R19 tyres.... Cooper or not?

[sittingbison]

Gents, sorry to blather about this topic again, but I'm in a real quandary.

I was just about to put on a set of 255/55R19 Cooper Zeon LTZ when a LR specialist said they are rubbish, then a tyre guy said the same and they were impossible to balance.

Options are:
1) Cooper
2) not Cooper

Options for (2) are limited especially 70/30 (road/dirt) AT

3) 18 inch rims

This option costs $2000, but opens up options. Vehicle is D3 HSE TDV6 auto, I'm not sure if the 18 inch rims will fit with bigger brakes etc

Are the Coopers really not a good option?

Cheers
Bison

[LGM]

I have had Continental (came with the D4 from new), Cooper, Pirreli, and now Hankook tyres.

Whilst the Cooper tyres were on the D4 I did not have any trouble getting them balanced. I was in attendance when this was done on three occasions and no comments were passed nor was there any undue mucking around to get the tyres to balance out.

As for their performance they traveled OK on the bitumen with a little bit of road noise. They handled on the dirt as good as anything else. The one thing I cannot vouch for is their capability in very rough going as I did not get the opportunity to get serious whilst they were on my D4.

The other thing that springs to mid is that I did not get the km's out of them that I thought I would!

That the best I can do for you!

P.S. Not sure about the brake issue with a D3???

[winaje]

Entirely apart from my personal experience with Cooper tyres, I have also been told by a trusted tyre guy about the Zeon LTZs, "you don't want to use them on grass do you? they are hopeless..."

General Grabbers seem to be the best option in that size.

BUT, if you have a 2.7l TDV6, why not go to a 17" BMW rim, and run a proper tyre like a Bridgestone D697? I've recently done this on my 09 D3 TDV6, and even with the purchase of the rims, I got out of it cheaper than just tyre purchase in 18" for the same tyre.

PM me for more info etc...

[LRD414]

Have a look at these threads that might help. There is more negative feedback than positive feedback about the Zeons in 255/55R19 and there is a lot of positve feedback about the GY Duratrac in that size.

But there is still some people who have been happy with the Coopers and probably still are.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/147230-d4-19inch-cooper-zeon-ltz-255-55-19-a-34.html

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/191431-goodyear-duratrac-255-55-19-a-2.html

And here's someone who recently did a long trip towing a big van using Zeons in 285/50R20 on his Range Rover.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/l322-range-rover/221505-outback-trip-l322-4.html


Cheers,
Scott

[Owen]

I have Hankooks, RTF10, quite happy with them but would definitely go smaller rims with 697's if I could but I am stuck with 19's (budget wont allow Gordons Rims)

[Ben_Vapid]

I'm about to make the same decision, and my research seems to suggest the Hankooks give the best bang for buck in the 19"

[RHS58]

Hankooks when my time comes to replace the 19 inch Wranglers.

[dalil]

Whats wrong with Goodyear 255/55R19 Wrangler Duratrac?

[LandyAndy]

Whats wrong with Goodyear 255/55R19 Wrangler Duratrac?

Would be my choice in the 19" size.
Unsure weather its sold in australia,the online tyre shops certainly list the size.
Next time Im at Beaurepairs for a work tyre fix I will ask.
Andrew

[Graeme]

The 19" Duratrac is certainly available but what's its noise like compared with the Hankooks? I find the 19" Hankooks very mild noise-wise but my 17" Duratracs, albeit with larger voids, are much noisier and would not want them as everyday tyres knowing that the Hankooks are available. The 19" Duratracs are only P-rated like the 19" Hankooks and may or may not have a stronger carcase.

[VK3GJM]

The Gleneral Grabbers have been a wonderful 19" tyre.

Just completed 56,000 on 6 tyres rotating every 5,000km and they are just half way.

Aside from a few chips, considering the driving conditions and much of it towing, which includes a 15,000km round trip to the cape via the OTT and back is a sign of a great tyre.

People consider US tyres to be not as reliable as Japanesedue to compound chemistry, however I have founds the GG Portuguese tyre to be a wonderful all round non LT tyre.

Regards

Gerald

[BMKal]

Gents, sorry to blather about this topic again, but I'm in a real quandary.

I was just about to put on a set of 255/55R19 Cooper Zeon LTZ when a LR specialist said they are rubbish, then a tyre guy said the same and they were impossible to balance.

Options are:
1) Cooper
2) not Cooper

Options for (2) are limited especially 70/30 (road/dirt) AT

3) 18 inch rims

This option costs $2000, but opens up options. Vehicle is D3 HSE TDV6 auto, I'm not sure if the 18 inch rims will fit with bigger brakes etc

Are the Coopers really not a good option?

Cheers
Bison

I could be mistaken (don't think so though), but as your vehicle is a D3, there should be no issue fitting OEM Land Rover 18" rims. It is only the D4 with the larger 3.0 litre engine (the D3 is 2.7 litre, same as my D4) which has the larger brakes and will only take 19" or 20" OEM rims.

