Overall Impression of the Nitto Trail Grappler
After lots of research I believe this is the ideal combination of off-road performance and street comfort as long as you don’t often drive on ice. I ordered my Nitto Trail Grappler M/T 37X12.50R17D2 124Q B from Wal-Mart. They beat everyone’s prices and delivered to my local store for free. The tires are heavy, mounting them is a challenge, but that can be said for most 37″ tires. They didn’t required a lot of weight to achieve balance between the tire/wheel. I’ve aired down to 9 PSI and crawled over rocks and I’ve run 80 mph on the Interstate. Overall, I’m very pleased with this tire.
Nitto Trail Grappler Appearance
The sidewalls look very aggressive. The tread features large angled blocks that interlock to guarantee maximum interaction between the tire and road. Deeply-tapered Z-shaped grooves channel away mud and debris while off-road and helps the tires run quietly on pavement.
The Trail Grappler’s Noise is Surprising Low for Such an Aggressive Tire
It has a general hum to them but just sounds like tires running pavement. You definitely don’t hear it over wind noise if the windows were down. They are really quiet for being a M/T. I’ve recently rotated them and the back tires are making a little more noise than the front. After 10k miles they don’t have that much road noise any more than before.
Durability
The rubber compound used seems to be pretty durable. It has handled sharp rocks while off-road that has been known to slice open lesser tires. The thick 3-ply sidewall offer superior abrasion resistance. They do show signs of wear after a visit to my local off road park. Don’t expect bulletproof but they are beefy tires.
Nitto Trail Grappler has Superior Traction (mostly)
They weren’t great on ice. I found my Jeep’s traction control system working overtime during a winter weather event late 2015. But, they have been superior in mud, dirt and rocks at my local off-road park (SMORR). During bouts of massive rainfall (we’ve had record setting flooding) they handled water like a champ.
Ride Comfort & Stability
General ride home was comfortable. The sidewalls are very stiff. The tires don’t bounce like I’ve experienced with other large mud tires. I can feel the tire lugs when rolling to a slow stop but I doubt my passengers would notice. I’ve heard others complaint about the lack of flex on the sidewalls while offroad. But, I haven’t had this issue. The tires feel stable at highway speed and while cornering on surface roads. I’d recommend them to a friend. Happy wheeling.
