new Cooper sport truck tires

[james t]

well, we've finally released our new +sized sport truck tires. they're called the Zeon, and i got to build a few in a 295/45/20 size last night. so far, the 18's, 20's, and 22's are on sale now, and we're working on the 24's. these things are flat out bad@ss. the build quality is comparable to Toyo/Nitto, and those of you who know me understand that even though i work at Cooper, i worship Toyo/Nitto. i also got to see a set being thrashed on the test wheel in our lab a few weeks back, and these things are just top notch. when my Nitto's wear out, im gonna get some of these.

and if you buy some, and see a sticker on the inside that says "C18", they are mine.

 

[Hartman]

Any word on the price James? The tread pattern looks very similar to the Michelin Pilot Sport tire.

 

[Black Magic]

James, you can get us a great deal on a set, Right!?!

 

[crashwave]

how well do these hold up in rain/snow? I'm about to get a set of rims and these zeon tires look hot...

 

[james t]

dont really know about price, i would guess somewere cheaper than Toyo's. i can get a discount, but only once a year, and even then its not worth getting fired to cut one of you guys a good deal. they are supposed to do well in rain, snow i dont know.

 

[X24]

"C18" huh? You don't drink at work, do you?

Watch there be a recall on all Cooper Zeon tires with "C18"

 

[james t]

LOL! i hope not.

believe it or not, your moderator does not drink at work, and takes great pride in what he does. every tire i build i assume that is gonna go on my vehicle. cheesy, but thats how most of us are.

 

[X24]

That's cool. Not to get this thread off topic or anything, but how do you build a tire? Don't machines do it?

 

[james t]

there are 2 stages. i build the first stage. the machine has a drum on it that looks like a small, solid trash can.

1- run the "liner ply" on the drum, cut and stitch together.

2- run the first "cord ply" on, cut and stitch together.

3- machine sets the beads on, and turns the cord up around them

4- run the second "cord ply" on, cut and stitch together

5- run both sidewalls on, cut and stitch together

6- hang on a rack and start over

the 2nd stage builder will take my part, known as a "carcass", and add both "belt plys" and the tread. then it goes to the mold to cook for a little while.

 

[X24]

Interesting. So it's basically just putting them in different machines and pushing buttons and pulling levers? Or is it much more complicated?

 

[james t]

much more complicated. the builder makes all the splices, so they are his responsibility to make sure they are in spec. it is also the buiilder's responsibility to make sure all of the material is good and in spec. i have seen video of tire machines in other plants (Goodyear, BFG, etc), and i will say their machines do most of the work. at Cooper, the builder does most of the work.

on the new 18's, 20's, etc, they are built like a tank. the beads are friggin huge, the cord is thicker than what goes in a big offroad tire, and there is an extra cap of cord that goes between the belts and tread. funny, but the sport truck tires are about 10 times tougher than any normal radial mud terrain, Cooper or otherwise.

 

[AspenX]

tires

Well yhats not fair, us offroaders need tough tires too. David

 

[97ExplorerV8AWD]

Who sells cooper tires? I'm very interested

 

[crashwave]

Originally posted by 97ExplorerV8AWD
Who sells cooper tires? I'm very interested

As am I...I definitely want to pick up these Zeon tires once I get rims...

 

[james t]

http://www.coopertires.com/us/en/dealerLocator.asp

i dont have time to look through all the good online tire shops, but here's a dealer locator.

 

[97ExplorerV8AWD]

thanks a bunch James. I didn't even think to look for a locator. Any ideas what size 18's will be made that will be compatible with our X's. I didn't see anything but passanger car UHP tires on the site. Thanks again, Jason

 

[james t]

yea, the site hasnt been updated yet with the Sport truck tires. dont know about sizes too much yet, but i got to build some 255/55/18's last night....

 

[explr1]

Two questions, do these new tires have a jointless nylon band for strength, and how about a rim protector?

 

[james t]

we call the jointless band "snow". i dont know why, but thats what its called, and its actually 2 layers thick. so, yes, it has this.

as far as the rim protector, i dont even remember. thats something that is not visible until it comes out of the mold, so i will have to go up to the finishing area and check when i go back to work Monday night.

 

[james t]

just checked a few last night, and they have a rim protector.