Nitto Trail Grappler - real world feedback

[KSScotton]

Hey guys

I am looking for some real world feed back on the Nitto Trail Grapplers. A search of the forum didn't yield much new info.

Some quick background on what I am looking to run these on. I have a '10 Tundra double cab that is currently sitting on BFG All Terrain KO2's (275/70-18). These have been great tires but they are reaching the end of their lifespan. I would just replace the BFG's with another set but I am looking to jump into some 35's (285/75-18's to be exact) and BFG doesn't offer this size in the KO2's or the KM2's. Anyone running these? If so how have they held up?

Appreciate the help
Jeremy

 

[1leglance]

I have run 2 sets of these on an 11,000lb Sportsmobile 4wd Van that did Moab, Baja washboard and lots of other fun.
Never had any issues and loved them.
If it wasn't for the price I would have them on my current rig but I went cheap instead and I now prefer tall skinny tires.

Go for them if you are leaning that way. Great tire.

 

[KSScotton]

I have run 2 sets of these on an 11,000lb Sportsmobile 4wd Van that did Moab, Baja washboard and lots of other fun.
Never had any issues and loved them.
If it wasn't for the price I would have them on my current rig but I went cheap instead and I now prefer tall skinny tires.

Go for them if you are leaning that way. Great tire.

Appreciate the insight!
Jeremy

 

[skeeter06]

I ran them for 40k miles on my H3. Still have plenty of tread. I ran 295/70/18s. The only reason I took them off is because of the tread being so stiff and I would get some slippage on slicker rocks. They worked great other wise.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

I have gone through four sets of BFG AT/KOs on my old Z71, and the last set is getting replaced tomorrow morning with a lightly used set of Nitto Trail Grapplers in 285-70-17, same size as my current BFGs. I have run BFGs as tall as 315-70-16s on this truck and have had what appeared to be tread separations on two of those sets. The BFGs stick very well on dry pavement, are OK in rain and snow, and seem to work pretty well in desert sand. The OE BFG AT/KOs were blamed for the death wobble problem on some of the early 3G Power Wagons (solid front axle) and the conventional cure was to replace those tires, as documented in a Dodge TSB. I only had those BFGs on the PW for a couple of months and did not experience death wobble, but did get death wobble on the Z71 (IFS) with the 35" BFGs. Replaced the front suspension components, rebalanced the tires, realigned the front end, still had death wobble at 55mph +/-. A different tire shop drove the truck, said it was internal tread separation, so I put on a fresh set of tires and the problem disappeared. I'm not buying BFGs any more. Load range on the BFGs is D but the Nitto TGs are LR-E, which is a nice feature for me because I tend to overload the truck sometimes with stone and building materials. Having said that, my truck tire of choice has become Toyo. My Dodge Power wagon had a set of Toyo Open Country M/Ts in 35", and when those wore out I put on a set of Open Country AT-IIs. Love them both, but would probably go now with the Toyo RTs as a good compromise. I am selling the Z71 soon, and its replacement is a 2008 Tundra TRD that I recently bought from a friend. When he needed tires on the Tundra I told him I wanted Toyos on it when I owned it, so he put on a set of AT-IIs and they are the right tire for that truck. One thing I noticed about the Tundra (CrewMax, 4WD, TRD package, factory 18" wheels) is that the handling was unpredictable, steering feedback was questionable, and front suspension seemed mushy compared to the Z71 and the PW on big tires with fresh Bilstein shocks. Replaced the Tundra shocks with a leveling kit and ProComps (because the Bilstein 5160s I wanted were not available) and the better shocks made a huge difference in the feel of the truck. Normally I am not a fan of leveling kits, but my mechanic had a Tundra and he convinced me to add that, seems to be worth it. Truck drives much better now.

