Cooper ST Noisy when old ???

Hi Norm

When iam towing my 17ft van up the beach iam getting stuck in soft sand.my mate has MTr's and seems to float over it easier my tyres spin and his bite in.The vehicle is a Pajero diesel.After seeing how his tyres work the soft sand is why iam looking to go the ST but if you could hear them with the window up i wouldn't be happy

Marcas, from my experience more agressive tread work better as long as there is firmer sand underneath to bite on. If it's all soft stuff, particularly on steeper sloping areas, I reckon the more agressive treads are a liability as they dig downward. sometimes the wheel spin will keep you higher on the sand pile. I'm waiting for the punches to start flying now!

D-Jack

p.s got 10 ply ATRs (245/75/16) and they are magic in sand, but then again never pulled a 17 foot van and probably never will!

Ive just found out 265 75 16 Illegal to fit on my NP Pajero, Cooper dealer said they they were with in limits .??

Mark, this link will give you a ready reckoner for tyre size conversion.
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AFAIK, the legal limit is 15 mm increase over standard size. I broke that rule a little with my new tyres, but nowhere near as much as some. It is a risk, but IMO, a small one as long as you don't go too far. The real risk is not with the law, but your insurance company. If you have an accident they could technically void your cover if your vehicle is not 'roadworthy'.

As far as sand is concerned, I suspect D Jack is right. But I reckon tyre pressure and driving technique are far more important in sand than tyre type. I've been to Fraser with both the ATRs and the STs towing a 1500KG fully loaded trailer. No real problem with either. Get your tyre pressure right and maintain momentum in the soft stuff. But of course my CT is very different to a 17 foot van.

If you want no road noise with the windows up, get the ATRs, not the STs. You will need the radio up prett load to not hear the STs on some bitumen.

It is all a compromise unfortunately. No tyre is likely to do everything you want.

Your Cooper dealer may well be correct yet.

There are new National standards in the process of implementation which I think take the allowed difference up to 50mm.

Some states are operating under them already. Better to check it out with your appropriate qld gov agency of course.

"That said, all tyres get louder as they get older."

Really? I would have assumed that they get quieter, as the tread wears down and they approach HT in appearance! Haven't worn a new set out yet to know the difference.

Mark, I'm not sure about LT construction, but 265-70-16 ATRs come in a 112 load rating, which is higher than most 4Bs run.

The other alternative in the ATRs is a 245-75-16. Although a bit (20mm) narrower, the diameter is almost identical to the 265-70. The 245-75-16 is available in LT.

In the STs, the 265-70-16 (P) also has a 112 load rating.
By my calculation 265-70-16 is 30.6 inches x 10.6.
If you make a small change to 31 x 10.5 you would be buying one of the most common 4WD sizes in Australia, so may have a bigger range available. This is the size STs I run and they are LTs, but only have a 109 load rating.

I'm not claiming any particular expertise, but I did a lot of research when I was in your situation and selecting tyres.