Cooper tires for a stock 3500 4x4-recommendations please

[Cryotek]

I need new tires. I like Cooper, so how big and what line is recommended? I do a little towing. I would like to get the biggest tire I can with good on and off road traction. I have had Discover A/T that I really like on my past other trucks. I'll take any comments anyone would like to relay. Thanks.

 

[Sled Dog]

Check out Cooper ATR 315's. Food for thought. Was thinking SRW 3500.

 

[GFritsch]

I need new tires. I like Cooper, so how big and what line is recommended? I do a little towing. I would like to get the biggest tire I can with good on and off road traction. I have had Discover A/T that I really like on my past other trucks. I'll take any comments anyone would like to relay. Thanks.

I have heard good things about the Coopers, but I am going to try the Firestone Transforce this time based on the recommendation of a friend who owns a tire shop.



Greg

 

[bmoeller]

Running Cooper S/T tires on mine. Great tire. Wears well, and plenty of traction.



Had the 215-85-16 the first time around, 235s, now.



Peoria isn't that far from me.

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

I've got BFG AT 285's on mine that I'm happy with. I have about 10k on them, they seem to be wearing well.

 

[GFritsch]

I've got BFG AT 285's on mine that I'm happy with. I have about 10k on them, they seem to be wearing well.

Are the BFG's available in the 17 inch size for the 04's now? I would be very interested in them. off to BFG website. .



According to the website there are no BFGoodrich tires available in 235/80-17. too bad.



Foil Freak, is your truck a dually? Did Dodge use 17 inch wheels on your year? If so what mods did you have to do to get the 285's on?



Thanks,

Greg

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

I will not buy Cooper again. Separation at 31,000 and did $2,000. 00 damage to the left front fender and took the front bumper. Tire did not loose air until the next day so I had control but I thought a bomb had gone off. 2 miles to the next exit so ran on shoulder very slow 4-ways flashing and changed it at the next exit and went home and wife was with me, we both said a prayer. What do I do now? Got on the interned and found the JD Powers report on a tire survey they did on 500 stores in the midwest. Michelin was the only tire that there had been no complaint on. It is the old saying all over again, you get what you pay for. Some of my friends said that tire is made in France you should not have bought them. My answer the Japs shot at me and the French never did. True, I was a 13 year old American citizen living in the Philippines with my parents when the Japs invaded in Dec. 1941 but that is another story. I have a 98 12v with 16 inch wheels so I bought 265s E rated. They look great and I feel safer than if I had stayed with Cooper. They only made a 4% difference on the odometer. I welcome e-mails -- email address removed --

 

[BHolm]

The Cooper ATR is the newest tire line for that size. My buddy sells them and says they have been holding up very well. Another friend has a set on his '98 dually (16") and they seem to be holding up very well with good traction. I need a set for my dually as well. I am seriously considering the Michelin LTX M&S for ~$20 a tire more though. I would bet they will last longer and have better winter traction.

 

[daytripper63]

Currently running Discoverer ATR on my '03, 3500, 4x4, DRW went through winter and so far I love 'em. Wear so far is excellent also.

I ran the Discoverer ATR also and was happy with them, I have since switched to 22. 5s

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

Are the BFG's available in the 17 inch size for the 04's now? I would be very interested in them. off to BFG website. .



According to the website there are no BFGoodrich tires available in 235/80-17. too bad.



Foil Freak, is your truck a dually? Did Dodge use 17 inch wheels on your year? If so what mods did you have to do to get the 285's on?



Thanks,

Greg

Greg, my tires are 285 70 R 17. No mods necessary, the spare tire even fits where it's supposed to. Truck is SRW. I like they way they look, and the truck is not too tall to fit in the garage.

 

[ZHutton]

I just talked to a shop about the cooper ST tires. They are about the most aggressive tire he could find to order for my tire size, 235/80/17. Well whatever the stock size is, I keep getting the numbers backwards so I wanted to edit because 235 just does not sound right but oh well.



His computer and info offered actual lb carrying capacity but did not state if it was load range E or D.



I am still checking out other options that are reasonably easy to get, I don't want to wait months for tires to become available.



I liked the st because it is not a highway tire tread, it is a sort of aggressive tread that should work well on the bad gravel and dirt roads I sometimes wind up living at the end of.

 

[LJFiler]

I have to agree with J. Burchfield I will not buy coopers again. I have not had them come apart yet but I do not get any kind of milage out of them. I have the 265 75 16 Discover STC with about 5k miles and can already see noticeable wear. The tires are wearing even across the tire and are not out of balance and I run 75lbs air in the tires. I get good traction but they should be wearing better than that. I have already started looking for my next brand and am leaning towards the Toyo brand. Just my 2 cent and opinion.



Larry

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

That's rare, sombody agrees with me. One of the things that impresses me is how little weight it takes to balance Miclelins and how perfectly round they are. The Cooper that seperated on me had 16 ounces of wheel weights. If we can go to the Moon why can't everybody make round tires that need very little balancing?.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Over the years I've had a couple of sets of Cooper Discover STs and liked them. A caveat would be they were my winter tires. I like to have a separate set of aggressive tires for winter and a less agressive summer set. That way I get more miles and traction when I need it out of the winter tires.



Albeit "winter" means November through April hereabouts. With some storms in Sept. and October and May and etc... .

 

[Wagnerm]

Cooper SST

Got some Cooper 285 size SST Tires last winter. Sofar They have treated me well. One thing to make sure is to keep them suckers rotated. Also I had to get the Truck realligned after about 3000 miles. The wear on the tires is also minimal compared to the stock BFG's.

 

[SKing]

If you like cooper then you must look at Master Craft tires. . They are made by cooper and alot of trucks in my town have them. . They have great tread paterns in several types of tires that are rated E. I spoke to a guy who had 41000 miles on a A/T tread and he towes a 28 ft cattle trailor and the tires had half tread left.

 

[blacksheep4x4]

I have cooper 35"x12. 50 ssts on my Megacab w nolift. Look in my picture gallery.

 

[Cryotek]

I have cooper 35"x12. 50 ssts on my Megacab w nolift. Look in my picture gallery.

Do you have a lift? My truck is a SRW 3500 like yours. I am impressed that 35"s fit. Do you have any rubbing? Any spacers used on the stock wheels? Let me know thanks.

 

[jsimpson]

I tried Firestones based on advice froma friend who owns a tire shop, and had to replace three of them within a year. I'm buying Coopers or Michellins in about a month.

I have heard good things about the Coopers, but I am going to try the Firestone Transforce this time based on the recommendation of a friend who owns a tire shop.



Greg

 

[jsimpson]

My tire guy says I can expect 80k out of Michellins. He sells Cooper and Mastercraft.

The Cooper ATR is the newest tire line for that size. My buddy sells them and says they have been holding up very well. Another friend has a set on his '98 dually (16") and they seem to be holding up very well with good traction. I need a set for my dually as well. I am seriously considering the Michelin LTX M&S for ~$20 a tire more though. I would bet they will last longer and have better winter traction.