Nitto Terra Grappler find

[vxDAKINECHICvx]

After researching this site about what you all think of these tires I was pretty set today to purchase them. THEN the boyfriend called down to the tire place where we would get them and the guy told him how he used to have them on his truck and went on about how awful they were....SO I was a tad pissed and came up with some questions.

1. How truly bad are they on the hwy? Tons of road noise?

2. Do they make the ride extremely uncomfortable? I understand with putting bigger and more offroading tires in place of stock tires will be quite a difference but the guy made it seem like they absolutely suck.

3. Are they bad in the snow/rain? Or do they provide mad traction?

I was looking more at the 255/55 18s but it looks like the ones to get after researching were the 285/60 18s. Now since I will have to mod the VX to get them to fit...will it be easier to just get other smaller tires?
AND I guess lastly does the price of 168 a tire sound pretty normal for these?

Any input would be incredibly helpful as I thought for sure I had found the tires for the everyday improving VX. Damn that tire guy!! I just need to give reassurance to my bf so he thinks the way I do about this type of tire and we go into it knowing we made a good choice. But like I said, I have read all threads on this site for these tires but I guess Id try and see if there is something about them that is bad that I am missing. THANKS GUYS AND GALS!!

[etlsport]

i looked into getting terra grapplers and the guy at the shop told me not to since most of my driving is highway.. he said it would drive me nuts and unless i was gonna be offroad a lot not to bother... esp with the trimming involved.. he said i could get 285/55/18 dune grapplers that would probably fit no modding required and be a little quieter... i didnt get either because of $$ and i wanna keep as much zip in my vx as possible... i think biju has those on his proton though, could check with him

[mdwyer]

I have them in 255/55R16 on mine -- they came on it when I bought them. I can't really compare them against anything except the RE92 and Sport9000 tires I've had on the Subaru, though, which probably doesn't help much.

They seem to be GREAT in the snow, which makes me happy, since I've got the obligatory dead ABS system.

They don't seem that noisy on the road. They're actually pretty well-behaved, I think. The ride is bouncy as all hell, but I doubt that's the tires' fault. I can't quite corner like I can in the Subaru, but I'll tell you: It's pretty close.

[Ldub]

Sorry in advance for the "long version".

After researching this site about what you all think of these tires I was pretty set today to purchase them. THEN the boyfriend called down to the tire place where we would get them and the guy told him how he used to have them on his truck and went on about how awful they were....SO I was a tad pissed and came up with some questions.

1. How truly bad are they on the hwy? Tons of road noise?

*IMO one of the quietest off road type tires I've ever had...you have to make a trade off...you can't have everything in one tire. Along with increased traction (more agressive tread pattern), comes increased road noise...but like I stated earlier, these are quiet for the amount of traction they provide.

2. Do they make the ride extremely uncomfortable? I understand with putting bigger and more offroading tires in place of stock tires will be quite a difference but the guy made it seem like they absolutely suck.

*I didn't notice the ride getting much worse, the ride of a VX already sucks, it's not gonna get much worse. And here is that trade off thing again. With a cushy ride you lose cornering ability. The VX, due to it's stiff suspension, is the sports car of the SUV (PUV) world.

3. Are they bad in the snow/rain? Or do they provide mad traction?

*They work fine for me in both...however, be aware of the fact that increasing tire diameter(285/60x18"), increases sidewall height & raises the center of gravity of your VX...meaning that you'll have to take your favorite on ramp a little slower. The good thing...increased ground clearance, & even with 285/60's, the VX will out corner anything in it's class.(oh wait, there is nothing else in it's class.)

I was looking more at the 255/55 18s but it looks like the ones to get after researching were the 285/60 18s. Now since I will have to mod the VX to get them to fit...will it be easier to just get other smaller tires?

*Sure it would be easier, but nothing worth having is ever "easier".

AND I guess lastly does the price of 168 a tire sound pretty normal for these?

*That's a pretty good price, they're currently $174.00 ea. @ discount tires direct.com.

Any input would be incredibly helpful as I thought for sure I had found the tires for the everyday improving VX. Damn that tire guy!! I just need to give reassurance to my bf so he thinks the way I do about this type of tire and we go into it knowing we made a good choice. But like I said, I have read all threads on this site for these tires but I guess Id try and see if there is something about them that is bad that I am missing. THANKS GUYS AND GALS!!

[tomdietrying]

This year in Moab, I had the Nitto Grappler 285/60/18 on mine. I absolutely loves the tires. The last two prior years in Moab I was running the Yokohama AVT 285/60/18. I loved those tires too.

