SVTPerformance Reviews Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX Tires http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...reviews-cooper-discoverer-s-t-maxx-tires.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...reviews-cooper-discoverer-s-t-maxx-tires.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...reviews-cooper-discoverer-s-t-maxx-tires.html
Several thousand miles of daily driving a dual-purpose rig puts the S/T MAXX All-Terrain tires to the test.
Several thousand miles of daily driving a dual-purpose rig puts the S/T MAXX All-Terrain tires to the test.
Before I get started in this article I want to clear the room a bit. Before participating in the Cooper Tires Ride and Drive a few months ago I never really considered Cooper Tires as an option when buying tires for a personal vehicle. I suppose I had become pigeon holed by past positive experiences with other manufactures and the fact that I never really thought much of the Cooper tires I had seen on other’s vehicles. Their brand just didn’t carry much weight with me. Little did I know what my ignorance of some of the great wears Cooper Tires has to offer was costing me.
As you may have seen me mention in the past, I was something of a BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO fan when it came to 4x4 truck tires. I have purchased at least 10 sets of BFGs over the years for several vehicles. In fact, a fairly sizable set of BFGs currently reside on the SVTP F-350. T/A KOs have long been my go-to tire for all of my mainly street driven 4x4s. They have served me well through the years and have never left me stranded. Beyond that, I never gave it much more thought. Unbeknownst to me there were far better choices out there for the same, if not less, money.
Enter the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX. This is the tire that really earned my praises in an article we published on SVTP earlier this year. In the Ride and Drive event that Cooper Tires invited me to, at their Pearall, TX test facility, the S/T MAXX stole the show for me. Of all the tires I tested over the two day event the ST was my standout favorite. I had got to spend enough time with it off-road to realize that it is far superior in that arena to the BFG T/As I have been buying all these years. However, before I had a chance to sample the S/T MAXX’s on-road behavior my time at Cooper’s expansive facility had ended. Needless to say, I was left wanting more.
Luckily for me, I stayed in contact with the fine people at Cooper after the event. I was able to meet up with a few of their engineers at SEMA and we came up with a little idea. I happened to have a truck, a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac V8, that needed new tires and they were interested in hearing my thoughts on how the S/T MAXXs handle daily driver duty. The truck was fitted with a set of Dick Cepek (a brand owned by Cooper Tires) Crusher IIs. In my opinion those tires were designed chiefly with looks in mind. I never cared much for them. They were overly loud at speed, annoyingly rough at low-speed, and were wearing unevenly. Though I never had a chance to drive them in off-road conditions I don’t believe they would have been all that great, and I truly did not want to try them out in the snow that winter in West Virginia was sure to deliver. So when Cooper made their gracious offer to let me try a set of the S/T MAXXs there was no way I was going to refuse.
Fast forward to a few weeks after SEMA 2012, I had been in contact with Cooper and let them know the size tires the truck would need. Four new Cooper S/T MAXX tires had arrived at the SVTP headquarters and were promptly mounted to the 2008 Sport Trac test vehicle. I was happy to see the old Dick Cepeks go, they would not be missed. Just pulling out of the Sears Tire Center (they mounted the new Coopers) parking lot I instantly knew that S/Ts were far better than the Crushers at low speed. The infuriating low speed vibration I had come to expect for the Crushers was pleasantly absent. The drive home was equally as nice, and that was pretty important to me. I had a 1,000+ mile road trip planned and we were ready to get to work.
Getting a delivery like this always makes me smile.
It's great to see that you can still find awesome products made in the US. I wish I saw more of this on a daily basis.
The siping in the tread design aids the tire's performance in snow and rain.
The overall aggressive design of the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX just looks great.
These Dick Cepeks are a bit over the top. They look like something you could buy at Hot Topic.
Since the subject Sport Trac has a small lift kit we opted to fit a set of 265/70R17s.
The Cooper's sidewall and bead are both quite substantial.
The sidewall features a built-in groove to protect the wheel lip from damage.
In order to leave no stone unturned in our testing, we even subjected the Coopers extensive "Lab" examinations.
After much exhaustive research we're happy to report that the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX is SVTP "Lab" approved.
These tires are just beefy.
The stylized design of the Dick Cepeks extend to the tread too. I don't see the Crushers handling snow very well at all.
It's great to see that you can still find awesome products made in the US. I wish I saw more of this on a daily basis.
The siping in the tread design aids the tire's performance in snow and rain.
The overall aggressive design of the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX just looks great.
These Dick Cepeks are a bit over the top. They look like something you could buy at Hot Topic.
Since the subject Sport Trac has a small lift kit we opted to fit a set of 265/70R17s.
The Cooper's sidewall and bead are both quite substantial.
The sidewall features a built-in groove to protect the wheel lip from damage.
In order to leave no stone unturned in our testing, we even subjected the Coopers extensive "Lab" examinations.
