St Maxx or bust! 285/75R17 better thoughts?

Seriously though. Should I even ask for the argument?

Picking up my Kensai KNP Off Roads tomorrow evening (17x8.5 0). Now it's time to figure out rubbers.

I'm currently on my 2nd set of ST Maxx (255/85R16) and I absolutely love them. I've worked my through what I'd consider a decent variety of A/T and M/T tires on past vehicles, and so far these are the bee's knees in my personal opinion. They've done me well on everything from dirt, rocks, sand, snow, and mud. Moving up to the 285/75R17, I still don't have MTr's or Duratracs available (two of the few tires who I feel have previously outperformed the coopers) to me. So, back to the Coopers again, or try something a little different.

Something to keep in mind, my truck is a DD, and the coops have done this well. We're out on the trails an average of twice per month, split between so cal deserts, and nor cal sierras. I know I can't have my cake and eat it to but damn it I can try.

So far, slight considerations go to;
Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 - I've heard the snow traction is sub-par, and their tread design promotes a bit of wandering at highway speed.
Nitto Ridge Grappler - Significantly less aggressive, but from what I've heard they can hold their own quite well.

I have to say in advance, I personally was not impressed with my old K02's. Don't get me wrong, they're a great tire, but compared to the more aggressive tires, they underperform, and I personally feel the sidewalls are flimsy. With the same opinion on the KM3 sidewall. I've never owned them. Heard traction is great when conditions are dry. But I have (used to be in tire sales) sold plenty, and I just don't trust a sidewall that soft or thin. So while I appreciate these offerings, they're already both off the table for me.

Also happy to hear "wtf is wrong with you, why would you consider something other than the st maxx"

 

Nice to hear your thought and recommendations. Your lucky to live in an area where those tires are pretty much a very good option. I really want to try this tire but I will only utilize its true capabilities 2-3 times a year, most will be highway and FM. They do look to have it all if you can deal with some of the small annoyances with this type of tire. Oh yeah "WTF is wrong with you, why would you consider something other than the ST Maxx".

 

When I got the first set of cooper's, my youngest son had just been born, and I didn't get to spend any time on the trails for about 8 or 9 months. All they saw was highway and street service. Even then, I was pretty impressed with them. That fat center rib pattern does great with tracking / minimizing wandering at highway speeds. They were mighty quiet til I started off roading with them and started chunking them up. Even then they're still more quiet than other mt's I've had. Honestly I'd say that unless you're somewhere that you absolutely have to have dedicated snow tires, they're a great choice even for daily driving.

 

I've been considering the cooper evolution m/t lately just because of the price point. Still havent decided 100% yet though

 

The Coopers are excellent, I won't argue that

First time I've heard KO2 and KM3 sidewalls called flimsy

Not sure I would call the Ridge Grappler "significantly less aggressive"

Seems like this is a thread for crapping on other tires

 

They are my favorite tire, however Cooper just got bought out by Goodyear so who knows what will become of them.

 

I genuinely apologize if it came off that way. I definitely don't mean to just turn it into a shit talking fest about other tires.
I may choose the incorrect string of words from time to time which might be taken in a manner that I didn't intend.
In fact, I would be happy if someone else could objectively crap on the coopers. Objectively is the key word there.

My first job years back while in high school was as a tire buster, hands on with every brand and model you could think of. Following which , I ended up as the service manager of the same shop. While we were technically an independent Goodyear dealer, we sold everything and anything. Aside from getting tires at a steep discount, allowing me to get personal driving experience, we also regularly were provided test days from the manufacturers to see what the tires were all about.

Maybe using the word "flimsy" on it's own sounds out of context. I have nothing personally against either of the BFG's, they are in fact a great tire. In direct physical comparison however, the BFG sidewalls are of a thinner construction, and thus a bit more "flexible" compared to various other tires. This isn't always a bad thing. It's one of the ways Michelin makes their passenger tires (excluding high performance) ride so nicely, and wear quite well. Unfortunately this also leads to an increased chance of impact breaks, and sidewall punctures. I would have to say that a large percentage of tires that came in with the lovely sidewall bulge, known as an impact break, shared this type of sidewall. Additionally, those on trucks who were offroaders, would come in with exposed portions of radial plies on the sidewalls after dragging the tire against a heavily abrasive obstacle.

I believe it's fair to say, that those who have been able to physically inspect tires like the BFG's in person, WITH the personal experience to be able to compare them to a similar tire, would agree.

