Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

General Grabber AT2 Review

60K views 107 replies 43 participants last post by  RunnerInSTL 
#1 ·
Upgraded my JK last week from the stock 29" Tires to some General Grabber AT2s. I couldn't find all that much information when I was researching them, and kind of took a leap of faith buying them. For that reason, I'm writing a brief review for those that may consider them.

The Stats: I went with 33x12.50R15LT tires on (obviously) 15" MB Razors in matte black. The whole setup ran me right at $1360 from Discount Tire for all five wheels and tires. That included swapping my TPMS sensors from my stockers to the new wheels.

The Look: I'm really happy with the look of these tires. I wasn't able to find many pictures of them on JKs when I was researching, and I was a bit afraid they wouldn't look aggressive enough for my liking. I was wrong. They look plenty fierce. They're not quite as aggressive looking as the Duratracs that are so popular, but I'm certainly happy with the look. I had contemplated going with 17" wheels and 285/70R17 tires, and am glad I didn't. The small wheels make the 33" tires look a bit more beefy. I also think the extra width of the 12.50s adds something that would be missing with the 285s (which are about an inch narrower.

The Fit: My JKU is factory height and I get no rubbing anywhere. Of course, it hasn't been off the pavement yet. Full lock turns either direction don't even get the tires to rub on the air dam, which I figured was almost guaranteed. Actual height on these bad boys is right at 31.5"...a bit on the small side for a 33" tire. I do wish they measured a little closer to the stated size.

The Ride: I wasn't a fan at first. They seemed to ride rough, and I was getting blown all over the highway in even moderate wind. Then I realized that the tires were all at 35-37 psi. I adjusted them to 30 psi, and that seemed to fix the issues. They're still just a hair floaty on the highway, but that's likely just a result of the width. As far as road noise goes, what's that? These are every but as quiet as the stock Wrangler SA tires that were in there. You can't even hear the tires over the wind noise produced by driving a brick down the highway.

The Traction: This is where I'm ill equipped to testify. I've only had them a week and the weather has been nice the whole time. I live in Texas, so my chances to try them out in the snow will be few and far between. As I previously mentioned, I haven't been off road with them (or my Jeep), either. I'm basically worthless when it comes to this category.

The Wear: After a week, they still look brand new. Obviously that means absolutely nothing. I'm useless here as well.

I'll try to remember to update this thread as time goes on and these suckers have opportunities to perform in some different conditions. If there's anything specific you want to know or any specific pictures you'd like to see, just let me know.
 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#4 ·
Ive used General At2's in the past. they are a great economically priced general purpose tire. They work quite well in the snow up my way for highway driving. They are like a BFG AT to some extent with a very similar tread. They wore extremely well. I moved on from a second set because they didn't fit my needs. I use a more aggressive tread. Currantly using Kenda Klever M/t load range E. You will not be disappointed with your tire selection.
 
#5 ·
I'm very interested in the Grabber AT2's. Just wondering why you went with 15" wheels? Read that there are clearance issues with the calipers or something?

Interested in seeing the effect on your gas mileage. These tires look pretty mean... nice look.
 
#6 ·
I'm very interested in the Grabber AT2's. Just wondering why you went with 15" wheels? Read that there are clearance issues with the calipers or something? Interested in seeing the effect on your gas mileage. These tires look pretty mean... nice look.
My reasoning for going with 15" wheels was twofold. First, I like the look of more tire and less wheel. I feel like it makes the whole shebang look a little more beefy than it actually is. That was important to me since I was committed to sticking with 33" tires instead of something bigger. Secondly, the 15" wheels and tires were much less expensive than their 16" or 17" counterparts.

The clearance issues are only with steel 15" wheels, and only some of them. They're very hit or miss. If you're interested in alloy 15" wheels, check with Discount Tire...they know which ones are compatible.
 
