3/4 Ton Pickup Tires

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by CA Streamer

I have a set of Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires on my F250 and I'm not happy with the wear. I have only 14,000 miles on them and I'm down to 3/32 tread left.

Aren't the S/T Maxx the off-road tread version, and don't they normally get worse tread mileage?

[GCinSC2]

Found this schedule for weighing with individual wheel scales:
Weighing Schedule | RV Safety.com and Michelin explains how a platform scale can be used to get individual weights but it looks like it cannot be an elevated scale as you have to put one side on and one side off. Starts at about page 4
https://www.michelinb2b.com/wps/b2bc...re.pdf#page=19

From Switz: "I would suggest that knowing the individual tire loads on the trailer can be important. One may discover that one tire is carrying much more weight then the other three. That discovery can result from a load placement issue to a design in the trailer issue as to the location of a specific heavy item."

Sorta guessing that my slide out qualifies on on that side load thingy.

I wish the OP well on his tire search and my apologies for a slight hijack into some important sidebars.

[TinShack]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Aren't the S/T Maxx the off-road tread version, and don't they normally get worse tread mileage?

Yes, I expected them to be worse on tread wear, but not quite that bad. They have been great off road and since I go off road quite a bit, I really shouldn't complain.

[farmerdave]

I have coopers on my expedition that I use for hard farm work. I am very happy with them.

[Coloradobus]

We use Fiestone Destination A/T. Tire Rack rating very good. F'stone Trans Force ride nice, but with our dodge with Bigfoot camper they tend hydroplane a bit. Www.tirerack.com. Choose a tire review ratings. Good resource

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Coloradobus

We use Fiestone Destination A/T. Tire Rack rating very good. F'stone Trans Force ride nice, but with our dodge with Bigfoot camper they tend hydroplane a bit. Www.tirerack.com. Choose a tire review ratings. Good resource

I like Tirerack, and have bought some tires from them, but they don't handle the Coopers, and Discount who's service I like and prefer, doesn't handle some of the brands that Tirerack does.

[switz]

The delights of the free tire market!

Last year, I acquired two sets of four scales where each scale can weigh up to 5,000 pounds. The control console for each group of four can produce print outs of the weights at each tire position, each axle and the total of the two axles.

Thus I can put a scale under each trailer and truck tire to see how things are lining up. I can isolate three in one set and put the fourth under a jackstand at the ball and get a tongue weight plus what the axles are carrying using the other set of four.

While they were not cheap, in the long run it is cost effective as the scales are over 50 miles away and making incremental changes get time consuming and fuel expensive.

[Coloradobus]

Peerless Tire Centers here in Denver carry Coopers

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Coloradobus

Peerless Tire Centers here in Denver carry Coopers

Thanks, but we have no Peerless Tire Centers here, but Discount Tire does handle Cooper.

[crispyboy]

I have only had Coopers on our passenger car. No real complaints. With the proper tire rotations we have gotten the approximate rated mileage from them. One thing I did notice is that Cooper tires have less rated mileage than other tires.
I noticed that on December 30th, 2013 Cooper decided to terminate the merger with an Indian company - Apollo Tyre. Glad to hear that Cooper will stay in Ohio.

That said our company trucks (mostly 3/4 ton) use Firestone Transforce and seem to hold up well to the city streets and construction work.

[eubank]

We're getting Coopers for the truck in just a day or two. Surely they'll do better than the current tires, which, though not that old, cracked all to pieces and are as hard as metal. I've had Coopers on the MG for years and, to my amazement, are still soft feeling and without cracks.

Lynn

[SteveH]

We actually do a little off-roading at times with our tow vehicle, and have started thinking about maybe some on/off road tires. I've also heard and read some good things about Hankook tires, and wondering if anyone has experience with these: Tire Details - Discount Tire

They have some good reviews.

[aftermath]

Just a thought. If you like the Michelins why not stick with them? You mentioned the $1000 cost but you didn't mention what the others would run you. If you can get a set for $800 then the question is, are you willing to change for a $200 savings? If the Michelins have been good, are you willing to take a chance on something else for a couple hundred bucks?

Two years ago my brother was planning a 4000 mile trip with his white box trailer. The cost of gas was moving up and he decided that he couldn't afford the trip. I tried to point out to him that even if it went up 25 cents a gallon, the cost difference would be close to $100. So, he was willing to stay home to save $100.

