Nitto Ridge Grappler?

[KAGE-RANNA]

I'm running these tires. 285/70r17 C rated. Look awesome. Drive great on interstate. No fuel mileage loss. Minimal noise over factory. Haven't really used them off-road. Only ran about 500 miles so far. Very happy so far.

 

[shrub1]

I'm running these tires. 285/70r17 C rated. Look awesome. Drive great on interstate. No fuel mileage loss. Minimal noise over factory. Haven't really used them off-road. Only ran about 500 miles so far. Very happy so far.

My MPG hasn't changed (from stock Nitto's on a PRO) either since I started running these tires about 700 miles ago, still at 17.4. I suppose it may take more miles than that to have the odometer re calibrate?

 

[Co4Fun]

I emailed Nitto to get the weight of the 285/75r17's C load range that became available Monday.... 65.04 lbs.! Heavvvyyyy!! I was considering these to hopefully save some weight while going bigger but no dice there. I can't imagine what the E's in the same size will weigh. The Terra Grapplers in the same size and E rating weigh the same. Seems odd. I'll probably be leaning more towards the KO2's in 34x10.5 or the Cooper St Maxx in 285/75/17, a pound less for an E rated tire

Just checking...that's the 75 in load range C available now? Now that I have the 70's I'm happy with them but had considered waiting for the 75 although not too excited about that weight. The 70's in C that I have didn't seem light by any means but did seem a bit lighter than the D's I had before in BFG's. I wanted to weight them before they mounted them up but it didn't happen...

 

[comtn4x4]

Yes that's the weight for the 285/75r17 C rated wheels. They just became available last Monday. I like the size but not the weight. Seems really heavy compared to other tires of the same size out there. Granted there aren't many and none are C rated. E rather

 

[Fomer_FJ_owner805]

Well it all came in today and it's all on. Paid $240 each for C's. Same price in C's or E's it sounded like.

I tried my best to get an unmounted weight on these in C's in 285/70/R17's but the Discount guys were too busy yada yada.

I mounted them up on 9" wide -10 offset American Outlaw Bandit wheels...which I think is a good balance for offset compared to the -20 something Moto Metals I had before (to me, stuck out too far and too much weight on bearings.) Plus these have the exact hub diameter as stock so keeping it all hub and lug centric.

I can say that I picked one up mounted and compared to any similar D or E setup they were noticeably lighter (though still not "light" per say...just light for 285's).

I think the look of them is good and I like the Terra Grappleresque sidewall. I mounted them aggressive (we've dubbed it transformer) sidewall out with shorty valve stems. I have a little part of me wondering if the 75 would have played slightly nicer with my 3" Toytech and 1" body but they also do not rub at all with this setup and the distance to the upper A-Arm / spring cradle is good...about an inch (much better than the silly 305's the previous owner had on them...I couldn't even get my pinky in there with those). But, I was hoping to be able to run light chains up there if need be in winter. We'll see...there's more room but not sure enough for that until I mock them up. With a 75 (and these wheels) I suspect no chance of chains whereas here with the 70's maybe.

As it is, having done my homework here (and making the Discount guys call)...the 75 is NOT yet available with no ETA...so I didn't want to wait. Also, when it is available, it will likely be in an E with the C possible but no commitment from Nitto on that yet apparently.

Finally, I flexed it out on some hills at my house with the steering all different angles. No rub at all! Good to go there and clearance (on my 99) at the diff is exactly the same as the 305's that were on it so I'm good there I think (could have got another 1/2" with 75's but meh...)

Driving is great so far! They are quieter for sure than a full MT, have great grip, and steering is better with these than the fatter 305's. No shimmy shake at any speeds up to 85 (and the 305's did.) Also, pep is there. I do have TRD Supercharger so not a big deal there but hey, any additional weight savings increase the fun factor with the SC and save on the 91 octane...well maybe a little.

