Cooper Discoverer Rugged Trek vs Duratrac

StephenW

StephenW

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North Texas
Rocks in Hot Springs have chewed my 6yr old Grabber AT2s up so I’m in the market. I’ve seen extensive praise here for the Duratrac. Anyone have experience with the newer Cooper Rugged Trek?
I am running Moabs metric 31. 265/70/16. Im between Rugged Trek and the Duratrac. They seem comparable. Both have 16/32 tread. Reviews indicate a harder compound than the Duratrac. Would that help avoid rocks eating them? Coopers are ~$180 cheaper for 5 out the door. So that’s a plus.
Not a daily driver so trail performance is the priority.
I have also considered buying a different set of stock wheels so I could get an actual mud tire like the STT or X3. But the 0.5” less backspacing on the Moab is barely enough to keep me from rubbing as it is. Occasional contact with lower controls or antirock. I’m running a 2” spring lift.

Attached spec sheet is Cooper left and Dura right.

Thanks!

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Just had the cooper rugged treks installed on my 2001 Toyota Tundra 2 weeks ago. Love the looks and they ride really well (on road).
For as aggressive as they are, they are fairly quiet. My truck is not a daily driver either, which is a good thing, it never got great MPG, and the Rugged treks dropped it a bit more.
 
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If trail performance is a priority, I would get a real off road tire.

Duratracs are pretty much garbage for any off-roading. I tried them for about a month and quickly sold them.

Both tires you listed are an A/T, if trail is the priority, get an M/T and be done with it.

I have been rocking STT’s for two sets of tires now, they have treated me very well in all kinds of conditions
 
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Superjay5 said:
If trail performance is a priority, I would get a real off road tire.

Duratracs are pretty much garbage for any off-roading. I tried them for about a month and quickly sold them.

Both tires you listed are an A/T, if trail is the priority, get an M/T and be done with it.

I have been rocking STT’s for two sets of tires now, they have treated me very well in all kinds of conditions
Click to expand...

I've run multiple sets of Duratracs on my work trucks that sees a lot of trails, gravel, wet, sand, etc. I've hated every pair of them and have never understood the love for them. They chunk, wear fast, wear uneven, are way too noisy for an all terrain, and puncture too easy. I've probably had 7-10 punctures from small nails, rocks busting through the thread, sidewall cuts, and more. In my opinion, the only plus to the Duratracs is that they're a good looking tire (though I think there are better looking tires).

I've not run the Rugged Treks but am intrigued with them. I'm on my second set of STT Pros on my Ram 1500 which sees very similar conditions as my work truck (though less miles in the same period of time) and have been amazing. I put 71k miles on the first set and replaced them because I didn't want to go through another winter with them. Probably had several thousand more miles but we're getting old and worn.
 
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egclassic said:
Just had the cooper rugged treks installed on my 2001 Toyota Tundra 2 weeks ago. Love the looks and they ride really well (on road).
For as aggressive as they are, they are fairly quiet. My truck is not a daily driver either, which is a good thing, it never got great MPG, and the Rugged treks dropped it a bit more.
Click to expand...

egclassic said:
Just had the cooper rugged treks installed on my 2001 Toyota Tundra 2 weeks ago. Love the looks and they ride really well (on road).
For as aggressive as they are, they are fairly quiet. My truck is not a daily driver either, which is a good thing, it never got great MPG, and the Rugged treks dropped it a bit more.
Click to expand...
I read a press release where the rep said they were going for the aggressive look but with better on road manner and wear to bring back customers who couldn’t commit to the STTs for a DD. It will be interesting to see how well the perform. I’m really leaning toward trying them.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
I've run multiple sets of Duratracs on my work trucks that sees a lot of trails, gravel, wet, sand, etc. I've hated every pair of them and have never understood the love for them. They chunk, wear fast, wear uneven, are way too noisy for an all terrain, and puncture too easy. I've probably had 7-10 punctures from small nails, rocks busting through the thread, sidewall cuts, and more. In my opinion, the only plus to the Duratracs is that they're a good looking tire (though I think there are better looking tires).

I've not run the Rugged Treks but am intrigued with them. I'm on my second set of STT Pros on my Ram 1500 which sees very similar conditions as my work truck (though less miles in the same period of time) and have been amazing. I put 71k miles on the first set and replaced them because I didn't want to go through another winter with them. Probably had several thousand more miles but we're getting old and worn.
Click to expand...

Oh wow. It really might be worth it for me to go ahead and get a set of 15” so I can go with the STT. I like the look of the Moab’s. I just can’t seem to find any real MT in a metric 31” for them.
 
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StephenW said:
Oh wow. It really might be worth it for me to go ahead and get a set of 15” so I can go with the STT. I like the look of the Moab’s. I just can’t seem to find any real MT in a metric 31” for them.
Click to expand...

The downside to the STT Pros is the weight! They're pretty heavy compared to competitors. However, that strength is there. For my truck, the weight isn't a big concern on a 400hp V8 versus my TJ with a 7.5hp I6 (kidding!).

I may run them on my TJ down the road if I decide to go ahead and run 12.5's. I wanted to put them on my wife's GC Trailhawk but ended up going with Baja Boss AT's, which I also love! Unfortunately, MT doesn't make them in 15" sizes (except a 29"). They do make them in 16 up to 33, so definitely check them out! Honestly, I considered putting them on my Ram even though I liked the Pros so much, but the 35x12.50R20 only came in a load F 🫤
 
egclassic said:
Just had the cooper rugged treks installed on my 2001 Toyota Tundra 2 weeks ago. Love the looks and they ride really well (on road).
For as aggressive as they are, they are fairly quiet. My truck is not a daily driver either, which is a good thing, it never got great MPG, and the Rugged treks dropped it a bit more.
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply. Have you had any dirt/mud/rock experiences with them?
 
bbaldwin237 said:
The downside to the STT Pros is the weight! They're pretty heavy compared to competitors. However, that strength is there. For my truck, the weight isn't a big concern on a 400hp V8 versus my TJ with a 7.5hp I6 (kidding!).

I may run them on my TJ down the road if I decide to go ahead and run 12.5's. I wanted to put them on my wife's GC Trailhawk but ended up going with Baja Boss AT's, which I also love! Unfortunately, MT doesn't make them in 15" sizes (except a 29"). They do make them in 16 up to 33, so definitely check them out! Honestly, I considered putting them on my Ram even though I liked the Pros so much, but the 35x12.50R20 only came in a load F 🫤
Click to expand...

I will definitely look into the MTs!
As far as the weight goes on the STT, @31x10.5r15, looks like about 50 lbs as opposed to low 40s for the two ATs I’m comparing here. I’m sure that will be noticeable but probably fine. Maybe not for the tailgate.
 
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I had 265/70R16 Duratracs on Moabs on my TJ for a while. They were very quiet and comfy with good wet traction on-road. However, after a few wheeling trips (Hot Springs, Moab, Hidden Falls), the rocks tore the lugs to shreds and sliced up the sidewalls badly. Although I daily drive my TJ, I opted for BFG KM3s as replacements and noticed far better offroad traction and durability during my next wheeling trip (Hot Springs).

I would not recommend Duratracs to you based on your usage and wanting better trail performance. I can’t say anything about your other option, but I would recommend a mud terrain tire.
 
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TheBoogieman said:
I saw a set on a truck last month. Nice looking tires and you can't go wrong with Cooper.
Click to expand...

I just replaced Cooper Discover AT3's I ran for 8 years. Never took them off road but they did great in the snow around here.
I can't seem to find your other reply but, NO, I did not give them a 5 star rating seeing as how I've only had them 2 weeks. Trust me, I read many reviews before buying the Rugged treks where people only had 2-5k miles on them and gave them raving reviews. I agree with you, tires need several thousand miles and have been subjected to ALL sorts of weather before they can be properly reviewed. Someone in Arizona rating them, does me no good here in Ohio because I NEED to know how they perform on snow, Ice and rain covered roads. When the weather is bad, I HAVE to report to work, no choice, so I will save my opinion on these until I drive them in those conditions. All I know at this point is, I have lost some MPG with these over the Cooper AT3's they replaced.
 
Tob said:
I had 265/70R16 Duratracs on Moabs on my TJ for a while. They were very quiet and comfy with good wet traction on-road. However, after a few wheeling trips (Hot Springs, Moab, Hidden Falls), the rocks tore the lugs to shreds and sliced up the sidewalls badly. Although I daily drive my TJ, I opted for BFG KM3s as replacements and noticed far better offroad traction and durability during my next wheeling trip (Hot Springs).

I would not recommend Duratracs to you based on your usage and wanting better trail performance. I can’t say anything about your other option, but I would recommend a mud terrain tire.
Click to expand...

This speaks pretty much to my exact situation. Did you opt for the same size (265/70R16) in the KM3? Looks like that would have to be an E rating. How does it ride in comparison? The general consensus on this forum is that Es are too harsh.
 
egclassic said:
Just had the cooper rugged treks installed on my 2001 Toyota Tundra 2 weeks ago. Love the looks and they ride really well (on road).
For as aggressive as they are, they are fairly quiet. My truck is not a daily driver either, which is a good thing, it never got great MPG, and the Rugged treks dropped it a bit more.
Click to expand...

Ah, another first gen Tundra brethren 🫡
 
StephenW said:
This speaks pretty much to my exact situation. Did you opt for the same size (265/70R16) in the KM3? Looks like that would have to be an E rating. How does it ride in comparison? The general consensus on this forum is that Es are too harsh.
Click to expand...

No, I was looking for an increase in tire size and some wheels more suited to playing in rocks. I now have 15”x8” American Racing AR23 wheels and 33”x12.5” KM3s. I believe they are load range C. I can’t speak to ride quality because my current shock setup is garbage.
 
Duratracs are soft compound tires. I have had 2 sets. Yes they ride good. Sharp rocks will kill them.

Coopers are generally firmer and will hold up better in harsh terrain -the ones I had were very good tires.
 
bbaldwin237 said:
The downside to the STT Pros is the weight! They're pretty heavy compared to competitors. However, that strength is there. For my truck, the weight isn't a big concern on a 400hp V8 versus my TJ with a 7.5hp I6 (kidding!).

I may run them on my TJ down the road if I decide to go ahead and run 12.5's. I wanted to put them on my wife's GC Trailhawk but ended up going with Baja Boss AT's, which I also love! Unfortunately, MT doesn't make them in 15" sizes (except a 29"). They do make them in 16 up to 33, so definitely check them out! Honestly, I considered putting them on my Ram even though I liked the Pros so much, but the 35x12.50R20 only came in a load F 🫤
Click to expand...

You can get Baja Boss M/T in a 15 inch rim... 33" & 35"

Edit: And I love the BB M/T's on my Gladiator... they are just loud. Never a puncture, grips fantastic on all the surfaces I've put them on, and I'm approaching 40k miles on them rotating 5
 
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