Tyre Testing In Australia

While America is recognised as the world leader in 4WD tyre design, many tyres are designed for American conditions only. However, Cooper Tires analysis of worn and damaged tyres identified drivers in Australia, Argentina and South Africa share similar harsh terrain and road conditions and experience the same damage.

Showing its commitment since 1914 to making 4WD tyres that last, Cooper Tires responded with Australia’s harsh terrain now a testing ground for developing improvements to its current range and prototypes of its new 4WD tyres. 

Tyres are put through a variety of rigorous tests that are designed to research and analyse specific attributes such as grip, strength, mileage.  The tyres as well as feedback from Australia’s Cooper tyre specialists are then sent back to Cooper in America for further analysis and development to make sure the tyres perform just as well here as in America.

It is this ongoing research and development, which lies at the core of Cooper’s commitment to making tyres that last, that played an integral role in the development of Cooper’s ATR and ST-C and continues today with Cooper’s Sure Trac (S/T).

Cooper’s ST-C tyre designed especially for Australia’s coarse, rocky outback roads
The Cooper ST-C is a special addition to the Sure Trac (S/T) range for drivers who do the majority of their driving on Australia’s coarse, rocky outback roads.  This is terrain so harsh that drivers would only hope to get 20,000 to 30,000 kilometres from their tyres due to a problem caused by the coarse terrain – tread chipping.

Cooper’s Research and Development Department analysed tyres sent from Australia and Marty Degyansky, Cooper’s International Technical Manager, came over to experience Australia’s harsh outback terrain first-hand.  Not long after Marty returned to America, Cooper designed the ST-C cut and chip compound tyre.  Cooper kept the proven outback tread design of the Sure Trac (S/T) but made selective changes to the compound to increase cut, chip and lug tear resistance by up to 90%.

The Cooper ST-C is a special addition to the Sure Trac (S/T) range for drivers who do the majority of their driving on Australia’s coarse, rocky outback roads.

Trip across Australia and back tests Cooper’s ATR prototype
With the development of a replacement for its all-terrain tyre, Cooper Tires wanted to make sure the new ATR performed better than its popular forerunner, the Cooper A/T. Cooper fitted a Nissan Navara with a prototype set of ATR’s and sent it across Australia from Byron Bay to Cape Cuvier and back again via the Gunbarrel Highway, the Pilbara Region and the Simpson Desert.

Testing showed the new ATR performed faultlessly in all conditions, giving more grip offroad and 26.7% more mileage than the Cooper AT.

Cooper fitted a Nissan Navara with a prototype set of ATR’s and sent it across Australia

Adelaide to Uluru looks for improvements to the Cooper Sure Trac
Responding to an ‘Aussie Wish List’ sent to them by Terry Smith of Exclusive Tyre Distributors, Cooper underwent a year of intense research and development and produced the first of its optimum outback tyres – the Sure Trac (S/T).

Already one of the most popular 4WD tyres for drivers who travel the outback, Cooper is further demonstrating its commitment to ongoing research and development by sending its product marketing manager John Pecoraro to Australia to find ways to improve the Sure Trac.

Pecoraro joined Australia’s Cooper 4WD tyre specialists on a trip from Adelaide via the Flinders Ranges and Oodnadatta Track to Uluru.  Four identical Toyota Landcruisers were fitted with Cooper’s Sure Trac, ST-C and a prototype S/T tyre.  The aim, to compare the performance of each tread pattern on the same terrain using the same tyre pressures and the same vehicles.

America's Cooper Product Marketing Manager John Pecoraro joined Australia’s Cooper 4WD tyre specialists on a trip from Adelaide via the Flinders Ranges and Oodnadatta Track to Uluru to test improvements to the Cooper Sure Trac.