SVTPerformance : Cooper Tires Ride and Drive : Part 2http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.html
http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.html Mud, Rocks, and 4x4 Makes for a Good Dayhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.htmlhttp://www.svtperformance.com/forum...rive-part-2-mud-rocks-4x4-makes-good-day.html
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Please Click Here to see Part One of our Cooper Tires Ride and Drive coverage.
Day two at Cooper Tires test facility in Pearsall, TX was easily some of the most fun motoring I had done in months. Our second day with the fine people from Cooper was spent testing out two of their truck tires, the Discoverer A/T3 and the Discoverer S/T MAXX. As with the passenger car tire tests the day began on the wet skid pad. However, this time we were piloting Chevy Tahoes. One was outfitted with BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KOs (“BFGs”) and the other was saddled up with Cooper’s Discoverer A/T3. Both are all terrain tires, though the BFGs are a bit more aggressive.
I have vast experience with BFG All Terrains. For over a decade they have been my go-to tire for all my 4x4 vehicles. I have probably bought nearly 10 sets of them for a number of different vehicles in that period of time. We currently have a set on the SVTP F-350. I have extreme confidence in the BFGs, they have never let me down. The funny thing is even after I told the people at Cooper all of this they really didn’t seem nervous. You would think that they’d be a bit concerned to have a dyed-in-the-wool “friend of the enemy” testing out their tires, but they didn’t even pop one bead of sweat over it. I would soon figure out why.
On the wet course I first had a chance to drive the Chevy fitted with the BFGs. It handled pretty much exactly as I expected. The rear would lose traction fairly easily and I would be forced to left-foot brake while modulating the throttle in order to carry any sort of speed around a turn. If you have driving trucks and SUVs a lot you are probably aware that they can get somewhat tail-happy, and you often have to work to avoid getting in a tank-slapper situation. After daily driving 4x4 trucks with BFGs for years I didn’t find this all that unnerving. I suppose I have just driving with those tires so much that I was very comfortable with their limits and knew how to react once I breached their threshold. To me that’s just how that type of vehicle was supposed to handle.
I wasn’t expecting to find much of a difference when took the Tahoe equipped with the Cooper A/T3s around the course, but I was sorely mistaken. The Coopers had a much higher limit and most importantly recovered much more quickly. When the A/T3s were pushed hopelessly past their limit they had the uncanny ability to bring the vehicle back under control with just a small amount of correction. Where the BFGs almost always produce a tank-slapper the Coopers could be brought back from the brink of disaster with minute steering and throttle alterations. The only area I can say where the BFG really beats the Coopers (at least to me) is aesthetics. I feel that the BGF sidewall and tread pattern is more aggressive appearing, and therefore better looking. However, if you’re in the market for an aggressive tire Cooper has one for you; the Cooper ST MAXX and I was getting ready to find out just how gnarly it could be off-road.
These Tahoes would be our test vehicles this morning.
One was equipped with BFGoodrich All_terrain TA KOs.
The other was shod with Cooper's A/T3.
This would be my first time driving a truck fitted with cooper tires.
In the south Texas heat sunscreen, hydration, and shade were the orders of the day.
Speaking of hydration, the wet skidpad was watered down and ready for action.
Some drivers were a bit nervous about sliding about in a 3-ton top heavy SUV. It sounded like fun to me.
The Cooper outfitted Chevy Was able to maintain grip for much longer than the BFG equipped one, it also recovered much more quickly once traction was lost.
As you can see in this pic, even when cornering with considerable speed the Coopers helped the driver maintain control.
The BFGoodrich equipped Chevy did not fair as well.
The BFGs produced prodigious understeer.
I wish I was a better phtographer, but this shot should give you an idea of how much water was on the course. The depth did vary at certain points though.
This transition to dry pavement tended to induce substantial oversteer.
The BFGoodrich equipped Tahoe got really tail-happy when transitioning back to the wet surface.
Here you can see some pretty massive understreer from the BFGs. I couldn't believe how disappoint I was with the BFGs. They had always been my choice for an A/T tire.
One was equipped with BFGoodrich All_terrain TA KOs.
The other was shod with Cooper's A/T3.
This would be my first time driving a truck fitted with cooper tires.
In the south Texas heat sunscreen, hydration, and shade were the orders of the day.
Speaking of hydration, the wet skidpad was watered down and ready for action.
Some drivers were a bit nervous about sliding about in a 3-ton top heavy SUV. It sounded like fun to me.
The Cooper outfitted Chevy Was able to maintain grip for much longer than the BFG equipped one, it also recovered much more quickly once traction was lost.
