Nitto Dura Grappler (Highway Terrains)

**Discount Tire Direct** · 11-24-2008, 08:51 PM

I though you guys would find this write up by Off Road Magazine pretty interesting. This is a perfect tire option for your LT E load range needs. I took this information right from off-roadweb. If anyone has any questions please let me know.

Nitto Dura Grapplers

Highway Terrains

By Jerrod Jones
photographer: Jerrod Jones

Aggressive tires look cool, and they usually work well in the dirt, but they are many times not the best street tires to have on your daily driver. But that's never stopped the majority of us before. We've seen many a desert rat towing giant toy haulers with bias-ply tires, surpassing the load range on the side of their tires and clearly choosing form over function. This can not only lessen fuel economy but also burn through lots of rubber that was never designed for highway life. Worst of all, it can endanger your passengers and other drivers around you as aggressive tires generate more heat than tires designed for the street, putting a tirethat's likely overloaded past its load range at even more risk of failure.
Knowing that larger and larger tires are finding themselves onto daily drivers, Nitto took it upon itself to design a tire that would fit lifted trucks and still give the load rating and tread design needed for hauling more than just the weight of the truck. The Dura Grappler encompasses features necessary for a heavy-duty work/tow truck that needs to endure heavy loads on the street and into camp, without totally compromising its ability to hook up in loose-dirt situations.
We acquired a set to mount on a Duramax test truck - a truck that sees constant construction duty on weekdays and trips to San Felipe with a trailer on the weekends. This truck gets so overloaded that it has actually broke wheels in the past. We made sure that the tire-and-wheel package we were getting was up to snuff for the duties demanded by this Duramax's driver.

Dirt Roads
Although the tire clearly encompasses a street-derived tread design, the control on dirt roads at moderate speeds was actually very good. We whipped our Duramax test truck around some fire roads and felt very much in control at reasonable speeds.
Highway
On the street, the Dura Grapplers were as quiet as a hot rod's tires. Very little noise came from the tread blocks, and the Dura-Belt technology combined with multirib blocks ensure long tread life. The stability gained from the Dura-Belting and the continuous tread design makes sure that there is minimal tread squirm (therefore reducing heat buildup and tread flex that can fatigue a tire prematurely).
Towing
Even with a giant overloaded utility trailer, the tires barely bulged when inflated to the maximum 60 pounds of air pressure. The owner of this truck tells us the truck has a more controlled feeling with these new tires (most likely due to less tread flex).

Tire & Wheel Package
For our 5-inch-lifted Chevy 2500 truck, 305/70R16 Dura Grapplers were wrapped onto Dick Cepek DC-1 16x10 wheels, the smallest wheel diameter that you can fit onto the brakes of a `99-'06 Chevy 2500 truck. Call us old-school, but we're only into a wheel big enough to fit the brake package we're running. Overly large wheels can sometimes be hard to balance and give less rubber in between the street and the wheel. Consumers often forget that tires are also part of the suspension package and that more rubber can absorb more force before it gets to the shocks.
Overall Impressions
The owner of our Duramax test truck has given us his month-long report and is very happy with the performance of the tires so far. He, like many of us, prefers the gnarly-aggressive tread for the looks of his truck, but the Dura Grapplers' superior performance for everything he uses the truck for has made him a fan. He's even claimed to be getting 1 mpg better due to a smoother riding tire! He tells us that the trailer he pulls is constantly overloaded, but the rear tires just don't bulge like his past tires have.
Specs As Tested
MAKE/MODEL: Nitto Dura GrapplerSIZE ON SIDEWALL: 305/70R16LOAD RANGE: ETIRE HARDNESS: 58 on tire durometerTREAD DEPTH: 16.9/32NUMBER OF PLIES IN SIDEWALL: Two-ply polyester NUMBER OF PLIES IN TREAD: Five-ply (Two polyester, two steel, and one nylon)WEIGHT OF TIRE: 56.7 lbsMEASURED DIAMETER UNLOADED: 32.79 inMEASURED WIDTH UNLOADED: 12.56 inMEASURED TREAD WIDTH: 10.00 inMOUNTED ON: Dick Cepek DC-1 16x10 wheelsAVAILABLE SIZES: 30-34 inAVAILABLE ON: 16- to 22-in wheels

