Nitto Mud Grappler vs Cooper STT Pro

Nitto mud Grappler and Cooper Discoverer STT Pro are Mud terrain tires. Their characteristic groove properties make them excellent for off road driving. Mud Grapplers are especially designed for muddy conditions while Cooper STT are incredible over the rocky trails.

Grappler’s open tread provide great traction in the boggy terrains as its wide grooves propel the clay and mud smoothly out of the tread as the vehicle moves forward. Stone ejectors in grooves of STT Pro keep the tire voids stone-free as it emits the gravel over the rocks. Its edged shoulder lugs maintain firm traction while steering around the tough tracks.

Comparing Nitto Mud Grappler and Cooper STT Pro

Nitto Mud Grappler has a rugged tread pattern with huge grooves, inclined stone ejectors, aggressive shoulders and central siping on the tread blocks. Its open and aggressive tread pattern provides excellent traction in various off-road terrains as troublesome stuff like clay, mud, slush, gravel and snow easily find a way out through its wider grooves. These tires perform incredible in muddy terrains due to self-cleaning capacity of their design. Its shoulders have off set bumpy lugs which not only give a raptor scales look but also enhance traction while steering. Voids are so open that small stones do not get stuck inside them moreover inclined stone ejectors are present circumferentially. This stone repelling tread pattern makes these tires an excellent option for wandering over the rocks. Widened grooves prove a downside when it comes to on road traction, contact patch of tire’s tread and surface of road is much lesser resulting in poor grip. 

Cooper STT Pro has a sophisticated MT look owing to its bulging angled blocks, open grooves, stone ejectors embarking the voids, rugged shoulders and sturdy aggressive sidewalls.

Deep tread optimizes off road traction, due to this property wheels roll smoothly through rough terrains. Its shoulder lugs are edged and aggressively textured enabling the tire to bite firmly while cornering around. Grooves among the tread blocks are less wide than the competitor yet they cause good evacuation of mud, clay, slush and debris and provide satisfactory mud traction. Wet traction is credited to central zigzag sipes present on shoulders and central ribs, these thin slits wipe off water and provide resistance against hydroplaning, but this siping pattern is not much dense, hence, it is not dependable in snow. Stone ejectors are also located in grooves which toss off the pebbles and rocky fragments and save the tire from stone clogging and punctures. These tires do well on road as the patch contact of tread is relatively high so they have better dry traction.

On-Road Traction Comparison

Mud Grappler has less on road traction than its competitor. Its open voids cause disadvantage on road as contact patch of tread is decreased due to wide grooves as a result dry grip is bad. All of its tread blocks are centrally sipped which account for reliable aquaplaning resistance, zigzag siping thus provide them a good wet grip

Cooper STT has more surface area in contact with the road which makes it superior in competition in terms of on road performance.

Greater contact patch ensures good dry grip leading to good overall on road traction. Hydroplaning is resisted by the zigzag sipes on tread blocks, but lesser extent of siping tends to reduce wet traction. Hence, this tire is not a good choice for extreme winter usage although it performs satisfactory in mild weather.

Off-Road Traction Comparison

Mud Grapplers from Nitto tires offer outclass off road traction, its tread exhibit a high void ratio. The magnificent grooves present a lot of space for the smooth evacuation of mud, snow and gravel. The particles of mud/snow are thrown backwards by the wide grooves as the tire accelerates, improving the traction. Stone ejectors located with tread lugs of central ribs give them an aggressive look of raptor claws and prevent stones and pebbles from stuffing into the grooves. Thus, loose fragments as well as rocky particles are thrown away from tire as it rolls forward in rough terrains.

Cooper Pro tires move through mud very efficiently as they have got a deep tread pattern.  Their grooves permit smooth channeling of clay, debris and mud through them. The mud particles are thrown back by the grooves but it isn’t as good as its competitor as it doesn’t have wide grooves. The performance in light snow is also not that good because the tread pattern is closed and very few mud particles are cleared from the path by the narrower grooves, so there is always a chance of getting stuck in the snow.

Aggressive edged lugs of the shoulder ribs provide excellent traction while turning around in difficult off-road terrains. Raised stone ejectors proficiently knock out the stones, pebbles and broken bits of rocks and don’t let these fill up in the grooves, so its rock traction is very good.

Driving Comfort

In Mud Grappler, better mud evacuation due to massive grooves comes with the con of loudness. They produce a lot of noise as there is tons of space for air to reflect and resonate, producing noise. So, you will hear a lot of noise in the cabin while travelling with these tires.

Cooper STT has less wider grooves and shoulder lugs are placed a little closer in comparison, this makes them comparatively less noisy as wind resonation is decreased. While off roading Grappler is more comfortable as wide grooves act as an extra suspension for the vehicle and very few jerks are felt in the cabin.

Durability and Tread wear

Nitto Grappler has sturdy 3 ply side walls which resist punctures and abrasions from bruising particles of rough tracks. This tire is constructed from polyester rubber compounds which give it tensile strength to withstand crisp and sharp off road hazards. These tires show an average tread wear of 40,000 to 50,000 miles. This mileage proves them a fairly durable option for off road adventures.

Discoverer STT’s sidewalls are 3 ply and resist scratches and cuts. Thick sidewalls manage heavy weights and absorb shocks as the vehicle rally around in nature. Its average tread life is estimated about 30,000 to 40,000 miles.  Its tread is strong and resistant to punctures but it isn’t durable enough compared to STT Pro.

Price Differences

Mud Grapplers are high priced as compared to its competitor. But its tread is very durable due to the thickness and composition. Discoverer Pro can be considered as a moderately durable option and it is low on budget.

Quick Summary

• Nitto Mud Grappler and Cooper STT Pro are excellent tires for off road driving.
• Mud Grappler are wonderful for wandering through mud and sand. They have wider and deeper grooves which provide excellent removal of mud, slush, sand and clay from the tire.
• Cooper STT Pro are excellent in dealing with gravel. They have prominent stone ejectors to toss off small stones, rocky particles and pebbles.
• STT Pro is quieter than its competitor, and performs satisfactorily on-road while Grappler is a noisy tire with lesser grip and handling on-road.
• Mud Grappler is a costly tire but tread’s durability makes it worth the amount.