Similarly General’s technicians have developed three featured technologies designed to help the X3 reach its particular 80/20 off/on-road performance objectives. Finally, there is the rim protection rib, which has been added to shield the tyre and wheel bead area from damage caused by curbstones and off-road obstacles.
GENERAL TYRE GRABBER AT3 SERIES
These are a series of stacked deflection points designed to protect the upper sidewall area against penetration by deflecting obstacles away from the tyres body. Then there are the deflection ribs seated at the bottom of and between the sidewall lugs. In practice this means large sidewall lugs on the upper sidewall, which are there to protect the tyre body from stone and rock debris. In addition to the Tracgen, Duragen and Comfort Balance features, the new Grabber AT3 sizes also feature a detailed and reinforced sidewall design. The result is said to be “a considerably comfortable and pleasant on-road drive in an all-terrain tyre line”. This, according to the company, leads to an even material distribution and an optimized tread block orientation, which allows “a smooth interaction with the surface and reduced belt excitation”. To this end the tread features a relatively uniform block geometry with low stiffness variation. In addition, the AT3’s Duragen features include ultra-high strength steel belts for even footprint and therefore confident stability.Ĭomfort balance relates to the tyre’s tread design features associated with comfort and the smoothness of ride.
The point is that both are designed to improve the tread life in rugged terrain conditions and even in high torque applications in order to offer “stability under all approved load conditions”. According to General, the AT3’s “robust compound gives excellent cut and chip resistance” and its “reinforced tread blocks reduce block deformation”.
The tyre’s open tread shoulder is designed to offer efficient self-cleaning action for added traction in mud.ĭuragen refers to durability of the tyre, especially its compound and construction-related modifications. To this end, traction ribs and multi-angled sipes achieve loose surface traction through gripping edges that interlock with the off-road surface. General has done this by deploying three distinct groups of technology in order to ramp-up the AT3’s all-terrain performance without compromising on its predecessor.Īs the name suggests, Tracgen helps the tyre’s traction-related properties. Tracgen, Duragen and Comfort Balance technologies The AT3, on the other, has managed to meet and exceed all the road-going requirements, while adding some significant winter and off-road characteristics. In recent years the proliferation of SUVs and especially crossover utility vehicles (CUV) in an increasingly legislatively demanding context has meant multi-purpose products have tended towards road-going performance. However, what’s interesting about this development is what particular tyre manufacturers mean by all-terrain. Following the launch of the new General Tire Grabber AT3 and X3 4×4 products, here’s some more of what Tyres & Accessories has learnt about the technology behind the tyres.Įngineers have upgraded the Grabber AT3 by adopting a more aggressively off-road approach to what is – by definition – an all-terrain product.
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