bfg at vs. cooper st

[rovingowl]

i getting new tires this weekend to replace the factory dunlops on my '07. i've narrowed it down to bfg at k/os or cooper discoverer s/ts. i've done alot of reading and people seem to really like the s/ts. i've had bfg ats in the past and have always gotten excellent mileage out of them and think the coopers would wear well although possibly not as well as the bfgs. i'd like to try the coopers for something different and for the idea that they may be better in deep snow and deep mud, both of which are common here in northern vt.

my main question is regarding the sidewalls. the bfg is a 3 ply where as the cooper is a 2 ply. is this any cause for concern? my rig is a daily driver and doesn't see any hardcore off-roading, but it does see trails and i want a tough tire. the only issue i ever had with the bfgs was 2 nails from the jobsite about an 1/8 inch apart in between the tread blocks. i used 2 plugs and it never became an issue again.

also these will be mounted on 16x7 factory steels if that makes any difference.

thanks

 

[Cobra69]

I'm in Massachusetts so we have the same or similair trials. I am running the Cooper Discoverer STT's 285x75x16 on my rig now. I love them, great in teh mud and snow. the STT's have armor trek 3 for the sidewalls. Just as strong as BFG's or stronger. Most of hte guys on my club NTC (Northeast Toyota Crawlers) Are running the same and we have put them thru the ringer and they come out shining everytime.

 

[Cobra69]

My truck is also a DD. I'm planning on ordering another set once these are done.......I might try the 255/85/16 next.

 

[Redline]

First I would ask have you read this thread or a few of the other tire threads under General Modifications? There are some other tire thread stickies up there too.

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8619&highlight=cooper+255

To give you a few comments...

Yes I think the Cooper ST would be much better in deep snow & mud over the BFG AT due to its higher void ratio.

Flats and tire damage can happen with any tire.

I have never owned BFG AT, only MT. In theory the 3-ply sidewalls are stronger on the BFGs and the Cooper STs I have do feel flexible (I like the ride). If your rig is a daily driver that doesn't see 'extreme' trails then I don't know if the sidewalls really matter.

i getting new tires this weekend to replace the factory dunlops on my '07. i've narrowed it down to bfg at k/os or cooper discoverer s/ts. i've done alot of reading and people seem to really like the s/ts. i've had bfg ats in the past and have always gotten excellent mileage out of them and think the coopers would wear well although possibly not as well as the bfgs. i'd like to try the coopers for something different and for the idea that they may be better in deep snow and deep mud, both of which are common here in northern vt.

my main question is regarding the sidewalls. the bfg is a 3 ply where as the cooper is a 2 ply. is this any cause for concern? my rig is a daily driver and doesn't see any hardcore off-roading, but it does see trails and i want a tough tire. the only issue i ever had with the bfgs was 2 nails from the jobsite about an 1/8 inch apart in between the tread blocks. i used 2 plugs and it never became an issue again.

also these will be mounted on 16x7 factory steels if that makes any difference.

thanks

 

[FlatlandTRD]

my main question is regarding the sidewalls. the bfg is a 3 ply where as the cooper is a 2 ply. is this any cause for concern? my rig is a daily driver and doesn't see any hardcore off-roading, but it does see trails and i want a tough tire. the only issue i ever had with the bfgs was 2 nails from the jobsite about an 1/8 inch apart in between the tread blocks. i used 2 plugs and it never became an issue again.

Remember, tires come in different load ratings which dictate the sidewall plys. Your dunlops are probably only a passenger tire, whereas the other two are light truck, and comparing a C load to D load isn't fair. I think you'd be happy with either choice, and a definite improvement.

IMO, I've had the bfg ats and currently have the cooper s/ts, and I would choose the coopers if I had the choice again. Mine have sustained rock bite and some sidewall gashes from large sharp rocks, but they have held up fine (Thankfully). My wheels on the other hand have lost some material. Good luck.

ps, the coopers are a little better in snow and ice, much more so than my past revos also, and seem to do fine in mud.