So anyway, I'm happy. I'll post up later after I have some good trips on them. For me again, criteria here was to get a C above all. I personally disagree with all this D and E junk for lighter vehicles and I have wheeled CO's best (Chinaman etc.) with my former Jeep on 35 C's without issue (they're still 6 ply!) In fact, I think the C's not only have the weight savings but ride better and conform to terrain better aired down. Just my humble opinion...but based on some experience. I know the manufacturers are doing D's and mostly E's just to make less tires that cover more vehicles but for us we lose all the way around on that deal...we have no need for the load rating advantage and again, I'd argue not off road either.

I think this tire is definitely unique. Good luck finding a 285 and above in a C in about any other make and model (trust me I looked). So I do thank Nitto for this and I hope it pays off for them. Also, since the reality is that I'm on the road 90% of the time the comfort of a "less-that" MT in a C is welcome. In addition, as discussed in this thread already, I have high hopes for this tire in snow...certainly over a full MT (I'll have to post a follow up later in the year on that.)

Cheers! Onto the pics...

285/75r17 Nitto Ridge Grappler with 3" Toytech and 1" Body (HD rear springs as well)

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View attachment 217484

View attachment 217485

Any issue with wheel balance issues with American Outlaws? Seen a few posts on here about Discount Tire not being able to balance them since they are lug centric out other reasons.

 

[Co4Fun]

Yes that's the weight for the 285/75r17 C rated wheels. They just became available last Monday. I like the size but not the weight. Seems really heavy compared to other tires of the same size out there. Granted there aren't many and none are C rated. E rather

Hmmm? Ya I'm inclined to agree that's a bummer for weight in a C. At that I'd maybe go Toyo's in that size. That kind of bums me out too a bit as I kind of wanted 75's with my lift and the Discount guys said Nitto had no timeframe or commitment they would make them in a 75. I have less than a few hundred miles on my 70's...wonder if I could go back and see if they'd do anything for me. Doubtful at this point. Bummer kind of but the 70's are plenty big enough.

 

[comtn4x4]

Hmmm? Ya I'm inclined to agree that's a bummer for weight in a C. At that I'd maybe go Toyo's in that size...

My only other thought had been that even though it's basicly the same weight (about 2-3 pounds more per tire) as the other 285/75/17's that are an E, would the C give a more forgiving ride? The big factor either way for me is snow and ice performance. I'm looking forward to some feedback on that area

 

[Co4Fun]

Any issue with wheel balance issues with American Outlaws? Seen a few posts on here about Discount Tire not being able to balance them since they are lug centric out other reasons.

Ya I saw that too before ordering but no issues at all and I even had my Toy mech check it out. He thinks most of the issues come from different models that are not hub and lug centric. These are the Bandits and they are 106mm so fit the hub exactly. They were basically made and marketed for Toys.

But I didn't like the skull center caps so I just bought these...much better IMHO.

 

[Fomer_FJ_owner805]

Ya I saw that too before ordering but no issues at all and I even had my Toy mech check it out. He thinks most of the issues come from different models that are not hub and lug centric. These are the Bandits and they are 106mm so fit the hub exactly. They were basically made and marketed for Toys.

But I didn't like the skull center caps so I just bought these...much better IMHO.

View attachment 221484

do you know the bore on American Outlaw Bandit? Nitto Ridge 285 is the exat tire I want.... do you have any rub if so where?

 

[Co4Fun]

My only other thought had been that even though it's basicly the same weight (about 2-3 pounds more per tire) as the other 285/75/17's that are an E, would the C give a more forgiving ride? The big factor either way for me is snow and ice performance. I'm looking forward to some feedback on that area

Well true. I do think C's are a more forgiving ride for sure having both C's, D's and E's on my Jeep. The C's were best and conformed to terrain the best too. I feel 6 plys is more than enough for 98% of off road situations. I think the D's and E's are really made more for the higher load rating...for trucks etc. not so much for sidewall protection in off-road situations.

And, like you I also picked the tire hoping for something a bit better in snow and ice than traditional MT's. So we will see on that point here later this year but I think they are promising.

I can say they are quieter on the road than a full MT. That's worth something since most of us spend 98% of our time there.

I too have contacted Nitto here today to get some weights. I'm curious about the C vs E in this tire weight wise.

