Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX | 78,000 Mile Review!

[@notmyfield5391]

I have a 16 trail and live in MAINE where we get lots of snow, the 4runner is a great winter rig with any brand tires on it. Those metal things are called expansion joints. That's an amazing amount of mileage out of any truck tire!

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Thanks man! I was very surprised to get this kind of miles out of them. But man....did they get hard at the end (years of winter/summer). Just had the new tires put on (still E-rated) and the ride comfort has improved substantially.

[@macmantle3406]

Good review, I am running my 3rd set (275 70 and 285 65R18) and I am at about 76k and 8/32 yesterday with rotation. The only addition I would add to the mud review is when they fill up, a little wheel spin cleans the outer edges and they will move where traditional AT’s may stay clogged. In 3 sets, I have yet to patch a tire. My next will be the ST Maxx again.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

That's a good point, I probably should have mentioned that about the lugs on the side. I really can't believe how tough these tires are, and can totally believe why people buy them again and again. They are great tires.

[@TheWhiteOakHomestead]

My old Nitto Trail Grapplers had the same problem with the metal plates/draw bridge plates, would lose traction instantly. Possibly due to the hardness of the rubber - they were E rated.

[@FacingQuincy]

Great review man! Thorough and to the point. I'm running the Discoverer AT3 XLT's on an F250 and I love them.

[@talalesmail]

I don't run tires longer than 4 - 5 years. I’ve herd that the chemicals in the tire degrades after that, giving less traction on pavement. I currently have the General Tire ATx and am amazed with the traction I get in the wet compared to the Nittos that came with the truck.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

I've heard about the same, maybe a bit longer like 5-7+ years for truck tires, 4-5 years for trailer tires. Regardless, time to change these out! I very much considered the General Grabber ATXs - they seem like another great tire at a great value too.

[@mikekey686]

Whoever you heard that from you need to stop talking to them. I own a business that sells tires....the "chemicals" don't degrade and cause any traction loss.

[@talalesmail]

@@mikekey686 According to the NHSTA: "Tire aging occurs when the rubber and other components in a tire change over time due to service, storage, and environmental conditions... As tires age, they are more prone to failure. Some vehicle and tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires that are six to 10 years old, regardless of treadwear." www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/tires#:~:text=As%20tires%20age%2C%20they%20are,Tire%20Identification%20Number%20(TIN)%20.

[@thegiant573]

Tires have born on dates on them for a reason. Tires especially ones sitting outside in the weather do dry out and the compound can change over time.

[@jameseroh6544]

I had bought a set of 255/80-17 ST Maxx tires for my '16 Ram 1500 4wd 3.0L. The tires ran fine at the stock air pressure. I had gotten them siped at Les Schwab. Traction was unbelievable in all conditions. The siping was very important to add. I used the stock 17x7 rims, and would recommend 17x9 and a wider size. Tall and skinny tires may have a lower purchase cost. But a wider tire is better for the amount of rubber on the road. Remember that these tires have big voids to get all that traction bite.

[@niclopez925]

Awesome video man I have a jeep grand cherokee overland and when I bought the vehicle a year ago it had these tires on and just did engineer pass and imogene pass love these tires just bought four new ones two days ago just wanted to share that and like your video.. peace

[@coryjeffer9888]

This helped a lot, thank you! Got about 5,000 miles on mine so far 👍

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Glad it helped!

[@playingbadgolfwell9732]

A little surprised after this review to hear that he decided to go with another set of tires. The review made the S/T Maxx sound like the perfect set of tires for his application (can't imagine any tires get great traction on wet steel). Oh well, I'm sold... the next set of tires I buy will be the Cooper S/T Maxx.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Still stuck with coopers. I got the discoverer AT3 LTs instead. They will be better at towing through inclement weather and standard driving on roads. however, I will sacrifice a little bit of off-road traction. I still expect to get a ton of miles out of these new ones since they are coopers and likely use a similar if not the same exact rubber compound.

[@largelarry2126]

Good review! We have a Land Cruiser with KO2s that are piss pore in the rain so they have got to go even with 60% tread left. I have looked at all kinds of tires but never the Cooper S/T Maxx. I have had several sets of Cooper tires over the years and love them so this could make us a good tire. Thanks for doing this review.

