
However, the same is not the case on the icy terrains. Therefore, it loses its grip on soft snow. That’s because it features narrower grooves which reduce its ability to thrash the soft snow backward and move forward. The performance of Geolandar is not considered that effective on soft snow terrains. This performance is further aided by its open shoulder design.įor this reason, we consider this tire a better option to be taken on muddy terrains. It is fully capable of grabbing the mud in its grooves and thrashing it backwards.

In comparison, due to the wider grooves of General Grabber, its performance is exemplary on muddy terrains. When all these factors are combined, the tire’s performance is compromised on mud. In addition to this, due to the compact shoulder design, there is a high chance that the mud particles also get trapped inside its shoulders. That’s because these grooves can be easily stuffed with mud and as a result, the tire becomes more prone to slipping and losing its grip. Talking about the Geolandar’s performance on muddy terrains, it is not that impressive due to its narrower grooves. Therefore, the tire’s grip on wet roads is reduced resulting in a higher braking distance. That’s because even though the sipes on the tread are quite deep, they are not as numerous as its competitor. However, the same performance is not translated into the wet traction of this tire. Therefore, its grip on the dry roads is maximized resulting in a shorter braking distance.
GENERAL GRABBERS AT3 PATCH
As a result, its void ratio becomes lower leading to a higher contact patch with the road. On-Road Traction ComparisonĬonsidering the on-road performance of Geolandar, this tire features narrower grooves and compact shoulders. Furthermore, the presence of bold stone ejectors enhances the tire’s off-road traction even more. However, this is compensated by numerous sipes found all over the tread design. The tire’s shoulder lugs are widely spaced in comparison.Īs a result, its dry traction is reduced. The General Grabber AT3 features wider grooves that separate the shoulders and the central blocks found on its tread. In addition to this, the shoulders of this tire are quite compact which enhances its grip on dry roads. The entire tread is divided by narrow circumferential grooves that separate the shoulders and the central blocks.

While the outward tread block columns measure the same, the inward measures a bit differently than the other two. As an all-season tire, the Grabber AT3 bears the M+S mark and the snowflake symbol to document its safe handling characteristics on snow-covered roads.Yokohama Geolandar consists of a five-pitch tread design that has two outward shoulders and three block columns. These tires are approved for speeds of up to 240 km/h. In the coming fall, General Tire will initially be producing 44 metric sizes for rims between 15 and 20 inches, with an additional 20 LT and C sizes to follow in the spring of 2017. In off-road use, grip in mud and on wet grass has been improved, and the tire presents higher resistance to tread damage than its predecessor. On wet and dry asphalt, the new Grabber AT3 performs at the same high level as its predecessor, while traction on snow has been substantially improved. The balanced block geometry of the tread with low stiffness and the specially modified arrangement of the blocks in the center of the tread reduce vibration in the tire, which makes for good ride comfort on the road, while also providing an even footprint. The third technology, known as “ComfortBalance” demonstrates the developers’ success in overcoming the conflicting interests of ride comfort on asphalt and good off-road grip. And extremely strong steel belts help the tire to deliver high mileage.

In addition, stone bumpers protect the tread base, helping to ensure that stones don’t get stuck in the tread and damage the tire. This meant developing a new tire compound that provides excellent chip and cut resistance. when side loads are applied to part of the tread. The second technology from the developers’ bag of tricks is called “DuraGen” and its job is to boost mileage in rough terrain and under high torsion – i.e. This combination of design features boosts the self-cleaning properties of the tread, permits good interlocking with loose surfaces and provides a large number of edges to deliver grip in every direction. “TracGen” technology, for example, includes an open shoulder design, traction ridges, what the developers call “traction pockets”, and sipes arranged at different angles. Grabber AT3 combines high off-road performance with safe on-road handling.įor the new Grabber AT3 the engineers at General Tire have also developed no fewer than three new technologies that endow their latest arrival with high grip both on- and off-road, enhanced acoustic performance, and high mileage.
