Bridgestone Dueler A/T 697 Questions & Answers

215/557's on my car

No idea sorry i am not a tyre reseller.

Hi Bernard B.
I have had 2 sets of the Bridgestone A/T 697 and have always had my tyre rotations done at bridgestone tyre shops in different locations on my travels and all of the tyre shops have told me to run on 40 psi even when empty, I have a 2003 gu patrol with a tare weigh of around 2480 kg, I found the patrol always seem to have a harsh ride, when the tyres became very slippery in the wet I dropped the pressure to 35 - 36 psi to help with traction, that didn't really help with traction but I did notice the ride felt a little more comfortable. I have now fitted a new set of Toyo open country A/T to the patrol and the recommend tyre pressure is 34 to 36 psi and I can honestly say these tyres are comfortable as they also have more flex in the walls.

TBH, I wish I knew so they could be fixed on my 4wd too. My opinion is there is a manufacturing fault but Bridgestone do not care enough to admit it. I had several sets on my Triton (trying to fix the problem) and was told the last set now on the vehicle were specifically tested and were 'in spec'. I'm so annoyed everytime I drive over 100kmh the whole car shakes. In spec BS.

I am sure there will be a size in the AT697 to suit a Rav4. 225/65/17 I think is the standard size you are after. Need to look at your tyre sticker that shows size, load and speed ratings for your vehicle.

Hi Andyroo, I have had these tyres on my Pajero for 3.5 years now, done thousands of Kms in the outback towing a 1600 Kg Camper, had two punctures, one was a screw the other a nail, no real punctures while traveling . They are a little noisy, but the Paj diesel is pretty noisy anyhow so cant really hear them .. handle bitumen well and very good on dirt. Have done some hard core off road and they were great kept up with others with mud tyres ... So far 46,000 Km and they are pretty worn and will replaced soon .. Cheers Jim

I have 697’s also. Your Prada would originally come with a lighter tyre and consequently a higher speed rating tyre. The door plate would have been for those types. Although Light truck tires have a higher load capacity they have a lower speed rating in comparison to a P tyre. To travel at the same speed on the bituminous it is recommended they be run at 40 -42 psi. If you intend to drive at slower speeds such as on gravel roads you will need to reduce pressure. In the case of LT tryes speed plays an important part in determining tyre pressure. I constantly drive on a 110km/hr freeway and run mine @ 40/42.

Absolutely not!

There should be a sticker on the driver's side door frame telling you what pressures to run for your vehicle.

I have LT 265/65x 17 on Prado 40 psi all round have now done 78,000 kms also rotate every 10,000 kms including spare

hi did you find out this answer, as I would like to know as well thanks

Tyres of the same size not designated LT are P (passenger ) tyres. They are a lighter construction, thinner sidewall, lighter gauges steel belts and generally a lower load rating. They are more susceptible to punctures and damage when run at lower pressures when off road driving.

Ron P, am sure you are correct and i was ltaken for a ride by Bob J.

Hi, that sounds a smart idea to have wheels / tyres that can interchange. As to are they OK for your van size - I'm unsure, you would need to clear that with the manufacture or dealer I would guess. But I'll be replacing mine soon at about 75,000kms - and it would be over some of the hardest parts of Australia & never missed a beat. No punchers / issues of any kind. They did the job - and well. I'll be going to the Cape next year, knowing I've got good gear / tyres made for the job. So I think you'll have a good run on them - but you'll need to check spec's with the van dealer. Enjoy your travels - stay safe. Cheers Shane.

Hi Mate, unfortunately I do not have any experience about caravan matters. Only thing came in to my mind is since you are thinking of fitting bigger rim diameter it may effect braking efficiency. Generally vehicle manufacturers do not recommend more than 2% variations in tire outer diameter. That is being the reason for thinner wall profile being used when rim diameter increased. Yes, better check with the vendor of your caravan.

Hi joe if you looking for city driving it's h/t 687

I run 40psi for general driving Bridgestone confirmed 38-40 is correct
I prefer a slightly harder tyre feel with a couple of extra psi and check pressure weekly

I run with manufacturer recommended for city driving which is 35psi in a Nissan Pathfinder. Freeway driving, longer trips & towing I run a few Psi more around 38 - 39Psi fully laden. For Off-road, gravel and mild corrugations at speed I'll run 25 -30Psi depending on speed and level of corrugations and potholes etc. Mud and soft sand like Fraser Island and Stockton beach I routinely run 20 - 25Psi. In really soft stuff where maximum flotation is needed I have been down as low as 10 - 15Psi with EXTREME care, as it's extremely easy to damage rims or roll the bead off the rim with sharp turns or potholes tree roots etc. So far never had any issues, tyre damage etc. A good guide on tyre pressures is to check the tyres temperature every now and then, especially on long high speed freeway runs in hot weather (Northern Territory summer it regularly gets well over 40C). Generally if the tyre is too hot, you can really smell the hot rubber, the sidewalls are too hot to touch, then your tyre pressure is too low and you need to pump up the pressure 5 psi or so, or slow down or both. Too much pressure is better than too low. Too low pressures risk permanently damaging or destroying the tyre, possibly leading to a dangerous blowout and an accident.

Don't know of they are directional, I suspect they are not. But this is the 3rd set I've fitted and they have all had raised white lettering on one side only. So you could fit them whichever way you like but then only have raised black lettering and not the raised white lettering.

These are a non directional tyre. Always consider the direction of wear so don't rotate left to right only back and front.