[@Surf940]

What did you end up going with over the KO2s?

[@fatguy45]

I have these same tires in 255/85r16 on my f250, got about the same amount of tread you do, but with about 40k miles. I love them though!

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Yeah makes sense. F250 is so much heavier, plus you're hauling and towing much more weight. Thanks for sharing, always good to know what others are getting with theirs.

[@J.Wick.]

Run these (295-70-18) on my 18 titan. Theyve been excellent for 25k miles. Look to be about half life now.

[@stevenpeltier1376]

I’ve been looking for an alternative to Duratracs and I think I will give the ST MAXX a try.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

you won't regret it!

[@jayflores4336]

Ive got a little over 60k on my st max on my dodge 3500. All highway, oilfield lease roads, mud, snow, rock, these are badass.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Yeah man, they are a long lasting and durable tire for sure.

[@jefflebard4514]

@@ThomperBeThompin how is the road noise with them? I am considering putting them on my 4x4 sprinter van. 75% of driving is highway. Would love any feedback you have. thanks!

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@jefflebard4514 barely any road noise at all. This is an extremely quiet tire all things considered. Based on your plans of 75% highway driving, this should be an exceptional tire for your needs

[@jefflebard4514]

@@ThomperBeThompin awesome thanks for the info! Ordering them now! Cheers!

[@Colorado4x4]

That’s a lot of miles! I’ve got a set of 315s on mine and I’ve got 20K miles on them so far. At current wear rate they will last about 55K miles. Not bad! I like them so far but they took a lot of weight to balance. That’s my only complaint so far.

[@jaymoar3561]

Do you like these better or the AT3’s? Also are these better in the rain or the AT3? Sorry if you already mentioned this.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

At3 is better on road and in the rain. These are still pretty good though. Just depends on if you'll do more on road or off road driving and what kind. I'm happy with the at3s but would buy these again if I were to do much more off roading.

[@dan-andreichira4734]

are the tires rated for all season? i'm wondering if you can legally use them in the winter-time. In my country it's compulsory to have the 3PMS logo (three mountain peak) or the snowflake logo on the tires to be allowed to use them in the winter time. do these ones have that?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Most of the sizes that they offer this tire in do come with the three peak mountain snowflake symbol. There's only a few random sizes that do not. Definitely confirm that either on Cooper's website or with whichever retailer you end up purchasing them from.

[@dan-andreichira4734]

@@ThomperBeThompin thank you for the info. I'm gonna be running 265/70r17 for a J100. Also, thank you for the video. It was very insightful and it answered most of my questions.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@dan-andreichira4734 happy to help!

[@douglasdever6134]

Good review!

[@dimonartur]

My english is bad. You recommended or not recommended this tyre?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Yes! Great tire

[@simpledj509chromo7]

I tried these when they first came out on my 1 ton dually. They were very scary to drive with no explanation why. Had one of the guys at the tire shop take it for a spin and he was back in less than ten minutes and agreed that we were sending them back. I ended up with another set of AT3's. It's a great A/T tire. Considering trying them again, because I love my AT3's, but those S/T Maxx's were horrible.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

That's interesting, I wonder if you just had a "bad batch" or something. I remember them being very smooth, tracking straight, with no surprises. I'm on at3s now and loving them!

[@simpledj509chromo7]

@@ThomperBeThompin It had to have been bad tires. Every lane change felt like the ass end was kicking out and the front end was super washy as well. It was super weird. Glad you like the AT3! It is a great tire.

[@bassinbeast859]

@@simpledj509chromo7 any aggressive tire I have ever ran has always felt kinda washy for the first 5k give or take.

[@Floof_Factory]

Can these tires do sand? I live in Jacksonville Florida and near my house the locals take their trucks on the beach and go fishing

[@ThomperBeThompin]

From my understanding of watching other folk's videos, yes, they do well in sand. Might have to air down depending on the type of sand you're driving. I've only ever had these in shallow sand and they performed just fine.

