 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Cooper AT3 4S / XLT |
 
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| DFNDER Member Since: 02 Oct 2023 Location: Perth WA Posts: 60  
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I've had good experience with Coopers in the past. Don't know about the new AT3's. Remember, the chunkier the tyre tread, the more noise and higher fuel consumption.
I'd be checking the wear and temp ratings, and ply ratings of the sidewall, especially if doing rocky tracks. Either brand may be LT rated or not. Stiffer sidewalls increase ride harshness Depending on where in the world you live, offsets may be non allowable, in terms of voiding your insurance in the event of an accident. |
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20th Oct 2023 12:34am |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3618  
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Ran AT3 for 40k on a different vehicle. On road, any noise difference was imperceptible to me, grip was fine but I don’t drive fast! Off road, OK. Not as good as a BFG or the wranglers I currently have on, so wouldn’t recommend them for mud plugging etc, but perfectly fine fire fire roads and gravel etc.
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20th Oct 2023 5:50am |
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| Green Machine Member Since: 19 Nov 2010 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1226 
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I'm running AT3 4S on my original Defender 90 and have been pleased with them so far. Mine are 275/55/18. They do tend to 'float' slightly on standing water (not great aquaplaning resistance), but part of that is likely due to the wide width on a relatively light vehicle (usually unladen with driver only).
I previously ran BFG AT in 265 width (old style BFG AT) and they were terrible in the wet, especially with standing water. For me, I prefer the look of wider tyres, but it is aesthetic vanity. A narrower tyre would perform better for my usage and would likely improve the standing water issue (narrower tyre would probably cut through standing water more easily). The main reason people run spacers is aesthetics (prefer the look of a wider stance that fills the arches more effectively). I run +30mm spacers on my old Defender, which is quite common. I am not a new L663 Defender expert (have no experience with the vehicle) but it is worth keeping in mind that Land Rover set the vehicle up from factory in a particular way for a reason. I would be inclined to stick with the standard set up on a more modern / technically complex vehicle. If you are sticking with the same tyre size as factory, you shouldn't have any issues with rubbing. The vehicle is designed to work with that size tyre. It sounds as though the example you cited of someone experiencing rubbing AFTER fitting spacers basically proves the point above. Land Rover designed it to work with the suspension / axle geometry it has from factory. If you start changing things through the addition of spacers, then it wouldn't surprise me that issues can arise (such as rubbing on full articulation / steering lock). On old Defenders it isn't an issue because there is so much 'free space' in the wheel arches. However on the new Defender I would expect that the tolerances are quite a lot smaller e.g. the wheels are designed to fit inside the bodywork quite precisely. 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green |
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20th Oct 2023 10:08am |
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| GTD15 Member Since: 09 Oct 2023 Location: Washington DC Posts: 4 
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Thanks for the helpful responses!
Based on the responses so far, is it best to stick with the factory tire size (255/60/20) instead of going to 275/55/20, even if everything else is left at factory specs (e.g., no offset, no spacer)? I could put on the Wrangler Adventure or DuraTrac in the OEM size (both LR approved), but the reviews are not great and they don't handle as well in the snow. |
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20th Oct 2023 6:20pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3618
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I’ve got the Duratrac on now and they are so far, so good. On road absolutely no issues in the wet, and confidence in the snow. Probably not as good as KO2s off road, but maybe 90% of the way there. Only had them on for 7,000 miles so too soon to say about life span.
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20th Oct 2023 6:47pm |
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