GENERAL TIRE GRABBER A/TX
WORDS BY JASON TANSEM, PHOTOS BY PERRY MACK & JASON TANSEM
Idropped off the new Grabber A/TX at OK Tire in Kelowna to have them mounted and it was like I was carrying around a new baby. The tires are so new, as soon as I had announced what I had, the staff hovered around my 2015 Ram 1500 waiting to check out the new family member.
The A/TX were mounted on a set of Mayhem 17” non-beadlock wheels.
It was a good thing that I admired the new LT285/70R17 tires and snapped a few photos before I drove away or else I wouldn’t have believed they mounted the right tire. They were noticeably quieter
than the all-terrain tires I replaced and sounded as quiet as the OEM all-seasons which I discarded before.
The Grabber A/TX is a blend of the Grabber X3’s strong sidewall, and the reliable and consistent tread elements of the Grabber A/T2.
This aggressive all-terrain all-weather tire has an M+S rated (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol) but it does have an advantage in icy conditions over other all terrain tires with the option to add studs.
General says their signature DuraGen Technology provides long, even wear with excellent cut and chip resistance, while Stabilitread Technology features a larger footprint and optimized pattern stiffness to further promote even wear and long tread life.
The the sipes are full depth so you’ll maintain wet and snow traction throughout the life of the tire and they say their Comfort Balance Technology is a tread cushioning system with an acoustic tread pattern that provides a more comfortable, quiet ride on the road.
After a few minutes of admiring the lack of tire noise and my pleasant singing voice, I found myself stopped at a red light with no vehicles in sight. As I watched my wipers go back in forth in the downpour I decided to take these new Grabbers through the next test. As soon as that light changed I stomped on my gas pedal. Considering how wet the road was, I was expecting some spin but there was nothing to report other than acceleration. After I reached the speed limit, I looked around and there was still no one in sight. Normally we test the braking in a large parking lot or something similarly isolated, but in this case the opportunity presented itself and I mashed the brake pedal to the floor with both feet. The truck stopped like it was on dry pavement. As I moved on I cornered through puddles of water at high speed and never experienced that uneasy feeling of hydroplaning.
Now if you don’t follow us on Social Media – you should. If you do follow us, you would have seen the ideal weather for our next excursion with these tires.
A mix of rain and wet, heavy snowflakes dropped through dense fog as we white knuckled at highway speed to our favourite spot - Big White Ski Resort just like we were late to get first tracks.
Our mission was to test the Grabbers without 4WD as long as possible. On flat ground the tires provided plenty of grip in the snow and acceleration around corners at a good speed was done without getting the heart rate up. Close to our final destination, we found a muddy, mushy, wet, snowy work site. The handling and traction were great, so naturally we put more gas into the equation and the only issue we had was blacking out the lens of the GoPro with flying mud.
I could feel editor Mack getting bored, so we decided to find a committedoutdoorsman-rated snow covered climb - the kind of road or trail that leads to a remote, no cell reception, ice-fishing spot or winter campsite. Nothing better than a logging road (editor Mack said it was dormant, but I should go first, turn down my country music, and listen for a rumbling sound just in case) leading into the mountains to really see what A/TX could do. I was climbing through roughly 25cm of fresh snow and didn’t experience any slipping and felt completely in control. As the incline got more intense, I did switch into 4WD. The Ram made it with ease and I was impressed by how much traction I had.
Days later our final test was in loose rock and gravel. The only thing that held the A/TX back was the poor approach and breakover angle of the Ram. The tires pulled/pushed the truck along until either the rock or gravel scraped and blocked the front bumper like a snow plow, or tires left the ground (lack of droop or the truck was resting on the side steps). This caused editor Mack no end of pleasure in our continued battle on the merits of work truck versus trail rig.
The Grabber™ A/TX will be available in 27 LT-Metric sizes ranging from 15” – 20” rim diameter, primarily load rating E; 10 floatation sizes ranging from 14” – 20” rim diameter, OD from 27” to 37”; three metric sizes ranging from 16” – 20”
rim diameter in widths up to 305mm; and six new sizes.
We drive a pile of tires (literally, they are stacked in piles in storage), and these Grabbers were able to effortlessly climb rock and claw into dry conditions. What gets me cranked up is what the A/TX can do in snow, ice, freezing rain and mud. What I found exceptional was their ability to handle the changing on- and off-road conditions we faced.
I don’t hesitate in recommending these tires for 4x4 enthusiasts, both hardworking tradesmen and outdoorsmen alike. I am keeping them on my personal vehicle and have full confidence they will get the job done in any situation.
Check out videos from our test on social media:
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