Cooper Discover AT3 4S tearing in lugs?

Cupton · May 6, 2019

Just had my tires rotated during my 10k mile service. When I got home while working in the garage, I noticed a few spots on a both of my rear tires that look to be chipping or tearing (to my eyes at least). These are the tires that were on the front before being rotated to the back a couple days prior. Tires are the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S with 8k miles on them. Is this a concern or is this normal? I didn’t even bother to see if the same thing was happening in the front tires.

Edited May 6, 2019 by Cupton

TXGREEK · May 6, 2019

Just had my tires rotated during my 10k mile service. When I got home while working in the garage, I noticed a few spots on a both of my rear tires that look to be chipping or tearing (to my eyes at least). These are the tires that were on the front before being rotated to the back a couple days prior. Tires are the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S with 8k miles on them. Is this a concern or is this normal? I didn’t even bother to see if the same thing was happening in the front tires.

It’s definitely a concern, my Nitto Ridge Grapplers have approx same amount of miles on them and are in great condition. Unfortunately, i’ve heard of the Coopers and other cheaper brands doing that same chunking. Maybe it’s only out of a few batches but apparently, Coopers are made throughout the world and not primarily in the US which has extremely stricter manufacturing guidelines

Sent from above

TXGREEK · May 6, 2019

I drive primarily city streets but every weekend I get out to the 70 acres and drive through really bad roads setting up kill zones and thankfully haven’t experienced any chunking

Sent from above

Cupton · May 7, 2019

Looks like it’s only on both of the rears that were just rotated back there from the front a few days ago and not on the front. When I just checked in the garage it was looking like that other rear side isn’t nearly as bad. I’m going to pull the truck out in the sun tomorrow (assuming the Pittsburgh sun doesn’t get lost again) and look closer at the other rear side. We’ll also see now if the newly rotated to the front ones do it. I’ll contact Cooper and see what they say.

Imcrazy · May 7, 2019

I'd take it to the place you bought the tires and have them take a look at it...

Cupton · May 8, 2019

Update: I emailed those same photos to Cooper and they also suggested having the tire shop look at them in person. I brought it in yesterday afternoon for them to have look and after the tire shop contacted Cooper this morning to give their assessment, I will have 4 new tires delivered to the shop tomorrow for installation. I'd say Cooper took care of me.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Cupton

outrag1 · May 8, 2019

4 hours ago, Cupton said:

Update: I emailed those same photos to Cooper and they also suggested having the tire shop look at them in person. I brought it in yesterday afternoon for them to have look and after the tire shop contacted Cooper this morning to give their assessment, I will have 4 new tires delivered to the shop tomorrow for installation. I'd say Cooper took care of me.

Good for you and I'm glad to hear this as I just put 4 on my 18 Silverado a month ago. Love them so far and they look great. I will keep an eye on them for the issue you had.

Cupton · May 8, 2019

7 minutes ago, outrag1 said:

Good for you and I'm glad to hear this as I just put 4 on my 18 Silverado a month ago. Love them so far and they look great. I will keep an eye on them for the issue you had.

Agree! Really glad they took care of me. Tires have been great in every way other than this issue.

outrag1 · May 8, 2019

No lift or level, stock size. Sold my factory Eagle LS2s on Craigslist for $350, which helped with the cost of the Coopers. Also getting a $70 promo card from Cooper. Can't complain so far.

Cupton · May 8, 2019

Looks great! I did the same thing with my factory Goodyear SRA’s after buying my Sierra. Only had 1,800 miles on them and put them on Letgo. Got $400 for them the following day. Can’t complain there.

Imcrazy · May 9, 2019

8 hours ago, Cupton said:

Update: I emailed those same photos to Cooper and they also suggested having the tire shop look at them in person. I brought it in yesterday afternoon for them to have look and after the tire shop contacted Cooper this morning to give their assessment, I will have 4 new tires delivered to the shop tomorrow for installation. I'd say Cooper took care of me.

Good to hear, I am on my 2nd set of Cooper Discoverer ATP (discount tire exclusive) and I'm pretty happy, although they're starting to get a little loud at 20k miles...

Cupton · May 9, 2019

Installed! This is more like it. ;)

Edit: Question for you all. I dont want to start a new thread since I've already talked enought about these dang tires, but is it possible its something I did or didn't do to cause this? Only reason I ask is that I think this might be the 1st set of tires I have not used 303 Aerospace Protectant on. My 1st truck when I moved here (my 2015 Sierra) I sprayed a couple of times. I'm originally from SoCal and moved to Western PA 5 years ago. I used to spray the 303 on my tires in SoCal, just to make them look perdy, but now Im wondering of there's more to it than that. We didn't have any weather elements that were substantial by any means in SoCal. Here in Western PA, we have 4 seasons, warm, humid, cold, snow, salt, deer, chipmunks, leaves, Ohio'ians, Browns fans, etc. A lot of negative stuff in the air and on the roads. I'M KIDDING ABOUT MOST OF THOSE ELEMENTS! ;)

Anyway, is it more important to spray tires with a protectant when dealing with the 4 season temperature fluctuations along with snow and road salt? Just want to do my part to prevent this from happening again if at all possible. Or maybe I just had a bad batch on that 1st set of Coopers.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Cupton

MaverickZ71 · May 16, 2019

Where I work (one of those 'Be All You Can Be' kind of places) they have these security strips at the guard houses by the main gates, the kind where if you drive over the security strips (think permanently mounted speed-bump-like springy 'stop strips' across the entire lanes of traffic) in the wrong direction they will flatten all of your tires. I have found that after years of driving over them, even going the right direction, that they'll make some places like that on your tire tread. I'm glad I don't drive a low-ground clearance vehicle like a Corvette or Miata in here--I've heard reports of the spikes scraping/scratching the bottom of low vehicles. And sometimes ice has kept the spikes from springing back in, and caused flats, even for people driving in the right direction.

Edited May 16, 2019 by MaverickZ71

TheGreatOne · June 13, 2019

On 5/8/2019 at 6:31 PM, outrag1 said:

No lift or level, stock size. Sold my factory Eagle LS2s on Craigslist for $350, which helped with the cost of the Coopers. Also getting a $70 promo card from Cooper. Can't complain so far.

Interested in purchasing these tires....read so many great things about these tires....can I get a picture of your truck with these tires?...a sideshot?

TheGreatOne · June 13, 2019

On 5/9/2019 at 1:15 PM, Cupton said:

Installed! This is more like it. ;)

Edit: Question for you all. I dont want to start a new thread since I've already talked enought about these dang tires, but is it possible its something I did or didn't do to cause this? Only reason I ask is that I think this might be the 1st set of tires I have not used 303 Aerospace Protectant on. My 1st truck when I moved here (my 2015 Sierra) I sprayed a couple of times. I'm originally from SoCal and moved to Western PA 5 years ago. I used to spray the 303 on my tires in SoCal, just to make them look perdy, but now Im wondering of there's more to it than that. We didn't have any weather elements that were substantial by any means in SoCal. Here in Western PA, we have 4 seasons, warm, humid, cold, snow, salt, deer, chipmunks, leaves, Ohio'ians, Browns fans, etc. A lot of negative stuff in the air and on the roads. I'M KIDDING ABOUT MOST OF THOSE ELEMENTS! ;)

Anyway, is it more important to spray tires with a protectant when dealing with the 4 season temperature fluctuations along with snow and road salt? Just want to do my part to prevent this from happening again if at all possible. Or maybe I just had a bad batch on that 1st set of Coopers.