Co-opski’s Last Frontier Build

[Co-opski]

That big sale sign drew me in, funny the things I need are never on sale.
On my way back up to Denali or down to Hope (good wisconsin blugrass at the Seaview) this weekend. just trying to get out of the rain, but I don't want to drive all the way to Chicken. It would not be so bad if the rain was hitting the mountains with snow.

 

[Co-opski]

OK did not make Denali and I had to limp home to Gwood and work on the truck on a rainy labor day weekend. When I put my drive shaft in years ago, the zerks for the dana spicer 1310 U-joints have an angle to them, and I put one in backwards so I could never get a good fit with the grease gun. Well one bearing was very dry and it started to squeak loudly. I thought it may have been the rear wheel bearing but it didn't favor one side or the other. It eventually thew the circle clip and started shaking more than teenagers when the Harlem shake drops. Well two new Federal Mogul U-joints are in with access to the zerks and they are packed with Amsoil high pressure grease. No vibrations and a tight drive line feels so good.

Now that I did not spend all that money on a vacation I went and got some Cooper STTs in the same flavor 235/85 16 LT. Pictures will happen soon.

 

[Slicky72]

You will be happy with the Coopers , I ran those on my truck before the Toyos. I really liked them but decided I didn't need a full mud tire.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I'm really interested to see how those look. The STT's are awesome tires.

 

[Co-opski]

You will be happy with the Coopers , I ran those on my truck before the Toyos. I really liked them but decided I didn't need a full mud tire.

The truck is slowly getting out of daily driving.

I run the Cooper STTs and STs on my work trucks (Ford Expedition 2012 and 2012 F250) and they have been good tires on and off road up here.
I liked the BFG AT KO, they never let me down except the time I took some rebar to a side wall in a construction zone. I'll post up how approximately many miles I got from them (I run winter tires and had a 6 tire rotation going on in the summer).

The Coopers were priced right for me, I was looking at BFG MTs, ATs, Commercial ATs, Goodyear MTRs and Duratracks and the Cooper STs. Now for some winter tire shopping.

 

[stioc]

Great choice on the STT, they were one of the top 3 tires in the running for me. We need them pics!

Bummer about the u-joint but sounds like it's mended up good now and I hear you about vibration-less ride...my truck has the steering wheel shakes as of late between 50-70mph...gah!

 

[Co-opski]

Sorry about the driveway and dirty truck been raining for 3 weeks here.

 

[Allof75]

Looks great! Love the tall and skinny look- really coordinates well with the rest of the truck. And don't worry about dirt, I wish it'd rain for three weeks here, so it wasn't 95* every day

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

That truck is truly unique in its own way. I like reading all these interesting builds. Keep the good work and keep on posting great pics.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

So I'm guessing you're a big fan of the pizza cutter sizes eh? I like it!

 

[Co-opski]

So I'm guessing you're a big fan of the pizza cutter sizes eh? I like it!

For the kind of snow and rain we get they work the best. I had 255-70 16 and 265-65 16 in the past with Dunlop's and Hankook iPike snow tires.

The wider tires would give me more wander in heavy slush (6 inches of 100% h2o) and torrential rain fall on roads severely rutted from the carbides of winter studs eating away at the asphalt. I could just slow down in poor weather but you know in a big state that can be hard when you are racking up the miles. Most of my driving is highway and dirt side roads. I don't get much off road/trail riding up here, and for that I would need two lockers, a winch and at least 35s in a MT. The taller pizza cutters handle the endless washboard better even with the OME heavies and load E tires than my previous load C 255s. Full disclosure; my steering was not upgraded when I was running the 255s also.

 

[Co-opski]

OK more new tires. Goodyear Workhorse Extragrip studded 235 85 r 16. Changed the tires over now that the snow is down to the top of chair 3, and I was atving through it all last week. I'm sure the STT would do ok in the snow but the early season freezing rain is what the studs are for.

So I've gone through 4 sets of tires now.
255 65 r 16 Dunlop Grabbers, stock. One puncture flat.
255 70 r 16 hankook iPike winter studs on Toyota steel rims.
235 85 r 16 BFG AT ko 6 tire rotation summer only. one puncture flat.
235 85 r 16 Nokain Haakapilata lt 10 winter studs sorry if I spelled Hakkapeliitta wrong.

 

[Allof75]

OK more new tires. Goodyear Workhorse Extragrip studded 235 85 r 16. Changed the tires over now that the snow is down to the top of chair 3, and I was atving through it all last week. I'm sure the STT would do ok in the snow but the early season freezing rain is what the studs are for.

So I've gone through 4 sets of tires now.
255 65 r 16 Dunlop Grabbers, stock. One puncture flat.
255 70 r 16 hankook iPike winter studs on Toyota steel rims.
235 85 r 16 BFG AT ko 6 tire rotation summer only. one puncture flat.
235 85 r 16 Nokain Haakapilata lt 10 winter studs sorry if I spelled Hakkapeliitta wrong.

It's snowing up there already? That's crazy!

 

[Co-opski]

It's snowing up there already? That's crazy!

Just up the road, rain at my place at sea level, it sticks more in October.
Here are some pictures from the last week.
Ptarmagan hardcore.

saw this 1985 toyota flat bed with an atv on the back and a fj40 with a m105 trailer with an atv on top about 40 miles from the parking lot. It looked like they got some caribou.


these should get you to moose camp!

Had the boat out.


These guys were flying low for a fun training mission.

Last of the cruise ship trains.

the glacier ice is the best to see before before the fall snow starts to cover it up again.

 

[Co-opski]

some more from early sept.
Valdez airport


icecube