Performance on the Moab slickrock was the same. They were both great.
In dirt trails, I expect the Nittos to be a liittle better just because the tread design is a bit more aggressive.

Road noise they are the same. There is none. What you hear is the what you would hear with any tire. That can be eliminated if you put in some sound damping material in the doors and floor board. I did not do that.

The only difference I could tell was on the highway. I did notice the Yokohamas felt like it was sticking to the road when I was on a corner. The Nittos feel like it rolls on the corner. I thik the sidewall must be stiffer on the Yokohamas.

It all comes down to the look. Do you want your VX to look like a Off-Road stud or a Street Stud?

Peace.
Tom

[JHarris1385]

Are you sure you mean Terra's? Not mud?
I dont see why those are even being questioned. They are not that aggressive. Maybe the guy at the store thought you said mud grapplers. Terra's are not that aggressive of a tire.

[Locomigo]

I agree with what has been said.

Tire monkeys /= Smart cookies (not to generalize against ALL tire monkeys, some are decent, but 90% of the ones I have experience with are failed mechanics)

The Tera Grapplers appear to be a good all around all terrain tire. All terrain is just that: asphalt, dirt, rock, mud, snow, rain, ice... it is like a cross trainer shoe. An all around tire, a swiss army knife. Fitting tire for a rig that doubles as a swiss army knife.

Besides, you will need them when you come down for CO 'Zu in August.

[MSHardeman]

I would have to agree with what most everyone is saying here. I've had the Terra Grapplers (285/60 R18) for the past year and a half and I love them. They aren't loud on the road, they give excellent on and off road traction, and they make the VX look mean. I think that these are the tires the VX should have come with from the factory, because they fill up the wheel well nicely. They work great in the Colorado snow, and they grab like a son-of-a-gun on the twisty mountain roads (an Audi was trying to play with me on some twisties a few months ago, so I gunned it and left him behind).

Like dub said, you're going to have to give up something to get something, but in my opinion you don't really give up anything with the Grapplers. Well mannered, long wearing, good grip, and bitchin' look vs. a little bit (and I mean LITTLE) of cladding trim. Sounds like a deal to me.

[biju]

NITTO's! I swear by them. DO IT without delay. Trust me...

-biju.

[WormGod]

I have them on mine and there is no highway noise. My VX is on the highway 80% of the time when its out and I have yet to even give them any thought because of noise.

As for traction, they hold very well on dry and wet pavement. I have yet to have them in the snow since I only got them around Dec and it never came out of the garage in snow because the Rex was too much fun in it with its summer shoes on, heh.

[WyrreJ]

Don't be afraid to trim, it takes about 30 seconds if the vx is already on the lift - like when you are having the new tires put on. Just have the tire shop use a small rotary cutting tool like a dremel to cut about an inch off the point of the cladding that would touch the tire. A dremel will cut the cladding like butter so it is really easy.

[biju]

A dremel will cut the cladding like butter so it is really easy.

I'm assuming no pun.

-bij.

[tomdietrying]

If you do a lift first, there is no need to cut the cladding even with the 285/60/18s.
Peace.
Tom

[vxDAKINECHICvx]

What do you guys think of the 255/55 18s? Whats the main difference between them and the 285/60s...? Cause apparently that is what is on order now.

[MSHardeman]

Here's what I found after Googling "tire ratio explanation":

Our friends at SEMA member company Discount Tire Direct (7333 E. Helm Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85260-3123, 480-443-5621, www.tires.com) explain tire sizing on their website along with lots of other tire terminology. Section height, also known as the aspect ratio is figured on a percentage of the section width. A tire size of 205/60R15 would have a section width of 205 millimeters and a section height of 60 percent of 205 millimeters, or 123 millimeters. Section width is the linear distance between the outside of the sidewalls of an inflated tire without any load on it.

By applying the formula on our website, you get an equation that looks like this:

Aspect Ratio = 123 DIVIDED BY 205

Aspect Ratio = 0.6 or 60%


So using that formula a tire that is a 285/60R18 would be: 60% of 285 = 171mm. Aspect ratio = 171 divided by 285 = 0.6 or 60%

255/55R18 would be: 55% of 255 = 140.25mm. Aspect ratio = 140.25 divided by 255 = 0.55 or 55%.

What does all this mean? I have no freakin' clue. but there it is.

Here's a more graphic (not THAT kind of graphic) explanation:

http://www.sizes.com/home/automobile_tires.htm