Now I'm testing the Assurance TripleTred
03-29-2012, 08:55 PM
#51
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
UPS just came by and kicked four spanking new, Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred All-Season tires off the truck.
I wanted to get ahold of a set of these not only for testing, but also because Goodyear has discontinued the original Triple Tred, a continued test of them is sort of irrelevant.
The new version of the Assurance TT features "Evolving Traction Grooves" which help maintain traction in rain and snow as the tire wears along with a tire tread pattern which maintains the Assurance's famed, three tread zones: Water Zone, Dry Zone, and Ice Zone.
Once I get them on and drive the truck for awhile, I'm supposed to notice Improved tread wear, improved wet performance and improved rolling resistance. GY also says I would experience improved braking performance on ice but, as this testing is being done in coastal California, I may not experience that.
Well...time will tell if this new version of the Assurance Triple Tred lives up to Goodyear's marketing.
I wanted to get ahold of a set of these not only for testing, but also because Goodyear has discontinued the original Triple Tred, a continued test of them is sort of irrelevant.
The new version of the Assurance TT features "Evolving Traction Grooves" which help maintain traction in rain and snow as the tire wears along with a tire tread pattern which maintains the Assurance's famed, three tread zones: Water Zone, Dry Zone, and Ice Zone.
Once I get them on and drive the truck for awhile, I'm supposed to notice Improved tread wear, improved wet performance and improved rolling resistance. GY also says I would experience improved braking performance on ice but, as this testing is being done in coastal California, I may not experience that.
Well...time will tell if this new version of the Assurance Triple Tred lives up to Goodyear's marketing.
03-30-2012, 05:49 AM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
Testing the old tires is not irrelevant as they continue to sell the old ones at a discount. Also it gives a base line for the new tires that are going to work better.
The new tires address the greatest issue of wear on the outer edge of the tread. As they wear down the smaller sipes wear away and make for a more solid rib on the tire. It really does not hurt performance but it does make the tire look as if it is wearing out. They improved this part of the tire and I have heard they have done a little more compounding. Note to help even the wear I added some air pressure but it still happened but was never an issue for high wear or performance. I still got full miles out of them. They just did not look great. Note my GTP was hard on tires even in aliginment. The wife also drove the car hard.
The new larger ones are now coming in 19". I need these for our new GMC Terrain as it came with the option wheels. They will be what I go too when the Cheap Hankook tires wear out. Right now they have a size that is very close 245-55-19 and I hope they will move to a 235-55-19 before I need them.
The new tires address the greatest issue of wear on the outer edge of the tread. As they wear down the smaller sipes wear away and make for a more solid rib on the tire. It really does not hurt performance but it does make the tire look as if it is wearing out. They improved this part of the tire and I have heard they have done a little more compounding. Note to help even the wear I added some air pressure but it still happened but was never an issue for high wear or performance. I still got full miles out of them. They just did not look great. Note my GTP was hard on tires even in aliginment. The wife also drove the car hard.
The new larger ones are now coming in 19". I need these for our new GMC Terrain as it came with the option wheels. They will be what I go too when the Cheap Hankook tires wear out. Right now they have a size that is very close 245-55-19 and I hope they will move to a 235-55-19 before I need them.
03-31-2012, 08:30 AM
#54
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
It is on many OE cars anymore.
The Tire companies are really getting out of the OE market unless it is something they can make money on or build image like the Vette or other peformace tire that is engineered for the car.
In the mean time cheap tires from Hankook and other MFG. Car companies don't want to pay anything for tires and tire companies are tired of getting nothing and selling low end tires that when they fail or wear poor give them a bad rep.
Hankook has become the new Uniroyal. Remember the old GM cars that often came with the low end Uniroyal tires in the 60's and 70's.
Car companies will pony up money for high end performance models and the high mileage tires like the Assurance Fuel Max as they really do work to improve MPG and give up little in normal tire grip.
But I will give Handkook credit that for an OE tired they have been showing better than many others. They even came here to Akron to establish a tech center to keep up with American tire development since most of the other companies even the ones bought by 4N MFG still keep tech and development centers here in Akron. But while they may have better than average OE tires I still would not buy them as replacments. They are OK tires but the rest of the OE tires generally are even worse even many with names like Pilot etc ont them. My SS is an example of that.
