Sometimes it felt like having a cheat code. Time and time again, the tires found traction and pulled the rig through, unlocking whatever scenic flower-filled field or windswept valley lay ahead. Sure my rig would be unable to summit or overcome whatever obstacle I pointed it at, I gently put my foot into the throttle and gave it a go anyway. This was a scene repeated many times over the last several months. My buddy, Winslow, stood there and scratched his head. “Piece of cake!” I boastfully hollered out of my window, looking at my bewildered friend in the side-view mirror. Shortly thereafter, the rear tires took their turn clambering up the backside of the trap. | Nick JaynesĮventually, they too dropped in, as the General Grabber X3s at the front dug into the soft soil and pulled the rig through. The program included over three years of development, 16 tread patterns, over 500 hours of off-road testing, more than 1,000 tires built and tested and well over 2 million miles of testing in a variety of extreme conditions.No, this isn’t one of the seemingly impassable tank traps. The tire maker reported a comprehensive benchmarking, development and evaluation program was created to ensure a robust entry into the mud-terrain segment. Duragen technology provides three-ply construction in all sizes, a robust compound and ultra-high strength steel belts.For on road driving, the Grabber X3 has a siped tread design for wet and winter performance and a multi-pitch pattern to minimize noise.For rock, the tire is equipped with multi-angle gripping edges, deflection ribs and pads, and sidewall lugs.For dirt, there are block chamfers, traction notches and stone bumpers.For mud, the tire offers a high void pattern design, evacuation channels and alternating shoulder scoops.
Thirteen of the sizes will be available with either black lettering or red letters. There will be 16 LT sizes with rim diameters ranging from 16 to 20 inches featuring an 18/32-inch tread depth and 13 flotation sizes with rim diameters ranging from 15 to 20 inches with a 21/32-inch tread depth. The tire will be available in 29 sizes beginning in September.
“So basically, the tire (provides) traction in every direction.” In addition, a series of ribs in the shoulder protect the upper sidewall from damage. “For rock, we have multi-angled gripping edges,” said Joe Maher, product manager for passenger and winter tires. It will replace the original Grabber, which was “really intended to take us into the off-road market for desert racing and short-course racing,” said Travis Roffler, Continental’s director of marketing, when the company previewed the tire for its Gold dealers earlier this year. The “X3” in the new General Grabber X3 stands for extreme dirt, mud and rock, making it Continental’s first true M/T tire in the U.S. One was a General brand - the Grabber X3, and the other was the Continental TerrainContact A/T (see article here). Continental Tire the Americas LLC recently showed off the capabilities of two new tires at a ride-and-drive event for some its biggest customers at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pa.