Cooper St Maxx tires - rubber cracking (1 Viewer)

[andyquoll]

So, I have a set of Cooper St Maxx, manufactured in late 2014, that have rubber cracking around the tread blocks. They still have 50% tread remaining so this is disappointing. I’ve decided I’m going to replace them due to this. I’ve watched it get worse over the last year.

I really love the performance of this tire, especially for the snow/ice traction which quite frankly is phenomenal. (Maybe due to the “silica” they claim is in the compound?) But this seems early to see cracking rubber and I’m hesitant to purchase these tires again.

With this is mind,should I worry about buying these tires again? Has anyone else experienced this problem? Somehow 1 out of 5 tires does not have the cracking.

If I go with a different tire, what’s out there that is similar? I’m looking for a 315, hybrid at/mt with three ply sidewalls. Closer to MT is great, but I need good winter characteristics too since I live in the Colorado mountains. General grabber x3 looks good but I’m worried it will handle packed snow / ice no better than a mud tire.

Duratrac is out, based on experiences of a few friends who have had them. (Even though that’s top notch for snow/ice.)

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[retrofive]

I think my next will be the BFG KM3's.

 

[andyquoll]

I think my next will be the BFG KM3's.

I hated KM2’s enough that I won’t go that route. Bad tread life, terrible tread chunking, too much noise and absolute s***e for winter driving.

 

[cjmoon]

Just put duratracs on mine but next inline was km3. I’m coming off of KO2’s

 

[retrofive]

I hated KM2’s enough that I won’t go that route. Bad tread life, terrible tread chunking, too much noise and absolute s***e for winter driving.

Good to know. Some folks around here have sure liked them.

 

[Corbet]

Couple friends down here really like the Nitto Ridge Grappler as an all season truck tire. I run Duratracs with studs during the winter personally and will have a hard time not buying another set. But I’d never wheel them.

I spent a couple winters on Terra Grapplers and they did pretty well. Your original request for something that favors the MT side is not going to help the winter performance.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

Curious, because I have a maybe 4 month old set with no miles on them yet, is it a dry rot type of crack or something worse ? Most manufacturers start recommending replacement at 6 years, but of course they want to sell tires too. Don't think I've ever made it that long on a set of tires, but I don't plan on daily driving the 80 so.... Can you post pics ?

Jason

 

[andyquoll]

Couple friends down here really like the Nitto Ridge Grappler as an all season truck tire. I run Duratracs with studs during the winter personally and will have a hard time not buying another set. But I’d never wheel them.

I spent a couple winters on Terra Grapplers and they did pretty well. Your original request for something that favors the MT side is not going to help the winter performance.

Yeah we wheel pretty hard out here and AT tires all seem to fall apart. Exactly why the st Maxx is the perfect tire... I think I might just need to accept 4-5 years of use and call it good. But man those 315s are spendy

 

[andyquoll]

Curious, because I have a maybe 4 month old set with no miles on them yet, is it a dry rot type of crack or something worse ? Most manufacturers start recommending replacement at 6 years, but of course they want to sell tires too. Don't think I've ever made it that long on a set of tires, but I don't plan on daily driving the 80 so.... Can you post pics ?

Jason

It’s a dry rot looking thing. Which gives me pause because in my younger days I ignored that on some OG KM’s and had a highway speed blowout, in the treads. Lucky it was a rear tire but I learned my lesson. I’ll try to get a pic up later.

 

[mingles]

I replaced my ST Maxx tires with Toyo Open country AT/II's. After two winters and 30K on the Toyo's I am still happy. My main complaint with the ST Maxx was after 45K or so they suddenly got very loud. I only had them on a little over two years but had no chunking.

All-Terrain Tires for Trucks, SUVs and Crossover | Open Country A/T II

The Toyo AT/III's look interesting as well. Based on my current experience, I am leaning towards trying them next.

 

[andyquoll]

Curious, because I have a maybe 4 month old set with no miles on them yet, is it a dry rot type of crack or something worse ? Most manufacturers start recommending replacement at 6 years, but of course they want to sell tires too. Don't think I've ever made it that long on a set of tires, but I don't plan on daily driving the 80 so.... Can you post pics ?