Goodyear is still here and American owned. They are now just building a new headquarters to replace their old 100 year old monster. Goodyear is getting back to where they once were and have been investing in technology and developement. Keagan the recent retired CEO made sure to get them back on track to get the new better product out. They still have a few lines to replace yet like the RSA and Eagle LS.
the first Handkooks showed up in 07-08 and I have seen little issue. They are much like Hyundai not the best and not the worse but sold at a value price.
The Tire industry is much like the Auto industry and has gone global. Anyone who fails to go global will die.
I just wonder what is going on at Michelin/BFG. They are so behind on many tires and long back orders. I keep hearing they are doing ok but we are having shortages at work on their products. I really wonder how they are doing.
By the investment by Goodyear I expect many new and cool things to come. They have been spending money on many things while many companies pull back I think this will pay off big in the next 10 years. Look for more MPG based tires. Goodyear has the best now and they are not sitting on them.
Heck they are even starting on building 3 new Zeppelin NT's here in Akron. These are 1.5 times bigger than the present blimps and are going to cost 25Million each. They are working with the Zeppelin company to build them here and I suspect they both will work to build and sell other Zeppilins to other people based on the demostrations of the Goodyear fleet. While they cost more they will be cheaper to operate. Also there is a better chance they can turn a profit with their lighter than air division. Zeppelin was building their ships in Germany and shipping them over but now they can use the Goodyear staff and hangers here in Akron. This is a renew of the old Goodyear Zeppelin company of the 20's.
The only real issue in the future is the cost of oil. As it goes up the price of tires will continue to climb. Unless the goverment get a handle on the global oil market it will be a lot more than gas that will cost us more.
The Tire companies are really getting out of the OE market unless it is something they can make money on or build image like the Vette or other peformace tire that is engineered for the car.
In the mean time cheap tires from Hankook and other MFG. Car companies don't want to pay anything for tires and tire companies are tired of getting nothing and selling low end tires that when they fail or wear poor give them a bad rep.
Hankook has become the new Uniroyal. Remember the old GM cars that often came with the low end Uniroyal tires in the 60's and 70's.
Car companies will pony up money for high end performance models and the high mileage tires like the Assurance Fuel Max as they really do work to improve MPG and give up little in normal tire grip.
But I will give Handkook credit that for an OE tired they have been showing better than many others. They even came here to Akron to establish a tech center to keep up with American tire development since most of the other companies even the ones bought by 4N MFG still keep tech and development centers here in Akron. But while they may have better than average OE tires I still would not buy them as replacments. They are OK tires but the rest of the OE tires generally are even worse even many with names like Pilot etc ont them. My SS is an example of that.
Goodyear is still here and American owned. They are now just building a new headquarters to replace their old 100 year old monster. Goodyear is getting back to where they once were and have been investing in technology and developement. Keagan the recent retired CEO made sure to get them back on track to get the new better product out. They still have a few lines to replace yet like the RSA and Eagle LS.
the first Handkooks showed up in 07-08 and I have seen little issue. They are much like Hyundai not the best and not the worse but sold at a value price.
The Tire industry is much like the Auto industry and has gone global. Anyone who fails to go global will die.
I just wonder what is going on at Michelin/BFG. They are so behind on many tires and long back orders. I keep hearing they are doing ok but we are having shortages at work on their products. I really wonder how they are doing.
By the investment by Goodyear I expect many new and cool things to come. They have been spending money on many things while many companies pull back I think this will pay off big in the next 10 years. Look for more MPG based tires. Goodyear has the best now and they are not sitting on them.
Heck they are even starting on building 3 new Zeppelin NT's here in Akron. These are 1.5 times bigger than the present blimps and are going to cost 25Million each. They are working with the Zeppelin company to build them here and I suspect they both will work to build and sell other Zeppilins to other people based on the demostrations of the Goodyear fleet. While they cost more they will be cheaper to operate. Also there is a better chance they can turn a profit with their lighter than air division. Zeppelin was building their ships in Germany and shipping them over but now they can use the Goodyear staff and hangers here in Akron. This is a renew of the old Goodyear Zeppelin company of the 20's.
The only real issue in the future is the cost of oil. As it goes up the price of tires will continue to climb. Unless the goverment get a handle on the global oil market it will be a lot more than gas that will cost us more.
