jim65wagon
Well-known member
slooowr6 said:
just an fyi, my ST's on an 8" wide rim were just under 33 inches tall new. That's on the truck, 40psi street pressure.
Cooper ST's - 255/85/16
- Thread starter ShearPin
- Start date
just an fyi, my ST's on an 8" wide rim were just under 33 inches tall new. That's on the truck, 40psi street pressure.
I'm cheap, no budget for rims yet. The stock rim is 7" wide. I guess it'll squeeze the tires a little. I've to be careful on tire selection, wife love the way the truck rides currently. If after I put $1000 into tires and it becomes louder, uncomfortable and rubbing I'll never hear the end of it. 
Dunlop has load rating D and weights 49lbs. It's only 2lbs lighter than a 265/75/16 BF T/A KO in load rating D. Would that really make the side wall weak? Or side wall strength is unrelated to the weight? Maybe 265/75/16 is the way I should go, plenty choice and guarantee to work.
Dunlop has load rating D and weights 49lbs. It's only 2lbs lighter than a 265/75/16 BF T/A KO in load rating D. Would that really make the side wall weak? Or side wall strength is unrelated to the weight? Maybe 265/75/16 is the way I should go, plenty choice and guarantee to work.
bigreen505
Expedition Leader
slooowr6 said:Dunlop has load rating D and weights 49lbs. It's only 2lbs lighter than a 265/75/16 BF T/A KO in load rating D. Would that really make the side wall weak? Or side wall strength is unrelated to the weight? Maybe 265/75/16 is the way I should go, plenty choice and guarantee to work.
Like I said, no personal experience. I think it is easy to confuse a flexible side wall with a weak one, but one does not necessarily imply the other. FWIW the person who made those comments was running a 255/85 on a Tacoma and represents only one data point.
I took a trip with someone on the board running 33x10.5 BFG MTs on a Gen 2 4Runner and at 20 lb. they didn't even show a hint of bulge and continued to look fully inflated until about 15 lb. Mine showed a lot of bulge and were very supple at 20 lb. Are his better because of the stiffer side wall or are mine better because they are more supple? Not sure it matters.
bigreen505
Expedition Leader
slooowr6 said:
PM sent, I don't want to further pollute this thread.
ShearPin
Adventurer
Thanks for all the replies - the limited availability of this odd size is worrisome. 4 days would be a long wait during a two or three week holiday. I would assume the wait for Coopers in this specific size would be even longer.
I've spent some time on a few Aussie forums over the past two weeks and found some harsh reviews of the Cooper ST. I've got the long winter to decide....
Thanks again,
Henry
www.4x4freedom.com
I've spent some time on a few Aussie forums over the past two weeks and found some harsh reviews of the Cooper ST. I've got the long winter to decide....
Thanks again,
Henry
www.4x4freedom.com
4Rescue
Expedition Leader
how are all these Tires doing in the Rain??? I live in Portland which is about as wet as anyplace on the planet. Lately, I've been feeling with my lift and my Tires that are nearing death, I'm getting alot of Hydroplaning, and the ass edn is getting looser on offcamber turns. I've heard people say that the BFG AT hydroplanes alot. I'm personaly looking at some LS SXT "mud Terrains" that are more like an agressive AT, in the 33x9.50 size. I'm hoping that the Narrower tire will resist Hydroplaning better, and I belive they messure out at 33.2in so I like the height. It's a real pisser that they don't make more tiresin the 33x10.5 or 9.5 size. Wide tires are useless IMO.
Here are th Tires I'm looking at.
http://lesschwab.com/tires/light_truck/sxt_mt.asp
Here are th Tires I'm looking at.
http://lesschwab.com/tires/light_truck/sxt_mt.asp
I've run 2 sets of BFG AT's and i would describe them as average in the rain. I like the way they handle in the snow (utah living) but rain I can't really say anthing positive or negative. I was definitely able to spin the rears on wet pavement in a tacoma though if not too careful. I'm hoping a thinner profile tire will help this by increasing contact pressure.
MaddBaggins
Explorer
I've been running a set of Cooper Discoverer STT for over a year now, appx 12k miles. These are a mud terrain, not AT, but they are Coopers. My opinion:
They give excellent traction in the rocks and dirt
they form well around rocks at 15psi
they grip wet rock pretty well
they are a little loud on pavement, but so is any MT I've ever heard
they balance OK, not great, but OK
I've ruffed up the sidewalls alot and they are fine. I did cut one once though, on a stick of all things
they are hard to come by, since I special order them thru Discount
what I put these thru, I may only get 2 more years or so. That would equate to appx 36k-40k miles on the set. If I get 40k I'll be really happy.
Overall, I like them a lot better than the Yokohama Geolander AT's I had before.
They give excellent traction in the rocks and dirt
they form well around rocks at 15psi
they grip wet rock pretty well
they are a little loud on pavement, but so is any MT I've ever heard
they balance OK, not great, but OK
I've ruffed up the sidewalls alot and they are fine. I did cut one once though, on a stick of all things
they are hard to come by, since I special order them thru Discount
what I put these thru, I may only get 2 more years or so. That would equate to appx 36k-40k miles on the set. If I get 40k I'll be really happy.
Overall, I like them a lot better than the Yokohama Geolander AT's I had before.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
Until the BFG AT's got down to their last they were OK in the rain. No worse than any other truck tire I had. At the very end of their life they were no good at all, wet roads + no tread = spinning tires.
The Cooper ST's at 20,000 are on par with the BFG at their half-life. Not meant to be a rain tire they do OK, nothing dramatic, but for an LT tire with a more aggressive tread they do OK. I've driven worse tires in the rain with more "streetable" tread.
