255/75R17 - Goodyear DuraTrac vs Cooper Discoverer STT Pro

[HawkeyeC25]

Hey All,

I've been tire shopping and I've come up with 2 options in the 255/75R17 size. I chose this size over 265/70R17 due to the much reduced pricing. I think they are cheaper because the 255/75R17 is a common Jeep tire and the load range on these are usually in the Load C range and anything in 265's seems to be in the Load E range. I don't see the need for a Load E (this is what I used to have on my 2500HD Duramax when I pulled a 5th wheel... WAY overkill for a midsize SUV - at least for me).

So my question is between 2 tires that have a significant difference:

Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac:
255/75R17
Load Index: 115
Load Range: SL (Standard Load) - is this basically a P rated tire without the P on the tire??
Max Load: 2679 lbs (plenty for the TB EXT)
$173 / tire


Cooper Discoverer STT Pro
LT255/75R17
Load Index: 111
Load Range: C
Max Load: 2405
$204 / tire.

The Duratrac is basically a hybrid between an All Terrain and a Mud Terrain. It should drive very well on the highway for an aggressive treat pattern and still have decent offroad traction (which my usage will be a split between the two). But the rating of SL is what worries me. The Cooper is an LT rated tire, but at a load C it actually has a slightly less Max Load rating (still plenty for the TB EXT).

So my question is, go with the more expensive Cooper with the LT rating but similar load capability, or go with the cheaper Duratrac knowing it will be better on road and still have a decent tire to handle some off-roading?

Thanks everyone!

[HawkeyeC25]

A little bit more info:

GY Duratrac:
Max Load Pressure: 51psi
Weight - 38lbs
PLY: 4

Cooper STT:
Max Load Pressure: 50psi
Weight: 54.3 lbs
PLY: 6

[HARDTRAILZ]

Unless you play offroad alot or in the mud significantly, I would advise the Duratrac even though I LOVE the STT Pro and keep trying to figure a way to justify changing my tires again. The weight savings will help your mpg and the hybrid tread will be better in wet and snow.

[KingBird]

I'm a big fan of Cooper tires.

The Cooper Cobras that I keep on my vette put out TONS of smoke and grip decent for a street tire. They've helped me win a few burnout contest trophies.

I'm going with the STT PROs and I'll tell you why. West Texas is cotton fields and oil patch, that means mud! I'm going with the 265/70 17s myself.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I liked the cooper cobras that I burnt to belts in 8K miles on my first Camaro. First brand new tires I ever bought and I had a blast destroying them.

[KingBird]

Kelly Chargers smoked up good too.

[HARDTRAILZ]

So do BFG mud terrains.

[KingBird]

Lol, I wouldn't know.

[HawkeyeC25]

Well, it's a whopping 1 to 1 vote. Anyone else want to weigh in on the 2 tires I'm thinking about? I should also mention that I'm going to flat tow this behind a motorhome from time to time. Any known issues with the M/T tires on a toad?

[ElRey]

I am in a similar situation to you, I have also decided on the 255/75R17 Duratrac. I decided to go Duratrac mostly because my brother runs that tire on his 2500HD 4X4. It handles well, wears very well, and is pretty quiet. He now lives in Wyoming, and according to him, he rarely even needs to switch to 4WD even in 8-10 inches of snow! I got an opportunity to drive his truck some before he moved to Casper, and I was very impressed with the ride of the tires despite the aggressive tread. I saw that tire rack is doing a promo on that size for $150ish right now. Hope that helps!

[Cable810]

I have the STT Pros in a 37x13.5x17 on mine. I haven't had a chance to put any miles o the tires cause my rigs not quite done yet. But overall I love the look of the tires and they'll do the job for my mission.

[Speed]

For anyone interested, I just picked up a set of 4 255/75/17 Duratracs from Discount Tire for $640 out the door including tax, mounting, balancing, etc. First I had them price match Tire Rack to get the out the door price to $800. Right now, they are offering a $100 dollar rebate on them to get the price to $700. Then I signed up for the Discount Tire store card which netted another $60 bucks to bring the price to $640. Not sure how long these rebates go but wanted to let you guys know.

[KingBird]

I'll never deal with "Discount Tire", a friend of mine got the manager of ours to give me special pricing on a set of tires for my 'vette. $135 a piece mounted and balanced. Told me that was the best price in town, guaranteed. Local tire shop priced the same tires, same size, at $110 a piece mounted and balanced. Manager at "Discount" told me I was lying...

[HARDTRAILZ]

Love Discount Tire Direct. Best place I have ever gotten tires from. Last 7 sets are from them and I have been treated perfectly.

[DirtyBacon04]

I don't think it's fair to discredit a corporate chain based off the actions of one manager. Unless of course, it's corporate policy to call customers liars.

[KingBird]

K, well, this happened in Lubbock. I live in Lubbock, so maybe if I move I'll try them again but as long as I'm here, I won't do business with them.

Seems to me that the bigger picture isn't being seen here. Large chains SHOULD be able to offer a better deal than mom & pop shops, but the local mom & pop shop around here seems to be able to offer the exact same product at a lower price. I won't let them screw me.

[navigator]

my local mom & pop can usually beat any deal I can find online.
They are small and have little overhead, they stock very few tires and special order pretty much everything and get it from a local distributor next day. I buy pretty much all my tires from them.
The only recent exception is an ebay deal that discount tire direct ran a few months back with $100 off of $400. 2 tires were something like $415 which comes to $315 after discount. I bought 2 pair to get $200 off.

[HawkeyeC25]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I ended up getting the same black friday deals on the Cooper STT Pro's! Can't wait to get them on the new wheels! Front end is almost done - replaced everything except the calipers and now they are hanging up. At 150,000 miles I should have known better, but now it will all be new parts (ball joints, tie rods, sway bar links, axle seals, hubs, rotors, pads, calipers, struts, 3" lift). Rear lift should be similar (less parts). When it's all done and I get the STT's on, I'll post some pics.

[HawkeyeC25]

Here they are! I'm actually really pleased with these tires! I've had Goodyear MTR's in the past, and these are right on par for noise (not that bad at all) if not even a little quieter! Very mild mannered for a mud tire. They've also been very good for traction on wet pavement and not bad on some light snow/sleet on the road. Haven't needed 4wd or Auto yet even with the V8.

[HawkeyeC25]

Here's one compared to the stock tires... great upgrade!!