With this four-rib tread design and joined, continuous tread blocks, you can see why this tire is a clear champion for utility trucks that are pushed to their maximum capacities. The multiple siping on the tread will be a major advantage in the rain and ice, although we did not have the privilege of experiencing these conditions during the time of testing (danged overly pleasant Southern California weather). The circumferential grooves are also key to evacuating water, allowing the tread to stay in contact with the pavement and not float on top of the water covering the street.
On our tire durometer, we got a measurement of about 58 with the tires being brand-new. That is actually on the softer side of rubber hardness for tires, but the owner has reported back to us that the tires are wearing beautifully anyway. One thing to note is that rubber hardness will change with the temperature of the tire, how old the tire is, and what the ambient temperature is.
When the necessity of four-wheel drive came up, we still got enough traction climbing up some steeper hills. Unfortunately we got so much traction when we hit an underlying rock that we snapped a CV shaft on the front of our Chevy. Even with only 33-inch tires, a Chevy IFS front proved yet again how inadequate it really is in the front of today's heavy, high-torque trucks. Especially with bigger tires.

Here's a complete list of all the available sizes.
Details:Nitto Dura Grappler Sizes

Matt-

__________________
America's Largest Independenly owned Wheel and Tire Retailer
www.discounttire.com

Last edited by Discount Tire Direct : 11-24-2008 at 08:59 PM.

Joe Reitman · 11-24-2008, 11:14 PM

Can you talk them into making a 255/80-17 or better yet a 265/80-17 for us dually guys? The ultimate would be a 265/85-17 though...

__________________
John 3:16, John 14:6. Mega Cab Dually G56 2wd, Dr. P. 110/220, exhaust cutout, Traction Bars, leveled, Gooseneck, Iggee seat covers, Tekonsha Controller, Opti Lube Summer Blend, Mopar Tailgate Spoiler, Rokktech, '03 KX250/310, '01 KX500, '82 Yamaha 465

**Discount Tire Direct** · 11-25-2008, 12:34 PM

All definitely pass the information along. Any other sizes you guys would be interested in seeing?

__________________
America's Largest Independenly owned Wheel and Tire Retailer
www.discounttire.com

bigcalidave · 11-25-2008, 12:45 PM

Unfortunately we got so much traction when we hit an underlying rock that we snapped a CV shaft on the front of our Chevy

lol

__________________
Truck for sale!!

Sad but has to happen!
http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/3r...e-nor-cal.html

**Discount Tire Direct** · 11-25-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigcalidave

Unfortunately we got so much traction when we hit an underlying rock that we snapped a CV shaft on the front of our Chevy

lol

Were you running Dura Grapplers?

__________________
America's Largest Independenly owned Wheel and Tire Retailer
www.discounttire.com

W_A_Watson_II · 11-25-2008, 08:36 PM

LT255/80R17E's!

__________________
Will
1946, 1949 & 1964 Dodge Power Wagons, 1953 Dodge M37, 2006 Dodge 3500 4x4 Megacab Edge and 5" FBD Exhaust

oldsmobiledave · 11-25-2008, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W_A_Watson_II

LT255/80R17E's!

X2 (or is that X6?)....

we need dually tire sizes & the 255/80-17 is MUCH NEEDED.

__________________
2004.5 Quad Cab 2500 4x4 auto VA C3.2 Carli Suspension
2005 Reg Cab 1 Ton Dually 4x4 auto Smarty Powered
Finding Oil & Burning Diesel

Danderson · 11-25-2008, 09:46 PM

35" x 11.50" x 17". Plush.

__________________
'07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Kore,Lorenz and MADS.

Joe Reitman · 11-25-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danderson

35" x 11.50" x 17". Plush.

What would that be metric? 285/75-17? I think Dura made in that size, but maybe that would be about 1" short of 34 [edit- I mean 1" short of 35, i.e, 34. Doh]

__________________
John 3:16, John 14:6. Mega Cab Dually G56 2wd, Dr. P. 110/220, exhaust cutout, Traction Bars, leveled, Gooseneck, Iggee seat covers, Tekonsha Controller, Opti Lube Summer Blend, Mopar Tailgate Spoiler, Rokktech, '03 KX250/310, '01 KX500, '82 Yamaha 465

Last edited by Joe Reitman : 11-26-2008 at 08:07 PM.

Danderson · 11-26-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Reitman

What would that be metric? 285/75-17? I think Dura made in that size, but maybe that would be about 1" short of 34

The Dura and the Toyo are about 34". One more inch of height,but without the width of a 35-12.50-17. Toyo's got the size out in an 18" tire now. It's the 285-70-18,but of course necessitates a rim change.

