that hinders sideways mud passage, while the shoulder blocks are interconnected with connectors, further compromising its mud-clearing abilities.
Moreover, although each lug is staggered on itself, they are missing with essential mud scoops. So this means the tire isn’t that great at paddling through the mud either.
On Rocks
On rocky terrains you need durability, particularly on the sidewalls, and a substantial number of biters. And considering both, for the sake of simplicity, you can say, that the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3, is just average, if now below.
It although comes out with ample biters in the middle, it still falls short in providing enough lateral traction, due to its less aggressive shoulder and sidewall lugs.
So lowering air pressure does not do much for this tire, I mean its thin sidewall lugs with lacking biters (that you mostly see on other A/T tires), causes it to face a hard time especially during climbing at an steeper angle.
Moreover, the tire’s missing stone ejectors also keeps it from performing optimally on gravely and dirt filled roads.
On Sand
Sand is a unique terrain that requires specialized tires with a large contact patch, a smaller structural weight, and yes a softer tread compound.
Let me explain why that’s the case. The larger contact patch allows the tire to float better on the sand, while a lighter structure ensures that the tire does not sink into the soft terrain.
So it can be seen why the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 is an excellent tire for sandy conditions. Although the tire’s shoulder edges are sharp and feature a stiff rubber compound, its sidewall lugs are optimized for this terrain type.
Meaning, when air pressure is lowered, its sidewall lugs spread out in a very effective way, providing exceptional floating abilities and delivering reliable performance on all types of sandy surfaces.
Tread Life
Several factors can impact the tread wear of tires, with rolling resistance and tire structure being the most significant. Though to understand this better, you have to consider two critical aspects here, tread burning rate and tread burning time.
Now since the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 features a stable construction with a lighter build, it does not put a lot of pressure on its lugs as the tire maneuvers. So less heat gets generated, and burning rate is kept at bay.
In addition, the tire’s stiffer rubber composition also renders better overall mileage, as it combined with good enough tread depth, the tire allows you to reach the legal tread depth limit of 2/32″ after a “considerable” use.
And its backed up by its impressive 60k-mile warranty.
Winter Traction
When evaluating a tire’s performance in snowy conditions, several key variables come into play, and these include grip, handling, and of course terrain types.
From fluffy snow to icy tracks, a “good” tire must deliver a top-notch performance in all conditions.
And in case of our tire, let me put it this way. While the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3 may not be the best tire option for snowy conditions, it still delivers an exceptional performance that will not disappoint.
Unlike some of its competitors, the tire may lack a 3 peak mountain snowflake rating, but it is still an excellent choice for snow driving, nonetheless, all thanks to it’s in-groove notches, combined with thick sipes that join them up.
These tread features effectively chew through snow particles, providing remarkable grip and handling.
Takeaway Points
So to sum up, the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo is a great tire for pavements particularly.
It features top-notch dry traction, noise reduction, fuel economy and tread life.
Though it needs to improve its wet traction and overall impact comfort performance.
Off-road the tire is just average, where it excels the most on sandy terrains, but need improvement in muddy conditions, and some rocky terrains.