I finally got around to replacing the tires on my truck. I ended up purchasing a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT tires that are 285/75R18. I thought I would post my first impressions. I will also come back after I have put some miles on them and add updates.
I have a 2015 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Long Bed truck that I bought in March of 2017. It came with a brand new set of Hercules Trail Digger M/T tires that were 30" tall. All I can say is that they were the worst tire I have ever owned - on a truck or car. They were extremely loud. It was difficult to hear someone sitting next to you talking when driving on the freeway. They had no traction at all. In warm weather, when there was a light drizzle, they would slide when applying the brakes above 35 miles per hour. If the pavement was wet at all, the tires would spin if you didn't apply the throttle carefully. I live in Michigan, so snow performance is important. These tires were so bad that I had to put the truck in 4 wheel drive to back into my flat driveway if there was an inch of snow. I tried adjusting the tire pressure, but nothing helped. I just couldn't go through a second winter with these tires.
I did lots of research and was leaning towards the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro or the Discoverer ST MAXX. I don't put a lot of miles on my truck (it is a second vehicle), so having a mileage warranty wasn't critical. While I do drive and tow on a lot of dirt roads, I also drive on a lot of pavement and need to have good traction when there is snow and ice. While I like the aggressive look of these tires, I was worried about rain and ice performance. A few months ago, I saw the AT3 XLT had come out with a more aggressive look, so I tried to find out more info about it. They were too new to have any snow reviews, but based on the original AT3, it sounded like they should have great performance in all weather conditions and give me good traction on dirt roads. They also come with a 45 day money back guarantee. I called to find out more about this and was told that if I didn't like them for any reason, I could return them for a full refund. While I really like the more aggressive look of the STT Pro, my more practical side kicked in and I figured I would give the AT3 XLT a try.
I have a leveling kit on my truck, so I was originally looking at getting the 325/65R18 tires based on several people stating that they had good luck with that tire size on their 2500. A few people did note that there was slight rubbing with this size. In addition, it was recommended that you have a minimum of a 9" wide rim with this tire size, and I only have an 8" rim. Others said it worked fine for them, but I wasn't convinced. I noticed the 285/75R18 were almost the exact same height in the specs (34.84" vs 34.61), but the 285s were 1.5" narrower which should eliminate any rubbing when turning and they would fit on my 8" wide rims. Lastly, the 285 tire had a slightly higher weight capacity and max tire pressure. Not that I will every max out these tires, but it gives me a bit more flexibility in tire pressure.
I checked with several local tire shops and they all were giving me very high quotes for four tires - an average of $75-$100 more per tire than the online prices. This was not including the install. I finally ended up picking them up for $1019 delivered plus there is an additional $70 rebate. A local tire shop installed them for me for $62. When I started driving home, I almost had to pull over to make sure they had put the tires on my truck. They were that quiet. I was extremely happy with the noise level. The overall handling was good, but this was on basic paved roads on the drive home. The installer had put 60psi in the front tires and 80psi in the rear. The ride was really stiff. I plan to lower them to 55 front and 50 rear to start with (no load) and see how they ride. I measured the height on the front tires when I got home and they were right at 34". While the tires don't have the super aggressive look of a mud tire, they do look good with the updated sidewall tread on the XLT. I can't comment on off-road or snow performance yet, but I will report back after I get some miles on the truck.
I will try to get some better pictures this weekend after I move some of the other cars out of the way. I am really looking forward to putting some miles on these tires. I am driving to Houghton in Michigan's upper peninsula next month. They already have 24" of snow, so I will be able to put these tires to the test.
I have a 2015 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Long Bed truck that I bought in March of 2017. It came with a brand new set of Hercules Trail Digger M/T tires that were 30" tall. All I can say is that they were the worst tire I have ever owned - on a truck or car. They were extremely loud. It was difficult to hear someone sitting next to you talking when driving on the freeway. They had no traction at all. In warm weather, when there was a light drizzle, they would slide when applying the brakes above 35 miles per hour. If the pavement was wet at all, the tires would spin if you didn't apply the throttle carefully. I live in Michigan, so snow performance is important. These tires were so bad that I had to put the truck in 4 wheel drive to back into my flat driveway if there was an inch of snow. I tried adjusting the tire pressure, but nothing helped. I just couldn't go through a second winter with these tires.
I did lots of research and was leaning towards the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro or the Discoverer ST MAXX. I don't put a lot of miles on my truck (it is a second vehicle), so having a mileage warranty wasn't critical. While I do drive and tow on a lot of dirt roads, I also drive on a lot of pavement and need to have good traction when there is snow and ice. While I like the aggressive look of these tires, I was worried about rain and ice performance. A few months ago, I saw the AT3 XLT had come out with a more aggressive look, so I tried to find out more info about it. They were too new to have any snow reviews, but based on the original AT3, it sounded like they should have great performance in all weather conditions and give me good traction on dirt roads. They also come with a 45 day money back guarantee. I called to find out more about this and was told that if I didn't like them for any reason, I could return them for a full refund. While I really like the more aggressive look of the STT Pro, my more practical side kicked in and I figured I would give the AT3 XLT a try.
I have a leveling kit on my truck, so I was originally looking at getting the 325/65R18 tires based on several people stating that they had good luck with that tire size on their 2500. A few people did note that there was slight rubbing with this size. In addition, it was recommended that you have a minimum of a 9" wide rim with this tire size, and I only have an 8" rim. Others said it worked fine for them, but I wasn't convinced. I noticed the 285/75R18 were almost the exact same height in the specs (34.84" vs 34.61), but the 285s were 1.5" narrower which should eliminate any rubbing when turning and they would fit on my 8" wide rims. Lastly, the 285 tire had a slightly higher weight capacity and max tire pressure. Not that I will every max out these tires, but it gives me a bit more flexibility in tire pressure.
I checked with several local tire shops and they all were giving me very high quotes for four tires - an average of $75-$100 more per tire than the online prices. This was not including the install. I finally ended up picking them up for $1019 delivered plus there is an additional $70 rebate. A local tire shop installed them for me for $62. When I started driving home, I almost had to pull over to make sure they had put the tires on my truck. They were that quiet. I was extremely happy with the noise level. The overall handling was good, but this was on basic paved roads on the drive home. The installer had put 60psi in the front tires and 80psi in the rear. The ride was really stiff. I plan to lower them to 55 front and 50 rear to start with (no load) and see how they ride. I measured the height on the front tires when I got home and they were right at 34". While the tires don't have the super aggressive look of a mud tire, they do look good with the updated sidewall tread on the XLT. I can't comment on off-road or snow performance yet, but I will report back after I get some miles on the truck.
I will try to get some better pictures this weekend after I move some of the other cars out of the way. I am really looking forward to putting some miles on these tires. I am driving to Houghton in Michigan's upper peninsula next month. They already have 24" of snow, so I will be able to put these tires to the test.