After much exhaustive research we're happy to report that the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX is SVTP "Lab" approved.
These tires are just beefy.
The stylized design of the Dick Cepeks extend to the tread too. I don't see the Crushers handling snow very well at all.
Two days after mounting the new Coopers I set out on my road trip. I was going to drive from Myrtle Beach, SC to southern West Virginia to spend Christmas with my family. The first leg of the trip was nearly 500 miles of open road which included both interstate and twisting two-lane mountain roads. The threat of snow was always present. On the open interstate I was really happy to discover that the new Coopers were several times quieter than the Dick Cepeks they had replaced. Tire induced road noise is a major contributor to drive fatigue, and I really didn’t need any of that on this trip. Once on the curvy back roads I noticed they also seemed to have much less sidewall and tread flex than the Crushers. This led to the truck handling much more confidently than I had previously experienced on the same road. Combined with my off-road time with the Cooper S/T MAXX tires earlier in the year in TX this trip home for the holidays really had me rethinking about all the BFG purchases I had made over the years.
The trip back to base camp in Myrtle Beach gave us exactly what I had been expecting, snow. When I lived in Morgantown, WV snow was an ever present fact of life in the winter. The last year I lived in those beautiful mountains there was a period where I did not see the ground outside my apartment for over six weeks. I came to rely on my BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO equipped Jeep Cherokee to move me about town. That thing with those tires was a beast in the powder, but now I was in Beckley, WV for an overnight stay and the heavens had opened up.
It didn’t take very long for the roads to become covered, in another hour things were starting to get pretty ugly. The holiday traffic evidently contained quite a few inexperienced winter drivers. We saw more than one person fail to maintain control of their vehicle. This was the test I had been waiting for, and the Coopers didn’t let me down. On snow slicked roads where I knew my old BFGs would have felt a bit sporty the Coopers never lost traction. The S/T MAXXs just dug in and pulled. I was impressed.
I made it to my destination safely and with very little drama. Just for a little fun, I pulled into an empty parking lot close to my hotel just to see how far I could push the Coopers before they’d give up. After making sure the surface was properly slick I got up a little bit of speed and tried to make the truck spin, it did not. In fact, I had to get overly stupid just to get it a little tail happy. I’m not sure how they manage it (perhaps witchcraft?) but the S/Ts found grip where there shouldn’t have been any. I then performed a few brake stands just to see how the Coopers reacted. Unbelievably, they barely forced the ABS to kick in. Even with the slick conditions the S/T MAXXs hooked in and brought the 5,000+ pound truck to a quick halt in a straight line. I then left the foolishness behind and made my way back to the hotel.
I moved to Myrtle Beach to avoid weather like this, but I still enjoy driving in it occasionally.
I wish I had these Coopers installed on my Jeep Cherokee XJ when I lived in Morgantown, WV. I know they certainly would have been appreciated in the winter.
Even when driving slowly through a parking lot the Coopers readily cleared packed snow from its tread.
Yeah, it's pretty cold. I was blown away by how well these tires perform in the powder.
Traction was never an issue with the MAXXs in the snow, they always had plenty of grip.
When the snow first started to fall we got a little crazy in an empty parking lot just to see how the Coopers handled at the limit. We found that had to drive beyond all reason to push the MAXXs out of control.
This gas station became tempory home to more than a couple of cars that were ill equipped for the road conditions. With this Ford outfitted with these Coopers we certainly didn't have that problem.
Even under heavy breaking the S/Ts gave a feeling of supreme confidence and control.
I wish I had these Coopers installed on my Jeep Cherokee XJ when I lived in Morgantown, WV. I know they certainly would have been appreciated in the winter.
Even when driving slowly through a parking lot the Coopers readily cleared packed snow from its tread.
Yeah, it's pretty cold. I was blown away by how well these tires perform in the powder.
Traction was never an issue with the MAXXs in the snow, they always had plenty of grip.
When the snow first started to fall we got a little crazy in an empty parking lot just to see how the Coopers handled at the limit. We found that had to drive beyond all reason to push the MAXXs out of control.
This gas station became tempory home to more than a couple of cars that were ill equipped for the road conditions. With this Ford outfitted with these Coopers we certainly didn't have that problem.
Even under heavy breaking the S/Ts gave a feeling of supreme confidence and control.
I awoke the next morning and continued my journey home. Once out of mountains of West Virginia the rest of the trip was fairly routine. The Coopers were again a pleasure to live with on the interstate. However, I soon found myself on another trip with the Cooper equipped Sport Trac, but this time I encountered pouring rain. I was again in West Virginia on I-77 and this torrential downpour actually led to flash flooding in a few areas. There were so many cars parked on the side of the interstate I lost count of them. However, the Coopers handled the water on the road better than any tire I have ever driven. I know that is a big statement, but it is completely true. They have an uncanny ability to cut through standing water and maintain traction with the road surface. My BFGs on various vehicles have always handled well in the rain for me in the past, but the Cooper S/T MAXXs on this Explorer were easily an order of magnitude of more stable than the T/A KOs.
