Lets talk tires!
No one likes being left stranded on the trail. Whether climbing rocks, groomed dirt trails, sand dunes or the harsh desert, a blown bead or slashed sidewall can bring a great ride to a sudden halt. We have tried many tires on our vehicles, and recently we came across the Fuel Gripper and thought we would give them a shot.
We have been running the Arisun Aftershocks on both of our shop cars with good luck, but after a mishap at UTV Takeover in Utah, one of our rides needed some new rubber. Enter the Fuel Gripper R/T in 30x10x15. We wrapped these very pliable rubbers around a set of Raceline Ryno beadlocks, and went straight to Dove Springs, just north of Mojave, CA.
We put them through a 100 mile loop and had no issues. They tracked well and were very responsive in the mixed terrain we encountered. They also self cleaned efficiently when we came across some muddier sections.
The next test was Johnson Valley for King of the Hammers. 5 days in this environment will surely put any tire through its paces, and while they shined in the soft sand and washes, we did have an unfortunate event with both passenger front and rear tires. While racing along at an enthusiastic pace, we suddenly found ourselves in a rock garden, and while pushing through the mixed boulders and jagged edges of granite, we slashed both front and rear tires. Upon inspecting the trail and conditions, we deduced that any tire would have had similar results. We swapped out one spare and plugged the other, and continued to ride for the rest of the week with no issue.
After ordering replacements to keep the tests fair, we took the cars to Sand Hollow, Utah for a week of abuse. These tires really shined in the slick rock faces, sand washes and creeks that occupy the area. We were able to put over 300 miles on these tires during the trip and decided that despite our mishap in Johnson Valley, these tires are TOUGH. While the compound feels soft and grippy, they took a ton of sidewall abuse as our beadlock rings can verify.
At around $200 per tire, these land right in the middle of the price range for most UTV tires in this size. Paired with a nice set of beadlock wheels, we look forward to putting more miles and smiles on these tires. Contact us to order a set today!