Give Steve at Lifestyle 4WD in Morley a call. Last time I was in there, he had a set of five Land Rover OEM 18" rims fitted with good tyres for sale at a VERY attractive price - they came off his wife's D3. ;)

At the price he was asking, I'd expect them to have been sold by now, but you never know your luck.

[doyfam]

MY 10c worth is that I did a double Simpson crossing last year and the zeons did not handle the rough stuff either side at all. 3 tyres and 2 rims later I have changed to GOE rims and D697's.

[DanW]

Just to add to the discussion, I had been in touch with my local LR dealer 2 weeks ago because they had a special on all tyres, and said they'd price match. I was looking at a set of Zeon LTZs in 255/55R19 too. He basically did as much as he could to talk me out of them, and tried to sway me to the Pirelli's.

That said, he was just one of the service desk guys, who in my experience don't really know that much (I don't mean that disrespectfully), and are focused on upselling service, and downplaying issues (although to give him credit he did offer for me to come down and he'd take me through the tyres in the flesh)

I have read too many scary stories on here about the Pirelli's in the wet so I won't be going down that path. I love the performance of the Wranglers - great on the highway, and work well for me on the sand (which is where most of my off-roading is), it's just the mileage I get from them that I'm not 100% happy with.

[dalil]

There is a lot of discussion about what tire is good or not in 19", but i think how many PSI you pump in it is as important as selection of tire. I had Toyota's for past 18 years so 16" or 17" rims. On send it was 18 - 20 PSI, on rocks like Vic. High country 24-27 PSI, but i am not sure if i can follow this in 19 " rims as there is not much rubber to flex.

[Disco W.A]

Give Steve at Lifestyle 4WD in Morley a call. Last time I was in there, he had a set of five Land Rover OEM 18" rims fitted with good tyres for sale at a VERY attractive price - they came off his wife's D3. ;)

At the price he was asking, I'd expect them to have been sold by now, but you never know your luck.[/QUOTE]



He still had them on Tuesday when I was in there

[BMKal]

Give Steve at Lifestyle 4WD in Morley a call. Last time I was in there, he had a set of five Land Rover OEM 18" rims fitted with good tyres for sale at a VERY attractive price - they came off his wife's D3. ;)

At the price he was asking, I'd expect them to have been sold by now, but you never know your luck.



He still had them on Tuesday when I was in there[/QUOTE]

I was tempted. The price he is asking is way cheaper than buying 5 new tyres ............................ and you get the rims for nothing. :D

[Ghost-Who-Walks]

Just to be a lone voice in the wilderness of tyre selection...

When I got my D4 (2nd hand), it had the OEM tyres (Goodyear).
I bought some Cooper Zeon LTZ's 19" tyres for it, and have had no problems with them at all.

Since then, I have been up to the tip of Cape York via the Old Telegraph Track (from Central Qld), and then driven from Qld all the way around the East and South Coast of Oz to Perth. All of this towing a camper trailer.

I have not had 1 flat tyre, puncture, balance problem - no issues at all.

I had Coopers, BFG's & Michelin's on my old D1, and the Coopers were by FAR the best performing tyre. Hence my decision to stick with Coopers on the D4.

I would recommend them to anyone, anytime.

IMHO, the 2 biggest factors on tyre performance (particularly when offroad) are:
Driver ability - where you place the tyre, how you approach obstacles, what you choose to drive over etc etc etc
Tyre pressure - vary the pressure to suit the conditions, ALWAYS.

Anyway, just my 2c worth... Happy choosing!

Rob

[jon3950]

Just to be a lone voice in the wilderness of tyre selection...

You're not alone, I've had a pretty good run with them too. I think a lot of problems people have with them are due to the tyre size rather than type.

That said, I've had a few punctures on road with them - more than usual, from picking up screws etc or small sharp rocks.

I think their achilles heel is that they have large voids between the tread blocks, relative to the depth of tread. This enables them to pick up screws etc which can penetrate the carcass easily in these voids. This gets worse as the tread wears down.

Cheers,
Jon

[Greatsouthernland]

Would be my choice in the 19" size.
Unsure weather its sold in australia,the online tyre shops certainly list the size.
Next time Im at Beaurepairs for a work tyre fix I will ask.
Andrew

I'm leaning toward these (Duratrac).... Most places want $500 I've found some less than $400 :eek:

..... Hankooks look good, but I can't seem to find a supplier for the ATs :confused:

What could be wrong with the Duratracs? Compared to the Hankooks, the tread looks VERY similar, so noise can't be that different?

Another angle - If they were the same price, which ones would most prefer?

[LRD414]

I'm leaning toward these (Duratrac).... Most places want $500 I've found some less than $400 :eek:

..... Hankooks look good, but I can't seem to find a supplier for the ATs :confused:

What could be wrong with the Duratracs? Compared to the Hankooks, the tread looks VERY similar, so noise can't be that different?

Another angle - If they were the same price, which ones would most prefer?

Some feedback on the Duratracs at this thread:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/191431-goodyear-duratrac-255-55-19-a-2.html


Scott

[Greatsouthernland]

Cheers Scott,

there's a lot of opinions...