Even in heavy rain, this particular storm caused flash flooding, the Coopers inspire confidence. It took the combination of fairly deep standing water and substantial speed to get the truck to hydroplane.
One of the last things I noticed about the Coopers is their ability to easily evacuate small rocks for the voids in the tread. Anyone who has owned a vehicle fitted with A/T tires knows the lovely sound of a rock bouncing off your truck’s body work after being flung from your tire tread at near supersonic speeds while on the highway. It’s not fun and no one likes it (much like a girl I once dated in high school). The Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX tires have angled tread blocks that help prevent small rocks from becoming lodged in their voids. This helps protect you painted lower panels and keeps in the inside of your truck from sounding like you’re driving through a hail storm.
These angled areas of the tread helps to reduce rock retention between the tread blocks.
The Sport Trac Explorer has a small lift kit, which is a prefect match for the Coopers.
To me, the S/T MAXX tread is the perfect compromise between off-road performance and on-highway comfort.
This packed sand road is a cake-walk for tires of the Cooper's caliber.
If you have a dual purpose rig that sees daily driver duty along with some weekend 4x4 action the S/T MAXX is tire you should consider.
We were on our way to a favorite fishing spot.
These tires make the Sport Trac look like a proper truck.
I particularly like the Cooper's aggressive sidewall design.
The fishing wasn't great, but the scenery was pretty nice.
You'll notice that the tires haven't picked up any rocks in the tread. That's a huge advantage engineered into the Cooper tread block design.
Often, tires gear towards off-road performance suffer from sloppy on-road handling due to a somewhat soft sidewall.
It's rare to find a tire that inspires so much confidence in the rough stuff, yet handles so well on pavement.
We tried to find a little soft sand to test to Coopers in, but haven't yet found anything worth of pics. When we do we'll update this article.
The S/T MAXX does a great job of keeping the tread clean.
We tested the Coopers, with great success, in deep sticky mud in a previous article linked at the bottom of this article.
The Sport Trac's independent rear suspension handles uneven terrain fairly well.
The Sport Trac Explorer has a small lift kit, which is a prefect match for the Coopers.
To me, the S/T MAXX tread is the perfect compromise between off-road performance and on-highway comfort.
This packed sand road is a cake-walk for tires of the Cooper's caliber.
If you have a dual purpose rig that sees daily driver duty along with some weekend 4x4 action the S/T MAXX is tire you should consider.
We were on our way to a favorite fishing spot.
These tires make the Sport Trac look like a proper truck.
I particularly like the Cooper's aggressive sidewall design.
The fishing wasn't great, but the scenery was pretty nice.
You'll notice that the tires haven't picked up any rocks in the tread. That's a huge advantage engineered into the Cooper tread block design.
Often, tires gear towards off-road performance suffer from sloppy on-road handling due to a somewhat soft sidewall.
It's rare to find a tire that inspires so much confidence in the rough stuff, yet handles so well on pavement.
We tried to find a little soft sand to test to Coopers in, but haven't yet found anything worth of pics. When we do we'll update this article.
The S/T MAXX does a great job of keeping the tread clean.
We tested the Coopers, with great success, in deep sticky mud in a previous article linked at the bottom of this article.
The Sport Trac's independent rear suspension handles uneven terrain fairly well.
I’m not sure whether I should be sad that I’ve been over-spending on the surprisingly inferior BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KOs all these years, or happy that I’ve found a less expensive American made tire that out performs the BFG in every way I know to measure them. So far, after about 8 months of road trips and daily driving, the Coopers seem to be wearing very little and the wear they do have has be even. They don’t seem to be getting nosier, as some tires do with a little age,; and they just flat out look great. The S/T MAXX is a very new tire for Cooper, and as such it is only available in a limited number of sizes. I've been told they will be adding 20 new sizes in the next few months. I’m hoping that they add a size appropriate for the SVTP F-350 by the time it’s ready for new tires. I put a set of BFGs on it a little less than two years ago and I’m already thinking about replacing them (due to the massive amounts of weight that truck carries it is pretty rough on tires). I’m thinking from now on the S/T MAXX will be my go-to aggressive A/T tire. It really takes a lot for me to switch brands from BFGoodrich, but the superb performance of the Coopers has swayed my opinion. The Cooper S/T MAXX will be the first tire I look to when outfitting my dual purpose (on-road and off-road performance) 4x4 trucks.
If you're interested in learning more about Cooper Tires check out the following article. We didn't subject these tires to anywhere near the level of off-road abuse they were designed for, but this article will show you just how well they handle the rough stuff:
SVTP : Cooper Tires Ride & Drive : Part 2 : Mud, Rocks, and 4x4 Makes for a Good Day
Special Thanks To:
Cooper Tires
StacyStangs Photography
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