CROSSTEK® HD User Review - Keith Stefanowicz
Review by: Keith Stefanowicz
Size: LT285/70R17 E 121S
Vehicle: 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel
Date installed: 8 Aug 2012
During the installation, I found the Crosstek’s to have a great look. The sidewall is very aggressive and has a cool design. I found the tread to be robust, meaning that the tread seemed beefy, and had minimal sipping, that should make it more stable. Mounting was uneventful. I mounted them on the stock wheels. The sidewalls seemed stiff, but the tire machine handled them with ease. Getting them onto the bead went well and did not need a blast of air to set them. I used 8 ounce of balancing beads, (CounterAct brand). Throw the bag in and it’s done.
Initial Driving Review:
On the trip home from the garage, the truck is more planted. Stability is very good with zero wallows in the corners. The ride seemed a little stiffer, but latter I found that we left the tires inflated to 80psi. This is too high when the truck is not towing or empty. After, setting the tires back to what I ran in the past (65 front and 50 rear) the ride was back to normal. Normal for a ¾ ton truck!
2500 mile Driving Review:
Since installing the tires, I’ve driven 2500 miles. They are wearing great and are very quiet. Cornering is very good. A past truck I made a mistake and installed a set of D rated tires on a 3/4 ton truck. The best way that I could describe them was they were “squishy”. It made the truck scary to drive on a curvy road. Towing my dump trailer with 5 ton coal was stable. Total trailer weight was 14000lbs. The drive tires were not too hot and again, the minimal sipping, seem to keep the flexing of the tread in check. I ran the truck through the automatic carwash today, and tire came out looking great. The brushes did not clean my last tires sidewalls this well! (Hancook DynaProATM’s) Where I drive, winter will be here in a few months. Upstate NY with Lake effect snows start early. I’ll send another review after I get to drive the pleasure to drive through many of these storms.
Posted on 28 September 2012
CROSSTEK® HD User Review - Tamra Sheehan
We have had the tires mounted on our Ford F350 for about 5300 miles now, and are extremely impressed. We have used the truck for daily driving to work, running around town doing errands, and have taken a few 700 mile trips, both empty and fully loaded pulling a 7500 LB trailer.
The tires have exceeded our expectations in every way. We kept OEM brand tires on the truck up until mounting the CROSSTEK’s, and the ride of the truck is so much more stable than before. It really does feel like a different truck, and all we did was change the tires. We encountered a bad thunderstorm in Upstate New York, and it brought tropical type rain with it. While pulling the trailer at highway speed, in that rain, the truck reacted just as it did on dry roads. That never happened with the OEM tires, and we are convinced that these tires are a well-engineered, quality product.
These tires continue to impress us in every way, and we can’t wait until the snow flies here in New England to see how they perform in the snow.
We also want to note that fuel mileage has improved an average of 1-1.5 miles per gallon since installing these tires. Again, the only thing done to the truck was changing the tires.
Posted on 28 September 2012
CROSSTEK® HD User Review - John Kimberlin
I have put about 1,500 miles on the tires so far and they have performed very well and exceeded my expectations. This includes a 700+ mile trip from Southern California to the June Lake area and back with a small load. The tires make my truck ride and perform better.
The steering feels solid and cornering with the tires inspires confidence. The traction on dry payment is superb and much improved over my stock set of tires on the dirt.
I haven't noticed any flat spotting or balance issues, but it is summer still and when the winter/cold comes, I'll be looking at that aspect.
They still look like new and the looks are attractive. I am curious to see how much or not these tires will wear over time, as they don't show any yet
Posted on 28 September 2012
Tire Review: Nitto® CROSSTEK®
The tires on the 2006 Cummins were just about gone, I can't complain though as running around with 1,000 ft/lbs and a heavy right foot (and a wife's right foot that is just as heavy) plays hell on any tire. As I contemplated what tires to try on the truck a great opportunity came around, Nitto® has come out with a new tire called the Crosstek®, It specifically targeted at ¾ and 1 ton trucks. Nitto's site says "The CROSSTEK® HD is designed for ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks. It is a durable and long-lasting tire. Each size is E-load rated for higher payload and towing. The construction, compound and tread pattern are all built to provide strength and durability." Well Nitto® contacted me trough the Diesel site I'm a staff member of and asked for some of us to give them a shot to get some feed back to them before they hit the market. Well seeing as how I always love the opportunity to try something new and tear up on some ones parts to see if they live up to the claims or not I volunteered to try a set. To say I was excited was an understatement!
