Cooper tires RULE!! I put 285 STT's on my TJ about 5 years ago I think, when they were relatively new. At the time there was only one writeup on them, and they didn't get good reviews by the author, who pretty much wheeled them in Moab and said they were really slippery on the rocks.
I'm still running them about 40k later, and they are probably down to around 1/4-3/8" of tread right now. They worked pretty well in snow and ice (for a mud tire...) and handled wet roads great. They are an AWESOME mud tire, thanks to the deep tread, and have taken me places that swamper-shod jeeps have had trouble. They were also very quiet when new, but they got louder within 5k miles or so. I find that varying air pressure a little helps keep them quiet.
As for the review, I think the guy was on the take from BFG or GoodYear. I have had these tires in Moab lots of times, and have NEVER been disappointed. My guess is that they still were slick from the mold release when he took them there, or he ran 30psi on the trails. I typically run about 13, and they mold and grip and flex like crazy!! I have done HORRIBLE things to the sidewalls, with no cuts or tears or anything. I think I've balanced them twice since mounting, and they're still fine, with minimal weight. No wobblers or high road force variation.
I think 285's are a great size tire for both Jeeps and HD trucks... Not so wide, but decently tall. I don't know how the STT's would hold up on a big diesel, but I have NO regrets on mine! I'm sure high air pressure, light loads, and a fat foot could burn tread off them fast, but that's true of any tire...
If I still lived in Michigan, where there was occasionally mud on our trips, I'd buck up for another set this spring... But I'm in Colorado now, where there's roads and rocks, so I'll probably look hard at STMaxx's.
Sticking with Coopers one way or another!!
