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Together with the V-shaped tread grooves, the tyre shoulder, which is open in alignment with the traction grooves between the tread lugs, means fast self-cleaning and optimum grip on slippery ground when 'mudbaths' loom. Angled, central tread lugs, separated by channels of different widths, provide extra grip during off-road driving. With its even pressure distribution the tyre's large ground contact patch ensures optimum driving performance in sand and slush and on wet grass. The flowing tread grooves feature additional traction ridges in their base which interlock with the ground, thereby ensuring high grip particularly in slush. Rugged design for long service life For a 4x4 tyre that is to be used off-road, high grip alone is not enough. What is also important is high resistance to damage, to protect it from stones and sharp edges, which is why Eckhard Quentin, the tyre developer responsible for the new Grabber AT, made sure the lugs were sufficiently stiff yet supple. "An even balance between both properties protects the tread pattern when used in rough terrain and at the same time ensures that traction forces are transmitted smoothly" he explained. "High forces and flexing can easily result in tread lugs tearing or even shearing off completely if the tread is too stiff or too soft." To prevent stone-trapping, the tread features V-shaped grooves and curved lug edges where stones cannot become embedded. The tyre shoulder and sidewall are also particularly rugged in their design to prevent damage when driving in rough terrain. Additionally, the tyre features a flange rib to protect the rim from damage. Tyre compound and tread pattern developed for high safety on asphalt too AT (All Terrain) tyres also have to deliver safe driving characteristics on the road. It was for this reason that the tyre compound was developed to provide a healthy balance between the demands made by off-road driving on the one hand and use on the road on the other. The tyre is thus rugged enough to resist gashes and scuffing, and yet at the same time it provides safe grip for the transmission of braking and steering forces on both wet and dry roads. The main tread grooves run both longitudinally and laterally to enable water to escape quickly from the ground contact patch when driving on wet roads. The same grooves also pick up water swiftly and channel it off to the side of the tyre when going through ruts or flooded sections of road. The additional micro-drainage effect provided by sipes in the tread pattern further enhances grip on wet asphalt and in the rain. High mileage performance and a comfortable ride The high mileage performance of the new Grabber AT is something that Eckhard Quentin managed to achieve through the wide tread contour with its balanced pressure distribution and also the particularly stiff lugged structure of the tyre. "The lugs in the contact patch where they meet the road hardly move at all relative to one another, so they are subject to only minimal wear" he explained. "This enables us to achieve a high mileage performance." In terms of rolling noise, too, General Tire's new AT tyre comes off extremely well: "Off-road tyres frequently tend towards high noise levels on the road, because of their rugged tread pattern design" he commented. "We used angled tread lugs to counteract this problem, as they run offset into the contact patch." This design provides the ideal conditions for avoiding noise and vibrations when driving on the road. The new AT Grabber will be available from tyre retailers in a wide range of sizes from the start of the season next spring and will gradually replace its well-established predecessor. Click here, to view the Grabber AT size range.
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4x4 Tyres
