Falken Wildpeak or Cooper S/T Maxx 255

Initially I was looking at BFG KO2 but they are not available on Discount Tire Direct's sale on Ebay... I have read only good things about all three of these tire brands/models.

The Coopers are a little more money $628 than the Falken Wildpeaks $448 for four...
The Falkens are rated different from the other two with a "SL" rating. I can't find anything about this, what this means. I like what I have read about "C" rated tire and leaning in this direction.

And- what does "LT" mean? I see this on the description sometimes and sometimes not depending on what website I am reading.

 

I think I'm right by saying LT is light truck tire. Which will be a C rated tire or higher. I had the falken wild peaks for a little while in P rating. They had a great ride and were dead quiet. Obviously the sidewall was softer being a P rated tire. If you use them off-road I would suggest the cooper just because they are a bit more aggressive in the tread pattern. Either way on a 255 I would probably get a C load range or higher per personal preference and stronger sidewall assurance

 

Lt is a 10ply tire and c is 4 ply. The only real difference is amount of payload the tire can carry if you want a good ride go for the c tire.

 

No...


LT is "light truck" category... C, D, E load ratings..

C is 6 ply..

D is 6-8 ply..

E is 10ply..


Wildpeaks and STT are two different tires completely.. Hard to compare since one comes with an extra 1/4" of tread..

I'm going to say go for the Wildpeaks in a P or SL...

 

My bad every 3/4 ton my job has is LT tires and they are all 10 ply. Figured thats what it was. Oh well.

 

I have experience with both the ST Maxx and the Falken, which I'm currently running. The ST Maxx is a superb tire for sure, but it honestly depends on your intended use, go figure right? The Falken in a P rating will be quieter and much more comfortable on the road. Unless you really need or want a 10 ply tire with beefy sidewall, the Falken will be the better choice for daily driving (noise, mileage, comfort). Hope that helps and good luck!

 

Thanks FalconDriver. I am a photographer and will be carrying a lot of gear in the cab and in the bed on a regular basis. I will be driving this regularly, between a DD and for photo assignments. I have a Subaru Forester for running around town.

I want to keep/get the best ride possible but use it for backcountry access in remote areas, e.g., forests, desert, Moab... and on a regular basis medium to long highway travel will be included.

The Wildpeaks on TireSize.com are listed as "SL" so I am thinking this might be "C" since the weight carrying capacity is lower. I also wonder if carrying 500-800lbs on a regular basis would have any influence on the better route to go.

 

SL (standard load) tires are 4-ply rated. As pot_lickr noted, C is a load range designation for LT (Light Truck) tires and are 6-ply rated.

Details: Load Range & Load Index

 

Assuming you’re talking about the Wildpeak AT3, then these aren’t available in 255/85/16 or 255/80/17 last I checked. I don’t believe the Wildpeak MT’s are available in 255 sizes either.

Also, AFAIK, you can’t get a 255/85/16 or 255/80/17 in a C load range - they come in E only, which is 10-ply. This is good if you carry a lot of extra weight though or want better puncture protection but you’ll lose some mpg because E are heavier than C tires.

 

They are available in 255/70 or 255/75... I am considering one of these sizes or even a 265/70 which BFG makes a "C" rated...

 

Ah, that makes more sense. When most people say 255 they’re referring to 33’s. Most of what I said is irrelevant then haha

 

No worries... the more I twist myself around this the more I learn what I am looking for. In the end I won't know until I get out there and explore.... thanks for your input and advice, it all helps one time or another

 

I just got the Falken Wildpeaks from Discount Tire..killer deal! I do a lot of highway and off-road..so we will see shortly. The ride is SUPER quiet compared to my duratracs. It's like night and day and super smooth.

 

Me Too!

 

option c- cooper stt pros

 

I would go cooper based on prior experience with the brand. I have the STT pros currently and my buddy got 55k out of his last set on his taco. For a mud tire that’s almost unheard of. They make some road noise, but to me it’s very liveable. If the mud tires get that kind of life, I’d imagine the maxx’s Are right up there as well

 

Thank you for posting your experience. We appreciate your business.

Waaaa Whoooo, thank you for your purchase as well...

 

Good to know, I ordered the same tires from Discount Tire. Any issues balancing the tires? I heard people recommend road force balancing the tires. Thanks!

 

Thank you for your business motodh, we road force balance all of our tires but have not had any issues with the Falken Wildpeak tires when it comes to balancing.

 

ST MAXX's in C-load 255/75 17's