04-06-2012, 03:10 PM
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-20-2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 844
After a rainy drive from South Carolina to Ohio a couple weeks ago my OEM Firestone Firehawks did just as everyone said - They hydroplaned terrible. Enough for me.
I'm going to try a set of GY Assurance Triple Tread A/S. I want to go a size bigger. Is there any reason 225-50-17 won't work on my Panel? Or is it the 55's that every one goes to? Thanks...John
I'm going to try a set of GY Assurance Triple Tread A/S. I want to go a size bigger. Is there any reason 225-50-17 won't work on my Panel? Or is it the 55's that every one goes to? Thanks...John
04-16-2012, 04:46 AM
#56
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-20-2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 844
Got the new TripleTreds on Saturday! I like the looks of them -a lot wider and deep tread. I did notice on the way home that they are quite a bit noisier that the oem firehawks. I hope I get use to them... John
04-16-2012, 05:48 AM
#57
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
To be honest with the radio on I never notice them.
Keep in mind the Firestone may be quieter but they also do not have the same performance either.
Small changes in tire noise has not bottered me. Now some truck 4x4 tires are where the noise is an issue. But it goes with the application they perform.
Keep in mind the Firestone may be quieter but they also do not have the same performance either.
Small changes in tire noise has not bottered me. Now some truck 4x4 tires are where the noise is an issue. But it goes with the application they perform.
04-23-2012, 07:42 AM
#58
Senior Member
Join Date: 12-18-2005
Location: Middle Village, NY
Posts: 1,791
After a rainy drive from South Carolina to Ohio a couple weeks ago my OEM Firestone Firehawks did just as everyone said - They hydroplaned terrible. Enough for me.
I'm going to try a set of GY Assurance Triple Tread A/S. I want to go a size bigger. Is there any reason 225-50-17 won't work on my Panel? Or is it the 55's that every one goes to? Thanks...John
I'm going to try a set of GY Assurance Triple Tread A/S. I want to go a size bigger. Is there any reason 225-50-17 won't work on my Panel? Or is it the 55's that every one goes to? Thanks...John
Reminds me of the factory tires that came on my 1987 Mazda 323. Forgot the brand, but I could not drive over 65 mph because they had such a soft sidewall that the car would sway. Changing lanes was a near-death experience. As correctly said here, unless you are buying a high performance car, the tires are just there to keep the car from resting on the ground.
05-16-2012, 11:13 PM
#59
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 08-29-2007
Location: CenCoast California
Posts: 256
This is the final post in my long-term test of the P215/50R17 Goodyear Assurance TripleTread for HHRs. Because Goodyear has upgraded that product and renamed it "Assurance TripleTred All Season", I'm going to end my current test, switch to the TT All Season and start a new test discussion elsewhere on the Chevy HHR Net.
So, let's summarize how the Assurance TripleTred did on my HHR. First, tread life: I installed these tires 33 months ago and drove them 41,670 miles. They had 11/32-in tread depth when new and when I removed them, their tread depth varied from 4/32-in. to 5/32-in. There was, perhaps, 8-12,000 more miles left on those tires before they would have been worn out.
Here's the left front at 41,640 miles
Admittedly, the Triple Treds wouldn't have gone the 80,000 miles Goodyear advertised but, considering the application and how the tires were used, I'm satisfied and accept the idea that the 80,000 miles. would have been only under ideal conditions. The HHR is a heavy vehicle for its tire size which shortens tread life and the way we used our truck–mix of city and highway driving, about a third of the time with two or more occupants along with baggage or cargo on board and some aggressive driving periods (yours truly at the wheel)–certainly didn't enhance tire mileage.
Here's one of the rears at the end of my test.
The wet weather performance of this tire was outstanding. Cornering and braking on slick surfaces, through areas of standing water and in the heavy rain, was consistently good and gave the bad weather driver an extra measure of confidence. Because of the TripleTred's "Water Zone," with its deep, "Aquachannel" tread grooves, as the tire rolls, the grooves force water out of the sides of the tread and away from the tire. That is the main reason why the Assurance TT is so good at resisting hydroplaning during torrential rain on surfaces with standing water. Towards the end of our test period, I noted a slight degradation of the TripleTred's wet performance but, as the tires wear, the tread grooves get more shallow and that takes away a little of the tires' abilities in bad weather.