__________________
'07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Kore,Lorenz and MADS.

oldsmobiledave · 11-26-2008, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danderson

The Dura and the Toyo are about 34". One more inch of height,but without the width of a 35-12.50-17. Toyo's got the size out in an 18" tire now. It's the 285-70-18,but of course necessitates a rim change.

I see Toyo M-55s in 275 70 18s on there website; where do you see 285?...for a different tire?

They list this tire as being 33.6" tall but a tire height calculator says it will be 33.2" tall. THis ofcourse will vary slightly with rim width.

__________________
2004.5 Quad Cab 2500 4x4 auto VA C3.2 Carli Suspension
2005 Reg Cab 1 Ton Dually 4x4 auto Smarty Powered
Finding Oil & Burning Diesel

Danderson · 11-26-2008, 11:40 AM

Toyo 285-70-18 AT. Part # 300420. Dimensions are 34.8" tall, width is 11.5" x 18". More expense for the 18" wheel and 6" bs is hard to find in a forged wheel. If a 17" tire comes up like that,i'd be pretty well received I think.

__________________
'07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Kore,Lorenz and MADS.

11-24-2008, 08:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Discount Tire Direct Discount Tire Direct Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 399 Thanks: 14 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Discount Tire Direct's Truck Pics	Nitto Dura Grappler (Highway Terrains) I though you guys would find this write up by Off Road Magazine pretty interesting. This is a perfect tire option for your LT E load range needs. I took this information right from off-roadweb. If anyone has any questions please let me know. Nitto Dura Grapplers Highway Terrains By Jerrod Jones photographer: Jerrod Jones Aggressive tires look cool, and they usually work well in the dirt, but they are many times not the best street tires to have on your daily driver. But that's never stopped the majority of us before. We've seen many a desert rat towing giant toy haulers with bias-ply tires, surpassing the load range on the side of their tires and clearly choosing form over function. This can not only lessen fuel economy but also burn through lots of rubber that was never designed for highway life. Worst of all, it can endanger your passengers and other drivers around you as aggressive tires generate more heat than tires designed for the street, putting a tirethat's likely overloaded past its load range at even more risk of failure. Knowing that larger and larger tires are finding themselves onto daily drivers, Nitto took it upon itself to design a tire that would fit lifted trucks and still give the load rating and tread design needed for hauling more than just the weight of the truck. The Dura Grappler encompasses features necessary for a heavy-duty work/tow truck that needs to endure heavy loads on the street and into camp, without totally compromising its ability to hook up in loose-dirt situations. We acquired a set to mount on a Duramax test truck - a truck that sees constant construction duty on weekdays and trips to San Felipe with a trailer on the weekends. This truck gets so overloaded that it has actually broke wheels in the past. We made sure that the tire-and-wheel package we were getting was up to snuff for the duties demanded by this Duramax's driver. Dirt Roads Although the tire clearly encompasses a street-derived tread design, the control on dirt roads at moderate speeds was actually very good. We whipped our Duramax test truck around some fire roads and felt very much in control at reasonable speeds. Highway On the street, the Dura Grapplers were as quiet as a hot rod's tires. Very little noise came from the tread blocks, and the Dura-Belt technology combined with multirib blocks ensure long tread life. The stability gained from the Dura-Belting and the continuous tread design makes sure that there is minimal tread squirm (therefore reducing heat buildup and tread flex that can fatigue a tire prematurely). Towing Even with a giant overloaded utility trailer, the tires barely bulged when inflated to the maximum 60 pounds of air pressure. The owner of this truck tells us the truck has a more controlled feeling with these new tires (most likely due to less tread flex). Tire & Wheel Package For our 5-inch-lifted Chevy 2500 truck, 305/70R16 Dura Grapplers were wrapped onto Dick Cepek DC-1 16x10 wheels, the smallest wheel diameter that you can fit onto the brakes of a `99-'06 Chevy 2500 truck. Call us old-school, but we're only into a wheel big enough to fit the brake package we're running. Overly large wheels can sometimes be hard to balance and give less rubber in between the street and the wheel. Consumers often forget that tires are also part of the suspension package and that more rubber can absorb more force before it gets to the shocks. Overall Impressions The owner of our Duramax test truck has given us his month-long report and is very happy with the performance of the tires so far. He, like many of us, prefers the gnarly-aggressive tread for the looks of his truck, but the Dura Grapplers' superior performance for everything he uses the truck for has made him a fan. He's even claimed to be getting 1 mpg better due to a smoother riding tire! He tells us that the trailer he pulls is constantly overloaded, but the rear tires just don't bulge like his past tires have. Specs As Tested MAKE/MODEL: Nitto Dura GrapplerSIZE ON SIDEWALL: 305/70R16LOAD RANGE: ETIRE HARDNESS: 58 on tire durometerTREAD DEPTH: 16.9/32NUMBER OF PLIES IN SIDEWALL: Two-ply polyester NUMBER OF PLIES IN TREAD: Five-ply (Two polyester, two steel, and one nylon)WEIGHT OF TIRE: 56.7 lbsMEASURED DIAMETER UNLOADED: 32.79 inMEASURED WIDTH UNLOADED: 12.56 inMEASURED TREAD WIDTH: 10.00 inMOUNTED ON: Dick Cepek DC-1 16x10 wheelsAVAILABLE SIZES: 30-34 inAVAILABLE ON: 16- to 22-in wheels With this four-rib tread design and joined, continuous tread blocks, you can see why this tire is a clear champion for utility trucks that are pushed to their maximum capacities. The multiple siping on the tread will be a major advantage in the rain and ice, although we did not have the privilege of experiencing these conditions during the time of testing (danged overly pleasant Southern California weather). The circumferential grooves are also key to evacuating water, allowing the tread to stay in contact with the pavement and not float on top of the water covering the street. On our tire durometer, we got a measurement of about 58 with the tires being brand-new. That is actually on the softer side of rubber hardness for tires, but the owner has reported back to us that the tires are wearing beautifully anyway. One thing to note is that rubber hardness will change with the temperature of the tire, how old the tire is, and what the ambient temperature is. When the necessity of four-wheel drive came up, we still got enough traction climbing up some steeper hills. Unfortunately we got so much traction when we hit an underlying rock that we snapped a CV shaft on the front of our Chevy. Even with only 33-inch tires, a Chevy IFS front proved yet again how inadequate it really is in the front of today's heavy, high-torque trucks. Especially with bigger tires. Here's a complete list of all the available sizes. Details:Nitto Dura Grappler Sizes Matt- __________________ America's Largest Independenly owned Wheel and Tire Retailer www.discounttire.com Last edited by Discount Tire Direct : 11-24-2008 at 08:59 PM.

