Best 'Aggressive AT' Tires?

[BigSwede]

I am noticing a lot of comments on longevity. While a long wearing tire certainly helps the pocket book, it comes as a loss in performance, almost always on dry rock due to the reduced adhesion and micro-keying.

I don't disagree with any of this, but when it is nearly 1,000 miles of highway driving just to get to the Rockies, longevity has greater value.

 

[Scott Brady]

I currently have both and find that blanket statement quite a stretch. "Struggle" - as compared to what?

They struggle on wet pavement traction and ice when compared to other ATs with tighter lug spacing and more siping. Not wet as in a muddy trail, but wet pavement.

My comment was in response to the question of why the STT and Duratrac was not in the AT tire test in our last issue.

 

[SSF556]

Neither the S/T Maxx or Duratracs are traditional all terrains, and seriously struggle in ice and wet conditions. Both good tires, but more of a hybrid between an AT and mud tire. The difficulty with testing a mud tire (or an all terrain's) performance in mud is repeatability. Any mud tire or mud test could only be subjective...

The ST Maxx and DuraTracs are game changers....as long as these tires are available there is no need for me to even look at an AT tire. And I predict we will see more of these hybrids in the future....The statement about ice and wet is not accurate at all and I would put the ST Maxx and Duratrac up against any AT tire in icy and wet conditions. What would have been beneficial to all of us is to have thrown in the ST Maxx and DuraTrac in the testing and noted their performance in a sidebar.

 

[Hilldweller]

The Toyo AT-2 Xtreme is a cut above ordinary AT also. I used that tire last on the PW and it did very well on snow, ice, roads ---- and held it's own in the less viscous mud.
I haven't had my ST-Maxx tires on snow/ice yet but they do squirm a bit on slick highways at speed, especially with the trailer.

 

[Clutch]

I got 14K out of my last set (on the Power Wagon).
It bewilders me when I hear of high mileage like this on any sort of tire, especially tires designed to go offroad.
I don't think I've ever had a tire go more than 40K on any of my vehicles ever.

14K!?

Did you mistakingly buy C rated tires?

 

[Scott Brady]

The statement about ice and wet is not accurate at all and I would put the ST Maxx and Duratrac up against any AT tire in icy and wet conditions.

I spent a few days in Texas, testing various ATs on a giant wet skid pad, using identical Tahoes. The ST MAXX isn't even close to the AT/3 in wet pavement. It is just the limitation and inherent compromise in tire design. Larger voids for evacuation limit surface area for adhesion, micro-keying and total siping.

However, I agree that the ST MAXX and Duratrac are important developments in tire design. I am planning to install a set of ST MAXX on one of our office test vehicles. For most of my travels, an aggressive AT is a great option. Once more options hit the market, we will schedule another test.

Edit: found image of our day at the tire test facility.

 

[01tundra]

They struggle on wet pavement traction and ice when compared to other ATs with tighter lug spacing and more siping. Not wet as in a muddy trail, but wet pavement.

My comment was in response to the question of why the STT and Duratrac was not in the AT tire test in our last issue.

My point, I've ran traditional and the two mentioned above, they do not struggle one bit on wet pavement on any of our vehicles, as a matter of fact, they do as good as, if not better than any of the traditional A/T's I've ran under any road conditions I've been exposed to.

I'm talking under normal road driving conditions, not skid pads.

 

[SSF556]

I spent a few days in Texas, testing various ATs on a giant wet skid pad, using identical Tahoes. The ST MAXX isn't even close to the AT/3 in wet pavement. It is just the limitation and inherent compromise in tire design. Larger voids for evacuation limit surface area for adhesion, micro-keying and total siping.

However, I agree that the ST MAXX and Duratrac are important developments in tire design. I am planning to install a set of ST MAXX on one of our office test vehicles. For most of my travels, an aggressive AT is a great option. Once more options hit the market, we will schedule another test.

Edit: found image of our day at the tire test facility.
View attachment 229614

Good info...

 

[Scott Brady]

I'm talking under normal road driving conditions, not skid pads.

That is the difference between subjective and objective test results. Normal driving conditions certainly provide insights, but there is no repeatability or control over variables. Even a few PSI will start to influence test results. Tire design has really entered a new era, and with some exciting results. These new hybrid ATs are a great example.

 

[Hilldweller]

That is the difference between subjective and objective test results. Normal driving conditions certainly provide insights, but there is no repeatability or control over variables. Even a few PSI will start to influence test results. Tire design has really entered a new era, and with some exciting results. These new hybrid ATs are a great example.

Yup.
But, since every tire will fall short somewhere/somehow, ya gotta pick where you think it's gunna fail you and arm yourself against it.
The ST-Maxx addresses the mud that the AT/3 and other traditional ATs fail in.

Life is about picking your compromises...

 

[Clutch]

I spent a few days in Texas, testing various ATs on a giant wet skid pad, using identical Tahoes. The ST MAXX isn't even close to the AT/3 in wet pavement. It is just the limitation and inherent compromise in tire design. Larger voids for evacuation limit surface area for adhesion, micro-keying and total siping.

However, I agree that the ST MAXX and Duratrac are important developments in tire design. I am planning to install a set of ST MAXX on one of our office test vehicles. For most of my travels, an aggressive AT is a great option. Once more options hit the market, we will schedule another test.

Edit: found image of our day at the tire test facility.
View attachment 229614

Did they both have the same load rating?

 

[Clutch]

Yup.
But, since every tire will fall short somewhere/somehow, ya gotta pick where you think it's gunna fail you and arm yourself against it.
The ST-Maxx addresses the mud that the AT/3 and other traditional ATs fail in.

Life is about picking your compromises...

Or have multiple sets of tires...

 

[Scott Brady]

Did they both have the same load rating?

All variables were tightly controlled, including load rating, psi, size, etc. this facility is designed exclusively for tire testing, and we even had access to a massive mud pit, rock crawling course, concrete slopes (dry and wet) etc. this is a different facility then what we just used for the AT tire test article. However, it was the one that allowed us to evaluate AT3, ST Maxx and BFG AT back to back. . . to back

 

[Clutch]

All variables were tightly controlled, including load rating, psi, size, etc. this facility is designed exclusively for tire testing, and we even had access to a massize mud pit, rock crawling course, concrete slopes (dry and wet) etc. this is a different facility then what we just used for the AT tire test article. However, it was the one that allowed us to evaluate AT3, ST Maxx and BFG AT back to back. . . To back

Thanks

 

[Quinn]

However, I agree that the ST MAXX and Duratrac are important developments in tire design. I am planning to install a set of ST MAXX on one of our office test vehicles. For most of my travels, an aggressive AT is a great option. Once more options hit the market, we will schedule another test.

I'm a huge fan of the ST Maxx. More street-friendly tread than the very aggressive STT, but they retain the very puncture resistant "Armor-Tek3" sidewall. Living in the Northeast, sidewall strength is very important to me, as there are plenty of sharp & wet sticks and rocks that are sidewall-killers. In my experience, the sidewalls of the Duratracs don't even come close to the Coopers.

Originally the ST Maxx was pretty limited in sizes, but Cooper has been expanding the selection recently.