[C2] Cooper Tires
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Lake Panasoffkee Florida
Cooper Tires
Please be aware of buying Cooper Cobra GT radials. I have a classic car that I have bought two sets of these tires in the last 4,000 miles. Seems the belts fail by separating and slipping making the tires completely useless. I contacted everyone at Cooper Tires and got very little help. Finally someone there told me to take them to a dealer and have the thread measured. I took them and they showed almost no wear and then Cooper offered after arguing a twenty-five percent discount on a new set. That is only about $25 a tire at full retail. I decided not to get another set as two previous sets was wasted money so I bought a different brand. I'm hoping to have other potential buyers avoid the problems I have had as II know there are people who like the look of the tires. I was told because the tires were seven years old that it's not abnormal yet on their website they state tires don't get old they just wear out. I tried using that statement but they wouldn't back it up. My impression is they lie, they don't back their products without a lot of argument and then very little offered support.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 3,094
From: Cottonwood AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Please be aware of buying Cooper Cobra GT radials. I have a classic car that I have bought two sets of these tires in the last 4,000 miles. Seems the belts fail by separating and slipping making the tires completely useless. I contacted everyone at Cooper Tires and got very little help. Finally someone there told me to take them to a dealer and have the thread measured. I took them and they showed almost no wear and then Cooper offered after arguing a twenty-five percent discount on a new set. That is only about $25 a tire at full retail. I decided not to get another set as two previous sets was wasted money so I bought a different brand. I'm hoping to have other potential buyers avoid the problems I have had as II know there are people who like the look of the tires. I was told because the tires were seven years old that it's not abnormal yet on their website they state tires don't get old they just wear out. I tried using that statement but they wouldn't back it up. My impression is they lie, they don't back their products without a lot of argument and then very little offered support.
The bottom line is that radial tires “age out” after about 7 years and regardless of how much tread you have left on them you are running a chance of the EXACT problem you have encountered. This is nothing new and has been discussed many times on this forum.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,202
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
I've used the Cobra GT's on my cars with no issue. I have Cooper Trendsetters on two cars now with no issue. Both sets are 6 years old. I didn't let them sit for seven years either. I don't know of any tire manufacturer that will give a 7 year free (or discounted) replacement after that long.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,664
Likes: 417
From: Central Texas
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,664
Likes: 417
From: Central Texas
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
You weren't in on the lengthy thread that spawned this..
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ial-tires.html
I and many others went through a bunch of American tires (e.g. Uniroyal Tiger Paw) and the whitewalls turned chocolate brown in a few weeks and stayed that way.... The Hankooks aren't significantly cheaper...
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,664
Likes: 417
From: Central Texas
No.
You weren't in on the lengthy thread that spawned this..
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ial-tires.html
I and many others went through a bunch of American tires (e.g. Uniroyal Tiger Paw) and the whitewalls turned chocolate brown in a few weeks and stayed that way.... The Hankooks aren't significantly cheaper...
You weren't in on the lengthy thread that spawned this..
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ial-tires.html
I and many others went through a bunch of American tires (e.g. Uniroyal Tiger Paw) and the whitewalls turned chocolate brown in a few weeks and stayed that way.... The Hankooks aren't significantly cheaper...
I'm not a "whitewall guy" but have same basic issue with the RWL BF Goodrich's on my C3.
I just clean 'em regularly with Blechwite. Thread jack over.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,005
Likes: 1,510
From: Prescott Arizona
Tires are being made in a lot of different countries and it can be a bit confusing to figure out where your tires were made. Speaking of Hankook, I ran across an article dated 2017 that said Hankook was building a $800 Million Dollar, 1.5 million square foot production facility in Tennessee. I've had Cooper Cobra Radial GT's on my 56 Nomad for about 7 years and no problems yet.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Last edited by Vet65te; Mar 16, 2020 at 04:49 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,738
Likes: 3,723
From: Central Arkansas
I have Mickey Thompsons (ST I believe) made by Cooper (similar to Cooper Cobra) on my Cobra rep and they have held up fine so far. They are actually pretty well regarded in the Cobra crowd where traction and good behavior are appreciated.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
If you have a 63 and are trying to keep it correct and it has black wheels (not body color) which I do (and are powder coated) you are supposed to run thin whitewalls; that limits you quite a bit as to modern radial tire selection, and with the whitewall defect on many brands....the options really narrow down...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,884
Likes: 261
From: Jamison Pa
St. Jude Donor '11-'25
I do not keep tires longer than 6 years. That includes my two trailers And a bunch of cars. I’ve gotten rid of Michelin tires with plenty of tread left, but they had become very hard.
Bob K.
Bob K.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 373
Likes: 95
From: Orlando FL
Tires are being made in a lot of different countries and it can be a bit confusing to figure out where your tires were made. Speaking of Hankook, I ran across an article dated 2017 that said Hankook was building a $800 Million Dollar, 1.5 million square foot production facility in Tennessee. I've had Cooper Cobra Radial GT's on my 56 Nomad for about 7 years and no problems yet.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Lake Panasoffkee Florida
Tires were riding rough took them to have balanced and the dealer showed me and said the belts had slipped. Happened I believe when I went around a curve. Cooper was the one who said tires don't get old, they wear out and I see it's no longer on their website.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,228
Likes: 399
From: Northern CA
Cooper Cobras on my 66 Coupe in 2014. Absolutely one of the best performing tires I've ever had on the car. Put 7000 miles on them on a 4 week cross country trip and never an issue. Still not an issue. I've driven the car at better than 100 miles an hour at Sonoma Raceway.... Laguna Seca and other tracks hours on end. Great tire in my opinion.