Featuring a 9.7” tread width and 11.5” section width, the Grabber A/TX is 0.6” and 0.8” wider (respectively) than the original tires, while the wheel offset sticks out 2.5mm more than stock. This places the widest point of the tread at 0.4” wider than stock per side.
This tire is an “LT” for “Light-Truck” and has a 122 load index which is rated for a max loading of 3,305lbs per tire. This is 1,000lbs more than stock per tire which makes it great for towing. The “S” speed rating is good for 112mph so we will no longer be able to drive on the Autobahn at the ST’s 143mph top speed for hours on end.
With this fitment, there is plenty of clearance to the strut.
There is also over 0.25” of clearance from the tire to the inner fender liner at any point throughout the steering lock, so there will not be any rubbing from this setup.
TESTING
After putting over 900 highway miles on the General Tire Grabber A/TX tires, we were blown away with how quiet these tires were and how excellent the ride quality was on long drives. There was zero drone and the overall comfort and compliance were improved, especially in the urban jungle of downtown Los Angeles. These tires just float over anything you throw at it from broken up roads, expansion joints, and potholes that would previously jar your teeth and make you cringe out of fear of bending a wheel with the previous 21-inch setup are now not even a second thought.
We honestly expected the fuel economy to be worse with this new setup but surprisingly enough, over the course of our nearly 1,000-mile highway journey to the mountains, a trip that the ST has done multiple times before, the gas mileage actually improved by 1 mile per gallon in less favorable conditions.
In the twisty canyon roads on our way up the mountain is where the Explorer ST thrives and where the Grabber A/TX really impressed me. The steering remained sharp and the handling was precise without losing the character that makes the ST so much fun to drive on tight mountain roads.
When pushed in the corners, the tires had a lot of transient response with very little tread squirm despite having tall 60-series sidewalls and big off-road tread blocks. The stiff sidewalls prevented the wheel from deflecting within the tire which delays steering inputs and causes a vague “mushy” feeling.
Compared to the stock low-profile tires, there is only a slight reduction in peak grip, where the wider Grabber A/TXs start to generate a low-pitch wail as they approach their limit of traction on dry pavement. Overall, the improvement in ride quality and off-road capability significantly outweighs the minor loss of peak grip in the dry.
3 comments
FYI – the 60,000 mile does not apply to LT tires. The quoted load limit over stock require 80psi. Twelve additional pounds per tire over stock leads me to believe your MPG math might need some work.
Calculating MPG isn’t difficult (Miles driven / gallons used), and after many road trips the result is the same – a negligible difference in MPG with this off-road tire setup, which surprised us. Tire weight does not affect MPG much under steady-state driving on the highway. Rolling resistance is the primary factor when it comes to affecting gas mileage and nearly half is caused by the tire tread and construction and aerodynamic drag also plays a significant role. Thus, the width and tread do not create much more drag than the OEM setup.
Is ALPHAequipt still in business ? I’m ordering a 2025 ST and their website is offline as in really offline