Cooper ATR - what happened to the tyre noise???
Submitted: Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 19:16
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Muddy 'doe (SA)
Hi All,
Just want to share my experience with new rubber this week.
Just fitted a set of Cooper ATR 265/70R17 on the Prado during the week. Today was the first chance to go for a run with them and I headed out past
Strathalbyn and down to
Goolwa and along the shores of
Lake Alexandrina.
It was a mix of good quality tarmac as
well as some hard pack gravel roads. I was amazed at the absolute lack of tyre noise from these tyres. The Prado is already a pretty quiet car (sold as a Lexus in the states and supposedly has most of the same noise deadening and stuff) but this was fantastic. Even on the gravel there was just the occasional ping as a stone hit the arches.
I just replaced a set of Cooper A/T's that themselves were not that noisy but this is a whole new level of quiet. I don't know if it is just the fact that they are brand new and the others were half worn (the old ones are headed for service on a Camper Trailer) but I was just amazed at the difference.
I gave them a bit of a workout round some nice wide open corners on the gravel and they hold on pretty
well on sweepers at around 80km/h and feel quite safe. I gave them a couple of goes hitting the anchors and activated the ABS and had no real issues with pulling up quick. All up I am very happy with them and wanted to pass on my news to anyone that cares!
Before you all ask - No - Coopers did not give me a free set in order to spread the good word (I wish!!). I am just pretty happy with the way they went today on a fast blast of a couple hundred kays. The noise I hear now is just the wind rushing past the roofrack and the clatter of the turbo diesel.
Longer term running will see how they wear, how they hold up to punctures on stony tracks and whether the noise increases as they wear down a bit. Can't wiat to hit some sand and see how they go.
Hope my comments assist those who are looking at the bewildering choice of rubber out there. Judging by the number of threads generated about tyres on this
forum it is one of the most discussed and difficult to resolve issues that we face. And when you finally stump up the cash you are stuck with them for 2 or 3 years! Bugger if you get the wrong ones.................
Cheers
Muddy
Reply By: Traveller - Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 19:39
Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 19:39
Can only echo and endorse your comments, Muddy. Have done about 6000k on my set of ATR 245/65 R17 Coopers and can't get over the ride and fantastic handling on gravel. I went to the Coopers for my Benz ML270 to replace the OE
Dunlop S5000, which were soft in the sidewall and prone to punctures where the s/wall joins the tread. So I expected the ATR's to be a bit harder and noisier. Not so. We do a lot of country driving on gravel and out of necessity at high speed and I reckon these tyres are just great.
Now I'll just have to wait and see if they can outlast the Dunlops, the first set returned 63,000k and the second 72,000!
Cheers.
AnswerID:
110201
Follow Up By: Mikell - Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 20:54
Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 20:54
What is the tread pattern like on the ATR? Had cooper ATs on my last patrol and was fairly happy with them. Havent heard or seen the ATR. Is the ATR an updated version of the AT or more a road tyre compromise or a more agressive pattern?
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Traveller - Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 21:06
Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 21:06
Mikell, go to
http://www.coopertyres.com.au/tyres/index.htm to see the slight difference in the patterns and ratings. My tyre man says that interest in AT's has dried up in favour of the ATR's and the latter is all he recommends in that 80/20 style of tyre.
FollowupID:
366769
Reply By: Steve - Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 20:57
Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 20:57
well..they passed all the road noise stuff onto the new Armor Tek units...STT they rattle and create like nothing before..except a Blitz Truck !
AnswerID:
110224
Follow Up By: Muddy 'doe (SA) - Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 21:33
Saturday, May 07, 2005 at 21:33
Sounds like I made a good choice Steve.
I considered waiting for those new Armourtek STT's as they are supposed to be available in the hard to get 17" sizes. In the end I went for the ATR as I probably realistically would only very rarely need a full on mud tyre and aso have heard that they are not best on Sand.
Cheers
Muddy
FollowupID:
366771
Reply By: Fusion - Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 08:16
Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 08:16
I'll 3rd (or 4th that) I've had ATR's 275/70R17 on my 2005 Patrol for about 15,000km's and they are brilliant. Great on the h'way or dirt and great offroad. We haven't done much hard core stuff, but some very steep rock/shale patches towing 1.2 tonne camper, no problem. We are seeing some small chipping from those experiences though, but I imagine most tyres will chip pulling 3.5 tonnes up steep sharp shale?
Noise wise the level has probably increased marginally over 15,000km's since new, and I mean marginally. To the point that I'm not certain of the increase.
And finally we have a 90,000km warranty on them, not bad.
Thanks,
Aaron.
AnswerID:
110264
Follow Up By: Shaker - Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 09:43
Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 09:43
"And finally we have a 90,000km warranty on them, not bad."
Only If you live in metropolitan
Melbourne,
Sydney or
Brisbane, read the fine print!
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Fusion - Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 11:12
Sunday, May 08, 2005 at 11:12
I've seen that info. before, but I'm on the
Gold Coast and my local cooper tyre guy gave me the filled in warranty card & said I had 90,000km's. I think I have to get quite a few alignments & balances etc to keep the warranty though, so we'll see.
Thanks,
Aaron.
FollowupID:
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