Cooper tires

[Semi Hex]

I've wondered about this too. I air down my "C" rated tires to 15 psi, then worry if my sidewalls are at risk of puncture. I had a 64 Scout that had some military tires with sidewalls so heavy that when flat you hardly saw any sag. Talk about a rough ride!

 

[gregnash]

I've wondered about this too. I air down my "C" rated tires to 15 psi, then worry if my sidewalls are at risk of puncture. I had a 64 Scout that had some military tires with sidewalls so heavy that when flat you hardly saw any sag. Talk about a rough ride!

LOL... they aren't that rough or stiff but I can tell you that they are thicker because of the armortek technology. It is their reinforced 3-ply sidewall so don't really know what, if any, changes it would make. again it may also have to do with how much you are airing down and the size of the tires (tall/skinny vs. short/wide). When I get my truck back up and running I plan on grabbing a small compressor so I will see if I can air down and take some pics but as for an all around "good" Extreme Terrain tire (not quite MT but more than AT) they are quite good.

 

[cr500taco]

LOL... they aren't that rough or stiff but I can tell you that they are thicker because of the armortek technology. It is their reinforced 3-ply sidewall so don't really know what, if any, changes it would make. again it may also have to do with how much you are airing down and the size of the tires (tall/skinny vs. short/wide). When I get my truck back up and running I plan on grabbing a small compressor so I will see if I can air down and take some pics but as for an all around "good" Extreme Terrain tire (not quite MT but more than AT) they are quite good.

The BFG KOs that I have on my Tacoma, have a 3 ply sidewall and I have no issues airing down to 12lbs and they seemed to flex ok. Dont know how much of a difference the armortek technology makes, though.

 

[gregnash]

See that is the thing, the ArmorTek is supposed to be a more reinforced 3-ply vs. the standard 3-ply from what I have read. I would guess that this would inherently be heavier but how much I do not know.

Quick vid on it.....

 

[micruz60]

The AT3 is a pretty good tire, I've had the Disco M+S, Firestone Winterforce, and ran thru a couple sets of the Dunlop radial rover LT series.
The stopping traction is pretty good on greasy snow...
For my area of preference, I don't air down at all, and the Cruiser gets pressed into firewood fetching (about 15-25% offroad), which really loads it up. Time will tell.

 

[n00g7]

AT3s are a great tire. Just avoid thick mud. An AT/MT combo tire with larger side lugs like the ST MAXX, Duratrac, etc. may suite you better if you see mud.

Snow/Wet, Duratrac/AT3 are both great on-road performers. Haven't run the ST MAXX, but I'd have to put it a notch below based on the tread pattern and siping.

 

[cr500taco]

Thanks guys for the info. Seems like everyone is pretty happy with either the ST Maxx and AT3. I haven't been in mud, yet with my truck and that's the reason I stuck with the BFG KOs. But, before I new about the Cooper tires and then did research. I am thinking now that I want to be prepared for mud especially once I actually get my truck setup the way I want it and be able to go backcountry camping. I think the deciding factor for me between the AT3 and ST Maxx is difference in weight between the two, since my truck is a DD and I use it for work and weekend warrior. I just found out today that Discount Tire is having a buy 2 get 2 free special until the 28th, so I need to decide quick.

 

[cr500taco]

So, according to Amazon (it's the only site that I could find all of the tires and had the weight info), St Maxx is only 3lbs heavier than the AT3 and BFG. That doesn't sound much to me. Am I wrong? Only compared the BFGs, because that's what I am running, now.

 

[gregnash]

Not really sure on that and it may depend on which version of the AT3 you are looking at... Personally, as much as I love the look of the S/T Maxx I would probably go with the AT3 next time for the DD. There was a pretty decent price difference when I bought and if you are turning your truck into an Overland type vehicle then I would say spend the extra money on a good winch as that will benefit you more in those deep mud situations than a heavier lugged tire.

Also, keep an eye on Discount Tire Direct and Discount Tires ebay store. The B&M stores will normally match any deal that you find (and show them) in house.

 

[cr500taco]

Thanks for your input. Discount tire is having a buy 2 get 2 free until the 28th. I am thinking what I might do is get the S/T Maxx for now and see how the fuel milage is and if I am not happy with the fuel mileage, then I'll get the AT3 and keep the S/T Maxx for when I might need them.

 

[cruiserfj45]

Just a heads up my company use to run the discoverer a/t3 285/75R16 load range E on our work trucks. They were good for a few thousand miles then the sidewall started pulling apart from the bead and if you didn't catch it would result in a violent sidewall blowout. Our trucks have service beds and are very heavy. My brother works for the Forest Service and reported having this same problem on their heaver trucks. On a Cruiser it shouldn't be too much of a problem but just wanted to warn you.

 

[cr500taco]

Thanks. The tires are going on my 1st Gen Tacoma. But I'll keep that in mind.

 

[kblomquist]

Thanks for your input. Discount tire is having a buy 2 get 2 free until the 28th. I am thinking what I might do is get the S/T Maxx for now and see how the fuel milage is and if I am not happy with the fuel mileage, then I'll get the AT3 and keep the S/T Maxx for when I might need them.

Do you have any details on this sale?

-thanks

 

[cr500taco]

Not, yet. I'm going there this weekend to find out more about it. On theirbwebsite it just says buy 2 get 2 free on all tires restrictions apply.

 

[cruiserfj45]

No problem, just check the inner bead for ANY cracking around the wheel when you rotate them. I will see if I can find one at the shop and get a picture of what it looks like before it goes bang.

 

[cr500taco]

Checked with Discount tires center this morning regarding the special. it's for in stock tires only. Neither of the At3 or ST Maxx are in Stock, so they are not included in the special. So while I was there I got prices. The AT3 is $160 and the ST Maxx is $209. Don't know if that was just the tires or with mounting. They have to special order the ST Maxx and that was an additional $49 for all for tires.

Sent from my SM-T700

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

YMMV, But as I get older, I am more aware of where my money goes...The S/Ts are gunna wear faster...really consider what you're going to be driving on for the majority...and I'm hoping that what Cruiserfj45 says about their service trucks tires are due to a defect in the tires that only applies to the E range...What kind of payloads are you guys wearing in that service truck, fJ45?

 

[cruiserfj45]

Well it just so happens that Saturday morning I had a BFG a/t sidewall failure. I can't blame it on just the coopers anymore. Our trucks are very heavy to the point of being overloaded in my oppion but don't tell the boss, it has to be the factory steel rim's fault (sarcasm inserted here).

 

[TexasD90]

Just a heads up my company use to run the discoverer a/t3 285/75R16 load range E on our work trucks. They were good for a few thousand miles then the sidewall started pulling apart from the bead and if you didn't catch it would result in a violent sidewall blowout. Our trucks have service beds and are very heavy. My brother works for the Forest Service and reported having this same problem on their heaver trucks. On a Cruiser it shouldn't be too much of a problem but just wanted to warn you.

Same exact problem with the ST MAXX.
Also you'd do just as good in the mud with a highway tire as you would the maxx. I really liked my ST MAXX tires until the bead issues came about. They never were good in mud though.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

As a follow-up, I've got a couple thousand miles on these tires now and they continue to impress me. Even offroad, they fare very well, especially for an A/T.