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11-24-2008, 11:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Joe Reitman Cummins Nut Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 494 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Joe Reitman's Truck Pics	Can you talk them into making a 255/80-17 or better yet a 265/80-17 for us dually guys? The ultimate would be a 265/85-17 though... __________________ John 3:16, John 14:6. Mega Cab Dually G56 2wd, Dr. P. 110/220, exhaust cutout, Traction Bars, leveled, Gooseneck, Iggee seat covers, Tekonsha Controller, Opti Lube Summer Blend, Mopar Tailgate Spoiler, Rokktech, '03 KX250/310, '01 KX500, '82 Yamaha 465

11-25-2008, 12:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Discount Tire Direct Discount Tire Direct Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 399 Thanks: 14 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Discount Tire Direct's Truck Pics	All definitely pass the information along. Any other sizes you guys would be interested in seeing? __________________ America's Largest Independenly owned Wheel and Tire Retailer www.discounttire.com

11-25-2008, 12:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
bigcalidave Cummins Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Redding, CA Posts: 243 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts bigcalidave's Truck Pics	Unfortunately we got so much traction when we hit an underlying rock that we snapped a CV shaft on the front of our Chevy lol __________________ Truck for sale!! Sad but has to happen! http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/3r...e-nor-cal.html

11-25-2008, 08:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
W_A_Watson_II Cummins Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Central IL Posts: 195 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts W_A_Watson_II's Truck Pics	LT255/80R17E's! __________________ Will 1946, 1949 & 1964 Dodge Power Wagons, 1953 Dodge M37, 2006 Dodge 3500 4x4 Megacab Edge and 5" FBD Exhaust

11-25-2008, 09:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Danderson Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Darn near the Mexican border. Posts: 1,803 Thanks: 3 Thanked 21 Times in 20 Posts Danderson's Truck Pics	35" x 11.50" x 17". Plush. __________________ '07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Kore,Lorenz and MADS.

11-26-2008, 11:40 AM	#12 (permalink)
Danderson Diesel Head Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Darn near the Mexican border. Posts: 1,803 Thanks: 3 Thanked 21 Times in 20 Posts Danderson's Truck Pics	Toyo 285-70-18 AT. Part # 300420. Dimensions are 34.8" tall, width is 11.5" x 18". More expense for the 18" wheel and 6" bs is hard to find in a forged wheel. If a 17" tire comes up like that,i'd be pretty well received I think. __________________ '07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Kore,Lorenz and MADS.