TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Apr 06, 2023 7:23 am

Hey all,

Anyone have experience with these? https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Ge...R5GRATXRWL

They look great except their load rating is 97/SL

I’m looking to get some better off-road tires for my 1987 2WD Westy with 15” Mefro steelies, GW zero lift springs and rear spacers. Currently running Yokohama Geolandar 215/70R15s which have been good minus some minor rubbing off road when turning and premature wear. Those are rated 98H but also SL.

Seems like the only way to get properly rated tires is to drop down to standard tires or get a lift.

Would appreciate any perspective from folks that have considered these before.

Thanks!

Thu Apr 06, 2023 8:03 am

I have the 215/75/15 General Grabber ATX.

Pros:

-Very tough, durable, stiff, and look great. Excellent traction in snow and offroad. I've had mine in sand, slickrock, jagged jeep trail rock, wet conditions, mud, etc. and they've been bulletproof and trustworthy.

Cons:

-They refuse to stay balanced. I've had them re-balanced three times. They still shake at certain speeds. The tire tech just shrugs his shoulders "it's hard to keep these balanced." My daughter's rig has the 205/75/15's and it's the same story.

-They started off relatively quiet but are getting louder with age.

I think on a more refined vehicle, the cons are less pronounced. But on my Syncro I can really feel these tires--not in a good way.

I will probably move on to another brand soon.

Thu Apr 06, 2023 8:50 am

I run General Grabber A/TX 205-75/15s on my Suzuki. They are the only quality tire I could find at the time in that size. My experience has been great off-road gravel and mud. Snow has been ok. On road they are noisy.

Thu Apr 06, 2023 8:09 pm

The OEM 205/70r14's had a 97 load range, so these would handle the same load. At 28# they are a bit more heavily made as well.

Tue Apr 11, 2023 12:51 pm

I use these (14") on my 2WD '89 for hunting camp in the fall and around town in winter, with studs. They are very sturdy, capable jeep-road tires; where I can go is more limited by available engine power (stock) than traction. They are great in snow and other slippery surfaces.

They are noisy. The studs don't help of course. And despite the larger than stock diameter, there's a 10-15% fuel economy penalty. I just changed back to my summer Hankooks and it's always a bit of a relief.

Tue Apr 11, 2023 4:31 pm

I've had these for a year now, so they haven't become noisy (yet), but there's a definite hit to fuel economy. They're good and tough off road though, which is what i was looking for.