I got ahold of Nitto® and working out the they sent me out a set of 265/70r17 E range tires to try. Well on Friday a couple weeks ago the tires showed up and I immediately fell in love. I've been running BFG A/T's on my truck since the factory tires got replaced. These Nitto's look as if they will live up to the bar that has been set in my mind by the BFG's. The tread pattern has a definite street pattern but the inner two rows of lugs and the outer most row have a slight offset between the lugs. This should be fine for the very little off pavement driving I do with my truck. My truck is set up to tow and I think these tires will handle that fine. The tread pattern seems to have influence from a few different styles, aside from the offset lugs there are two center rows that have long sweeping blocks, kinda what you see in a sport tire, also the gaps running the circumference of the tire reminds me of the tread you see on tires for over the road trucks. I still have mixed feelings about the side lugs; I think they are a little aggressive for such a street/light duty off road tire. I have not made my mind up yet if I like the way they look.
After drooling over my new tires and even rolling them up to the old set on the truck to see what they looked like I set up an appointment at my buddys shop to get them mounted and balanced. Steve immediately noticed that the deep tread and pattern should lead to a very long life, the tires mounted up without any issue and balanced with only a minimum of weight. One tire only need 1oz to get it perfect.
Road manners are good, the tire is responsive and has no road noise what so ever. The ride at full recommended pressure (80 psi) is hard and rough but that is expected of any E range tire. I stopped by the fire house and let some air out, 60psi in the front and 50psi in the rear, this softened up the ride. You kidneys still get a work out on back roads and over bumps but that's the price you got to pay for running around in a ¾ ton truck. I got the opportunity to really drive these tires hard the other day on some back roads. While these trucks will never be a sports car when it comes to handling (speed is a different matter LOL) the truck felt solid and the tires seemed to grip the road great. Steph says she really likes them too, rides great and does not walk around following the crown and grooves of the road. She also commented on how quiet they are going down the road. While I only have 800 miles or so on the tires I'm very happy so far. In the next month or so I plan to get some time on them with the camper hooked up behind the truck and seeing as how Nitto® is marketing these towards the towing/work crowd, that will be the real test.
Extracted from www.pirate4x4.com
Posted on 25 March 2011
Nitto® Tire Releases New Tire Line: CROSSTEK®
The CROSSTEK® is Nitto's latest line of truck and SUV radials, designed to get you from your morning commute to your weekend getaway and any place in between. The CROSSTEK® is developed using Nitto's state-of-the-art computer simulation and manufacturing processes. These processes produce high quality tires with superior uniformity. The high level of uniformity provides a smoother, more enjoyable ride for you and your family.
The CROSSTEK® is an all-season tire designed to fit a wide range of trucks, SUVs and CUVs. Depending on your vehicle and tire size, the Nitto® CROSSTEK® is available in three different tread patterns; the CROSSTEK®, the CROSSTEK® HD, and the CROSSTEK® CUV. Each of these patterns was engineered for specific vehicle types and purposes.
The first, CROSSTEK®, was designed for ½-ton trucks and SUVs, like the Ford F150, Toyota Tundra, and Chevy Tahoe. Nitto® engineered the CROSSTEK® to provide all-weather traction. This tire is ideal for those who need a great street and highway tire that can also handle light off-road duty. It can be used for recreational activities like camping.
The second, CROSSTEK® HD, was designed for ¾ and 1-ton trucks, like the Ford Superduty, Chevrolet 2500 and 3500, and Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500. Nitto® engineered the CROSSTEK® HD to provide excellent tread life. This tire is ideal for those who need a tire that can carry heavy payloads.
The third, CROSSTEK® CUV, was designed for crossover vehicles and compact SUVs like the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. Nitto® engineered the CROSSTEK® CUV to provide excellent handling. This tire is ideal for those who want a safe and comfortable tire for their family vehicles.
All three patterns are available in popular sizes from 17- to 20-inch wheel diameters. These sizes were designed to fit newer vehicles that are equipped with larger wheel diameters from the factory.
The Nitto® CROSSTEK® line is available at Tire Kingdom, Big-O Tires, NTB, and Merchant's stores.