If you just want to try another brand then that is different. I don't have any experience with Coopers but I do run Yokohamas on my Tundra and am pleased with them. I live where it snows and I need something a little more aggressive than a highway tread.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by SteveH

I know this has been discussed before, and I've read those threads, but this is sort of a specific question. My truck will need tires before the upcoming summer driving/vacation season, and so I'm in the shopping mode. The truck is equipped with Michelins now, and they are great tires, but only have about 2/32" legal tread left, and a set of them new pushes $1,000.

I've heard that Cooper tires are pretty good and wondering if anyone here is using them, and if so how have they worked for you? Specifically I am interested in the Cooper Discoverer H/T in load range E. A set of them would be about $400 less then the Michelins.

Thanks for any input you can give.

I say go with the Coopers because I live in Mississippi and Cooper has 2 plants here- 1 in Clarksdale and 1 in Tupelo-

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by RickDavis

I have run 5 sets of Michelin LTX/as on my 99 Dodge 3/4 ton. Each set lasted over 100,000 miles. The real question may be can you wear them out before time makes it prudent to replace them

I got 130,000 out of a set of Michelin's on a Chevy Express 2500.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by aftermath

Just a thought. If you like the Michelins why not stick with them? You mentioned the $1000 cost but you didn't mention what the others would run you. If you can get a set for $800 then the question is, are you willing to change for a $200 savings? If the Michelins have been good, are you willing to take a chance on something else for a couple hundred bucks?

Two years ago my brother was planning a 4000 mile trip with his white box trailer. The cost of gas was moving up and he decided that he couldn't afford the trip. I tried to point out to him that even if it went up 25 cents a gallon, the cost difference would be close to $100. So, he was willing to stay home to save $100.

If you just want to try another brand then that is different. I don't have any experience with Coopers but I do run Yokohamas on my Tundra and am pleased with them. I live where it snows and I need something a little more aggressive than a highway tread.

I understand your logic, and do not dispute it. The last truck I had, I wanted to replace the Michelins with Coopers, had an appointment to get them, and then after they had the wheels and tires off the truck they came to me and said, "you wouldn't mind if we upgraded you to the Perrelli's, for the same price, would you?". Didn't want Perrelli's, but I took them, and was sorry later because unless I ran the rear tires above max air pressure, they were "squirmy".

I did that because I needed tires, but knew I wouldn't keep the truck another 50,000 miles.

At this point, having filed a Lemon Law claim on this truck (which I seriously doubt will ever come to fruition) I was just thinking that I had time before I HAD to change tires, and would ask for other's opinions and maybe even save a buck or two. I am not willing to do an alpha test, so the reason I asked for other's opinions.

I have Yokohama's on my FJ Cruiser, actually in the same size, but not the same weight rating, and I like them a lot. However, Discount tire tells me the same tire in E load range, (on/off road tread) needs to be rotated and rebalanced frequently or they give problems.

[Ag&Au]

My opinion is that tires are one of, if not the, most important user maintained safety items on a vehicle. Since the very first vehicle I owned in the 1960s, I have used no other brand than Michelin for replacement tires. The ONLY problems I have had with tires since then have been with other brands that were on a vehicle when I purchased it. That is a very long track record with very many different vehicles. When I think of what can happen when a tire suddenly fails at highway speeds, I personally don't feel it is worth the experiment to try different brands to save a bit of money. As I said, "Just my opinion", and how I approach the subject of tires.

Ken

[m.hony]

Good: Firestone TransForce HT
Better: Bridgestone Dueler HT
Best: Michelin LTX
Depends on how many miles you drive and what your budget is-

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Good: Firestone TransForce HT
Better: Bridgestone Dueler HT
Best: Michelin LTX
Depends on how many miles you drive and what your budget is-

M.Hony, You have actual experience with all three of those?

[m.hony]

Yep.
We use the Firestone TransForce on our fleet of 300.
I have the Bridgestone Duelers on my Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Tundra.
I have had the Michelins on several Chevy vans- the latest one getting 130,000 miles on Michelins.
These are pretty much the only tires I have had experience with in the past 20 years.
The tire stores always try to get me to buy Yokahama or Kuhmo, but the others just look nicer to me.