Cooper ST Maxx or Goodyear Duratrac.. Purchasing b4 31st!

[Paisano]

the 28th was the deadline for the rebate on the duratracs. not going that route.

31st was the deadline for the rebate on the at3. not going that route.

so now the deadline is new tires before the snow starts flying! i'd like to do it sooner than later but i really just want to make the right decision and be happy with my choice!

talking 285's, i feel i should at least go with a 275 now but my options are bfg at, at3, wrangler mtr, ??

i hear the 265/70/17 st maxx runs big. this could be the safe/smart play.

not a big fan of the skinny tire so 255's are out. any more ideas out there!?

One of the reasons I went w/ Cooper this time was because they are supposed to run more true to size. The BFG run small. I was originally dead set on BFG KM2s before looking into Cooper at all. After measuring the STTs though, they're still only 32" or so, but I guess that would be expected now that they're on the vehicle, under a load, etc.

But again, I'm so glad I went to 285 this time around. You've got the V8 too, it can handle the extra weight, etc.

 

[SlvrV8Rnnr]

i'm 99.9% sure i'm going with the st maxx. they have more sizes than i thought. i know i said i don't like a skinny tire but i shouldn't knock it until i see it.

255/80/17
255/75/17
265/70/17
275/70/17

Going to check on prices for all of them and make a decision soon hopefully

 

[wadle5]

i'm 99.9% sure i'm going with the st maxx. they have more sizes than i thought. i know i said i don't like a skinny tire but i shouldn't knock it until i see it.

255/80/17
255/75/17
265/70/17
275/70/17

Going to check on prices for all of them and make a decision soon hopefully

Seeing you are from Iowa as well as your signature, was wondering how the Duratracs are holding up?

 

[Tarp Man]

Cooper AT3's 265/70/16 Load E

By way of intro: my baby is a '99 4Runner LTD with factory e-locker. All OEM, minus me taking the running boards off. Main driving habits: paved roads/highways as my daily drive, but I venture off road for fishing and hunting regularly (gravel fire roads, back trails, creek crossings, muddy paths, snow/ice, grassy fields). PSI stays steady at 44psi all around, but when loaded with a week's worth of gear I bump it up to 50psi in the rear and 46psi in the front.

I put Cooper AT3's in LT265/7016 on last year for my AT tires, and have been super impressed. The LT sizes come with 2-3/32 extra depth over the P-rated tires, and mine are the E-rated. For a straight forward AT tire, they have not disappointed me. This saw me taking it into terrain I would not have thought the tires would handle as well as they did. This past fall for my buddy's goat draw and my moose hunt the tires waded through doorsill deep creeks, mud pits, snow drifts, hundreds of km's of gravel roads and washboard, and sharp shot rock steep exploration roads. Not a single flat, not a single instance to engage the E-locker, or hail mary high speed runs. Some careful picking of lines and sensible throttle/brake use saw me through every place my buddy went with his '07 Tacoma TRD DoubleCab outfitted with stock size LT Duratracs. Now I run dedicated snowflake tires for the 5 months of winter we get in Northern BC, but the snow/ice/frost heave that I have crossed has been no problem. They clear mud far better than the BFG's I had on my '96 Tacoma in 31x10.5/15, and don't throw too many rocks. They also deal with standing water on the highways better than any other AT tire I've had (Nitto AT Terra Grappler, Michelin LTX MS, BFG's).

Given unlimited funds and the choice to buy new tires, I would go back to the AT3's in a flash for what I need. I am expecting to get 50-60,000km out of them, especially given the light weight of a '99 4Runner on E-rated tires. YMMV, but I was blown away at just how good these tires are, without being big knobby tires. Come to think about it, they fit the understated capability of the 4Runner perfectly.

Make sure to check out Expedition Portal's tire review for any further questions on the AT3

 

[SlvrV8Rnnr]

Seeing you are from Iowa as well as your signature, was wondering how the Duratracs are holding up?

I have been pretty impressed with them so far. Ended up going with p-rated 265/70/17. I have around 17,000 miles on them in maybe 18 months. I generally drive when my wife and i go anywhere so they get a lot of on-road use. Rotated at 6,xxx and 12,xxx miles. So I will rotate again at 18,000. Not sure of remaining tread depth but the tread is looking good and wearing even. It's kind of funny to read my old posts about not going with duratracs and yet here i am with duratracs. They've been a good tire. I've always liked the aggressive look. As for weather, they have handled rain, snow and light mud with no problem. Last year when we had the 10-12" snow fall in Cedar Rapids, I went driving before the roads got plowed and had a lot of fun. Had zero issues getting around. The only thing that bothers me about them is how easily they pick up gravel/rock. With the offset of the stealth 6 wheels, and the duratracs ability to pick up rock, I have to take it pretty slow on gravel roads. Overall tho I've never been so confident in a vehicle. Hope all the info helps you. Sorry it took so long to reply. Been busy with our newborn son, been busy at work, been hunting a lot... Busy is good tho! Let me know if you have more questions.