Off-road driving is an adrenaline-pumping thrill like no other. However, to fully experience it, it is recommended to make use of proper off-road tires for their vehicles. Traveling through harsh terrain can be made easier using the right tire.
However, finding the right tire may prove difficult. Off-road drivers will often have heated debates between ridge grappler and Duratrac tires.
So in this Ridge Grappler vs. Duratrac, we’ll tell you how they compare and which one you should get.
Also, this article will help you identify the features of both tires and highlight their differences.
Table of Contents
Ridge Grappler vs Duratrac Tires
| TOPICS | RIDGE GRAPPLER | DURATRAC |
|---|---|---|
| TRACTION OF THE TIRES | The Nitto Ridge Grappler gives the user a similar traction feeling, thanks to its robust tread and shoulder grooves that help it grip any surface. | Duratrac is noted for its steadfast grip on even the most difficult terrains. Don’t be afraid to take on difficult terrains since the tractive technology at the bottom of the groves provides excellent traction and a firm grip even in deep muck, snow, and sand. |
| COMFORT COMPARISON | Nitto Ridge is highly recommended in terms of comfort, as it offers the most comfortable riding experience possible. The variable pitch tread improves grip and ensures a comfortable ride on the road. | Duratrac operates admirably in rough terrains, but the tread pattern isn’t deep enough to absorb a variety of jolts and bumps, making the ride a little unsettled and causing minor vibrations. |
| WARRANTY | Ridge provides a guarantee of 55,000 miles. | Duratrac is a step behind, with a warranty of 50,000 miles. |
| DESIGN | Nitto Ridge Grapplers’ appearance is a little more aggressive and stronger. It stands out from the competition with deep sidewall shoulders and strong sidewall patterns. | Massive grooves and a striking deep block pattern distinguish Duratrac. The tire’s thick shoulders and tread make it desirable. |
Ridge Grappler Tires
Let’s start by looking at Ridge Grappler tires. Ridge Grappler tires are a popular tire line manufactured by Nitto.
Ridge Grappler tires have several noteworthy features that make them an amazing choice for any off-road enthusiast to consider. Let us look at some of these features.
Amazing Off-Road Performance
Nitto Grappler tires have been a solid choice for many off-road driving vehicles, and Ridge Grappler tires being their successor offer similar levels of performance.
Smooth and Soundproof
These tires have a unique tread pattern that allows them to absorb and reduce sound. And these make rides less noisy and more comfortable.
Sturdy Build
Off-road driving can put immense strain on the tire, but Rider Grappler tires are built to withstand that stress.
They have the means to prevent stones from puncturing and ruining the treads.
Recommended Ridge Grappler Tires to Buy
If the performance offered by Ridge Grappler tires has piqued your interest, you might have gone to look at their selection.
To help make your decision easier on which one to buy, we have come up with some recommendations.
Ridge Grappler – 35×11.50R20LT E 124Q
This tire is one of the most common Ridge Grappler variants seen on SUVs and light trucks.
Specially made for those types of vehicles, it weighs around 63 pounds with a rim diameter of 20 inches. It also has a load index of 124, meaning it can support 3527 pounds.
Sporting both amazing off-road and on-road performance, it is a top pick amongst Ridge Grappler tires.
You can easily drive comfortably both through mud and streets with the high traction and grip, allowing you to take turns easily.
Durability is also an amazing quality provided by this tire. It has stone ejectors that can prevent stones from damaging the treads of your tire. This prevents a loss in performance when driving.
Finally, these tires support quite a bit of load, so you won’t have to worry about them not supporting your vehicle or some additional load.
PROS
CONS
Related Comparison: Nitto vs Toyo Tires
Nitto Ridge Grappler P265/70R17 115T BSW all-season tire
Another popular choice that expands on the previous pick in some ways. This particular tire is smaller in size, with a rim diameter of 17 inches.
This also results in being able to support less weight with a smaller load capacity of 115. However, this tire has some other advantages to make up for its lower specs.
Being an all-season tire, this tire provides you with a solid all-round performance in many different kinds of terrains.
It combines the versatility of many all-terrain tires with the power and durability of mud-terrain tires. The result is a high performance and reliable tire.
However, don’t let its smaller size fool you. This tire is strongly built, and the tread, in particular, doesn’t wear easily or irregularly. So expect a constant level of performance.
PROS
CONS
Related Guide: Best Tires for Honda CR-V
Nitto Ridge Grappler – 275/65R18 116T
This is another top pick for any SUV users. It has a rim diameter of 18 inches and weighs in at 30 pounds.
And it has a load index rating of 116, allowing it to support heavier vehicles. Specs-wise, this is more of a middle ground compared to the other tires.
Offering good performance on both off-road and on-road, this tire is quite versatile.
It’s much lighter than you’d expect, which makes it both easy to handle as well as offering a comfortable ride in rough terrain.
While other mud tires tend to produce a lot of noise when driven on the streets, such is not the case for this tire.