The Cooper ST's at 20,000 are on par with the BFG at their half-life. Not meant to be a rain tire they do OK, nothing dramatic, but for an LT tire with a more aggressive tread they do OK. I've driven worse tires in the rain with more "streetable" tread.
has nobody yet mentioned the Truxs MT from Interco? They make it in a 255/85x16R and they run about 143 in the catalogs before shipping, and I was a ble to find them for $165 at the tire factory in town. That was mounted and balanced per tire. Thought about going that way, but i'm broke enough that i can't even afford that.
kevb
Observer
I changed from BFG ATs to Cooper STs on my 90 a few months ago and am very pleased, it was a big decision to leave BFGs but they did not offer the size I wanted in AT and we get a lot of rain here so MTs were out. I still think its a shame BFG binned the Trac Edge!
I wanted 255s but would have taken 12 weeks to order and even some of the bigger dealers were not aware that they came in this size. I went with 285s in the end as they were readily available and although a bit fatter than I would have originally liked I am pleased with the performance. I have covered about 5000 miles in them now including a trip to France/Italy/Switzerland. They are slightly noisier on road than the BFG ATs but in a 90 you hardly notice anyway and they are better in the mud. Time will tell if they last as long or are as durable.
I wanted 255s but would have taken 12 weeks to order and even some of the bigger dealers were not aware that they came in this size. I went with 285s in the end as they were readily available and although a bit fatter than I would have originally liked I am pleased with the performance. I have covered about 5000 miles in them now including a trip to France/Italy/Switzerland. They are slightly noisier on road than the BFG ATs but in a 90 you hardly notice anyway and they are better in the mud. Time will tell if they last as long or are as durable.
Mayne
Explorer
Sorry about the late reply. I've run the Cooper ST's on my TJ for about a year now, and I've been satisfied. My jeep is a daily driver, so the tires do get used in all weather. I've had no problems with them in the rain, but I did have the center lugs siped at the dealer when I bought them. I do this to all the tires I buy, and I believe it makes a huge difference. Off road the tires climb well, aired down they pulled my jeep out of the sand @ Pyramid lake. I"ve run them for a thousand miles one direction loaded and trailering with no issue.
That being said, I would purchase them again.
Hope this helps.
Mayne
That being said, I would purchase them again.
Hope this helps.
Mayne
Redline
Likes to Drive and Ride
I did a little Cooper ST tire shopping today. Went to a local dealer to look at the ST in a 255/85R16 in person. I was able to confirm what I suspected based on the printed specs; that the Cooper ST in 255/85 is made on the same casing as the "Dean SXT Mud Terrain". Dean is a Cooper subsidiary and is sold by Les Schwab Tires. I have owned a set of the Dean SXT Mud Terrains (not a true/open mud) in 255/85R16 recently.
I love the ST tread pattern and void ratio as it's similar to the Les Schwab ‘Wild Country TXR' (a TBC ‘Multi-Mile' brand) that I ran in 255/85 for several years. More aggressive and open than an A/T, but not as open or as a mud tire.
The Cooper ST has a narrow open channel (void) running down the center of the tire where the Dean does not. I believe this would be better for water/slush evacuation. The ST also has staggered, pointy lugs on the outer tread ribs that look like they would help traction, particularly aired-down where they could get a good bite.
Though I'm a 255/85 fan, the very narrow Dean SXTs I had several months ago appeared to have a very narrow tread width for their section width. Dean SXT and Cooper ST 255s have a tread width of only 7.2-inches. I had my SXTs mounted on Rubicon 8” wheels, surely they would have been better on sevens. But all the other 255s I have tried have been fine on on sevens (ideal) or even the Rubicon eights. I would rather have the bead pinched in a little than spread apart for better sealing and bead retention when airing down. Another small negative is that the ST appears to only be N-speed rated, 87-MPH. I rarely drive that fast or faster, but it is nice to have a little more margin on those very rare occasions.
The approx. tread width on other 255/85R16s, measured tonight in my shop:
Maxxis Bighorn 8”
BFG M/T 7 15/16”
Maxxis Bravo 761 A/T 7 1/2” ( a very conservative tire/all-season)
The Wild Country TXRs I mentioned above were also about 8-inches wide at the tread.
I love the ST tread pattern and void ratio as it's similar to the Les Schwab ‘Wild Country TXR' (a TBC ‘Multi-Mile' brand) that I ran in 255/85 for several years. More aggressive and open than an A/T, but not as open or as a mud tire.
The Cooper ST has a narrow open channel (void) running down the center of the tire where the Dean does not. I believe this would be better for water/slush evacuation. The ST also has staggered, pointy lugs on the outer tread ribs that look like they would help traction, particularly aired-down where they could get a good bite.
Though I'm a 255/85 fan, the very narrow Dean SXTs I had several months ago appeared to have a very narrow tread width for their section width. Dean SXT and Cooper ST 255s have a tread width of only 7.2-inches. I had my SXTs mounted on Rubicon 8” wheels, surely they would have been better on sevens. But all the other 255s I have tried have been fine on on sevens (ideal) or even the Rubicon eights. I would rather have the bead pinched in a little than spread apart for better sealing and bead retention when airing down. Another small negative is that the ST appears to only be N-speed rated, 87-MPH. I rarely drive that fast or faster, but it is nice to have a little more margin on those very rare occasions.
The approx. tread width on other 255/85R16s, measured tonight in my shop:
Maxxis Bighorn 8”
BFG M/T 7 15/16”
Maxxis Bravo 761 A/T 7 1/2” ( a very conservative tire/all-season)
The Wild Country TXRs I mentioned above were also about 8-inches wide at the tread.
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