Thread: Cooper ST's on a Disco 2

Originally Posted by McDisco

Chazb

The 245/75's will definitely fit and will not be a problem. I run 265/75/r16s and they dont rub, but I have a 2 inch lift.

The 245's are a good size. They dont alter the gearing too much and they fill the guards a bit better. The 235's always look a little small IMHO.

I would rethink the Coopers though. They are relatively expensive and have a history of failing. But then again I am sure plenty on this site use them without hassles. I would suggest the Pirelli AT's as they apparently wear very well, are very quite and grip well.

Angus

They do not have a recent history of failing. This was around 5-6 years ago and that type of tyre is no longer available. I have been running them for 4 years now in STT and they are great. many others I know have them in ST and STT and have had no issues. The first time I was going to buy them the dealer told me not to (8 years ago) until the issues were resolved with the current batch of ST tyres failing and informed me when they were ok again.
You do get what you pay for with most of the cheaper tyres like the Pirellis (which are a good tyre) etc getting significantly less mileage (average 50,000kms max, less on commercial vehicles like our fire vehicles and ambulances, at a mine site I worked at Dunlops, Pirellis etc were getting 20,000kms max). I have done 65,000kms on my current set of Cooper STTs and there is at least another 40,000kms left. I would considder the STT as they are good on road as well, depending on how much road driving you do. Personally I would only consider Coopers, BFG, Mickey Thompson and maybe Wranglers for medium off road work, maybe Pirelli ATs for on road (and most big name ATs). Generally it comes down to budget.

Chazb

I've just had 265 x 70 R16 fitted to my Disco II. It is not lifted, and I have no problem with rubbing. I'm running the standard Landrover 8" rims. The only issue that I had was that the spare tyre carrier was too low and the spare rubbed on the bumper so that I couldn't close the rear door with the spare tyre mounted. This was easily fixed by re-drilling the carrier to raise it about an inch - also took the opportunity to make up and install a rear work light mount while I had the tyre carrier off.

My scorpion A/T's have 65k on them and still have another 20k running left in them at least.The coopers last because they have deep and hard tread,when I had them my truck used to lock the back wheels and the handling went west and I spun at a set of lights at bathurst in the rain doing 40k/hr with my camper on the back.I want grip not granite. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

My scorpion A/T's have 65k on them and still have another 20k running left in them at least.The coopers last because they have deep and hard tread,when I had them my truck used to lock the back wheels and the handling went west and I spun at a set of lights at bathurst in the rain doing 40k/hr with my camper on the back.I want grip not granite. Pat

Hit nail right on the head there. They last a long time because they are hard hence not very grippy on the road. Mind you michelin tyres have the same problem in my opinion. Most tyres out there will give you good performance as long as you make sure you by the right ones for your use. What type of off road use are you using them for as if it is mainly beach work h/t or a/t are you're best bet as smoother edges help float over the sand. Aggressive tyes with edges designed for digging as in m/t style are not as good as they can dig you into the sand when what you want is to float on top. On the other hand if you're mud plugging or rock hopping every other weekend aggressive a/t such as the cooper st would be better or even a set of m/t. You then just have alter your on road driving to suit and get used to the noise. I have seen a fair amount of people recently fitting tyres from the maxiss range as they are bit cheaper. I can't comment on how good they are but sometimes price does not dictate quality.

Originally Posted by PAT303

My scorpion A/T's have 65k on them and still have another 20k running left in them at least.The coopers last because they have deep and hard tread,when I had them my truck used to lock the back wheels and the handling went west and I spun at a set of lights at bathurst in the rain doing 40k/hr with my camper on the back.I want grip not granite. Pat

on my 130 running A/T scorpions i got 125,000k's on them
and worked hard all their life

now running Cooper STT's but never again
they wear badly on my car, uneven tread wear and the rear tyres are starting to crack around the external lugs

Originally Posted by dhard

Hit nail right on the head there. They last a long time because they are hard hence not very grippy on the road. Mind you michelin tyres have the same problem in my opinion. Most tyres out there will give you good performance as long as you make sure you by the right ones for your use. What type of off road use are you using them for as if it is mainly beach work h/t or a/t are you're best bet as smoother edges help float over the sand. Aggressive tyes with edges designed for digging as in m/t style are not as good as they can dig you into the sand when what you want is to float on top. On the other hand if you're mud plugging or rock hopping every other weekend aggressive a/t such as the cooper st would be better or even a set of m/t. You then just have alter your on road driving to suit and get used to the noise. I have seen a fair amount of people recently fitting tyres from the maxiss range as they are bit cheaper. I can't comment on how good they are but sometimes price does not dictate quality.

MM different experiences. I find the Coopers grip well and have had no issue with them, the BFG ATs were actually worse. You do have to remember any mud tyre will not get the same road grip as an AT, hence why a lot of people run two sets of tyres. I actually find the STTs great on the beach and there has been many times where companions have had o let tyre pressures right down and we have not had to and have not chewed up the beach. The only issue I have with the Coopers is I staked one right through the tread with a bolt and their warranty is not worth a piece of cow dung.
I suppose once you have a bad experience with a product you are loath to go back. I am the same with Bridgestone Desert Duellers and any Dunlop tyre.
It all comes down to the intended use of your 4x4, personal experiences and probablly most importantlly price. Remember to shop around as often tyre retailers have a preffered supplier they can offer cheaper. I know when I got the STTs there was a price difference of $70 per tyre in the same town between 5 tyre shops. Same with BFG, Pirelli and Goodyear. The Pirelli and Hankooks are good budget road orientated tyres though.
The problem with wanting optimum grip and braking is that the tyre will have to be a soft compound and will wear a lot quicker and is often why tyres are a compromise.

Originally Posted by hiline

on my 130 running A/T scorpions i got 125,000k's on them
and worked hard all their life

now running Cooper STT's but never again
they wear badly on my car, uneven tread wear and the rear tyres are starting to crack around the external lugs

Ray,
Have you investigated why they are wearing like that?? If it is attributable to the tyre construction then they should be replaced or given a credit on wear basis. More often than not though it is due to poor steering / suspension geometry or inflation pressures. This you would already know, but may be worth investigation with a tyre specialist or maybe the Cooper distributor. Mine have worn well. Only thing I have noted is that when you rotate the wheels and tyres are reversed road noise increases.

i'm not a big fan of BFG A/T's either

but we wont go there nor Brigdestones or Dunlops