 

[SOAZ]

My BFG AT's were my favorite tire of all time.

That being said. A nail will flat either. The Cooper ST 255/85/16 I have now ride much better, rub less just because of the available size above compared to the bfg 285-75-16.
The BFG's chunk less in extreme offroad traction, but I (seat of my pants feel) feel like the coopers grip better.

I got my coopers MUCH cheaper than I could find BFG's for. They were 116 a piece at discountwheelwarehouse.com
Good luck!

 

[rovingowl]

thanks for the replies. i realize that any tire can have a flat and that nails are good at this on any tire, i was just noting this as the only experience of trouble with the bfgs. my last set of bfgs lasted about 55k, which i'm not sure the coopers are up to. they are about the same price locally with the bfgs being about $10 less for the set due to a set the shop has that came in before the price increase as of the first of the year. i like the idea of better traction on snow and ice (especially ice) which the bfgs didn't exactly excell at. i just wanted to be sure that the sidewall ply wasn't an issue.

 

[rovingowl]

what about speed rating? i certainly don't drive my taco like a race car, but the cooper is only speed rated to 87mph vs the bfg to 112mph. on highway i have definately topped 87mph.

 

[Redline]

That is a good point. I would not advocate ignoring speed/safety ratings, but my Maxxis Bighorns are only rated for 87-mph and have seen higher speeds as well, but usually for just a brief spike. I would guess that a constant/average speed over 87-mph is very uncommon, even for fast drivers.

what about speed rating? i certainly don't drive my taco like a race car, but the cooper is only speed rated to 87mph vs the bfg to 112mph. on highway i have definately topped 87mph.

 

[SOAZ]

what about speed rating? i certainly don't drive my taco like a race car, but the cooper is only speed rated to 87mph vs the bfg to 112mph. on highway i have definately topped 87mph.

I don't always drive fast, but there have been times when I've "made good time" and driven 90-95 for a few hours straight. Yah, I know, bad idea, but I wanted to give you experiences.
Man my bfg's were rough on the road. The coopers are more smooth at 10 pounds more air.

 

[Redline]

I'm not going to say "bad idea”. I'm also not going to say I have never done such a thing... :roost:

When you say the Coopers are smoother at 10-lbs of air do you mean you dump your 255s down to 10-psi for the dirt? That's pretty low. Are they on an 80 or 4Runner (can’t tell from your pic).

I don't always drive fast, but there have been times when I've "made good time" and driven 90-95 for a few hours straight. Yah, I know, bad idea, but I wanted to give you experiences.
Man my bfg's were rough on the road. The coopers are more smooth at 10 pounds more air.

 

[jim65wagon]

I'm not going to say "bad idea”. I'm also not going to say I have never done such a thing... :roost:

X2

About the puncture resistance...I found this article that says the Coops are actually more resistant than the BFGs; it doesn't give any numbers other than the 1-10 scale at the end of the article. The whole article is an interesting read.

http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/tips_tyres.php

 

[Overland Hadley]

Here is some good reading on the BFG AT and the Cooper, from the BajaTaco website. Link

From reading the BajaTaco report, I would say go with the BFG because of the lifespan.

 

[Redline]

I read that page before (just re-scanned it) isn't BajaTaco speaking mostly about tread life and wear? Not that wear is not important but wear/life and traction can be at odds with each other. He is also reviewing a different tread than the Cooper ST discussed here.

Here is some good reading on the BFG AT and the Cooper, from the BajaTaco website. Link

From reading the BajaTaco report, I would say go with the BFG because of the lifespan.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I read that page before (just re-scanned it) isn't BajaTaco speaking mostly about tread life and wear? Not that wear is not important but wear/life and traction can be at odds with each other. He is also reviewing a different tread than the Cooper ST discussed here.

My bad, the review is on the STT.

Yes, good traction usually leads to shorter tread life. It is a question of when do you choose traction and the resulting tread wear (and the cost of replacing tires) over long term durability.