Which Cooper on the CSR?

[trebor]

Thoughts please...

I have just ordered a set of 18" GOEs for my 2015 D4 and have decided (I think) to stick with Cooper tyres for an up coming trip down the Canning Stock Route. The choice for me is tending toward either:
1) ST-MAXX 265/65 18; or
2) Zeon LTZ 285/60 18

Both have a load rating of 120 or more. The difference in tyre diameter between these two different sizes is only 3mm (802 vs.799). I understand the ST's have a tougher sidewall compared to the Zeons and would therefore have less flexibility over the CSR's corrugations meaning the suspension will need to absorb slightly greater energy in those conditions.

On the current standard 19" rims I have the 255/55 19 Zeon LTZs from which I have had a relatively good run over 30,000ks, including some pretty rough terrain.

Thanks

Nick

[Eevo]

imho
​Zeon LTZ

[Pateyw]

IMHO stay away from coopers full stop .
unless you would like being strandard on the csr [bigsmile]

[BronsonTheLandy]

IMHO... I reckon coopers go alright!

I haven't had a problem with em... I don't know what you're talking about mate.

You're more cooked than a burnt piece of toast... you can always get warranty

[BobD]

It would be interesting getting warranty on the CSR!!

[trout1105]

I haven't run Coopers on any of my trucks so I don't have an opinion either way about them But I have seen a lot of them with the sidewalls completely destroyed at times.
I have run Yokohama AT's for the past 10 or more years and I haven't had a single blow out or sidewall issue with any of them So I will just stick to what works for Me.

[Ean Austral]

IMHO... I reckon coopers go alright!

I haven't had a problem with em... I don't know what you're talking about mate.

You're more cooked than a burnt piece of toast... you can always get warranty

thats funny , when 1 of my ST's went egg shaped after 30,000ks They told me warranty was only available in capital cities , they then tried to tell me Darwin wasn't a capital city and there would be no warranty.

The CSR would be ok on either of the 2 tyres you suggested , I did it on Goodyear wranglers ATs and they were fine . There were plenty of cars that had Bridgestone ATs as well.

enjoy the trip

Cheers Ean

[trebor]

It would be interesting getting warranty on the CSR!!
Warranties (lack thereof) don't bother me. How do find your KO2s? I've read mixed reviews! [bigsmile1]

[BobD]

I am happy with them. They give me piece of mind on outback rocky roads more than my previous D697's did.

What specifically have you heard that is negative?

[DiscoJeffster]

Cooper warranty. Crock of **** to be blunt, and yeah I have them

[rick130]

Tyres can be funny things and we take them for granted.

Toyo have a great reputation in the NT/WA as a reliable tyre yet the D2 I now have had three go 'eggy' prior to my ownership.
I know the driver well, very careful, knows his tyre pressures and knows how to drive on NT roads/tracks.
Bad batch ? Probably, who knows.

I remember a conversation with a Bridgestone Motorsport engineer a few decades ago and he reckoned the hardest thing in the world was to make a tyre that's round !!

[strangy]

The only thing branded with Cooper that I would take anywhere would be "Pale Ale"
[emoji3]

[goingbush]

If Coopers were half price of the cheapest tyre out there I still would not buy them !

[Vern]

Out of the 7 vehicles when we did the canning, the only car that had coopers (and they were fairly new) had multiple punctures! Had one mickey Thompson get a stick in it, they were fairly old tyres.

[87County]

Hi Trebor, as some have posted, Coopers certainly do not have a very good reputation, but as we all know any brand can have problems.

I have had a very good run with BFGs on a number of vehicles, both in regard to longevity and puncture resistence.

But whatever you get , buy them early and give them a good run before you go remote.

Get spares of a same size/quality even if cheaper (eg. if you're buying a expensive brand for your 4 vehicle wheels you could get a cheaper alternative , say Bighorns, for the spares).

[Eevo]

wow, a lot of coopers hate.

ive not had a problem in 6 years with coopers (touch wood)

[Pateyw]

Just don't let your coopers touch wood or they will pop[bigrolf]
try getting warranty out of coopers that's the joke of the century.
you couldn't give them for free.

[87County]

no hate from me Eevo, just facts IME 😊

[rar110]

Cooper AT3s in 265/6018s get a roasting from experienced owners on here. My only experience on my AT3 18's has been on Straddy and on road. On road they are noisy in one corner. Weird. On Straddy no drama, but pretty easy. Ran 20Psi.

[trebor]

I am happy with them. They give me piece of mind on outback rocky roads more than my previous D697's did.

What specifically have you heard that is negative?

