The Firestone Transforce HT is a highway-terrain all-season commercial light truck tire that’s designed for use on pickups, commercial vehicles, and vans. The tire offers strong year-round traction, has a longer tread life, can perform heavy-duty tasks, and provides comfortable and quieter rides at high speeds. Firestone has incorporated advanced American tire technology to make this tire surprisingly great on various fronts.

In this Firestone Transforce HT tire review, we talk about the features and benefits, pros and cons, OE fitment, and many other important details to ensure that the purchasers can make an informed decision.

Features and Benefits

Like an ideal all-season tire, the Firestone Transforce HT is also a year-round performer. It comes with the needed skills to offer superior dry and wet traction and doesn’t disappoint during the typically colder months of the year. An extensive range of features boost the tire’s overall performance, which we have highlighted below along with the related benefits:

• Better year-round performance – The tire features an all-season tread pattern that enhances overall year-round performance. The open-slotted shoulders ensure traction on dry and wet surfaces and the CO-CS (Computer Optimized Component System) maximizes tire performance by optimizing the appropriate combination of casing shape, materials, construction, and tread design. Additionally, the tread elements and the all-season tread compound of this tire are optimized to offer better traction in mild winter conditions.
• Strong wet traction - The wide circumferential tread grooves of the Transforce HT ensure optimum water channeling from the contact patch area to reduce the chances of hydroplaning and provide commendable wet traction. The sipes on the tread blocks also enhance traction on wet roads by offering additional biting edges for increased traction.
• Enhanced ride comfort – The O-bead construction of this tire utilizes a single continuous strand of cable, thus improving uniformity and ride comfort. The computer-designed shape and body of the Transforce HT also contribute to enhancing ride comfort.
• Reduced noise levels – To offer more pleasing rides, the Transforce HT features a 5-degree noise reduction that doesn’t allow sound waves to travel through the tread and keeps the tread noise levels in control.
• Increased tread life – The tire features advanced high-modulus tread compound and polyester and steel construction that prevents damage and promotes longer wear. The continuous shoulder ribs of the Transforce HT also contribute to increased tread life. Additionally, the tire's special long-length carbon structure (L.L. Carbon) improves tread wear and resists cracking, tearing, and chipping.
• Exceptional durability – The reinforced steel belt construction of this tire provides exceptional durability and reduces the chances of punctures. The continuous nylon wrap of the Transforce HT encircles the whole tire to provide improved durability so that it can hold its original shape for improved high-speed capability.

The Firestone Transforce HT is available in 15- to 18-inch rim sizes, which are:

• 205/65R15C
• LT8.75R16.5
• LT9.50R16.5
• LT245/70R17
• LT245/75R17
• LT275/70R18

Firestone has not offered the Transforce HT with any limited manufacturer tread life warranty, however, they do offer their standard warranty which covers defects in materials or workmanship.

Pros and Cons

So now that we have covered all the features and benefits of this tire in detail, let’s know the pros and cons to further ascertain the true potential of the tire. Here are the pros of the Firestone Transforce HT tire:

• Better performance on dry and wet surfaces than most of its rivals.
• Durable construction makes it a reliable choice.
• Strong handling and stability in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions.
• Smoother and quieter than many of its competitors
• Superior towing and load-carrying abilities
• Reasonably priced in the highway-terrain all-season category

This tire, like all other tires, has some drawbacks. Let’s have a look at these cons to make a better purchase decision:

• No limited manufacturer tread life warranty is offered
• Not the best tire for longevity
• Traction in moderate to extreme winter conditions is not impressive
• Do not perform well in off-road and muddy conditions
• Higher vibrations at high speeds
• Offered in very limited sizes

SimpleTire’s view on Firestone Transforce HT tires

The Firestone Transforce HT is amongst one of the best choices in the highway-terrain all-season tire category. Its performance on dry and wet surfaces is exemplary and, to some extent, it does the job that’s required on mild winter conditions too. Since the tire is made for fitment on light trucks, vans, and commercial vehicles, it doesn’t disappoint with its hauling and towing capabilities as well. However, it isn’t something designed for use in extreme winter conditions, or on off-road or muddy terrains. But price-wise, it is almost at par with most competitors in the segment.

The build quality and durable construction of this tire are admirable but that shouldn’t be related to its longevity because that’s where the tire might not impress customers. Drivers would like it's handling and stability in dry, wet, and light winter conditions, and might even get surprised with its smooth and noise-free rides. But, the lack of tread life warranty, vibrations at high speeds, and availability of very limited sizes might restrict the buyers to go for it.

The Transforce HT competes against the likes of Continental TerrainContact H/T, Goodyear Wrangler HT, and General Grabber HTS.

Vehicles the Firestone Transforce HT is an OEM tire for

Designed for use on pickups, vans, and commercial vehicles, the Firestone Transforce HT is an OE fitment for vehicles like the 2020 Nissan NV3500 S Passenger Van, 2013 RAM 2500 ST 4X2, 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Base, and 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HT LT Reg. Cab.

Vehicles the Firestone Transforce HT is a good replacement tire for

The Firestone Transforce HT can also be a good replacement choice for other vehicles like Ford F350, Chevrolet Express, Dodge Ram 3500, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Isuzu NPR-HD, Chevrolet Suburban, Ram 2500 Laramie, and Nissan Titan XD.