The Nitto Trail
Grappler MT Tire
| Nitto recently announced the introduction of the Nitto
Trail Grappler MT tire into their offroad tire lineup.
The move to create this new design came from the market
demand for a good offroad tire that also behaves good
on-road, which is where most offroad weekend warriors
spend their weekdays. On the daily commute in
their 4x4. As feedback rolls in, this was a good
move on Nitto's part as their tire lineup needed a tire
to fit in as a lesser aggressive MT type tire than the
Mud Grappler but more aggressive than the All Terrain
tires that Nitto already offered. Using Nitto's
advanced design methods, they created a trail design
that performs in a wide variety of terrains including
mud, dirt, gravel and forested logging trails.
Very common terrains many offroaders encounter across
the trails of the U.S. The trade-offs that are
typical of traction over road comfort were primary
concern with designing the Trail Grappler according to
Staff Engineer at Nitto Tire, Anthony Lee.
The results of advanced CAD design, analysis and
testing of multiple designs was a moderately
aggressive MT tire that is suitable for daily
driving. |
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| Offroad performance of the Nitto Trail Grappler
MT comes from a 3-ply sidewall and thick, puncture
resistant rubber compound to protect what is
typically the most vulnerable part of a tire.
The tread design uses a large siped block
configuration that provides great forward traction
while holding lateral stability. The balance
of void to lug is decent for mud and snow and clears
debris well. |
| On road design characteristics are equally as
impressive. Utilizing advanced sound analysis
equipment, Nitto's engineers were able to test and
design a tread configuration that keeps noise levels
down to below what the average MT tire would create.
The low-noise tread design also produces a tire with
less treadwear; less noise, less rolling resistance
= better tread life. Internal construction
consists of 2 wide steel belts for a stable base,
increased tread strength and provides a more uniform
tread wear over time. The outer shoulder tread
block reinforced grooves provide stiffness and
support for extended tread life.
The Trail Grappler is available in popular sizes from 32- to 37-inch for full-sized trucks
(Load-rated "E" , Jeeps and
SUVS. Additional information can be found
here. |
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