If you’re in the market for a new set of tyres, you may be wondering if you should stick with the factory-fitted units, or fit something more robust from the specialist market. After all, your vehicle’s factory tyres were designed for cost-saving purposes, not for strength, durability, or peak performance.
On that note, here are a few reasons to ditch your light-weight factory tyres for a new set of heavy-duty Coopers…
1. MANUFACTURER’S GUARANTEE
The first step towards purchasing a high-value tyre is to consider the manufacturer’s guarantee. Typically speaking, the industry norm is a 5-year guarantee against factory defects, while Cooper offers a 10-year manufacturer’s guarantee on all our products.
2. DEEPER TREADS
Typical tread depths range between 8 and 10mm for most factory-fitted all-terrains. By comparison, some Cooper Tire products have a tread depth that’s between 13 and 15mm! That’s up to 50% more value, and in many cases, better traction and longevity, too.
3. STRONGER CARCASS
Load-carrying capacity, pressure performance, heat tolerance, steering control, and puncture resistance are all features directly linked to a tyre’s carcass. The trouble is, it’s a difficult quality to gauge if you can’t visually see the difference.
But if you really want to know how tough a tyre is, it’s usually reflected in the tyre’s weight. Simply put: Weak tyres are lightweight, strong tyres are heavy. In Cooper’s case, products like the S/T MAXX are up to 40% heavier than most factory-fitted all-terrains.
4. GREATER LOAD CARRY CAPACITY
Naturally, a high load-carrying capacity is pivotal to heavily modified 4x4s, as well as any vehicle towing a trailer, caravan or boat. The stronger a tyre’s carcass, the more air pressure it can handle, and therefore, the more weight it can carry.
You’ll find this information on your tyre’s sidewall. Most factory-fitted all-terrains feature a load limit of about 1,100 kg. In contrast, all Light Truck Cooper products boast a load-carrying capacity between 1,350 kg and 1,700 kg. This figure will vary depending on the size and profile of the tyre you’re fitting.
5. SILICA
Not all tyre compounds are equal. The quality, durability, wear rate, and wet-weather performance of a tyre is greatly affected by the additives used within the tyre’s compound. It all comes down to what mix (or ‘recipe’) is used.
Although silica has largely revolutionised the performance of tyres, very few manufacturers choose to use the additive because of its high cost, as well as the challenges of getting the compound to chemically infuse within the rubber.
This is why Cooper uses Coupled Silica, an expensive additive that mixes well into the compound, radically improves your vehicle’s safety performance, and is a cost that’s not worth cutting.
6. CUT & CHIP PROTECTION
One of the fastest ways to lose money on a set of tyres is to watch four factory-fitted all-terrains break apart on a loose gravel road. Another term for this is Cut & Chip, and it’s a leading cause of premature tread wear.
Fortunately, Cooper’s entire 4×4 range is specially engineered for backcountry roads and gravel tracks. This is due to our purpose-made tread patterns, internal sipe grooves and wear-resistant compounds.
7. WIDEST RANGE
The all-terrain tyre market is super competitive, but if you want to know which brand is the most committed to the segment, look no further than our industry-leading product range. That said, Cooper boasts the widest selection of off-road tyres in terms of sizes, purpose, application and light-truck products.
We all want to save costs, but your vehicle shouldn’t make the sacrifice. You wanted a tough off-road vehicle for a reason, so let’s make it tougher with a new set of Coopers.
