#General grabber x3 road noise drivers#

In our testing, we found the Continental tire stopped about 6 feet sooner than its closest competitor-that's more than enough to avoid a rear-end collision while panic-braking in the rain. The 6,000-pound behemoths skidded to a halt, and an onboard data-logger listed the number of feet it took to cease forward momentum. Hoses sprayed water across an asphalt runway, as we pushed the F-250s to 55 miles per hour and slammed on the brakes after entering the wet zone. Not everyone wants (or needs) to be roaring down the road on knobbly mud-terrains 24/7, so the TerrainContact acts as a nice middle ground.įirst, we tested the TerrainContact behind the wheel of some Ford F-250s, via a wet “stop box” test. Think of it as a choice for the daily-driven bug-out truck or SUV, since it provides solid traction and durability without sacrificing a smooth and quiet ride.

#General grabber x3 road noise drivers#

This all-terrain tire is designed for drivers who spend most of their time on paved roads, with sufficient added capability for wet conditions and some off-road use. Our tire testing started with the milder of the two off-road capable tires at this event, the Continental TerrainContact A/T. Product engineers from the Continental and General teams gave a short presentation about the features of each tire, but rather than bore you with these details, we'll jump straight to the main event, and cover the features of each new tire as we go. A few hours later, we arrived at the Unpaved event in Farmington, Pennsylvania (about 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh). So, we jumped at the chance, and hopped on a red-eye flight from our home base in California. Rather than simply informing the public via a boilerplate press release, they invited us to come out to rural Pennsylvania and put some actual miles on these new tire models. They sent us an email letting us know about the launch of two new tire models, the Continental TerrainContact all-terrain and the General Grabber X3 extreme-terrain/mud-terrain. Fortunately, that opportunity was presented to us on a silver platter by the folks at Continental Tire and General Tire. Given the importance of tires to any vehicle-based survival plan, we've been on the lookout for an opportunity to demonstrate this point firsthand. You'd be stuck literally spinning your wheels while SHTF, and that's not a situation anyone wants to be in. Without these seemingly simple pieces of rubber, your car or truck won't be going anywhere, and every other feature we listed above will be rendered meaningless. Just imagine trying to weave through congested traffic on a set of bald or punctured tires, or trying to tackle a steep mountain path while riding on bare metal rims. However, there's one essential component of every modern vehicle that can make or break your bug-out plans: tires.

If you're in a really extreme scenario, you might wish for armor plating or bulletproof glass. You might even think of less obvious elements, such as long-distance fuel economy, ease of repair, and the ability to maximize capability while still blending into traffic. Red letter sidewall styling is available in select sizes and is derived from Grabber off-road racing tires and affixed to the tire as a vulcanized label that requires special care and can be damaged by contact with curbs and off-road hazards.If you close your eyes and envision the ideal bug-out vehicle, what does it look like? Most of us know the key aspects to consider-a powerful engine, excellent reliability, high ground clearance, four-wheel-drive, bright lights, and plenty of storage space for all the gear you might need. While Off-Road Maximum Traction tires, which are often called mud tires, are branded with the M+S symbol and able to churn through deep snow, their typical oversize applications and the absence of snow-biting sipes in their large, smooth lugs can challenge their on-road wintertime traction on packed snow and icy surfaces.

Externally, Sidewall Protection Lugs and Deflection Ribs help defend the tire body and upper sidewall area from punctures while traversing harsh terrain. Internal construction of the Grabber X3 features General's DURAGEN technology, which consists of a three-ply body casing and twin ultra-high strength steel belts for durability off-road and on. Full-depth sipes improve wet and wintertime traction throughout the tire's life, and the multi-pitch tread block design minimizes the drone of pattern-generated noise to create a more comfortable on-road driving experience. Evacuation channels clear mud from the tread, while stone bumpers at the base of the grooves help to release stone and debris. The Grabber X3 utilizes a robust off-road tread compound molded into a high void, symmetric pattern featuring block chamfers and traction notches for grip in loose surfaces. General Grabber X3 is designed to blend durability and extreme traction capability in dirt, mud and on rock without sacrificing on-road comfort.