General Grabber Tire Test

For rocks, sand, mud, and dirt, our test mule was a '97 Jeep TJ with 17-inch Poison Spyder Customs beadlocked wheels. For snow and ice, wet pavement, and some additional mud testing, we ran the tires on a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 with 17-inch American Racing Mojave wheels. In everything except for snow and ice, these tires performed exceptionally well. Due to a lack of siping and a compound better suited for hot climates, our encounters with snow-covered surfaces reminded us about the critical differences between an all-season tire and that of a winter tread. We would not expect to see many Grabbers in the Northern regions, where white stuff tends to stick around during the winter months.

For rocks, sand, mud, and dirt, our test mule was a '97 Jeep TJ with 17-inch Poison Spyder

Road Manners
We tested the Grabbers at the maximum recommended inflation pressure of 65psi with each of our two test mules. Around town, the tire performed better on our heavier Dodge 1/2-ton pickup. On the lighter-weight Jeep Wrangler, the tires exhibited a slightly rougher ride quality. After about a week of driving time and and almost 1,000 miles of asphalt with the Jeep, we lowered the pressure, which provided improved flexibility and a much more suppler ride. In the wet, our traction expectations were met with only slightly less-than-desirable results. The obvious lack of siping was noticeable on concrete surfaces such as gas stations, but much less so on asphalt and other porous textures. We figure that any tire with large tread blocks such as those found on the Grabber would probably perform similarly, especially in the slippery conditions of our test locations.Hydroplaning was never observed, no matter how deep the puddles were that we encountered. We suspected that the long circumferential grooves helped to channel away standing water as the pattern swept across deep puddles. The noise level on dry pavement was similar to that of a Toyo Open Country MT-not too loud for our discerning ears.

When it comes to desert terrain, the Grabber returns ample traction for our test Jeep Wrangler. Everything from sand to rock gave us a positive impression about the new tire design. The red sidewall lettering is unique to the Grabber and only comes on one side of the tire.

When it comes to desert terrain, the Grabber returns ample traction for our test Jeep Wran

The Dirt
The Grabber really shines on dry loose surfaces such as those found in creek beds and washes. Mud bogging exercises are not exactly the Grabber's forté, but we did manage to tackle some muddy sidehilling scenarios with surprisingly favorable results. When aired down to 8psi, the Grabber's sidewall flexed nicely, allowing ample interaction with terrain. On Moab's slickrock trails, the tire provided great traction, though the heavy carcass (78 pounds) taxed our donor Jeep's four-cylinder engine and required a little getting used to. Sand dunes seemed like a familiar playground to this tread. We didn't worry about getting stuck in deep sand with the Hemi-powered Dodge Ram, but we did notice something peculiar- the tires felt much hotter to the touch than we thought they should. This may be the result of the higher-than-normal thermal conductivity of the compound used. In desert racing, a tire's ability to conduct away heat away from the wheel and braking assembly is paramount, so the hotter-than-expected surface temperatures could have had something to do with that. Overall we think the new General Grabber is a great desert tire, with smooth-running street characteristics and an uncanny ability to handle rocks and mud.

Specifications
Tire: General Grabber
Size: 35x12.50-17LT
Type: Radial
Load Range: E
Max load: (lb @ psi): 3,197 @ 65
Sidewall: 3-ply Polyester
Tread: 3-ply Polyester, 2-ply Steel, 2-ply Polyamide
Approved rim width (in): 8.5-11
Tread depth (in): 18/32
Tread width (in): 101/4
Section width (in): 10
Overall diameter (in): 35
Static loaded radius (in): n/a
Revolutions per mile: 594
Weight (lb): 78.7