#7 ·
My JKU is factory height and I get no rubbing anywhere. Of course, it hasn't been off the pavement yet. Full lock turns either direction don't even get the tires to rub on the air dam, which I figured was almost guaranteed. Actual height on these bad boys is right at 31.5"...a bit on the small side for a 33" tire. I do wish they measured a little closer to the stated size.
General Tire lists that tire as having an actual diameter of 32.8". Do you know the specs on the wheels you installed (backspace/offset)?

Looks great, by the way.
 
#16 ·
A brief update to this thread:

I've recently had the opportunity to test out the capability of these tires in the rain, and on a dry gravel road.

They were great in the rain. I stomped on the gas, did some hard braking, and took a few turns faster than was likely advisable. Although I wasn't specifically trying to do so, I never reached the limits of the tires. They were head and shoulders above the stock 29"ers.

I had a similar result on the gravel road. It was a newly established road, so the gravel on top was still pretty loose in a lot of places. There were a few spots that we're starting to washboard, though. They handled it all very well. I never would have driven my Ram 1500 (the vehicle I traded for my JKU) the way I was able to drive the Jeep on that road.
 
#17 ·
I'm looking at nearly the exact setup, only with MB TKO wheels. How are they doing at 30psi? And are you still satisfied with them?
You went from the stock setup to this I think... I'll be going from a 325/60/18 to this, so I know there is a little different perspective; I'm still interested in hearing your opinions about them.
They look great.
 
#18 ·
I'm looking at nearly the exact setup, only with MB TKO wheels. How are they doing at 30psi? And are you still satisfied with them? You went from the stock setup to this I think... I'll be going from a 325/60/18 to this, so I know there is a little different perspective; I'm still interested in hearing your opinions about them. They look great.
I almost went with TKO wheels, but decided they were a bit too flashy for my otherwise drab Jeep. Running the tires at 30 psi has recently given way to colder temperatures that dropped them to 27-28. They ride great at that pressure. I'd be worried about running them any lower, though.

I'm still really satisfied with them. Yesterday I popped my JKU into 4WD for the first time and climbed a short, but steep, incline. Some recently melted snow and ice had made it quite soft, but the Grabbers barely broke traction at all. That's a tiny sample size, but I'm confident they'd hold up to any offroad situation I'd have the stones to out them in (which is, admittedly, not saying much).

The only thing I'd change about these tires is that I wish they ran a little more true to size. When these wear out, I may buy 35s in the same tire (which would likely be close to a true 33).
 
#19 ·
I was wondering about the size. Mine now measure out to an actual 33.25 or so. I think the AT2 will be 32 or so, right?

I'm not sure that I can justify the extra $25 per tire to my wife for the 35s.

I like the wheels you have, but SWMBO nixed any "with round holes" since she doesn't like that look. We agreed on the TKO and I'm sure it will be great.
 
#20 ·
I was wondering about the size. Mine now measure out to an actual 33.25 or so. I think the AT2 will be 32 or so, right? I'm not sure that I can justify the extra $25 per tire to my wife for the 35s. I like the wheels you have, but SWMBO nixed any "with round holes" since she doesn't like that look. We agreed on the TKO and I'm sure it will be great.
If that's your ride in your profile picture, I think the TKOs will look great. I like them a lot, but thought the Razors were a bit more subdued. That goes a little better with my flat green, decal free Jeep.
 
#21 ·
I'd have to say General Tire Grabbers AT were our first desired tire for our 99 wrangler.. and when I learn from General tire that they created a new Grabber AT2 I put our name on the waiting list.. Mind you friends in the area who do not have jeeps asked loads of questions about this tire and even put them on his Honda element.. I waited enarly 1 year until General tire informed me that the new AT2 tires were ready.. One thing that impressed me at the time before installing them.. was that general tire was boasting that these new AT2s could go 60,000 miles which is typically unheard of for an off road tire. We broke down and get to tires for the 99 wrangler.. they grabbed the road and trail very easily thus leading to there eventual down fall.. we only got 45,000 miles out of them.. I guess cause they "grab" everything.
 
