
Originally Posted by
Marty D
I think when I'm done with the TA's I'll go back to the Coopers. What surprised me were how bad the Micky Thompson ST's were. I though maybe just a different tread pattern than the Coopers seeing as how they are supposedly made in the same factory. I didn't even try to wear out the Thompson's. They were just all around sketchy. I'd read on TireRack.Com about the TA's being marginal in the wet but this was another level of bad seeing as how it was just drizzle on a straight road.
Like Dan I've heard nothing but good things about the Mickey Thompson S/Ts which match my experience with the Cooper Cobras. After trying to sort out the differences between the two, I finally called "both" companies (Cooper owns Mickey Thompson. They also own the Avon brand). Both people I talked to confirmed both brands are made on the same production line. The MT rep did claim the MTs were "higher performance" than the Coopers, but I asked how they could be if the wear ratings, tread pattern, and tread compounds were the same--he didn't have an answer.
I'm wondering if your experience with the MTs was due to the age of the tires? I do know the Cooper Cobras are faster and easier to get, and a little less expensive than the MTs.
The MTs have a rating of UTQG 440 A B for all sizes except the 295s, which are UTQG 440 A C.
The Cooper Cobras also have a rating of 440 A B for all sizes except the 295s, which are AC as well.
I wasn't sure about the difference between AB and AC, so I used Google. Basically the 295 wide tires from MT and Cooper have worse temperature ratings than the other sizes.
Here's a description from Consumer Reports on the Universal Tire Quality Grading System:
How does the UTQG work?
Tread wear, for example, is not based on a mileage projection, but rather a numeric index of how well a tire wears in comparison to a reference tire. For instance, a tire rated at 200 will wear twice as long as a tire graded 100. That's good, but it doesn't tell how long the tire will last. For most consumers, the manufacturer tread-wear warranty in miles is not only more intuitive, but it also tends to be a better barometer since the manufacturer has to pay if the tire doesn't achieve the warranty promised.
The traction grade looks at the level of grip on a wet surface. Most ultra-high-performance tires achieve the best grade: AA. Most car tires get the next best grade of A; less than 22 percent of the tires have a B grade; and only one tire (out of more than 2,400 models) has the honor of a C grade. Not much of a guide, but we certainly recommend buying a tire with no less than an A grade for traction.
Designed during the advent of the radial tire, the temperature grade is a measure of how well a tire will resist heat buildup. More than a third of the tires achieve the highest grade of A, followed by 59 percent achieving a B grade, and about 11 percent get the lowest grade of C. Look for a tire with a B grade or higher.
I echo everyone else's sentiments that I'm happy for you it wasn't worse.
Evan