As you can see in this pic, even when cornering with considerable speed the Coopers helped the driver maintain control.
The BFGoodrich equipped Chevy did not fair as well.
The BFGs produced prodigious understeer.
I wish I was a better phtographer, but this shot should give you an idea of how much water was on the course. The depth did vary at certain points though.
This transition to dry pavement tended to induce substantial oversteer.
The BFGoodrich equipped Tahoe got really tail-happy when transitioning back to the wet surface.
Here you can see some pretty massive understreer from the BFGs. I couldn't believe how disappoint I was with the BFGs. They had always been my choice for an A/T tire.
Having finished up on the wet skid-pad it was now time for the final test drive of the day and the one I was most looking forward to, the off-road portion. During this portion of the test we drove various models of Jeeps, equipped with Cooper A/T3 and Cooper ST MAXX tires, on several natural and manmade obstacles. After a short briefing we were introduced to the vehicles we’d be piloting, and I instantly gravitated to the red Jeep Cherokee fitted with ST MAXX rubber. For those you who may not know, my daily driver for seven years was a modded 2000 XJ Cherokee and I always ran BFGs on it. I also averaged wheeling it once a week. Suffice-it-to-say, I am pretty familiar with how that truck handles in the dirt. With much haste I made my way over to a Jeep and we started our journey.
Our first stop was at the appropriately named “mud pits.” Cooper had plowed up two long strips of clay soil and setup massive sprinklers to thoroughly soak it. After a couple of passes by a few of the Jeeps this stuff had turned into a sticky pit of fun. My first run in the mud was with a green Cherokee equipped with the now familiar Cooper A/T3s. These Cooper A/T tires have a tread pattern that is a bit less aggressive than the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KOs that I was used to on my old Jeep. I honestly wasn’t expecting them to perform all that well considering that the XJ I was driving had open differentials.
Upon entering the mud pit, with a little run mind you, I realized the name of the game with the Cooper A/T3s was going to be POWER!!!! As long as I stayed heavy in the throttle the Coopers did an admirable job of nibbling at the slop and finding enough traction to move forward. Liberal application of the skinny pedal also allowed the A/T tread to clear itself of mud quite well. The Cooper A/T3s never left me in need of a tow out of the mud, but you could really feel that the pit wasn’t where they felt most comfortable. Still, my curiosity was piqued and I was ready to test the next tire.
Excitedly I made my way over to the red Jeep Cherokee fitted with the Cooper ST MAXX tires. This one really felt like home to me. The ST MAXX tires are properly aggressive and looked great on the Jeep XJ. From the moment I entered the mud with this Jeep and these tires I knew I was in for a good time. The Cooper STs found traction no matter how stupid I managed to get with them. At one point I stopped in the worst spot I could find in all the pits just to see if I could get the Jeep to claw its way out. Not surprisingly, the ST MAXX tires dug through it all and extricated the Cherokee without any undue drama. The voids clear themselves of mud quite easily and the aggressively angled lugs chewed through everything in their path. After my time in the mud I can say that the Cooper ST MAXX definitely appears to be a proper off-road tire and they far out performed the BFGs I had been equipping my personal Jeep with for years.
Check out the video of my time behind the wheel of the Cooper ST MAXX equipped Jeep Cherokee.
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/28fn_eRwTRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
We soon found ourselves in a wide open field with a fleet of Jeeps.
This display in the Cooper conference room was on a few people's minds.
This field happen to partially plowed and fairly wet. It was time for some fun in the mud.
I drove two different Jeep XJs. This grey one was fitted with Cooper A/T3s.
The A/T3 tread looks great for an all-around truck tire.
This is a great way to spend an afternoon.
The A/T3 tread cleans out nicely, but does require you to be a bit aggressive with the throttle to keep up your forward momentum.
The mud wasn't overly deep at the beginning of the session, but it was plenty sticky.
This really makes me miss off-roading with my old XJ.
As more runs were made the mud got deeper and stickier.
Just a little speed is all that's needed for the A/T3s to clear their tread of mud.
My other ride in the mud would be with this red Cherokee with Cooper's ST MAXX tires.
The Cooper ST MAXX is a fairly aggressive tire and I was really looking forward to putting it through its paces.
By the time I got a chance to drive the ST MAXX things were getting very sticky out in the mud pits.
The Cooper ST MAXX tires had no problem chewing through the mud.
This may be one of the best pics that I've ever happened. Every time I see it I miss my Jeep.