Ridge Grappler tires are known to offer a serene and almost soundless ride due to their variable pitch tread pattern. You can have a comfortable ride in all kinds of terrains.
PROS
CONS
Related Guide: Top Sand Tires Review
Duratrac Tires
Goodyear is also a well-known tire company and has been for many years. Their Duratrac line of tires is also a popular pick among many drivers due to their great and innovative designs. Some particularly important features of these tires include:
Incredible Performance in Snow
The Duratrac tires’ performance in snow is unmatched. While the tires feature good overall performance in most terrains, its specialty is trudging through snowy roads with ease.
The incredibly functioning tread blocks help add traction and a great degree of grip to the tires.
Smart Tread Design
Not only do they tread help with grip, but they are also made in a way to prevent the build-up of dirt and snow.
This makes Duratrac tires much easier to maintain and help their longevity.
Rim Lock and Protection
Duratrac tires often come with a rim lock and protection to prevent the wheel from slipping as well as prevent dents on the rim.
Recommended Duratrac Tires to Buy
If you feel like you’d rather drive using Duratrac tires, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some recommendations.
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Radial Tire – 33/1250R15 108Q
Fans of Goodyear’s tires will have no doubt heard of these tires. They are on the smaller end of the spectrum featuring a rim diameter of 15 inches and coming in much lighter at 49 pounds. They are light tires with an attractive design that makes them a mainstay.
As expected of DuraTrac, these tires offer amazing grip and traction, especially on snowy roads.
Expect to smoothly drive through many roads drenched in snow. The performance of their tires on snowy terrain is on a level of its own, and users of this tire won’t be disappointed.
These tires are sleek and well-made, usually lasting for quite some time. Their attractive design will add a great look to your vehicle with their performance making you look even better on the road.
Great traction, grip, and durability all coming together in a sleek and attractive package- you just can’t go wrong with this tire.
PROS
CONS
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac – LT275/70R18 125R E OWL
For people wanting a reliable hybrid tire, this is a fine choice. It’s much heavier at 57 pounds with a high load index rating at 125.
This is a really good tire for many light trucks due to these specifications.
These hybrid tires are quite impressive as they offer good all-round performance in different terrains while still retaining the great handling in the snow that DuraTrac is known for.
They offer good performance in muddy roads and a strong grip even when it’s raining outside.
Noise is also less of an issue as improvements to the tread means that your rides on roads will be much quieter and more comfortable.
Even by hybrid tire standards, these tires stand a cut above the rest by combining all these features into a reliable tire.
The rims also are worth mentioning as they provide a great deal of security when driving on snowy and slippery surfaces. Drivers will feel much more secure with them.
PROS
CONS
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac P – 255/55R19 111Q XL BLT
Despite the lighter weight at 38 pounds, don’t be deceived. This is quite a recommended high-performance tire that is seen favorably by many off-road enthusiasts.
The lighter weight of the tire belies the impressive tread quality. It offers high grip and traction in many different terrains, especially muddy roads.
The lighter weight of the tire will offer a much more comfortable and secure ride while also putting less stress on your suspension.
These tires can also handle sharp turns very smoothly, which is another quality that makes them suitable for off-road drives.
Silica Tech ensures its excellent cornering ability by decreasing rolling drag. Drivers using these tires will feel much more secure when taking sharper turns.
And the impressive tread quality of this tire is also much more resistant to wearing down than you might think.
Due to the decreased rolling drag, tires are less prone to heating up during drives, which increases their life expectancy.
PROS
CONS
Difference between Duratrac and Ridge Grappler tires
Since we’ve seen some of the noteworthy features of the two different tires, let’s see how the two compare with each other.
Street and Highway Performance
Both tires, while generally made to be used for off-road driving, also have several measures taken to ensure that they perform just as well on roads.
However, Ridge Grappler tires do have a major advantage over Duratrac. These tires feature a variable pitch tread pattern.
What this does is that Ridge Grappler tires make very less noise, often soundless, when on the road.
The noise made on the road is a major issue for many tires, but Ridge Grappler fixes that.
Duratrac tires do not have such a sound dampening system and often do make a lot of noise on highways.
Performance on Other Terrains
Ridge Grappler tires generally have good performance across most terrains. They don’t excel as compared to other specialized mud tires or snow tires, but they are a solid choice for traversing through most terrains.
Duratrac tires offer similar performance on most terrains, but their claim to fame is their outstanding performance on snowy roads.
They are comparable to most snow tires and make them a good choice of tires to use during the winter as well as other seasons.
Durability
Both tires are strongly built to ensure that they can withstand the tough conditions of off-road drives.
However, Ridge Grapplers have an advantage over Durtrac since they feature stone ejectors that prevent stones from damaging the tires.
Conclusion
The Ridge Grappler vs. Duratrac debate is one that will continue, and in the end, the deciding factor is often your personal experience or preference.
We do hope that this article helped in giving you some insight.
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