Jason

 

[GA Trevor]

Do you park outside or in a covered garage? I personally think 6 years is pretty reasonable for a tire sitting outside.

 

[sogafarm]

If you can afford to do so, get a winter set on steel wheels and studs, then get what you want for wheeling on the original rims for the summer. When I lived in the co mtns, studded cheap winter tires were unstoppable. I have the wal-mart goodyear wrangler authority's on my taco, have over 40k miles at 1/2 tread. I can't wear them out. They are cheap, but noisy as any mud tire would be. Better than bfg and I've had many sets of bfg's. I've even seen them for $125 new.
www.walmart.com/ip/Goodyear-Wrangler-Authority-Tire-31X10-50R15-LT/11983156

 

[flintknapper]

I like my ST Maxx tires so far...but I've only had them since January. Hopefully won't have any issues with them. I haven't checked their date of manufacture though, need to do that just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Nay]

I had ST Maxx on my son’s 1999 4Runner in a 33” size when I bought it and one developed a major crack. I replaced them with another set since I had an unused spare, and the tread wear was absolute crap (no alignment issues). So dumped them for Falken AT3W - that tire is awesome, I have a 70K and going strong on a set of 34’s on my Sequoia and they’ve handled 3 winters with a lot of ice. Not the best deep snow tire, though. Or mud.

Best all around AT I have run is the Goodyear Ultraterrain. They are exceptional in winter and have shockingly good deep snow performance, quiet, really good relative gas mileage. Can’t say how good they are durability-wise offroad since the ‘04 4Runner they are on doesn’t get used hard (also a 33” size).

I don’t bother with ATs, though. This is the Cooper STT Pro on ice that was hard to walk on. They just do everything well.



The Patagonia Milestar MT is also getting good reviews for winter and they are dirt cheap.

 

[andyquoll]

Do you park outside or in a covered garage? I personally think 6 years is pretty reasonable for a tire sitting outside.

Yeah I do park outside, and Colorado is dry with a lot of sun. That said I’ve been looking at all my friends tires and none of them are doing this.

i know the manufacturers say no more than six years on a tire, but I’m not sure I trust that.

 

[devo]

I’m pushing 42K on my ST Max tires. They have held up really well for the 4 years I’ve had them. They’ve been on some pretty brutal surfaces. Yes they do show some of the cracking you have pictured. Yes some of my tread has chunked out but I am used to seeing that. I will probably buy these tires again. As you mentioned they work quite well year round in Colorado.
I think your seeing normal breakdown in the rubber as it dries and hardens over time and from being exposed to a terrific amount of UV radiation from the sun exposer here in the high county of Colorado.
I’m curios if you have called Cooper and spoke with their tire techs?




devo

 

[andyquoll]

If you can afford to do so, get a winter set on steel wheels and studs, then get what you want for wheeling on the original rims for the summer. When I lived in the co mtns, studded cheap winter tires were unstoppable. I have the wal-mart goodyear wrangler authority's on my taco, have over 40k miles at 1/2 tread. I can't wear them out. They are cheap, but noisy as any mud tire would be. Better than bfg and I've had many sets of bfg's. I've even seen them for $125 new.
www.walmart.com/ip/Goodyear-Wrangler-Authority-Tire-31X10-50R15-LT/11983156

Definitely an option. That said the st Maxx is really quite amazing in winter. And tread wise it’s just the blend of at/mt that I want. We do a lot of highway miles with this truck so I’m not really looking at an aggressive mt tire. But then, the wheeling we do is rock crawling on sharp stuff. Need indestructible sidewalls and tread blocks that don’t chunk off.

I think I’m convincing myself to stick with the Maxx and deal with replacing every five years.

 

[andyquoll]

I’m curios if you have called Cooper and spoke with their tire techs?
devo

Not yet, I need to do that.

 

[andyquoll]

I don’t bother with ATs, though. This is the Cooper STT Pro on ice that was hard to walk on. They just do everything well.

A hybrid is a close to AT as I’m willing to go.

That’s impressive on the ice! How’s the highway ride/noise with that tire? Tread life?

I’ve considered the STT pro, but I don’t really need tread that aggressive. I could be convinced if it isn’t super loud and squirmy on pavement though...