Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Not to mention better performance on rain-slick streets and in the snow.
Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx
- Thread starter jim65wagon
- Start date
Redline
Likes to Drive and Ride
Exactly!
soonenough
Explorer
x2, I've got 5-10k left on my BFG ATs, and these are the two tires I'm deciding between. I've already run Duratracs in the past, and I'm leaning heavily towards the S/T Maxx.
java
Expedition Leader
Are they really heavier? I have heard this over and over, but still haven't seen anyone who has weighed the two tires to compare. It makes sense that it would be heavier given the sidewall construction, but I have only seen anecdotal evidence.
Treaddepot says they are the same weight (for 285/75R16):
Duratrac - 55 lbs - http://www.treaddepot.com/tire/312035142.html
ST/Maxx - 55 lbs - http://www.treaddepot.com/tire/90000003095.html
java
Expedition Leader
Apparently it depends where you look..... Neither manufacturer makes their weights easily found. tire rack had 265/70/17 duratracs @ 50 lbs in E rating, 44 in C.
285/75/16 at 54
Yup. I looked at their EU/UK sites hoping that their labeling laws would work in my favor, but no luck. I have seen a couple threads elsewhere where a poster says they have weighed them but I don't think anyone has found anything official. With varying results. The worst case one said the ST/Maxx weighed 67 lbs for a 285/75R16. Big difference if that is correct but 12 pounds seems like too much difference.
Thank you.
To keep with the same comparison as before, for the 285/75R16 they list Duratracs as 54.65 lbs and the ST/Maxx as 61 lbs.
Others: Cooper STT: 57 lbs; Goodyear MTR/K: 61.6 lbs; BFG KM2 is not listed.
Kmrtnsn
Explorer
WHICH BFG 285/70? KO, KM, KM2? Which Load Rating? Minus some specifics it's a spurious comparison. The Devil is in the details.........
Shocker
VanDOOM!
Ok, so I spent a huge amount of time researching tires for VanDOOM. Considering that when it is loaded to go it will be well over 10k lbs, I wanted a tire that was tough as nails and promised decent life. It had to be a 3ply sidewall and load range E. There really was only one choice for me and that was the ST Maxx.
I spoke with the engineers who designed the ST Maxx, the ST, and the AT3/ATP and learned a bunch about the construction. The AT3/ATP is fine for general use and off roading, but I don't think I would want it for cross country use. The STT I think was too aggressive for me.
The STT and ST Maxx share the same carcass. The triple sidewall uses 2 straight belts and 1 angled. More resistant to punctures that other tires that use 3 plies straight across. Also, the thickness of the plies is important. The 2 straight plies are 1500 denier and the 3 angled ply is 1000 denier. For example the BFG KM2 has 3 plies all 1000 denier. But of course the KM2 is an off road tire and the ST Maxx is a heavier duty commercial traction tire.
Anyways, 265/75-16 size which I have is listed at 58 lbs. There are really no other tires like it. I hate to sound like a Cooper fan boy, but after months of research, I kept coming back to the ST Maxx.
Personally, I want to minimize any chance of tire destruction. My disability would make tire changes in the bush much more difficult than able bodied folks, thus I wanted the toughest tire I could find. I wasn't concerned about weight due to the sheer size of VanDOOM.
I understand people wanting a lighter weight tire, but in the end, I will take tough durability over lighter weight. The main reason the STT is lighter than the ST Maxx is due to slightly less rubber and larger voids.
Whew, that was kinda rambling...
I spoke with the engineers who designed the ST Maxx, the ST, and the AT3/ATP and learned a bunch about the construction. The AT3/ATP is fine for general use and off roading, but I don't think I would want it for cross country use. The STT I think was too aggressive for me.
The STT and ST Maxx share the same carcass. The triple sidewall uses 2 straight belts and 1 angled. More resistant to punctures that other tires that use 3 plies straight across. Also, the thickness of the plies is important. The 2 straight plies are 1500 denier and the 3 angled ply is 1000 denier. For example the BFG KM2 has 3 plies all 1000 denier. But of course the KM2 is an off road tire and the ST Maxx is a heavier duty commercial traction tire.
Anyways, 265/75-16 size which I have is listed at 58 lbs. There are really no other tires like it. I hate to sound like a Cooper fan boy, but after months of research, I kept coming back to the ST Maxx.
Personally, I want to minimize any chance of tire destruction. My disability would make tire changes in the bush much more difficult than able bodied folks, thus I wanted the toughest tire I could find. I wasn't concerned about weight due to the sheer size of VanDOOM.
I understand people wanting a lighter weight tire, but in the end, I will take tough durability over lighter weight. The main reason the STT is lighter than the ST Maxx is due to slightly less rubber and larger voids.
Whew, that was kinda rambling...
T.Low
Expedition Leader
AT KO. e load rating. Same tire I have on my Jeep now. That gives an accurate description of what I have been saying about the MAXX. My KO's feel much lighter, smoother and give a much better ride. 10 lbs lighter is a lot in the tires, plus the sidewalls on the KO are much more supple than the MAXX. I took the two tires before mounting and put my weight on them. The BFG would flex its side wall somewhat easily, the MAXX however required MUCH MUCH more pressure to make the sidewall flex the same amount. Hence the smoother ride of the BFG. Just being E rated does not give the whole story on how a tire will ride.
I have no issues with taking my BFGs ANYWHERE I went with my ST MAXX. The only place the st maxx has an edge is in the mud. We don't have much of that here anyways....The BFG rides better, wears about the same (ST MAXX wears really good, but after about 3/4 it gets really choppy and rough), gets better gas milage and power down to the ground because of the weight.
As I said, I have used both on the same rig. I put 80k on my ST MAXX, and I am about 30K on my KO's now with little sign of wear. They are much smoother than the maxx at this point too.
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