Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx or Goodyear DuraTrac's???

I am debating on which tire to put on my new FJ Cruiser. Main considerations are, I live in the interior of Alaska so winter driving is a half a year reality. When it is not winter I do a lot of on asphalt driving, about 70% the rest is mainly dirt road, and some mud. I do try to avoid mud, I'm not a mudder just an explorer, but mud is a consideration around here as you can't avoid it completely. Lastly would be tread wear. Either way I want a load rated "E" tire mainly for sidewall durability.

For the DuraTrac's I would get the 235/80R17 as I currently have 17" factory steel rims. For the S/T Maxx's I would go with 235/85R16 and get new steel wheels in 16". The purchasing of new wheels is should not be considered a factor in the debate, as they are cheap.

I am really interested to hear from those with experience with either of these, especially in winter driving conditions.

So what's your opinion??

Anyone???

I've seen/heard very good things about duratracs. a lot of people here in georgia run them on their fjs, 100s, and 80 series LCs. doesn't snow all that much down here, but they seem to last and wear very well.

never seen anyone with the maxx's, they do look really cool though. i wanted to try these out on my 62, but i don't think they come in a 15" rim size. Coopers generally though are a very good tire, the normal STs and the STTs are excellent off road and on so I've heard and there are a ton off people who like the cooper prices.

I'm running a 33" toyo open country MT, probably not what you're looking for, but they are excellent on (a little loud) and off road as well. just thought id throw that out there.

Good luck with your decision, can't go wrong with either if you ask me.

ST Maxx or Duratrac The STMaxx probably has a tougher sidewall....it's a heavy tire, but it goes anywhere, and it's quietish. I've quite enjoyed mine. I don't have any Duratrac experience, but the Duratrac is probably the better snow tire, it has more siping than the Cooper. They're both built in the aggressive All Terrain style, so either one will be fine.

I personally have the Duratracs on my Ram in size 285/70r17 and I really like them. Excellent traction, (so far) good durability on rocky surfaces, beefy appearance, and good tread life so far, with tons of tread left. They've gotten my truck (which is admittedly a bit too big for many of the trails out here in CA) into and more importantly, out of, situations I didn't think were possible. I've taken them through rocks, streams, two-tracks, hard and soft pack dirt, shallow and deep sand (didn't even need to air down), and a little bit of mud, and they have never skipped a beat. They hum only slightly on the highway, and even then, only on specific surfaces, mainly the corrugated sections of our freeways out here. Another factor to consider may be that it has the Mountain Snowflake symbol, which means that can handle snow reasonably well, see explanation here.

Overall, an excellent tire that I wouldn't hesitate to buy again!

I don't have any experience with the Coopers, but I have heard good things about other off road tires in their line. Probably can't go wrong either way.

Option C, BFG A/T's.

Black_ZJ said:

Option C, BFG A/T's.

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Old and not a snow rated tire any longer. Even when they where they where scary in compact snow....well any snow for that mater. A tire that I would never buy again.

OP I have the Duratracs with a Load range E and love them. They have been great in the snow (best truck tire I have used in the snow). Very good in cold 0f> road conditions, compact snow and ice are as good as any tire short of a studded one. The tires are overall quiet, I have 315/75R16 and they have more tread block void than a smaller tire so I get a bit of hum on the hwy but I can only hear it with the window down.

I have not had the Coopers so no comment there.

I don't run either tire but from my research it appears the Duratrac's will suit you better due to it's snow capability.

Running 265-75-16 Duratracs
installed at 129,000 now with 176,000 and they are down to 11/32s of tread on the average
Rotated every 4000 miles and they are doing great
best overall tire I have ran for a long time

Wheelingnoob said:

Old and not a snow rated tire any longer. Even when they where they where scary in compact snow....well any snow for that mater. A tire that I would never buy again....

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Current BFG KO's certainly are "Severe Service" rated. There are a few sizes where they state don't carry this snowflake symbol rating (275/70/18 for example). But majority of the sizes are snow rated. I've personally never had issues with BFG KO's on compact snow or up to 12" of snow. We get about 500" every year.

We've been running the Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX's since December and they work well. Quiet, wearing great and seem to be the perfect combo of AT and Mud-terrain. Only concern would be the unclogging of mud as they coat pretty well. Other than that, we're extremely happy so far.

I was torn between the two and because of the lack of availablity and the higher cost of the GY's and the reputed longer life of the Maxx's, I went with the Coopers.

I have had them a month and I have been happy with my choice. I drive 70 miles a day on the Hiway. Road noise is minimal but noticeable. No issues with rain traction or hydroplaning. Excellent traction on wet and dry FS roads. Do tend to pick and some gravel. Did fine in a few mud ruts, nothing to deep, long or slick yet. Crossed a 50' wide/2' deep steam with basketball sized rocks, I had no slipping or searching for purchase. The bank of the stream was a slick mix of dirt/mud/wet rocks, they pulled right up without hesitation.

I wouldnt not hesitate to purchase either. As has been stated, the GY's are snow rated and have more siping, so theoretically a better tire for snow/ice.

Check availability of the GY's before you get your mid set on them, they were hard to find a month ago, the Gy dealers were telling me 2 months at least.

Happy trails!

I have driven BFG KO's here in the winter, and that is why they are not in my list of consideration. For the winter conditions I face they are not good at all.

AK Allen said:

I have driven BFG KO's here in the winter, and that is why they are not in my list of consideration. For the winter conditions I face they are not good at all.

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I've been running the ST Maxxs for almost a year now, putting nearly 14,000 miles on them so far. My experience with them has been very positive as they are a great all around tire. Excellent traction in mud, shale, clay, loose gravel, heavy fiborous vegetation, rock. They're pretty good in the sand too. As a winter tire they are pretty effective and we live in an area of the country subjected to lake effect snows off of Lake Erie from October to April. I really like these meats.

But that being said and noting your requirements in your orginal post I would recommend a set of ******** Cepek Fun Country IIs, one of the best all terrian tires when it comes to winter driving. They're heavily siped and the siping is the full depth of the tread unlike the Duratracs which are only siped for 2/3 the tread depth. The FC IIs have great traction in about any situation other than clay or mud (though better than a BFG AT in that sloppy stuff) and last a long time. The two sets I had both lasted well over 55,000 miles. Winter traction is great right up there with a dedicated winter tire, while being more trail friendly the rest of the year. There is a very informative thread on them here on the Portal if you do some digging around.

I've been contemplating either BFG KO's or ST Maxx, but I may have to give FC II's a closer look. I hardly ever see mud (in Utah), but plenty of snow.