One problem–the promotion limited choices to the General Grabber Arctic, the Firestone Winterforce 2, and the Michelin X-Ice. This provided a great way to get the winter tires I needed at a price point within my budget.
#GRABBER TIRES FREE#
I almost pulled the trigger on a set of Toyo Observe tires at a price just above my comfort level when I received a promotional buy three, get one free tire offer from Toyota. I then looked at other well-reviewed options from Cooper and Toyo. The Nokians were beyond the reach of my rather limited budget, while I would have been placed on a waiting list to get Blizzaks in the 265/70/17 size. Most advice pointed to the Bridgestone Blizzak or Nokian Haakapaleitta, the two established kings of the winter tire world. I needed to do some research, so I asked around and read a lot of forum posts and tire buying guide on Trail4R. Why I chose the General Grabber ArcticĪs I previously mentioned, this would be my first set of winter tires.
![grabber tires grabber tires](https://www.petestirestore.com/assets/images/grabber_oa_wb_lt3q.png)
You can read more details about buying tires on the tire buying guide on Trail 4Runner. But, just because they are branded as such, doesn’t mean they can really hold up under extreme snow and ice in Alaska. Most snow rated tires like the KO2 will be branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol indicating they meet the industry’s severe snow service requirements. They will wear longer and provide traction on a wider variety of surfaces than winter tires, but cannot match the traction of winter tires in icy conditions. In contrast, heavy-duty all-terrain tires like the KO2 are made of harder compounds to resist off-road damage. The siping and soft compound also provides additional grip in myriad winter road conditions. The close voids grip and hold snow, which in turn provides surface traction as it contacts snow and ice on the road’s surface. According to my research, the key features shared by most winter tires are a tread design with close voids, generous siping along the tread blocks, and a softer than normal compound used in construction. How Winter Tires WorkĪ lot of science and engineering goes into tire design, much of which I must admit I do not fully understand.
#GRABBER TIRES PATCH#
At low speed and in 4wd, the KO2s lost their grip on an ice patch and the 4Runner spun into the oncoming lane, mercifully avoiding oncoming traffic and halting prior to the ditch on the opposite side of the road.Īfter this incident, I began to look seriously at winter tire options. While I disliked the wear and tear and reduced gas mileage from using 4wd on paved roads, I figured I could live with it as opposed to buying new tires just a few weeks after buying the KO2s.Ī couple of weeks later, en route to Anchorage on the Parks Highway, I ran into deep snow mixed with ice in the early morning hours.Įverything was fine until I crossed a bridge into the town of Healy. The tires struggled to gain traction under modest acceleration on the icy surfaces common at intersections. In town, I found the KO2s to be just good enough for most day to day driving, although 4wd proved to be a necessity at nearly every stoplight to keep the rear of the vehicle from trying to pass the front. The lesson I took from this-unless ground clearance is an issue, winter tires can provide better traction than 4wd or AWD on non-winter tires. He kept this up until hitting a drift at the vehicle’s hood line, at which point he turned around and headed back the other way.
#GRABBER TIRES DRIVER#
Not far outside of Tetlin, the driver of a Kia sedan equipped with snow tires passed me at highway speed. In 4wd at moderate speed, I made it through without incident, though the 4Runner exhibited a constant tendency to wobble at the rear wheels. Snow depth on the road ranged from 1-3 feet in unplowed sections of the road.
![grabber tires grabber tires](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rNH8n60eL._AC_SY580_.jpg)
On the AlCan between Tetlin Junction and Whitehorse last October, I ran into an early winter storm. The first chink in the armor did not take long to appear. They proved to be adequate in this regard. Based on that experience and research, I believed that these tires would do an excellent job on the winter roads in the Fairbanks area. Past experience with these tires on a Jeep Liberty that I kept in the Anchorage area informed this purchase. The first addition made to my recently purchased 2013 Trail Edition 4Runner was a set of KO2s in the stock size of 265/70/17.
![grabber tires grabber tires](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.performanceplustire.com/Tires/General/General_Grabber_X3_SRL_Angle_NW.jpg)
As a recent transplant to the road system of interior Alaska, however, I must also admit to being a convert to the winter tire school of thought for driving in the coldest, darkest months of the year. In the past, I chose all-terrain tires such as the BFGoodrich KO2 for all conditions in all seasons. I will begin with the admission that this is my first foray into the world of winter tires. The 5th Gen 4Runner is one of the most capable off-the-lot 4x4s available today-so why would it need a winter tire? General Grabber Arctic Studdable All-Terrain Snow Tires Review For the 5th Gen 4Runner