 

[KSScotton]

I have gone through four sets of BFG AT/KOs on my old Z71, and the last set is getting replaced tomorrow morning with a lightly used set of Nitto Trail Grapplers in 285-70-17, same size as my current BFGs. I have run BFGs as tall as 315-70-16s on this truck and have had what appeared to be tread separations on two of those sets. The BFGs stick very well on dry pavement, are OK in rain and snow, and seem to work pretty well in desert sand. The OE BFG AT/KOs were blamed for the death wobble problem on some of the early 3G Power Wagons (solid front axle) and the conventional cure was to replace those tires, as documented in a Dodge TSB. I only had those BFGs on the PW for a couple of months and did not experience death wobble, but did get death wobble on the Z71 (IFS) with the 35" BFGs. Replaced the front suspension components, rebalanced the tires, realigned the front end, still had death wobble at 55mph +/-. A different tire shop drove the truck, said it was internal tread separation, so I put on a fresh set of tires and the problem disappeared. I'm not buying BFGs any more. Load range on the BFGs is D but the Nitto TGs are LR-E, which is a nice feature for me because I tend to overload the truck sometimes with stone and building materials. Having said that, my truck tire of choice has become Toyo. My Dodge Power wagon had a set of Toyo Open Country M/Ts in 35", and when those wore out I put on a set of Open Country AT-IIs. Love them both, but would probably go now with the Toyo RTs as a good compromise. I am selling the Z71 soon, and its replacement is a 2008 Tundra TRD that I recently bought from a friend. When he needed tires on the Tundra I told him I wanted Toyos on it when I owned it, so he put on a set of AT-IIs and they are the right tire for that truck. One thing I noticed about the Tundra (CrewMax, 4WD, TRD package, factory 18" wheels) is that the handling was unpredictable, steering feedback was questionable, and front suspension seemed mushy compared to the Z71 and the PW on big tires with fresh Bilstein shocks. Replaced the Tundra shocks with a leveling kit and ProComps (because the Bilstein 5160s I wanted were not available) and the better shocks made a huge difference in the feel of the truck. Normally I am not a fan of leveling kits, but my mechanic had a Tundra and he convinced me to add that, seems to be worth it. Truck drives much better now.

Appreciate the feedback! I have Bilstein 5100's on my tundra and it is a night and day difference. Drove the Tundra for about a month before making the switch. With the bilsteins on the tundra the ride feels much firmer giving the truck a more planted feel, if that makes sense? Anyway it has a much confidence inspiring ride after the switch.

Sorry to hear about all the issues you had with the BFG's, I ran them on my last 3 trucks without issue. I did notice that you need to stay on top of your tire rotations or you will pay the price with cupping.

Thanks again
Jeremy

 

[KSScotton]

I ran them for 40k miles on my H3. Still have plenty of tread. I ran 295/70/18s. The only reason I took them off is because of the tread being so stiff and I would get some slippage on slicker rocks. They worked great other wise.

That's good to hear. They will get a lot of street miles on them plus a trip to CO once or twice a year but nothing too hard core.

Thanks
Jeremy

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Put about 120 pavement miles on the new-to-me Nittos today. They are surprisingly quiet and soft riding, considering that they are Load Range E. Turn-in response seems much better than with the BFGs, although the BFGs were pretty well worn. Best thing is that the "whump-whump-whump" noise is gone, which seems to confirm that this set of BFGs had the same internal separation that plagued the last set of BFGs.

 

[The End]

I've run 2 sets, 315s on my Tacoma and I have 265s on my 4runner.

They are great tires, clean well, quiet, good tread wear and thick sidewalls.

My only gripes are they are heavy and they are not good in the rain.

 

[alia176]

I'm on my second set of TG and love them. Not a single flat tire and I've abused them greatly.


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[LexusAllTerrain]

I'm on my second set of TG and love them. Not a single flat tire and I've abused them greatly.


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Are this on a 315/75/16 size on your landcruiser?

 

[getlost4x4]

I have these on my 2006 Ford F350 6.0 Crew Cab Long Bed.

They do very well in the mud even when pulling a 14000 lbs trailer behind it.

They have been wearing very evenly. They balance very well.

They are expensive though. a 285-65-18 E tire is about $360. So that's my only gripe so far.

 

[Box Rocket]

My brother in law is running a set of 295s on his Cruiser (LX470) and I was pretty impressed with them in Moab a couple weeks ago. Did well in the rocks and feel pretty good, for an MT, in the rocks.

.

 

[alia176]

Are this on a 315/75/16 size on your landcruiser?

Correct. Oh wait, I misspoke. I have theTerra Grapplers not Trail Grapplers. My bad!


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[KSScotton]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

They are spendy which is why I was looking for some good feedback on these before dropping a large chunk of cash on them.