 

[Co4Fun]

do you know the bore on American Outlaw Bandit? Nitto Ridge 285 is the exat tire I want.... do you have any rub if so where?

No rub at all front or rear with the 70's. I have a 3" toytech and 1" body though so that helps. The Bandits have a bore of 106mm (just measured) and these wheels sit nice and snug right on the hub (put some anti-seize on them because they fit tight...which is good keeping it all hub/lug centric.) The offset is good...just perfect in my opinion. I wanted a bit of an offset compared to stock (these are -10) but not too crazy, trying to strike a happy medium with my hub bearings and throwing stuff all over the side of the vehicle. These achieve that though with my 3rd gen they are perfect in the rear and just slightly a bit inboard for my taste on the front. But it's not enough that I would go to wheel spacers. And for me it really only looks that way at all because I have that ARB bumper up front. On a stock it would look just right IMO. And before these I had some -20 something offset moto metals and they were too much...like having big spacers. They were only on there for about 1k. Looked kind of cool with that wide of a stance but again...not great on bearings etc.

 

[Co4Fun]

I emailed Nitto to get the weight of the 285/75r17's C load range that became available Monday.... 65.04 lbs.! Heavvvyyyy!! I was considering these to hopefully save some weight while going bigger but no dice there. I can't imagine what the E's in the same size will weigh. The Terra Grapplers in the same size and E rating weigh the same. Seems odd. I'll probably be leaning more towards the KO2's in 34x10.5 or the Cooper St Maxx in 285/75/17, a pound less for an E rated tire

So hopefully this will help someone else in their decision making...

I thought a lot about this over the weekend as I still could take my 70's back to Discount for 75's. So first thing this AM I sent an email then followed up with a call to Nitto to get some facts (as best as I could) about these.

Here are the stats:

285/70/r17 = C Rating - 54.45 lbs
285/75/r17 = C Rating - 65.04 lbs

Ouch on the 75...over 10 lb diff?! So I double checked with the rep and YES, those are BOTH the C's! So I really pressed him on this and he said yes because when you go to the 75 it's different materials for load rating between the C and the E but when you jump to a 75 they are all 8 ply vs 6 in the 70 apparently.

And, just to be clear after doing my homework, 55 lbs for a 285 is NOT bad at all! That is a rare find and I'm glad Nitto is making it in a C and getting that weight. For comparison, Toyo Open Country same size (only available in load range E of course) 71 lbs. So Nitto is posting some decent weight numbers here I think and I hope it pays off for them as I've said before because it's silly that those of us with lighter vehicles are running these heavy D's and E's.

Then I asked him about E's and he said the 70 is more...around 60 lbs and the 75 in an E is actually about the same weight as the C...65 lbs.

So, based on that I decided to just keep the 70's because I like the looks and I'm all about balancing the weight with the size for overlanding. To me 10 lbs of rotating mass per wheel does add up. Plus, as previously stated, I like a C offroad more anyway as it's more compliant. The rep even admitted that the E's are made really to cover the full gamut of vehicles and mostly built for the load rating for trucks. And, he also admitted that it was those of us with vehicles well under the need for those load capacities that pay the price in MPG and wear and tear.

My rig came with these BFG E rated 305/70's and even though my SC handled those just fine, when I put these on in a 285/70 C I noticed the acceleration for sure. So I don't want to move back toward that. Plus, I think they look just right and even flexed they don't rub at all for me. For my lift I could handle the 75 but I'm sticking with the 70's in C's...a rare find in my experience these days:

 

[Fomer_FJ_owner805]

No rub at all front or rear with the 70's. I have a 3" toytech and 1" body though so that helps. The Bandits have a bore of 106mm (just measured) and these wheels sit nice and snug right on the hub (put some anti-seize on them because they fit tight...which is good keeping it all hub/lug centric.) The offset is good...just perfect in my opinion. I wanted a bit of an offset compared to stock (these are -10) but not too crazy, trying to strike a happy medium with my hub bearings and throwing stuff all over the side of the vehicle. These achieve that though with my 3rd gen they are perfect in the rear and just slightly a bit inboard for my taste on the front. But it's not enough that I would go to wheel spacers. And for me it really only looks that way at all because I have that ARB bumper up front. On a stock it would look just right IMO. And before these I had some -20 something offset moto metals and they were too much...like having big spacers. They were only on there for about 1k. Looked kind of cool with that wide of a stance but again...not great on bearings etc.