This was one link that provided a mixed review:
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Reviews - ProductReview.com.au (http://www.productreview.com.au/p/bfgoodrich-all-terrain-t-a-ko2.html)

Nick

[BobD]

I think some of those people must live in alternate universe or they are lying!! Never seen the slightest sign of a crack, even with thousands of km of lowered tyre pressure on the roughest of roads towing 2.2t. To crack sidewalls, even on a Cooper, you must be running seriously low tyre pressures at high speed on bitumen. To do it in two different sets of tyres means that they are doing something seriously wrong. Either that, or the tyres are very old, which isn't the case with K02's.

I have found no problem in the wet compared with other tyres, excellent grip on gravel and rough roads, excellent ride on 18 inch wheels, a bit of noise as the tyres wear, particularly after my wheel alignment went out on extreme corrugations and wore and scalloped the insides of the half worn tyres. No other issues and fantastic on rough rocky roads.

[Graeme]

My KO2s have performed well for the 40K they've done. It's just a shame that I can't stop the L322's cabin resonance when all windows and sun-roof are closed.

[LRD414]

I agree with Bob and Graeme. I'm very happy with the KO2s so far. Their grip at lower pressures had been quite surprising, including in very rocky terrain. Photo is ~29psi and very slow speed which I realise is not the same as long distance, higher speed driving but I think is indicative of their strength and robustness.

Scott
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/05/678.jpg

[trebor]

Thanks for all your thoughts, particularly the BFG KO2 devotees. I have since found further more positive reviews on them here and in the US. As a result, they could well become my first choice in 265/65*18. All I have to do now is to await the arrival of my 18" (GOE) rims in July!

Nick

[MartyJB]

Tyre brand aside you are aware of the potential rubbing issues with the sizes you've suggested?

[Babs]

What a bagging on Coopers.
I have returned to them from the short lived experience with Maxxis.

Coopers to date in my opinion are un-breakable, I have put STMAX on my last 6 vehicle never had not one issue with them.

The Cooper warranty bagging is a 20+. Year old myth, surprised people still carry on about it.

They cost more because they're better. They have the strongest sidewall than any other tyre on the market.

Anyways good luck with what ever you choose, they're all round

[Vern]

Maxxis are a good budget tyre!

[Tombie]

Sorry to say Babs the warranty bagging is true and correct..

And the sidewall is a myth also, its the same design moved over from Mickey T (a Cooper subsidiary but different factory)...

Cooper have had more blow outs, block separation and tread delaminates issues over the years than any other tyre I have seen or witnessed evidence of.


Having said that - if you are happy with them, then go your hardest - we can all only speak from experience.

[Russrobe]

Tombie, how are the Bridgestone 697s holding up for you?

285 60s i have have been faultless. Great value for money.

[Tombie]

Tombie, how are the Bridgestone 697s holding up for you?

285 60s i have have been faultless. Great value for money.

Fantastic.. second set has had a hiding and still going..

I've since purchased some Muds to give them a go.. but have the D697s on the original wheels so may start swapping depending on use.

The sidewall on the D697 makes the others look like tissue paper.. [emoji6]

[Garfield]

FYI Guys

When I bought my KO2's from Highway Tyres in Mordialloc, I asked about Coopers tyres, and they said they used to be agents for Coopers but the tyres were "rubbish", had blow outs all the time and Coopers were totally unco operative re warranty items with defects. Highway Tyres in Mordialloc have ceased being dealers/agents for Cooper Tyres.

[PerthDisco]

The sidewall on the D697 makes the others look like tissue paper.. [emoji6]

The owner of this tyre was definitely looking for some tissues [emoji1]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/05/624.jpg

[Ean Austral]

What a bagging on Coopers.
I have returned to them from the short lived experience with Maxxis.

Coopers to date in my opinion are un-breakable, I have put STMAX on my last 6 vehicle never had not one issue with them.

The Cooper warranty bagging is a 20+. Year old myth, surprised people still carry on about it.

They cost more because they're better. They have the strongest sidewall than any other tyre on the market.

Anyways good luck with what ever you choose, they're all round

That's Funny , Im sure my issue with coopers and their warranty was real and a let less than 20 yrs ago, but , to show I was prepared to see past that I did buy a near new set of STT off a fellow forum member and except for a couple of tread block cracks they have not failed.

Not my preferred tyre but not where I would never use them.

and the above is fact not myth.


Cheers Ean

[Tombie]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/05/617.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/05/618.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/05/619.jpg

[Redback]

My experience with Copper tyres is well documented on this forum, I went through 3 sets in 50,000ks, the first set in 6000ks, to thier credit they replaced them at no cost to me, but that was a one off as I found out later when I came back with the next set they recommended I use, I won't bore you with details after the second set failed I didn't bother argueing the 3rd time I just bit my tongue and walked off, the money they wanted me to pay as a warranty exchange bought me a new set of MAXXIS Bighorns, never had an issue with them.

Don Cornell might remember the time I had issues, it was a while ago, he was where we went for tyres when we had the D2, he was great to deal with.