![]() ![]() They’re harder to pick up off the ground than a wild boar and they bite twice as hard. And that’s before they’re wrapped around a wheel. They’re half as tall as a six-foot-two-inch-tall man. ![]() They’re the biggest tires I’ve fitted to any vehicle, overlander or otherwise. This time, I went a bit bigger than I had with the Trooper: 37s (37/12.5R17 to be specific). When it came time to outfit my 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon this year, I beelined it right back to the X3s. I just kept my foot in it, and the X3s did the rest. I hit trails that only dudes in tripled-locked FJ80s rolling on 37s could conquer. I never got stuck, not once, even in the deep bogs of Michigan. They rode incredibly well on the highway and were just unbelievable in mud and snow. I was massively impressed with the tires. I credit these tires for earning the rig’s nickname, “Super Trooper” - other guys on the trail gave it that moniker, not me. I went for a set of five 33-inch General Tire Grabber X3s. Once I knew it was road worthy, I cranked up the front torsion bars (the poor man’s lift) and properly lifted the rear with some Dobinsons coil springs.Ī post shared by Nick Jaynes on at 7:30am PDT In my driveway, I installed new axles, wheel bearings, brakes, ball joints, heavy-duty tie rods from an F-150, and finished it off with a fresh pair of AISIN locking hubs. The thing was in good shape, but hadn’t been serviced in any meaningful way in years. I had it trucked to the Wolverine State to build as a bargain overlanding rig. When I was living in Detroit, Michigan a few years back, I bought a second-generation Isuzu Trooper out of Los Angeles for $2,500. Take this tale for what it is, an amalgam of three or four trips. #GRABBER X3 REVIEW SERIES#I’ve compiled my thoughts from a series of overland adventures over the course of several months. ![]() An overlander must air a set of tires up and down a handful of times, bounce them off some rocks, and put some highway underneath them to get a real sense of their wiles.įor this Chronicles, that’s exactly what I did. You have to live with tires a bit to get a feel for them. Tires, though, can’t be easily evaluated in a single weeklong overland excursion. Preambleįor Gear Chronicles, I typically like to take a piece of gear on an extended journey in order to evaluate it. I need to set the scene a bit more - and explain the purpose of my journey. Because of my tires, I was able to overcome the seemingly impassable barriers and explore the secret world beyond.īut it’s too early to wax poetic yet. I felt like I was breaking through whatever coded barrier the design team had created that prevented me from going any further. Sometimes it felt like having a cheat code. Time and time again, the tires found traction and pulled the rig through, unlocking whatever scenic flower-filled field or windswept valley lay ahead. Sure my rig would be unable to summit or overcome whatever obstacle I pointed it at, I gently put my foot into the throttle and gave it a go anyway. This was a scene repeated many times over the last several months. My buddy, Winslow, stood there and scratched his head. “Piece of cake!” I boastfully hollered out of my window, looking at my bewildered friend in the side-view mirror. Shortly thereafter, the rear tires took their turn clambering up the backside of the trap. | Nick JaynesĮventually, they too dropped in, as the General Grabber X3s at the front dug into the soft soil and pulled the rig through. ![]() No, this isn’t one of the seemingly impassable tank traps. ![]()
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