[@ChrisB-rw6jy]

I had no issues with sand , I did air down to 15-20 psi

[@ChadChinchilla]

I'd say I have close to an extra 800 pounds on my third gen tacoma and I run about 31 psi cold on a 285/75r16 on these tires, they're as good as they get (if you like to wheel*) I've brought them over some really sharp rocks and they might take a bit out of the tire but never compromise anything and around 12 psi on wet rock still has a really good amount of traction. I always tell people if theyre looking to do a lot of trail riding and want a tire that will perform amazing aired down on the rocks and get you anywhere in deep snow, ST MAXX is the go to especially how durable it is but if they dont do the riding then go with like duratracs because these are HEAVY and will tank mpg with a lot of road noise, but I don't really mind it. I think I'm 25k miles in and they got plenty of tread left, I'm just doing a 4 tire rotation too.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

I agree, the extra sidewall ply can add some weight, but man....these tires are tough and that is a worthy trade off.

[@gatornation3889]

I live in Florida where we get swamp muck and sugar sand. How do you think these would hold up ?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

They might do okay in the sand if you air them down but they're going to be absolutely terrible in that Florida mud.

[@gatornation3889]

@@ThomperBeThompin is there a tire you would recommend ? Like 60-40 street to off road

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@gatornation3889 hard to say, honestly any mud tire would do but I would get one from a reputable brand. I'm a huge fan of Cooper tires so they're stt Pro is a good choice. That's it you can't go wrong with a falken, toyo, BF Goodrich, or any other mud terrain.

[@gatornation3889]

@@ThomperBeThompin well, I have been going between the Cooper stt pro or the Cooper stt Maxx. I have the ko2 now but they are horrible in the Florida muck.

[@alisedighi3844]

With these being a 10 ply lt tire how is the comfort level on dry paved roads? If these came in a standard load I would definitely buy them but because they don't I'm also considering toyo open country at3 and grabber atx. I have winter rated tires I'll be using in winter time. How much of a hit in comfort will there be if I go for a 10 ply versus a standard load tire? I have a 2015 ram 1500 ecodiesel. I don't do much towing or carry heavy loads or else I would have gotten then st maxx.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

I'll be honest, it is noticably rougher, especially after 2+ years with the tires on. Cooper has some other great tires in standard load, but those tires you mentioned are pretty great too. Lots of good choices out there. If comfort is important to you, definitely consider SL over LTs

[@alisedighi3844]

@@ThomperBeThompin I think the ST maxx is a great tire with no compromise except for the comfort. How much rougher would you suggest it is? Quite a lot or little?

[@mikerobinson8734]

These tires are stud able, I know it’s not legal but I still run them all year long here in Montana where we only have about 4 months above freezing temperatures at night anyway so I always have the shop stud them for me and they run great in the winter months. Had them on my tundra and now on my FJ 315/75/16. I ran the stt pros on my Tacoma and they were the loudest damn tires I ever had on a truck. Never again.

[@charleselliott8522]

How loud were the 315/75r16 maxxs?

[@brycerollins9496]

How is ice/wet traction with the studs?

[@noahlindner9298]

They are not 10 ply tires. They are 9. 6 ply tread with 3 ply sidewall. Although it was a good review just because a tire is load range E doesn’t mean it’s 10 ply. There aren’t very many 10 ply tires manufactured nowadays. Just stronger 7-9 ply tires. I’ve had my st Maxx’s for about 7000 miles now on a 1500 Silverado and I love them in the mud and snow for anyone who’s wondering 😂

[@ms.annthrope415]

They are 10 ply EQUIVALENT to the old bias oly tires. They are not 10 actually plies, just equal to what old tires would be.

[@thegiant573]

At 40PSI any tire will be bad on smooth surfaces. I think unless you are towing you should have been down around 30 psi and it is evident in the cupping you have.

[@TimPaddy]

Damn good review

[@tjbarkley727]

I hate my At3's. The original at3 were good I really liked them. The new ones, xlt/4s I've heard them called both, I absolulty hate. The original At3 I put probably 40k on and still had over half tread until I blew a hole in them from the township mowing the banks and leaving an old leaf spring on the road. Put on the new style At3 and I maybe got 20k out of them on my Seirra 1500 and their performance off-road wasnt completely awful but I expected alittle more. I just bought a set of the Maxx's and I hope these work out alot better on and off-road

[@mikekey686]

You have 78k on them because they aren't at all meant for that tiny little vehicle. These are for large trucks that haul and tow. A 10 ply tire on a grocery getter....yeah they are way more tire than necessary. Also these are meant to be aired up higher than 35 to 40 psi.....they are generally ran at 60 to 80 on the trucks they are designed for.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Not a big off roader huh? Thanks for the comment.

