New Member With Cooper Tire Question for '07 Tacoma DC Short Box

[Elk]

Hello, My name is John and I'm the happy owner of a 2007 Double Cab Short Bed 6pd. I've had the truck since new and I've spent some time looking over the incredible wealth of information on this board. I'm hoping someone can offer me their assistance. My truck is relatively stock with the exception of currently running 265/70/17 BFG AT's on FJ Cruiser wheels, no lift. I'm very happy with the AT's, however I have two young children and one has upcoming open heart surgery. My wife and I will have to take some time off work and in the meantime we are pinching pennies to save for this event. My AT's have nearly 68,000 miles and are in need of replacement. I've patched them 3 times and they're starting to chunk.

I'm looking at putting a set of Cooper Discoverer AT/3's (LT265/75R16C1 112R W) onto the stock 16" alloys that came with the truck. The cost works out in my favor. I have read multiple positive reviews of the S/T Maxx on this board and it seems that Cooper makes a good product.


The only other tire that has me interested are the Bridgestone Dueler Revo 2's in the same size.

The questions:
1. The size calculates to the same wheel diameter as my current tires. With stock offset 16" alloys, will this work? My FJ's have a 1/2" greater offset and only rub at full lock and well stuff.
2. I need a tire with decent road manners that will still handle packed snow, and the occasional bit of sand. I go to mountain bike and cyclocross races where I'm out in farm fields, and I make a yearly pilgrimage to Ocracoke, NC (beach driving). I occasionally make it to the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. Does anyone have any feedback for similar situations?
3. Will a 112 weight rating be sufficient for a Taco that rarely gets the bed loaded? I tow a 3500 lb combination on rare occasions.
4. I cover approximately 15,000 miles per year, any concerns?

I plan to put a new set of AT's onto my FJ's in the spring. I will also looking at the Cooper S/T Maxx at that time. Thanks in advance for any input you can offer.

 

[tanglefoot]

Welcome, and sorry to hear about your situation. Hope things turn out for the best.

It seems that review information for the Discoverer A/T 3 is limited thus far (I was hoping they would be on Tirerack.com) but there are a few user reviews around, such as here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...overview/cooper-discoverer-a-t-3-99043788.htm

They seem to be a good choice, would likely fit your needs well and the 265/75R16 size fits the truck fine on stock wheels but seeing as you are in a financial situation, I would personally dial back considerably more. The extra FJ wheels could be sold for a respectable amount if they are in good condition. There are also some much more affordable tire choices than those you have mentioned.

I'm currently looking for a set to replace the 10-year-old, weather-cracked BFG ATs (purchased used, 8 years ago) on my Toyota camper truck, although the tread is barely half worn.

I am looking at the GT Savero HT2--$67/each at Discount Tire Co in my 235/75R15 size.

http://www.gtradial-us.com/en/product-details.asp?mastertireid=ChinaPattern000567

Pep Boys also has somewhat of a BFG AT lookalike, the Definity Dakota A/T (looks to be made by Cooper) and they offer buy 3 get 1 free by rebate.
http://www.pepboys.com/tires/details/Definity/Dakota+AT/9509443/

I am also perusing Craigslist for used sets of tires. Although I want to watch tire age carefully (which is much more important in my case than tread wear), there are often several sets on Craigslist that are barely used and deeply discounted, such as those that were purchased just before auto accidents or engine failures. I'm hoping to find a set there for around $200 for four.

Here's how to read the date codes on tires (also good to know when purchasing new tires):

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11&

Good luck,

Eric

 

[WU7X]

Good luck with the family health care situation. I just bought a set of Mastercraft Courser LTRs for my '97 T4R. These tires are made by Cooper. I was told that they are made in the same factory as the AT3's. I'm pretty sure that they are pretty much a fleet tire with a slightly different tread pattern than the AT3. Check with your dealer and see if he can get you more information on them. I really like mine so far and saved a bunch of money compared to the AT3 or BFG equivelents.

 

[Plannerman]

Good luck with your child's surgery! The 265s with the stock alloys wont rub; 265/70/16s were the stock tire

 

[deadbeat son]

I ran 265/75-16 Cooper ST tires on the stock TRD OR wheels for a few years with no issues on my '09 DC.

 

[Scott Brady]

The AT/3 is a solid performer for an all terrain and provides good traction in snow, ice, wet roads. We installed a set on our Land Cruiser and have been happy. The one unknown is the sidewall strength, as the construction is lighter than the BFG KO and Silent Armor. So far, so good.

 

[Elk]

Thank you all for your input and kind words. In the end, I played safe with the setup and ordered a 245/75/16 set instead of the 265's. I was able to find the AT3's in 4 ply for $400 a set in this size and with a better weight rating than my stockers. These will hold me over until the summer. I'm a little hesitant of the sidewalls, but for my purposes they should function well enough. I was really concerned with rubbing the upper control arm with the 265's and 1/2" less backspacing however I look forward to trying them.

Priorities first, and then I can focus on getting a better build going.