In the end I've bought 4 @ $340+ $20 postage. If they're good I'll get another for the spare. Enough procrastinating.

If they're no good on the D4 then I'll put up with them and whinge or just buy a RRV with 20's and be done with it :D


On a side note, I don't know how the tyre chains i.e. bowrepairz get away with the prices they ask, the rep asked me if I've got a price already, I said yeh but you tell me yours first...above $500 he said. He also said they're a specialist high end tyre, would I consider a set of continentals? :(

Edit: I note that the Duratracs have a lower speed limit rating - 180kph instead of 210. This will take some fun out of the driving, especially the run from Adelaide to Darwin....

[LRD414]

In the end I've bought 4 @ $340+ $20 postage. If they're good I'll get another for the spare. Enough procrastinating.

That's a good price. Before I got 18" Compomotive wheels I priced the 19" Duratracs and they were much more than you paid! Where did you buy from?

Scott

[Greatsouthernland]

That's a good price. Before I got 18" Compomotive wheels I priced the 19" Duratracs and they were much more than you paid! Where did you buy from?

Scott

Fleabay :D

Not sure if I'm allowed to post the link, but I saw a reference to Tempe in one of the posts you linked, the online store shares the same name.

PM me if I didn't make that clear enough :( As long as they don't sell out before I need that spare....thinking I could get a spare 19 rim and another tyre so I have 2 spares. Just got to do the maths on a 6 wheel rotation system :confused:

Next best price was Tyroola $409 - cashback $100/4 = $384 delivered.

[Eevo]

why would 19inch coopers be different to 18inch coopers?

[gghaggis]

why would 19inch coopers be different to 18inch coopers?

Tyres are generally designed to a specific size, eg 285/60R18. When a new size is required, if the tyre is not completely redesigned, you end up with a compromised design. So for instance, there is no comparison between a Cooper Zeon 285/60R18 and one in 255/55R19.

Cheers

Gordon

[Eevo]

Tyres are generally designed to a specific size, eg 285/60R18. When a new size is required, if the tyre is not completely redesigned, you end up with a compromised design. So for instance, there is no comparison between a Cooper Zeon 285/60R18 and one in 255/55R19.

Cheers

Gordon

i see.

well my 285/60R18 coopers LTZ are awesome.

[rar110]

Tyres are generally designed to a specific size, eg 285/60R18. When a new size is required, if the tyre is not completely redesigned, you end up with a compromised design. So for instance, there is no comparison between a Cooper Zeon 285/60R18 and one in 255/55R19. Cheers Gordon

Gordon
What tyres are you running on the D4?

[gghaggis]

i see.

well my 285/60R18 coopers LTZ are awesome.

Exactly my point :BigThumb:

Cheers,

Gordon

[gghaggis]

Gordon
What tyres are you running on the D4?

For day-to-day running I run Hankook ATM's on the 19" rims.

I then have Cooper LTZ 285/60R18's or Couragia MT 275/65R18's, depending on what we're doing.

Cheers,

Gordon

[sittingbison]

Thanks Gents, all great info.

I have swapped out the 19" rims for 18", which came with a new set of 255/60R18 General Grabber AT, all for less than a new set of 19" tyres :eek:

reasoning is of course availability, there is just such a limited range of 19"

I will get a better rated tyre when these wear out, BFG, D697 etc which the 18" rims allow

cheers
bison

[laughto]

I have swapped out the 19" rims for 18", which came with a new set of 255/60R18 General Grabber AT, all for less than a new set of 19" tyres :eek:



On a D4? What 18" rims did you use?

[jonesy63]

On a D4? What 18" rims did you use?

The OP has a 2.7L D4, so can put 17" and up wheels on it! :D

[Orangi]

Got my coopers today from Tempe Tyers a little bit noisy but they appear to be okay

[Vasculardoc]

The 19" Duratrac is certainly available but what's its noise like compared with the Hankooks? I find the 19" Hankooks very mild noise-wise but my 17" Duratracs, albeit with larger voids, are much noisier and would not want them as everyday tyres knowing that the Hankooks are available. The 19" Duratracs are only P-rated like the 19" Hankooks and may or may not have a stronger carcase.

Not that noisy at all - I was worried due to the more aggressive tread pattern than the wranglers, but only slight increase in noise. I've been really happy with mine - and wear isn't bad either. Just about to get another one for my extra spare. Available at beaurepaires and via tyresales.com.au for about $430 a tyre.

[strydes]

Just about to get another one for my extra spare. Available at beaurepaires and via tyresales.com.au for about $430 a tyre.

I got my second spare Duratrac from Tempe tyres. $340 plus delivery which was about $20ish to Perth from memory. Just depends what you get charged locally for fitting, lucky buggers in Sydney get it free in the $340 price.

[phl]

I got my second spare Duratrac from Tempe tyres. $340 plus delivery which was about $20ish to Perth from memory. Just depends what you get charged locally for fitting, lucky buggers in Sydney get it free in the $340 price.

Yes, it's $340 fitted in Sydney, but no further discounts for 5 in one go.