[@mikekey686]

@@ThomperBeThompin I'm a tire sales and service business owner. I don't waste time playing in the mud lol.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@mikekey686 you sound like a lot of fun

[@camk6566]

Agree, reluctantly, with this guy. I'm running these tires on my Xterra (255/85/16). I run them at 50psi and air down to 15 offroaf. They are way too much tire for the vast majority of my driving. I do off-road a lot and I appreciate the sidewall there but just way too heavy. I'll be going either LR C or even SL next time to avoid the noise, range (mpg hit) issue, and poor onroad manners.

[@michaelkey3915]

Haha you could try but you would fail...cyber security...enjoy your desk job boy. Real men work for a living.

[@DaciaProject]

How does this compare to the BFG K02?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

I have never run the KO2s personally, but know people who have. I think the ST Maxx is a better tire overall, but both tires are so good, you can't go wrong with either. Both are available in 10-ply rating too. Cam likely get a way better deal on the Coopers. I hear bad things about the KO2s in rain after 1/2 tread is worn.

[@DaciaProject]

@@ThomperBeThompin I have E load range K02s about half worn. Slippery on wet asphalt.

[@djmadwax]

What about in snow on roads?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

These were fantastic. We got caught in a massive nor'easter snow storm driving from Boston to DC. It should have taken us 8 hours, but because of the constant snow it took us 12 and 1/2. For about 450 miles I never ever saw a pavement, only snow. These things did fantastically. That said, they had about half their tread left and my rig is pretty heavy which helped.

[@eltonmceneaney5054]

Great video...I’m currently deciding between the ST Maxx and K02 for my DD FJ Cruiser...are the Coopers a better choice for a daily.?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Either one should treat you well as a daily driver, but I would consider a different all-terrain such as the AT-3 series tires. The KO2's, from what I hear, still have issues in the rain as they wear even though they've made improvements over the previous KO. The big penalty you pay with the ST Maxx tires is in weight. With the three-ply sidewall they are a heavy tire for a daily driver, but will serve you well off road. Sorry I couldn't give you a black and white answer, but in the end they are all pretty top-notch tires.

[@DaciaProject]

@@ThomperBeThompin I have had my K02s since September 2017 and they are a bit slippery when on wet asphalt. Will be switching out to the S/T Maxx in spring 2021.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@DaciaProject Right on man, good choice. The good thing is that these days there are many great tires to choose from so it's hard to go wrong.

[@DaciaProject]

@@ThomperBeThompin Yeah, but K02s have serious issues on wet asphalt.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@DaciaProject yeah, that's what I've been hearing.

[@theeconomicsofthings9752]

Are they 3PMSF?

[@casualprogrammer]

Nope, only M+S

[@blaketucker9070]

Yeah, I'd say all tires would not do well on smooth metals.... thought this was a weird thing to comment and go on about...

[@ThomperBeThompin]

I probably made a bigger deal out of it than necessary, but I noticed a significant difference between the St Max tires and the discover at3s. I hit the same bridge every day twice a day for the last 5 years and it's quite noticeable. That, or I have a slick metal fetish LOL

[@saturnsl21999]

Me still waiting for your new video about the cooper at3s ☠️

[@allmaxedout96]

Mine are very loud 😖

[@tony8490]

How tall is your lift?

[@ThomperBeThompin]

It's about 2.5 inches give or take. I have the vehicle on alternate ramps in this video so both the front and rear axles are flexed a bit

[@chadgronsten9023]

“Tow” with a 4 Runner....Hauled a full load Starbucks.

[@ThomperBeThompin]

Hauled yo mama!

[@TailTaleOutdoors]

@@ThomperBeThompin gawwwww

[@dp97303]

I like them but goddamn expensive i own a 3/4 ton 1989 GMC truck 4x4 its 297 bucks a tire

[@ThomperBeThompin]

@@dp97303 yeah I'm with you on these outrageous prices. It seems like the more popular sizes are much more expensive. If you can get a set and a slightly different size than stock like a skinnier version, it might be worth it