#22 ·
I've had my General Grabber AT2s (30/9.5/15) since last spring but here's my $0.02 anyway! :p

Nice road manners and ride at ~25+/- psi (empty/light), no road noise--that I can hear above my rag-top brick, and decent snow traction (better than the former tires by a long shot). At 30 psi and above I get a harsh ride with bump-steer, unless I'm packed heavy for a road-trip.

With 25K+ on them, they seem to be wearing very well at 25-ish psi. I'm due for a 5K rotation (my schedule), and I'll see how they gauge. I suspect I'm slightly over-inflated and the centers may show more wear relative to the shoulders. We'll see, and adjust pressure from there.

YMMV, and invariably will...
 
#38 ·
Got my Grabber AT2s (295/75/16) back in October and after driving the JK across the country/seeing how many people have been posting here, figured I'd add in my $.02. I'm by no means a tire expert but so far these tires have performed pretty darn well for me.

Dry terrain/Arizona trails: ran multiple trails in the Tucson, Bisbee and Sierra Vista area, aired down to about 15psi. Tires gripped on everything I threw at them and kept up with others running MTs on hill climbs. The sidewalls are 2-ply, however, aren't the magical Duratracs as well? Tire placement and knowledge of your line will greatly help prolong the life of any tire while wheeling.

Highway Driving (AZ to Northern NY): As you can imagine, driving cross-country in a 2 door JK w/soft top is by no means fun, but again, these tires performed great. Traction in wet conditions was never out of the question and not once did I feel as though I was about to hydroplane (cannot say the same for MTs). With a wide tread pattern, you can expect the tires to be a little "flighty" on the road, particularly if you find yourself getting pulled into a groove.

Snow/ice: this is why I bought these tires and thus far, through multiple North Country storms, the grip on ice and snow has been phenomenal. The tires will pack with snow to an extent, but similar to mud, just keep them moving and it will eventually clear itself. On ice, any tire will not save you, it comes down to the driver and their approach to driving ice. So far, these tires have gripped where they need to and enabled me to keep driving in snow/ice conditions while others have pulled off the road.

Before settling on the Grabber AT2, I did some exhaustive research and comparison with AT-specific tires, to include the ever-talked about Duratrac. For a budget-minded individual that is concerned with having an extremely capable tire that performs well in all conditions and includes a 60,000 mile warranty (Duratrac owners cannot say they have this...), I would encourage you to give the AT2 a chance.

Couple these tires with a great ordering experience and the customer service of Discount Tire/DTD and you've got yourself a pretty good deal. Don't let yourself fall into the Duratrac crowd simply because "that's what everyone else is doing."
 
#39 ·
Before settling on the Grabber AT2, I did some exhaustive research and comparison with AT-specific tires, to include the ever-talked about Duratrac. For a budget-minded individual that is concerned with having an extremely capable tire that performs well in all conditions and includes a 60,000 mile warranty (Duratrac owners cannot say they have this...), I would encourage you to give the AT2 a chance.

Couple these tires with a great ordering experience and the customer service of Discount Tire/DTD and you've got yourself a pretty good deal. Don't let yourself fall into the Duratrac crowd simply because "that's what everyone else is doing."
The General Tire website states that the 60,000 mile warranty excludes LT sizes. It looks like the 295/75r16 is only offered in LT. Can you confirm this?
 
#40 ·
Good catch on the warranty. I have these on my wife's Grand Cherokee as well and they are not LT sized.

Regardless, I would contend that for the AT variety of tires you're essentially getting relatively the same tread pattern across the popular selection (BFG KO, Duratrac, Grabber AT2) and it really boils down to how much you're willing to spend/what your requirements are.

An MT will always be better than my AT2 on a dry trail or in the mud, but for me that wasn't my main requirement.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top