In the case of everything else, I just have not personally had experience with either the G003 or the Ridge Grappler. As far as aggressiveness, while the RG is aggressive, seeing it in person and comparing the technical aspects of the tread pattern lean it heavy on the AT side vs MT. I get it, it's supposed to be a Hybrid tire. Hell even the ST Maxx isn't all that aggressive compared to a lot of other MTs out there. But, comparing the RG to the Maxx, you'll see (on the RG) more frequent use of siping, tighter spacing between tread lugs, larger surface area on the main lugs, and an overall flatter profile. These things would TYPICALLY contribute to better driving characteristics but lesser off-road performance in certain conditions. Again though, that's from experience with tire technology and design, NOT first hand experience with the tire itself, which is exactly why I asked about it here.

@eon_blue I don't personally see an issue with the acquisition. Tire companies change hands a lot. While GY doesn't give nearly enough love to their economy and some mid-range tires, their top tier stuff is primo. Also, when these companies acquire another, production typically remains in the same plant as prior. For what it's worth, when I used to work close with GY, I wouldn't have ever put a Cooper on my vehicle. I'm glad I gave into the hype though, as they really have been on point.

Trying to see if someone here has that same kind of hype for one of the other 2 tires I mentioned in the op.

 

I’m on my 3rd set of S/T Maxx across 2 vehicles. Snow performance with the S/T Maxx is pretty good but ice kind of sucks. I’m considering getting dedicated winter tires for next year.

Sand, rocks, mud, snow... the Coopers have been great.

 

I'd stick with Maxx. I was actually considering 285/75/17, but chickened out due to... whatever. If I get lucky enough to regear , I'll definitely consider them.
Anyways, I switched from 255/80/17 ST Maxx to 285/79/75 , also ST Maxx because I really liked them. Now, because of how much wider the tires are, on road ride quality just got better. Much harder to break them loose, I can get into some turns significantly faster without ANY tire squeal! Bees knees on my DD. Aaand (as you know) they're rather on the quiet side!
I'd say, stick with Maxx.

 

I like the look of the ST Maxx, but so many photos I see of them, the tread blocks look heavily dished / scalloped, like they have uneven wear. What’s up with that?

 

I'd completely agree with that statement. They've done me quite solid on snow. Ice however has been another story. Although, for only being m+s and not 3 peak snowflake, they hold their own.

So far it sounds like sticking with the coops is the way to go. I haven't heard anything a out either of the other 2 (not necessarily in this thread, but in general)

 

I went Evolution instead of ST Maxx. Evos are a little bit lighter, at least in 265/75, and I think Evos are a touch quieter too. Only time will tell how they wear.

 

I thought about going to 34s when I get new tires, but I think I’m going to stick to 33s due to the weight.

 

Looks great. Damn I love the f5. Shame they're always so hard to get a hold of.

Here are the knp I just picked up.

Just under 22.3lbs a piece.
I think the f5 are just under 22lbs.

The 285/75R17 Maxx's are 65lbs a piece... Ouch.
The 255/85s I'm coming from were 58lbs each.

Looks like the 285/70 Evo Mt is 57lbs. That's pretty good.

 

Cooper XLT 285/75/17 is 58lbs. I weighed a couple of them at 57.x lbs.

 

I had 255/85r16 ST Maxx for the first almost 2 years I had the truck. Used them all year around and I liked them well enough in all conditions. Are they a dedicated winter? Nope. But they are better than KO2s in everything. I found the sidewalls to be fairly stiff, even when aired down compared to other brand tires I've ran on similar trucks. They also got quite a bit louder as they wore down, not that all tires with an actual tread don't do the same thing.
Now I'm running Ridge Grapplers in 295/70r17 in the summer and 285/75/r16 Cooper Snow Claws for winter. Both of these are considerably softer and quieter, even though they are wider tires.
If I had to do it again, I'd pick the Ridge Grapplers every time unless I was wanting a true mud tire. Then, G003s hands down.

 

My problem with those tires is their weight

 

Ended up on the maxx's. Almost made it to the RG but got a deal on the coopers that I couldn't pass up.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

KM3s and call it a day. Just my two cents.

 

You obviously know you made a more logical decision all around.
You have good knowledge of the tires you put on and tires in general. Your confidence in the rubber your on is high, and thats hard to buy sometimes. Hope they serve you well.