Balance is a good word for this tire.  This tire has what you might call a good balance of off-road capabilities and on road effectiveness making it a true "All Terrain" Tire.  Named after Parnelli Jones who raced Baja 30 years ago, the Dirt Grip use tread and sidewall compounds that have special cooler-running properties, which are of great benefit when run at lower tire pressures.  The tread design is different, almost humorous with a bunch of PJ initials in the 2 center rows of lugs.  The outer lugs use three different lug patterns providing an alternating attack from the edges.  All of the lugs have a multitude of sipes on the tread that will increase traction in all types of terrain from rocks, to sand to snow to mud and on the street.  Those who use the Parnelli Jone Dirt Grip say they work very well when aired down to the single digits and grip very well on the rocks, wet rocks, steep terrain - like glue, while the sidewalls flexes quite conformably over the rocks, boulders and varying terrain.  In models using the 16 and 16.5 inch rims the Parnelli Jone Dirt Grip uses a 10-ply rating on the sidewalls creating a very tough barrier to sidewall punctures. 

In sand these tires are great performers.  With a more milder aggressiveness to its tread design, the Dirt Grips run sand in good form and propel and float rather than dig.  Lateral traction is high providing good lateral stability.  This is especially true of the wider tread versions like the 14.4 section width.

In the mud the Dirt Grips rip through soupy mud better than most All Terrain Tires.  Mild tire spin and the lug voids self-clean efficiently, aided in part by the stepped lug design.

In the snow, wet or powder, the PJ Dirt Grips excel finding traction as then dig and fling through the snow.

For street time, these radial tires are factory balanced and checked for roundness before shipping. The company says the average tire only takes around 5 ounces to balance, which unfortunately is not the norm for great performing offroad tires.  Road noise is minimal, better than average for an All Terrain.

Four wheeler magazine in a January 2002 did a comparison of six off-road tires including the Pro Comp Xterrain, the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, the MT Radial Baja Claw, the BFG Mud-Terrain T/A KM, and the Interco 37 inch Bogger and the PJ dirt grips were rated very good in mud, rocks, street, with an "excellent" in sand making it the highest over all rating of the six tested in sand.

Sizes range from 31X10.50R15/C to 38X15.50R17/E.  See their vendors for size availability and additional ratings.

• Aggressive on/off road performance and styling
• Distinctive sidewall offers additional durability and extra off road traction
• Tubeless 6 ply rated radial
• Tires are x-rayed and checked for radial runout.
• Two steel belts and polyester radial plies in tread area
• PJ initial tread design provides a smooth ride and lower noise
• Wide footprint for excellent straight and lateral stability

The tire also performs very smoothly and quietly on the highway for this type of tire due to the PJ tread design which is similar to a rib highway tire.

Four Wheeler (January 2002 issue) also tested the tires and rated them (on a scale of 1-5) 4 stars in the mud, 4 stars in rocks, 5 stars in sand, and 4 stars in the street.

For more reviews of Dirt Grip Tires see Bronco Driver Magazine March 2004, 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine January 2004, and JP Magazine January 2004.

Manufacturer Info:

Dirt Gripz Inc. 330-873-9582 dirtgriptires.com National Tire & Wheel 800-847-3287 www.natltire.com

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