Well I have a gen 5, same bore but the rub might be different.

 

[Fomer_FJ_owner805]

Nittos Ridge Graplers Vs Ko2's

two questions questions before I pull the trigger

1. For those of you that have ran BFG KO2's would you chose these over the BFG Ko2s and why?



2. anyone running 285 Nitto Ridge Graplers on a gen 5 if so whats your set up, rims lift cut.
I only have a 3" Bilsten lift and seem stuck with the choice of Nitto 265/70/17 (true diameter 31.65) Ridge, OR BFG 275/70/17 (true diameter 32.2) so Id lose about >1/4" of ride height. Im not sure new rims and cutting is worth 1/2" or ride height between 285 and 265 Nittos YET.

PS dont flame me about the fitment thread this is more about guys who have ran BFGs VS Ridge Graplers , but since Im here Ill ask/:wave:

 

[Co4Fun]

two questions questions before I pull the trigger

1. For those of you that have ran BFG KO2's would you chose these over the BFG Ko2s and why?

That's what I had before and have several sets. They are good too but my response would be:

-Depending on size, you can't get the BFG's in a C rating so they are heavy.

-The BFG's are not stellar in the snow. Not sure these will be either but we will see.

 

[InspectahDeck]

I chose them after doing some reading and seeing a few more reports than I liked about the BFGs balancing and heard this from more than 1 shop. Also, I saw these in person and really liked the way they looked. Last, supposedly the Nittos run truer to size. Pretty happy with the way it turned out. Just posted up some measurements and details from my lift and tire swap in my "build" thread.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fomer_FJ_owner805]

That's what I had before and have several sets. They are good too but my response would be:

-Depending on size, you can't get the BFG's in a C rating so they are heavy.

-The BFG's are not stellar in the snow. Not sure these will be either but we will see.

But if I get 265 Ridge they dont come in C.
Whats snow? But I do own a snow shovel for the sand storms on the beach. LOL
But I had issues with old BFG ATs pitting and cupping so they would bounce at high speed even with rotations, never had a issue with the Nitto MT or Dunes.

 

[FJ Cary]

two questions questions before I pull the trigger

1. For those of you that have ran BFG KO2's would you chose these over the BFG Ko2s and why?



2. anyone running 285 Nitto Ridge Graplers on a gen 5 if so whats your set up, rims lift cut.
I only have a 3" Bilsten lift and seem stuck with the choice of Nitto 265/70/17 (true diameter 31.65) Ridge, OR BFG 275/70/17 (true diameter 32.2) so Id lose about >1/4" of ride height. Im not sure new rims and cutting is worth 1/2" or ride height between 285 and 265 Nittos YET.

PS dont flame me about the fitment thread this is more about guys who have ran BFGs VS Ridge Graplers , but since Im here Ill ask/:wave:

See post 77 in this thread. If you mount the 285 Nitto tires (or any 285/70-17 for that matter) on your stock 17 inch wheels AND have the max amount of caster set, odds are you will not rub. Every truck is different and mild trimming may be required on the front fenders, similar to what's being done at port on the TRDP.

The KO2 has different compound that is marketed as having more cut and and chip resistance as compared to the original KO. Also has stone ejectors molded in to the carcass to prevent retention When these were first released, I saw a set of each come off two identically prepared cars that pre-ran 500 miles in Baja. The original KO tread was severely chunked and almost unrecognizable. The new KO2 tread was beat up, but very good considering.

 

[Seattle206]

Are you guys ordering these from Discount Tires?

 

[FJ Cary]

Are you guys ordering these from Discount Tires?

DT will beat anyone's price and has the correct equipment to mount and balance. Plus, they're an authorized Nitto dealer. Not every dealer (brick & mortar or internet) is.