For most of our test, tire noise was not an issue. The Assurance TripleTred was noticeably quieter than the OE Firestone tires and incrementally less noisy than the Goodyear Eagle F1 AS which we tested a couple of years ago. Midway though our test, one of the front tires developed "cupping" and that tire became more noisy because of it. Cupping is usually caused by suspension problems not tire problems and after we replaced the front struts and rotated the tires, the noisy tire was less obtrusive in the rear and the cupping did not return.
Dry handling remained consistent during most of the two years and nine months they were on the car. They had pretty good lateral grip–maybe not as good as the F1 AS, but those were ultraperformance tires rather than premium broad-market replacement tires intended to have better ride and wear characteristics. The Assurance TTs' handing at the limit was predictable and more than adequate for 95% of the driving HHR LS and LT owners do. Near the end of our test period, the TripleTreds gave up a little cornering traction but that's typical of tires nearly three years old.
Where the Assurance TripleTred really shined is in ride quality. There was a noticeable decrease in harshness once we put them on in place of the Eagle F1 ASes we had before. A nice ride is one reason people buy premium broad-market tires and right up until we took them off, the TT's rode nicely.
So to summarize…reasonable tread life, great wet performance, low noise level, good dry handing and nice ride.
The Goodyear Assurance TripleTred gets…
If this tire was still in Goodyear's line, I'd have put another set on in a heartbeat.
So, let's summarize how the Assurance TripleTred did on my HHR. First, tread life: I installed these tires 33 months ago and drove them 41,670 miles. They had 11/32-in tread depth when new and when I removed them, their tread depth varied from 4/32-in. to 5/32-in. There was, perhaps, 8-12,000 more miles left on those tires before they would have been worn out.
Here's the left front at 41,640 miles
Admittedly, the Triple Treds wouldn't have gone the 80,000 miles Goodyear advertised but, considering the application and how the tires were used, I'm satisfied and accept the idea that the 80,000 miles. would have been only under ideal conditions. The HHR is a heavy vehicle for its tire size which shortens tread life and the way we used our truck–mix of city and highway driving, about a third of the time with two or more occupants along with baggage or cargo on board and some aggressive driving periods (yours truly at the wheel)–certainly didn't enhance tire mileage.
Here's one of the rears at the end of my test.
The wet weather performance of this tire was outstanding. Cornering and braking on slick surfaces, through areas of standing water and in the heavy rain, was consistently good and gave the bad weather driver an extra measure of confidence. Because of the TripleTred's "Water Zone," with its deep, "Aquachannel" tread grooves, as the tire rolls, the grooves force water out of the sides of the tread and away from the tire. That is the main reason why the Assurance TT is so good at resisting hydroplaning during torrential rain on surfaces with standing water. Towards the end of our test period, I noted a slight degradation of the TripleTred's wet performance but, as the tires wear, the tread grooves get more shallow and that takes away a little of the tires' abilities in bad weather.
For most of our test, tire noise was not an issue. The Assurance TripleTred was noticeably quieter than the OE Firestone tires and incrementally less noisy than the Goodyear Eagle F1 AS which we tested a couple of years ago. Midway though our test, one of the front tires developed "cupping" and that tire became more noisy because of it. Cupping is usually caused by suspension problems not tire problems and after we replaced the front struts and rotated the tires, the noisy tire was less obtrusive in the rear and the cupping did not return.
Dry handling remained consistent during most of the two years and nine months they were on the car. They had pretty good lateral grip–maybe not as good as the F1 AS, but those were ultraperformance tires rather than premium broad-market replacement tires intended to have better ride and wear characteristics. The Assurance TTs' handing at the limit was predictable and more than adequate for 95% of the driving HHR LS and LT owners do. Near the end of our test period, the TripleTreds gave up a little cornering traction but that's typical of tires nearly three years old.
Where the Assurance TripleTred really shined is in ride quality. There was a noticeable decrease in harshness once we put them on in place of the Eagle F1 ASes we had before. A nice ride is one reason people buy premium broad-market tires and right up until we took them off, the TT's rode nicely.
So to summarize…reasonable tread life, great wet performance, low noise level, good dry handing and nice ride.
The Goodyear Assurance TripleTred gets…
If this tire was still in Goodyear's line, I'd have put another set on in a heartbeat.