You can see the clean tread of the Cooper ST MAXX tires here. These tires had absolutely no problem in the mud at any speed.
I wish I had had the opportunity to try these tires on my personal Jeep when it was my DD back in WV. I don't think my BFGs would have stood a chance.
The XJ is a great 4x4 platform and when combined with either of these Cooper tires you have a lot of fun off-road.
The A/T3 tires on an XJ should be able to get you to your favorite camping spot without much drama. I'd really like to see how they handle snow.
I feel really bad for this Go-Pro.
This shot gives you a good idea of how well the Cooper A/T3 tires clear their tread. Clean tread bites the terrain much better than one clogged with mud.
It's pretty safe to say that the water application to the mud pits was fairly liberal.
Thank you John Deere tractor plowing up this petrol fueled playground.
Clean tread chewing up the mud. Neither of the Jeeps got stuck at any point in the day.
This just brings a smile to my face. I really want to try a set of the Cooper ST MAXX tires on the SVTP F-350.
Lot of WOT runs through the mud had this Jeep's 4.0 I-6 a little hot. It was still running like a champ though.
After just this one off-road test with the ST MAXX I was really starting to change my mind about Cooper tires and installing so many sets of BFGs on my personal Jeep.
Think this guy was carrying much speed?
The Jeep 4.0 I-6 is a tank. Powerful, thirsty, and simple they are know to go several hundred thousand miles without any issues.
These Jeeps were ran very hard in the mud, but neither one had any problems.
This Cherokee with the Cooper ST MAXX tires was easily my favorite. I got in it every chance I got for the rest of the day.
I think this one may need a wash job.
If you like playing in the mud with your DD you should really consider a set of Cooper ST MAXX tires.
I never felt as if I was going to get stuck with the ST MAXX tires, even after coming to a complete stop in the worst spot I could find and then pulling back out.
I think this is why they call this place "Big Sky Country."
Even when purposely trying to hang up either of the Jeeps didn't seem to work. The Coopers just found enough traction to keep moving.
By the end of the mud session things were getting really churned up out there. You can see just how sloppy it was in this pic.
The classic body style of the Jeep XJ looks great when fitted with Cooper tires and covered in mud.
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/28fn_eRwTRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
We soon found ourselves in a wide open field with a fleet of Jeeps.
This display in the Cooper conference room was on a few people's minds.
This field happen to partially plowed and fairly wet. It was time for some fun in the mud.
I drove two different Jeep XJs. This grey one was fitted with Cooper A/T3s.
The A/T3 tread looks great for an all-around truck tire.
This is a great way to spend an afternoon.
The A/T3 tread cleans out nicely, but does require you to be a bit aggressive with the throttle to keep up your forward momentum.
The mud wasn't overly deep at the beginning of the session, but it was plenty sticky.
This really makes me miss off-roading with my old XJ.
As more runs were made the mud got deeper and stickier.
Just a little speed is all that's needed for the A/T3s to clear their tread of mud.
My other ride in the mud would be with this red Cherokee with Cooper's ST MAXX tires.
The Cooper ST MAXX is a fairly aggressive tire and I was really looking forward to putting it through its paces.
By the time I got a chance to drive the ST MAXX things were getting very sticky out in the mud pits.
The Cooper ST MAXX tires had no problem chewing through the mud.
This may be one of the best pics that I've ever happened. Every time I see it I miss my Jeep.
You can see the clean tread of the Cooper ST MAXX tires here. These tires had absolutely no problem in the mud at any speed.
I wish I had had the opportunity to try these tires on my personal Jeep when it was my DD back in WV. I don't think my BFGs would have stood a chance.
The XJ is a great 4x4 platform and when combined with either of these Cooper tires you have a lot of fun off-road.
The A/T3 tires on an XJ should be able to get you to your favorite camping spot without much drama. I'd really like to see how they handle snow.
I feel really bad for this Go-Pro.
This shot gives you a good idea of how well the Cooper A/T3 tires clear their tread. Clean tread bites the terrain much better than one clogged with mud.
It's pretty safe to say that the water application to the mud pits was fairly liberal.
Thank you John Deere tractor plowing up this petrol fueled playground.
Clean tread chewing up the mud. Neither of the Jeeps got stuck at any point in the day.
This just brings a smile to my face. I really want to try a set of the Cooper ST MAXX tires on the SVTP F-350.
Lot of WOT runs through the mud had this Jeep's 4.0 I-6 a little hot. It was still running like a champ though.
After just this one off-road test with the ST MAXX I was really starting to change my mind about Cooper tires and installing so many sets of BFGs on my personal Jeep.
