Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx
- Thread starter jim65wagon
- Start date
Applejack
Explorer
A common misconception is the thought that snow is all the same. Where I live, your impression holds pretty true. I do not like to air down unless I have to. So, the tires that work best for me in my area are aggressive all terrains like the Duratrac with pretty widely spaced tread blocks and good siping. This helps claw the deep, heavy ,wet snow away and release it like a mud tire shedding mud. When tires pack up with snow, they spin and it takes very little spinning to create a very polished icy surface in really wet snow. Where having tightly spaced tread blocks give you the most surface contact and generally yields the most grip in most condition, they tend to pack up more easily.
However, if you travel as little as 80 miles to the east of me, the snow is a lot more dry and different tire set up my work best their conditions. So the answer is....It depends. Probably not what you were hoping for. FWIW the STMAxx have crap for siping, you may want to add some.
Clutch
<---Pass
I tend to go back and forth between All Terrains and Mud Tires...have run BFG, Goodyears, and Coopers...mud tires always faired worse in snow conditions. Except for a set of Cooper STT's I had...they did ok in AZ snow...never had a chance to try them on ice. As Applejack said snow is different depending on where you live.
Went back to BFG AT's after the Cooper STT's...they seem to be doing well up here in Idaho...though in another thread, General Grabber AT's have peaked my interest, they are stud-able too.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I only had my General Grabber ATs in snow once, Canadian Rockies, and they were okay once I aired down a little. They were terrible in my local mud though and I'd never buy them again.
Snow, mud, ice, road aggregate ----- all situational variables that influence tire choice. There is no "best" for everybody.
Snow, mud, ice, road aggregate ----- all situational variables that influence tire choice. There is no "best" for everybody.
Clutch
<---Pass
Yeah, the mud in the South is slick!
Yep...some may need a couple different sets depending on how varying the terrain/conditions are... having a couple different vehicles is good too.
Seems like the BFG AT's get poor reviews from magazine/internet testers....though..I have run BFG AT's in PA, AZ, now here in Idaho...seems like they are "ok" at everything but not the best at anything. I go try different tread patterns and brands, always tend to go back the BFG AT. *shrugging shoulders* YMMV
Mrknowitall
Adventurer
I ran a set of Winterforce tires years ago- before they were Firestone branded, They had a nice open tread design that really chewed through some heavy snow.
I ended up getting the AT3's over the ST MAXX because I decided that on-road snow performance was more important than off road traction since the majority of my driving is paved or fire roads. I think with the siping and the tread design of the AT3 it will perform better on-road than the ST MAXX. Dang baby making me think rationally
The AT3's didnt get me stuck at all on a snow covered fire road getting our christmas tree last weekend in the Payette National Forest. The snow was really crusty though, but when it got too deep I ended up having to make a 3 point turn where I thought I was going to get stuck but had no issues.
As an aside to a prior poster, I had the General Grabber AT2's in 275/70/18 and was not impressed with their snow performance. I didn't air them down, but it felt like the lugs got packed up too quick and they would get slick.
The AT3's didnt get me stuck at all on a snow covered fire road getting our christmas tree last weekend in the Payette National Forest. The snow was really crusty though, but when it got too deep I ended up having to make a 3 point turn where I thought I was going to get stuck but had no issues.
As an aside to a prior poster, I had the General Grabber AT2's in 275/70/18 and was not impressed with their snow performance. I didn't air them down, but it felt like the lugs got packed up too quick and they would get slick.
The st maxx acutally works great on blacktop, I run a lot of miles on the black stuff as well. My st maxx never once felt uneasy, unsafe etc. They just had the persistant right pull no matter what I did, tried etc. And boy are they a stiff tire. Those are my ONLY 2 complaints aobut the tire. The rest is perfect. They wear like Iron, grip in anything off road and are tough as nails. However, the ride quality, and pull made me change.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
With just 60,000 miles on my old set of ST Maxx's, I decided it was time for a new set. The old ones still have 6/32" of tread, but with the arrival of winter and potential snow I took the hit.
Now the ride is whisper quiet again and oh so smooth!
Now the ride is whisper quiet again and oh so smooth!
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Redline
Likes to Drive and Ride
Did they start with 18.5/32"? If so that's 4,000 miles per 1/32" of tread wear, fantastic for that type of tire. About the same as you got from the 255/85R16D S/T?
jim65wagon
Well-known member
Closer to 19.5, but, yeah, fantastic wear. I'm more than happy with it. And yes, very similar to what I was getting with the 255/85 ST (non maxx) tires
With just 60,000 miles on my old set of ST Maxx's, I decided it was time for a new set. The old ones still have 6/32" of tread, but with the arrival of winter and potential snow I took the hit.
Now the ride is whisper quiet again and oh so smooth!
you found them loud and choppy when worn? me too. I had 80k on mine.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I think he means kilometers. He's Canadian, eh.
I don't think I've ever gotten 40K miles from a decent set of tires on anything.