Monday, May 23, 2005 at 08:52
Yep the 31x10.50R15 Cooper Armortek3 STT will be around the $270 mark.
The key feature is the carcass construction.
The old STT used a 2 body ply carcass, with a thicker, higher denier cord and extra wide steel belts making it one of the strongest tyres on the market.
So, now for the really good bit.
Cooper have taken their old STT carcass and added more. With the original STT body ply in place (thicker cords), they have now added an ArmourTek3 body cover ply.
This is not just an ordinary body ply though.... It is on a specially calculated angle rather than a straight Radial ply. By doing this, not only is the tyre so much stronger by having that extra ply, it also gives the tyre better
puncture, tear and impact damage resistance!! That's not all though. The angled ArmourTek3 cover ply is wrapped through the bead section in the opposite direction to the other 2 Thick body ply. The advantage of this feature gives the lower sidewall and bead section reinforcement and added strength.
Everyone knows the strength of a Bias tyre off road... everyone also knows how average a Bias tyre drives on road. With this technology, Cooper have managed to harness some of the supreme tyre strength of the Bias tyre while still maintaining the Bitumen ride and usability of conventional Radial tyres.
The original extra wide steel belts are still used, however they have now added belt edge gum strips, and yet another feature.... a Spiral Nylon OverWrap. Two main benefits of this Overwrap is:
1) Better uniformity in the tyre (Less weight in balancing required)
2) Ties the belts in and stops belt seperation from moisture. When you play off road, tyres naturally get some scuffing and minor cuts from sharp rocks and objects. This allows moisture in to the steel belts, which over time leads to belt deterioration and possible eventual seperation. The Overwrap stops a lot of the moisture and is like a Safety belt for your Steel Belts... it stops the belts from coming out of the tyre if damaged.
The tread section is unreal -
2 - Thick Body Ply
1 - angled ArmourTek3 cover ply
2 - Steel Belts
1 - Spiral Nylon OverWrap
IMO Near Bulletproof.
This tyre has been a long time in the making and there has been a lot of testing and re-testing at Coopers 48 Hectare 4wd
Test Track and
Test Facility in the States.
This tyre is 33% stronger and 2.5 times more resistant to tearing.
And for all those out there that are worried about it...................
YES!!! The tyre is MUCH SEXIER now!!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Ryano
(Theived this from a post I made on Outerlimits4x4.com a couple of months ago.)
AnswerID:
112391
Follow Up By: Onayr - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 09:16
Monday, May 23, 2005 at 09:16
This is the reason the new Cooper Armortek3 STT is dearer than the comparative patterns in other brands. It is a more advanced case construction and much newer technology.
FollowupID:
368659
Follow Up By: hound - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:08
Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:08
Thanks, you sound like a Cooper tyre salesman.
Still can’t see why so much more than BFGs. My old cooper tyres have noticeable damage and cracking in the sidewalls. Have had many sets of BFG muds and tried the coopers last time. Found them not bad, but had a tendency to slide sideways before griping. Also had 3 sidewall punctures from unknown causes.
Mates mostly run BFG mud tyres and have only had a 2 sidewall punctures, and that was from a large 10 inch bridge nail and a tree stump. Any tyre would have been punctured from those.
From comparing the Cooper STT and BFG mud tyres I have had, the BFG’s are alot better in the mud and snow.
Might look again at the Coopers next time around but not unless they match or come close to the BFG price.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Onayr - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:47
Monday, May 23, 2005 at 12:47
I am a Cooper Salesman, a BFG Salesman, a Goodyear Salesman, a Mickey Thompson Salesman as
well as a salesman for a number of other brands.
I work in an independent tyre store called Fourbys in Moorooka. We sell all makes and models with a specialty in 4wd tyres. You are doing the right thing by going with American made tyres as they are stronger than the majority of other brands from other origins. They have straighter sidewalls and wider steel belts.
I can't see the price on the new STT being reduced to the BFG price as there is so much more in them. Their construction is an innovative leap and the next generation of tyre.
Don't get me wrong... the BFG is still a great, strong and reliable tyre. However the new Cooper STT can't really be considered against the BFG pricing, as the BFG isn't in the same league construction wise. It should be considered against the old Cooper STT (which is still available) or against the MTR.
Happy Travelling,
Ryano
FollowupID:
368687