Think this guy was carrying much speed?
The Jeep 4.0 I-6 is a tank. Powerful, thirsty, and simple they are know to go several hundred thousand miles without any issues.
These Jeeps were ran very hard in the mud, but neither one had any problems.
This Cherokee with the Cooper ST MAXX tires was easily my favorite. I got in it every chance I got for the rest of the day.
I think this one may need a wash job.
If you like playing in the mud with your DD you should really consider a set of Cooper ST MAXX tires.
I never felt as if I was going to get stuck with the ST MAXX tires, even after coming to a complete stop in the worst spot I could find and then pulling back out.
I think this is why they call this place "Big Sky Country."
Even when purposely trying to hang up either of the Jeeps didn't seem to work. The Coopers just found enough traction to keep moving.
By the end of the mud session things were getting really churned up out there. You can see just how sloppy it was in this pic.
The classic body style of the Jeep XJ looks great when fitted with Cooper tires and covered in mud.
From the mud pits we made our way behind a small hill. On the back side of the mound Cooper and constructed a steep concrete ramp that featured three differently configured lanes and a sprayer bar to thoroughly soak them with water. The lanes consisted of a course finished section similar a surface you would find on a newly constructed boat ramp, the second was a smooth finished one to simulate a boat ramp that was worn and covered with algae (aka, slick), and the third featured the same smoothed surface as the second with the added bonus of baseball sized rocks embedded in it (which I believe were placed there in order to infuriate inexperienced off-roaders).
I won’t bother you with every little detail of this test. I drove both of the Jeep Cherokees from the mud pit along with a new 4-door Wrangler up each section of the ramp and had no problem with any of them. In all honesty I believe an experienced driver could make it up even the most difficult section with basically any A/T tire. I feel this test was more about off-road driving ability than anything else. I’m sure the Cooper tread patterns (especially the ST MAXX one) helped drivers who may have struggled with lesser rubber make it to the top, but this wasn’t particularly telling or challenging test for a driver that has put in some serious trail time.
I’ll leave you with this video of this particular portion so you can draw your own conclusions.
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zfZk9dlBvvI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It may not look that imposing, but anyone who has towed a boat up an algae slicked launch ramp knows just how slippery wet concrete can be.
The guys from Cooper were on hand to offer some instruction to the uninitiated.
None of the drivers really had any problems ascending either of the smoother ramps.
A bit of an odd bumper design on this Cooper A/T3 equipped Jeep.
This is the ramp that provided the most challenge to many of the other drivers.
The embedded rocks were fairly slick and did a good job of upsetting the Jeeps.
This 4-door Wrangler had a tendency to drag and high-center on the ramp, but with its Coopers it didn't have any problem making it up the ramp.
My favorite, the Cooper ST MAXX equipped Cherokee. This combo proved to be a beast all day.
You can see how the rocks break up surface contact and can give the driver of a vehicle with open differentials fits.
I may be playing with the angle of the camera a bit with this pic, but it sure looks awesome.
An example of the friendly foliage found around the Cooper Tires Test Center.
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zfZk9dlBvvI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It may not look that imposing, but anyone who has towed a boat up an algae slicked launch ramp knows just how slippery wet concrete can be.
The guys from Cooper were on hand to offer some instruction to the uninitiated.
None of the drivers really had any problems ascending either of the smoother ramps.
A bit of an odd bumper design on this Cooper A/T3 equipped Jeep.
This is the ramp that provided the most challenge to many of the other drivers.
The embedded rocks were fairly slick and did a good job of upsetting the Jeeps.
This 4-door Wrangler had a tendency to drag and high-center on the ramp, but with its Coopers it didn't have any problem making it up the ramp.
My favorite, the Cooper ST MAXX equipped Cherokee. This combo proved to be a beast all day.
You can see how the rocks break up surface contact and can give the driver of a vehicle with open differentials fits.
I may be playing with the angle of the camera a bit with this pic, but it sure looks awesome.
An example of the friendly foliage found around the Cooper Tires Test Center.
The next portion of the day’s events was a display of the Cooper ST MAXX’s rock crawling abilities. We drove out to a fairly gnarly rock garden Cooper had constructed as part of their test facility. Here, Cooper’s test driver Ali Aljibouri piloted a lifted Jeep Cherokee fitted with the STs through the rocks. Rock crawling is a particular off-roading skill that requires a properly outfitted rig to perform well. From the looks of things Cooper basically put the cheapest lift they could find on this XJ and spent the rest of their time welding in plenty of underbody and axle protection. Given the relative crappyness of the suspension I knew the tires were going to have their work cut out for them to find the requisite traction to clear the obstacles. I was not disappointed. The ST MAXX equipped XJ made it through the rock garden with ease.
