Off-road durability of Cooper A/T3 ?

[Mundo4x4Casa]

I just ordered a quartet of Coop A/T3's for Jeanie's 2011 Jeep Grand Chero in P265/60R18. They were a couple hundred bucks cheaper than a similar Michelin tire I had in mind (before the recall on them).
I was looking for a deep snow/ice tire for the G. Chero but it's such a funky size only a few mfgrs. make an aggressive style tread for it. My son Matt has these on his G.Chero and he loves them.
jefe

 

[jeepj667]

Not a long term or torture test, but I just put 112 off-road miles on my 265/75r16's. Mostly snow covered, washboard, dirt roads. Aired them down to 20 and didn't have any problems.

 

[AKmoney]

They make three versions of this tire in 265/70-17:
- standard or "SUV" version, "SL" load rating, 2679lb load capacity, 14mm tread depth
- "LT" version, "C" load rating, 2470lb load capacity, 16.5mm tread depth
- "LT" version, "E" load rating, 3195lb load capacity, 16.5mm tread depth

I'm ruling out the "E" version due to the weight and the poorer ride quality. Trying to decide between the standard tire and the LT/C version. My 4Runner is mostly stock and spends much time on the highway but I also need to be able to withstand Death Valley and I'm planning a trip to Moab (wanna try out Fins 'n' Things and possibly Elephant hill). Can anyone comment on the difference in durability between the standard version and the LT/C?

 

[arlon]

I had them on my van for about 600 miles. I punctured a sidewall on the first graded gravel park road I went down. I was concerned about the amount of tire bulge when I got them. I pulled them and went to BFG AT. I know they have a much stronger sidewall. When I poked my finger into the sidewall tear on the AT/3 I was surprised at how thin it was. No satisfaction warranty either. I got about half what I paid for them back. I might have hit something that would have holed a tank tread but one hole in 10 miles of gravel road ruined any confidence I might have had in the tire.
They were quiet and rode very softly.. Thought they would be the perfect tire for me but it just didn't work out that way.

 

[AKmoney]

That is a bummer... Do you know which grade tire it was? C, E, SL??

 

[1stDeuce]

Arlon, I punctured three MT/R's on one wheeling trip, not doing anything but driving down some trails in the UP of MI. They were Load Range E 245/75R15's with "DuraWall" stamped right on the side. I know one puncture was a piece of angle iron that I never saw, since my friend tripped over it walking up to see why I stopped, but I have no idea what punctured the other two sidewalls. You can cut anything down, and that doesn't mean the tire is bad. Gravel roads don't puncture sidewalls, no matter how thin they are, and on anything less than an E, they're pretty thin. IMO, you wasted good money after having a little bad luck, but as you say, you did it to overcome a confidence problem with the tires, so hopefully that justifies it for you.

AKmoney, if you're worried about durability, then go with the C class. The pass tire is the lightest of the bunch, and has the least tread. The extra tread depth is a bonus with the C-rated tire, and the carcass will be a little stronger too. If you run aired down a lot in sharp rocks, the E class tire is the strongest, but if that's not your thing, probably no reason to go there.
C

 

[98OzarksRunner]

I have them on my 2002 4Runner (265/75 16, load range C) and have about 36K miles on them. They ride well, quiet, are great in snow, and do well offroad. I have put about 300 miles of forest service road mileage on them - lots of sharp limestone, 12"-18" rock steps, thorns (this is the midwest). No problems, no flats, and I usually don't air them down. The edges of the tread do have some small chipped out areas, but that is probably to be expected on sharp rocks. I'm very happy with them and will replace them (probably next fall) with the same tire.