Dura-tracs or Grabber AT2s? Can't decide!

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

Looking to get some tires in the near future and can't decide what I want. Anybody got any additional pros and cons about each tire listed? Tire size is 245/70/17

Grabber AT2:
Pros:
Cheaper
BFG look alike. (although better in everything :mrgreen:

)
Lighter (40lbs a tire)
$50 rebate on them right now.

Cons:
P rated tire (Although this might be a pro for gas mileage)
Noisy during certain speeds (Had them on my explorer, I know first hand

)
On backorder

Dura-tracs
Pros:
Awesome looking tire!
Awesome traction in about everything
Quieter than the Grabbers
$40 rebate on them going on now.
18/32nds worth of tread compared to Grabbers 16/32nds.

Cons:
EXPENSIVE! :shock:

Little bit heavier (46lbs a tire: Load Range E)

Would the weight be a big deal? Would a 10 ply tire be to harsh for a little Jeep?
Any more opinions would be appreciated!

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 10:05 am

I'd go Duratracs, of course thats what I have now, but have ran a lot of others on the KJ and these are the best so far. Have had them on over 25,000 miles and two winters, great tire overall. They are weraing really well and look to get an easy 55,000 out of them and that is alot for me on any tire. The Grabbers, although I have never ran them had friends who did and was never impressed by their looks or wear
For me 10 plys are overkill on a KJ

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

The only thing is, I can only get a 10 ply if I get the dura-trac. :wink:

If they offered it in a lower load range for my size, it would be a no brainer!

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 10:23 am

The 10-ply is not to much at all i run Cooper S/T E the ride might suffer just a bit but they are alot tougher and hold up better in the long run. They have a 3000lb rating per tire and a 18/32 tread depth and seen quite a few run them to 50k and a few even more. So don't worry about the E-rating the wieght is a small issue because your gas mileage will drop.

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

audiboy86 wrote:

The 10-ply is not to much at all i run Cooper S/T E the ride might suffer just a bit but they are alot tougher and hold up better in the long run. They have a 3000lb rating per tire and a 18/32 tread depth and seen quite a few run them to 50k and a few even more. So don't worry about the E-rating the wieght is a small issue because your gas mileage will drop.

I'm just wondering if it would drop substantially more with an additional 6lbs a tire....

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 12:52 pm

About a mile to the gallon for me and that was about it but mine are 53 pounds a piece. Such a heavy tire but they do wear like a piece of iron.

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

audiboy86 wrote:

About a mile to the gallon for me and that was about it but mine are 53 pounds a piece. Such a heavy tire but they do wear like a piece of iron.

So probably more like 2mpgs for me since I have a gas engine. :wink:

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 2:40 pm

Any load range "E" tire is going to kill your mileage, especially one with aggressive open lugs like the DuraTrac.

Having said that, the Grabber AT2 is not an efficient tire either. The interlocked tread causes high rolling resistence.

Do not worry about the "P" designation on the Grabbers...those tires are tough as nails. Most "P" rated tires have a higher load capacity than some "LT" tires. "P" doesn't mean "car"...it means "passenger vehicle" which is exactly what a Jeep is. Don't let that part scare you away.

I can attest that the Grabbers last forever. They wear like iron. I've seen KJs go 80,000 miles on them.

Grabbers are also significantly less expensive. Like, $150 less for a set. That's a big deal.

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

LibertyCRD wrote:

Any load range "E" tire is going to kill your mileage, especially one with aggressive open lugs like the DuraTrac.

Having said that, the Grabber AT2 is not an efficient tire either. The interlocked tread causes high rolling resistence.

Do not worry about the "P" designation on the Grabbers...those tires are tough as nails. Most "P" rated tires have a higher load capacity than some "LT" tires. "P" doesn't mean "car"...it means "passenger vehicle" which is exactly what a Jeep is. Don't let that part scare you away.

I can attest that the Grabbers last forever. They wear like iron. I've seen KJs go 80,000 miles on them.

Grabbers are also significantly less expensive. Like, $150 less for a set. That's a big deal.

Thanks for the info. I only got to drive on them for about 6,000 miles on my explorer before I sold it, so I didn't get a great idea on how they wear. I know they are a LOT cheaper. I can get 5 Grabbers for the same price or a little less then 4 dura-tracs.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 12:05 am

I prefer a P rated tired over an E rated tire for the KJ. The E’s seems to ride much, much stiffer. Most people would agree that the E rated tire will offer better off-road protection from punctures, but I also know guys who have wheeled with P rated tires who have never gotten a puncture, so I guess it depends on luck and what your preference is.

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

Well, the only "offroading" I do is on back country roads.... and when the weather gets a little hairy. So I think Load E tires would be a little overkill. :mrgreen:

Now just to wait for the grabbers not to be on back order! :banghead:

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 1:07 pm

The Duratracs I have on now are P rated and doing great, have aired them down several times with no problems at all . Lots better riding, over all performance and handling tire than the BFG ATs I had on before.
Not sure why some think they would get worse MPGs maybe with E range but not P's

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

I just wish they made the duratrac in P rated for 245/70/17, it would be a no brainer then... :cry:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 1:47 pm

tommudd wrote:

The Duratracs I have on now are P rated and doing great, have aired them down several times with no problems at all . Lots better riding, over all performance and handling tire than the BFG ATs I had on before.
Not sure why some think they would get worse MPGs maybe with E range but not P's

Tom, I didn’t know your Duratracs were P rated. :shock:

What size do you have? I might have to look at those as an option. Somebody told me that the Duratracs were only a LT tire. :banghead:

Gesh, this could be good news for me! :JEEPIN:

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 2:33 pm

Sorry
265-75-16 Load Range C I guess is what I should of said
working typing reports and answering on here don't mix :oops:

but yet doing great they do weigh in at 45 lbs

jeepzid · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 4:26 pm

I originally wanted the DuraTracs, but the same as you, 245-70-17 was only E load range. I ended up with MT/Rs in load range C. They are noisy, but I kinda like that for some reason

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 6:19 pm

It's not just weight that kills fuel economy. Rolling resistance is a huge part of it, and any tire like the DuraTrac is going to take some horsepower to turn.

With the Grabbers, 450 miles was about it for a tank.. With these much milder Toyos, I have posted 520 miles on a tank. Just the tread pattern alone makes a HUGE difference in MPGs.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 9:50 pm

tommudd wrote:

Sorry
265-75-16 Load Range C I guess is what I should of said
working typing reports and answering on here don't mix :oops:

but yet doing great they do weigh in at 45 lbs

Thanks for the clarification. :SOMBRERO:

LetFreedomRing · **Joined:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:51 am **Posts:** 268

jeepzid wrote:

I originally wanted the DuraTracs, but the same as you, 245-70-17 was only E load range. I ended up with MT/Rs in load range C. They are noisy, but I kinda like that for some reason

Do you got any pictures you can post of your Jeep? I'd like to see what 245/70/17's look like on freedom edition wheels! :mrgreen:

Yours is basically the same as mine except the color I wanted!

jeepzid · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 5:15 pm

Here's a couple phone pics. I got
More lift than I expected with the Frankenlift II, 245 70 17 don't look as big as the comparable size in 16s. I think next round of tires will be bigger. I love this setup tho!!

Dura-tracs or Grabber AT2s? Can't decide!

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