A rock crawling demonstration was the next order of business.
The suspension on this XJ was lightly modified, and the axles were heavily trussed.
The Cooper A/T3s fitted to the Cherokee were properly aired down.
Maximizing flex and contact patch (and thus traction) are the keys to rock crawling.
The Cooper tires did a good job of find traction on the rocks.
The rock garden looked like a lot of fun. I wouldn't have minded taking a turn at it.
The suspension on this XJ was lightly modified, and the axles were heavily trussed.
The Cooper A/T3s fitted to the Cherokee were properly aired down.
Maximizing flex and contact patch (and thus traction) are the keys to rock crawling.
The Cooper tires did a good job of find traction on the rocks.
The rock garden looked like a lot of fun. I wouldn't have minded taking a turn at it.
Our final course of the day was a portion of the off-road trail Cooper had cut through the back portion of its test facility. This trail had a little bit of everything; dirt and gravel trails, water and mud holes, inclines, declines, loose sand, dry creek crossings, and everyone’s favorite: climbing out of a slick wet rock covered creek bank. The Jeeps equipped with the Cooper A/T3 tires handled the trail admirably. While I don’t feel that the A/T3s performed as well in the mud or on some of the more difficult portions of the trail as the more aggressive BFGs had for me in the past I will say that for a mostly street driven truck I do believe they would make a better choice. They are more than adequate for light-moderate trail duty and perform excellently on pavement (much better than the BFG A/Ts on my Jeep at home). The Cooper A/T3 would make an excellent choice a daily driven truck or SUV that will see a variety of conditions. They’re a good multi-purpose tire that can take you work during the week and to your favorite camping or fishing spot on the weekend.
These rocks were Hell for some drivers.
It took proper throttle application and the correct line to make it up.
Both of the XJs had an easier time getting up the rocks than this TJ. It's likely due to them having a bit longer wheelbase.
Sometimes you have to get creative if you want a good shot.
The Cooper A/T3s proved much better off-road than I expected. They are a quite a bit less aggressive than the BFGs I'm accustomed to, yet they performed nearly as well in the dirt.
One of the ladies who works in the Cooper office decided to take a shot at the slick rocks with the ST MAXX equipped Wrangler.
After a few attempts she made it out of the creek bed, but this was the result.
Airing down your tires when off-roading is typically a pretty good idea. It increases the tire's contact patch with the terrain.
The Cooper A/T3 surprisingly doesn't pick up all that many rocks in its tread. That's always a good thing.
It took proper throttle application and the correct line to make it up.
Both of the XJs had an easier time getting up the rocks than this TJ. It's likely due to them having a bit longer wheelbase.
Sometimes you have to get creative if you want a good shot.
The Cooper A/T3s proved much better off-road than I expected. They are a quite a bit less aggressive than the BFGs I'm accustomed to, yet they performed nearly as well in the dirt.
One of the ladies who works in the Cooper office decided to take a shot at the slick rocks with the ST MAXX equipped Wrangler.
After a few attempts she made it out of the creek bed, but this was the result.
Airing down your tires when off-roading is typically a pretty good idea. It increases the tire's contact patch with the terrain.
The Cooper A/T3 surprisingly doesn't pick up all that many rocks in its tread. That's always a good thing.
The highlight of the entire trip for me was discovering the Cooper ST MAXX. After spending a day during every stupid thing I could think of to find their weakness I was left happily surprised. The ST MAXXs never left me stuck and managed to get out of several situations with ease where I knew my BFGs would have a much more difficult time. I know for a fact that my BFG would have struggled much more in the mud (they don’t self clean as well as the MAXXs) and on the water soaked smooth rocks. The Coopers were seemingly able to bite in and find traction in every situation I put them in. I also noticed that the STs didn’t pick up and carry rocks in the tread like so many other AT tires. Their angled tread lugs aid in preventing from getting wedged in the voids, your paint will appreciate that. I was really interested in trying out the STs on some pavement, but there wasn’t really time left in the day for it. That would have to wait for another time. However, based on the off-road driving characteristics of the Cooper ST MAXXs I would definitely consider them truck that was going to see some fairly aggressive off-roading. I think they would work perfectly on my former daily driver Jeep Cherokee XJ. If you’re in the market for an aggressive A/T tire you should really check out the Cooper ST MAXX.
Special Thanks To:
Cooper Tires
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