Continental Tire North America Inc. has taken its General Grabber Competition tire and turned it into an off- and on-road, street legal tire for the light truck tire market.
The new General Grabber is the latest addition to the Grabber family, which, in addition to the Grabber Competition tire, includes the Grabber HTS, Grabber UHP and Grabber AT2. It was introduced at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and features the following:
* a tough, three-ply reinforced body construction;
* a race-proven Duragen tread compound that stands up to the rigors of driving off-road;
* an aggressive, self-cleaning tread pattern that has continuous tread blocks and precisely spaced lugs with a high void ratio;
* an optimized tread design and multiple tread edges that work to deliver side bite and lateral traction -- especially in off-road conditions.
* puncture resistant sidewalls and a specially-designed rim protection.
Continental also designed the General Grabber to dig into muddy terrain with the help of its patented "Strake and Chamfer" technology.
The tire can perform on the highway and on the streets of the "urban jungle" as well, according to the company. Engineered with AMST (Acoustic Modulation Sound Technology), the tire runs more quietly because AMST suppresses sound waves, which reduces road tire noise.
"We've taken the best elements from our wildly successful Grabber Competition tire and re-engineered it with a balance of off-road capability and on-road manners for today’s light truck market," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing.
The Grabber will be available in the third quarter of 2009. It will be manufactured soley at Continental's Mount Vernon, Ill., plant in 14 popular light truck sizes ranging from 15 to 20 inches (with outside diameters ranging from 31 to 35 inches).
Although the company is looking at developing a Grabber tire with an outside diameter of 37 inches -- the same size as the General Grabber Competition -- Roffler said the 35-inch maximum better fits market needs.