Posted on 15 January 2011
The All-New Nitto® CROSSTEK®
The CROSSTEK® is designed for ½-ton trucks and SUVs. It provides outstanding wet traction and versatility. It can be used for recreational activities. Half-ton trucks and SUVs tend to have less weight on the rear axle when unloaded, so the CROSSTEK's design puts more priority on traction, especially in wet driving conditions.
Nitto® first focused on engineering the CROSSTEK® to provide excellent wet-weather traction. The CROSSTEK® includes four circumferential grooves that channel away water to help the tread surface maintain road contact. These four circumferential grooves are the result of simulation tests, which were used to identify block and pattern designs that help provide a stable contact patch and enhanced water evacuation during heavy braking and adverse weather conditions.
The tread blocks also include 3D Multiwave sipes that improve both wet traction and tread wear. Traditional sipes are small, straight cuts in a tread block. These sipes create additional biting edges for wet traction but they can also cause the tread to flex, weakening the tread block. The more the tread flexes, the greater the chance that the tire will wear irregularly, reducing the overall tread life. Nitto's 3D Multiwave sipes are cut into interlocking ripples. This provides the biting edges for wet traction while helping to reduce tread flex.
Next, Nitto's engineers analyzed several rubber compounds to identify polymers that provide wear resistance. Once identified, these polymers were infused throughout the compound along with wear-resistant carbon black. Using this new compound improved the overall durability of the tire. In fact, each CROSSTEK® size is backed by a mileage warranty based on the tire speed rating. Higher speed-rated H and V sizes are backed by a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty, and S- and T-rated sizes are backed by a 60,000-mile limited treadwear warranty.
The wear-resistant compound and wet performance tread pattern help create a light-duty tire that is versatile and offers balanced performance in all weather conditions.
Posted on 15 January 2011
The All-New CROSSTEK® HD
The CROSSTEK® HD is designed for ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks. It is a durable and long-lasting tire. Each size is E-load rated for higher payload. The construction, compound and tread pattern are all built to provide strength and durability.
The CROSSTEK® HD is equipped with a brand-new wear-resistant compound. Nitto's engineers analyzed several rubber compounds to identify polymers that provide wear resistance. Once identified, these polymers were infused throughout the compound along with wear-resistant carbon black. Using this new compound improved the overall durability of the tire. For additional durability, Nitto® then focused on the CROSSTEK® HD's construction and tread profile.
Nitto® first focused on creating an even contact patch across the tread surface. You can see this in the square tread and shoulder profile of the CROSSTEK® HD. To promote an even contact surface, the CROSSTEK® HD is constructed with two cap plies, which are manufactured using Nitto's automated machinery. The square tread profile creates more even contact with the road compared to a rounder tire profile.
After development, the CROSSTEK® HD was thoroughly tested in real-world driving conditions to promote optimal and even tread wear.
The square tread profile, durable construction and wear-resistant compound help create a heavy-duty tire that is tough enough for the today's ¾-ton and full-ton pick-up trucks.
Posted on 15 January 2011
The All-New CROSSTEK® CUV
The CROSSTEK® CUV is designed for crossover vehicles and compact SUVs. It is a safe and quiet tire designed for well rounded performance. Over the past several decades, Nitto® has refined its street performance tire technology, focusing on tires that provide traction, handling and safety. These technologies were applied to the CROSSTEK® CUV. Nitto® backs each CUV size with a mileage warranty based on the tire speed rating. Higher speed-rated H, V, and W sizes are backed by a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty, and S- and T-rated sizes are backed by a 60,000-mile limited treadwear warranty.
In addition to handling and durability, Nitto® created a new compound that decreases rolling resistance. To do this, a new polymer was added to reduce carbon particle movement. This translates into less energy loss in the molecular level.
The compound also includes silica, which has several benefits. For one, silica works in combination with the other polymers to reduce tread flex. Another important benefit is its ability to operate at lower temperatures. This means the tire performs well in adverse weather conditions.
After engineering the compound, Nitto® focused on creating an exceptionally quiet tread pattern. Nitto's engineers created several pattern designs and evaluated the noise produced by each. By adjusting the shape and position of individual blocks, Nitto® minimized the pattern and noise that is often experienced while driving at highway speeds. In addition to the individual block shapes and positions, Nitto® varied the sizes of the blocks around the tire circumference. This variable tread block size also helps reduce tire noise.
The handling-oriented tread pattern, brand-new compound, and advanced sound analysis help create a CUV tire that offers performance, safety and ride comfort.
Posted on 15 January 2011