After some contemplation, I picked up some new tread for the H3. It was time to fill the fenders a bit more. :thumbs:
I went back and forth on the 33" vs 35" debate for awhile, but finally decided on 305's which I felt provided the benefits of both with the wider footprint close to that of a 35 while retaining the factory gearing performance of 33's. I've had no complaints of being underpowered with the I-5, and wanted to keep it that way.
I brought it up to a hair over 23" on the front. I wanted to keep a little of the factory designed rake that I feel looks aggressive with the short windows and sloping hood, but didn't want the super ass-high look the bigger tires will give the H3 with no lift at all. I wanted to keep minimal stress on the CV joints.
So on with the shopping: I was looking for a good dual-purpose DD tire having aggressive enough tread for occasional offroad excursions. There are an absolute boat-load of good options on the market these days but we'll cut-to-the-chase, I went with General Grabber AT2's in 305/70r16 as they fit the bill for all the specs I was looking for this time around.
I've run Nitto Terra's and BFG AT KO's in the past and had good luck with both on dual purpose rigs, but both of those are only available in an E rating in the 305 size I was shopping for, and I wanted a D rated tire for more compliance. The Grabber AT2's are a D rated and include a Polyamide ply. They are also severe snow rated, which is a must for the Midwest winters I drive in. The non-LT Grabbers have a 60k treadwear warranty and they are reported to have good longevity in the LT versions as well.
The weight of the tires was another major factor in my decision. I wanted to keep as much stress off the front end and steering rack as possible while still having a beefy looking tire.
After putting a few miles on these tires, I must say I am impressed. I've run bigger tires on my DD's in the past and am used to giving up some comfort for durability and good looks. I was planning on a noticeable change, but I am shocked at how well these tires soak up the road when aired properly. I'm currently at 33psi and the ride is fantastic for a LT tire.
-Handling/cornering is excellent. I've got caught in a couple hard rains already and they perform as well as the Silent Armors in that regard, which is pretty impressive.
-Road noise is very minor. the Generals are comparable to the Nitto's and the BFG AT's. They have surpassed my expectations on-road and from what I found while researching I look for them to be more than adequate for all of my offroading needs as well. The lugs are spaced a bit further apart than both the Nitto's and BFG's and has good bite for the type of offroading I do.
-Happy to say I can't tell any appreciable difference in acceleration or power loss between these 33's and my old 32's which is a pleasant surprise as this was an issue when jumping up to 33's on my Jeep Rubicon. This may be partly because the Grabbers only weigh 57 lbs, which helps in the rotational mass equation.
As I mentioned in another thread, I've got the spare on order, so please pardon the skinny stocker hanging there for now.
Anyhow, here's some pics of how it sits now:
I went back and forth on the 33" vs 35" debate for awhile, but finally decided on 305's which I felt provided the benefits of both with the wider footprint close to that of a 35 while retaining the factory gearing performance of 33's. I've had no complaints of being underpowered with the I-5, and wanted to keep it that way.
I brought it up to a hair over 23" on the front. I wanted to keep a little of the factory designed rake that I feel looks aggressive with the short windows and sloping hood, but didn't want the super ass-high look the bigger tires will give the H3 with no lift at all. I wanted to keep minimal stress on the CV joints.
So on with the shopping: I was looking for a good dual-purpose DD tire having aggressive enough tread for occasional offroad excursions. There are an absolute boat-load of good options on the market these days but we'll cut-to-the-chase, I went with General Grabber AT2's in 305/70r16 as they fit the bill for all the specs I was looking for this time around.
I've run Nitto Terra's and BFG AT KO's in the past and had good luck with both on dual purpose rigs, but both of those are only available in an E rating in the 305 size I was shopping for, and I wanted a D rated tire for more compliance. The Grabber AT2's are a D rated and include a Polyamide ply. They are also severe snow rated, which is a must for the Midwest winters I drive in. The non-LT Grabbers have a 60k treadwear warranty and they are reported to have good longevity in the LT versions as well.
The weight of the tires was another major factor in my decision. I wanted to keep as much stress off the front end and steering rack as possible while still having a beefy looking tire.
After putting a few miles on these tires, I must say I am impressed. I've run bigger tires on my DD's in the past and am used to giving up some comfort for durability and good looks. I was planning on a noticeable change, but I am shocked at how well these tires soak up the road when aired properly. I'm currently at 33psi and the ride is fantastic for a LT tire.
-Handling/cornering is excellent. I've got caught in a couple hard rains already and they perform as well as the Silent Armors in that regard, which is pretty impressive.
-Road noise is very minor. the Generals are comparable to the Nitto's and the BFG AT's. They have surpassed my expectations on-road and from what I found while researching I look for them to be more than adequate for all of my offroading needs as well. The lugs are spaced a bit further apart than both the Nitto's and BFG's and has good bite for the type of offroading I do.
-Happy to say I can't tell any appreciable difference in acceleration or power loss between these 33's and my old 32's which is a pleasant surprise as this was an issue when jumping up to 33's on my Jeep Rubicon. This may be partly because the Grabbers only weigh 57 lbs, which helps in the rotational mass equation.
As I mentioned in another thread, I've got the spare on order, so please pardon the skinny stocker hanging there for now.
Anyhow, here's some pics of how it sits now:
Last edited:
