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TL;DR
- Nitto sells every light-truck and SUV tire here under the Grappler name, from the highway Dura Grappler to the Trail Grappler M/T mud-terrain.
- Only the Terra Grappler G3 and Nomad Grappler carry a 3PMS severe-snow rating. The Recon, Ridge and Trail Grapplers don't.
- The Terra Grappler G2 is discontinued, and its old page now redirects to the G3: 120 sizes, 70,000 warranted miles on hard-metric sizes and 55,000 on LT and flotation sizes.
- The Ridge Grappler and Trail Grappler M/T have no mileage warranty, and nearly all their LT and flotation sizes are Q speed-rated (99 mph); six Trail Grappler sizes are P (93 mph).
- Same size and load range doesn't mean same load: in LT285/70R17 Load Range E, the Recon Grappler is rated 551 lb more per tire than the Ridge and Trail Grapplers.
Nitto dates its founding to 1949. Nitto Tire U.S.A. is based in Costa Mesa, California, and Nitto says many of its products are made at a factory in Bartow County, Georgia. The US Tire Manufacturers Association lists Nitto as a brand of Toyo Tire Corporation of Osaka. Its North American subsidiary makes and distributes both Toyo and Nitto tires, with a passenger and light-truck plant in White, Georgia. Nitto publishes a full size table for each tire, with load index, load range and tread depth, which makes size-by-size comparison possible.
At a Glance
| Tire | Type | Sizes | 3PMS | Mileage warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad Grappler | Crossover-terrain for CUVs and SUVs | 50 passenger sizes, 16-22in | Yes | 60,000 mi |
| Terra Grappler G3 | All-terrain (replaced the G2) | 120 sizes, 16-22in | Yes | 70,000 mi hard-metric; 55,000 mi LT |
| Recon Grappler A/T | All-terrain | 90 sizes, 16-24in | No claim | 65,000 mi hard-metric; 55,000 mi LT |
| Ridge Grappler | Hybrid terrain | 104 listings, 16-24in | No claim | None |
| Trail Grappler M/T | Mud-terrain | 65 listings, 15-26in | No claim | None |
| Dura Grappler | Highway-terrain | 24 sizes, 16-22in | No claim | 60,000 mi P-metric; none on LT |
Terra Grappler G3 and Recon Grappler A/T
Nitto's G2 URL now redirects to the Terra Grappler G3, the only Terra Grappler it lists. Nitto describes the G3 as having a new compound and a redesigned tread, and it claims "significantly improved wet performance" over the G2 without publishing a figure. It lists:
- staggered, concaved shoulder blocks;
- full-depth sipes and reinforced block foundations;
- variable-sized tread blocks to reduce noise;
- dual sidewall designs.
The G3 comes in 120 sizes on 16-22in wheels, carries 3PMS and is warranted for 70,000 miles on hard-metric sizes and 55,000 on LT and flotation sizes.
The Recon Grappler A/T is the other Nitto all-terrain here, with tall sidewall lugs and staggered shoulder lugs. Its 90 sizes on 16-24in wheels split into 25 hard-metric, 39 LT-metric and 26 flotation sizes. The hard-metric sizes have 13.4-14/32in of tread and a 65,000-mile warranty, and are graded 600 A B (600 A A on the one H-rated size). The LT and flotation sizes have 15.6-16.9/32in, no UTQG grade and 55,000 miles. The Recon page shows no 3PMS symbol. For a truck that needs a certified winter all-terrain from Nitto, the G3 is the one.
Ridge Grappler and Trail Grappler M/T
The Ridge Grappler is Nitto's hybrid-terrain tire, combining traits of its mud-terrain and all-terrain designs. Nitto says advanced sound equipment was used to develop its variable-pitch tread for a quieter highway ride. It also lists:
- shoulder grooves and lateral zig-zag Z grooves to clear mud;
- a reinforced block foundation to reduce block flex;
- stone ejectors, staggered shoulder lugs and two sidewall designs.
The chart has 104 listings: 25 hard-metric sizes with 13.5/32in of tread and a 500 A B grade, 47 LT-metric sizes with 16.4-16.5/32in and 32 flotation sizes with mostly 18.3/32in. Every LT and flotation listing is Q speed-rated. Nitto publishes no mileage warranty for it.
The Trail Grappler M/T is the mud-terrain. Nitto describes a 3-ply sidewall with thick rubber for puncture resistance on every size except the 15-inch sizes. It also claims the tire is 34% quieter at street speeds and 36% quieter at highway speeds than Nitto's own Mud Grappler. Its 65 listings are all LT-metric (30) or flotation (35), on 15-26in wheels, with 18.3-21/32in of tread; 34 of the flotation listings have 21/32in. Most are Q-rated. Six are P, which Nitto's manual caps at 93 mph: LT265/75R16, LT285/70R16, LT295/70R17, 40x13.50R17LT, 42x13.50R17LT and 40x15.50R24LT. There is no mileage warranty and no 3PMS claim.
Nomad Grappler and Dura Grappler
The Nomad Grappler is a crossover-terrain tire for CUVs and SUVs. It comes in 50 passenger sizes on 16-22in wheels, 48 of them XL, with 12.3-13.5/32in of tread, a 60,000-mile warranty and 3PMS. There are no LT sizes. Thirty-three sizes are H-rated (130 mph) and ten are V (149 mph). The UTQG grade is 540 A A on H and V sizes and 540 A B on T sizes.
The Dura Grappler is a highway-terrain tire with two tread patterns: a 4-rib design for its 18 LT-metric sizes and a 5-rib design for its six P-metric sizes. The P-metric sizes carry a 60,000-mile warranty and a 600 A B grade. Nitto states no mileage warranty for the LT sizes.
Load Ratings Across the Grapplers
Nitto's charts give the load index, and Goodyear's load-index chart converts it to pounds. In LT285/70R17 Load Range E, the Recon Grappler and Dura Grappler are both rated 126/123 (3,748 lb per tire). The Ridge Grappler and Trail Grappler M/T are both 121/118 (3,197 lb). That is 551 lb per tire, or 2,204 lb across four, in the same size and load range. The Ridge and Trail Grappler also come as a Load Range C at 116/113 (2,756 lb) in that size.
Passenger sizes lose capacity on trucks. Nitto's owner's manual states that a P-metric or metric tire's load rating is divided by 1.1 when it is installed on a light truck, SUV, pickup or minivan. Its example is a 305/50R20 rated at 3,086 lb, which becomes 2,805 lb on a light truck. That size appears in both the Ridge Grappler (120 Q) and Recon Grappler (120 S) charts as an XL. Nitto warns that after the reduction, a P-metric tire may not carry enough load to replace an LT-metric tire of the same size. It adds that LT tires carry their load at higher inflation pressures and don't always have enough capacity to replace a P-metric tire of the same size.
Nitto Warranty Terms
Nitto's limited warranty covers Nitto passenger and light-truck tires bought and used in the United States, for the original purchaser on the original vehicle.
- Uniformity: tires that pull, vibrate or are out of round are replaced free, including mounting and balancing, within the first 1/32in of wear.
- Other covered conditions: free replacement while 25% or less of the usable tread is worn and within 60 months of purchase. After 25%, the owner pays the share of usable tread worn times the current dealer price.
- Mileage warranty: the owner pays miles driven divided by warranted miles, times the current dealer price. A G3 LT tire that wears out at 44,000 of its 55,000 miles is billed at 80%. The tire must have been installed within 60 months of purchase, rotated with records and not used commercially.
Rear tires on staggered fitments get 50% of the warranted miles. The warranty excludes road hazards, racing or other competition, and damage from studs of an improper size.
Nitto’s Lineup in This Library
6 Nitto models (Rugged-Terrain / Hybrid, Mud-Terrain, All-Terrain, Highway / All-Season Truck). Specs come from Nitto’s own spec pages; we don’t buy or test tires — see how we rank.
BFGoodrich, Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Falken, Toyo, Cooper, Nitto, Mickey Thompson, Yokohama, Hankook, General Tire and all other tire brand names referenced on this site are trademarks of their respective owners. 4x4 & Overlanding is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any tire manufacturer.
Sources
- Nitto Tire — About Us — Nitto's 1949 founding, its Costa Mesa, California base and its Bartow County, Georgia factory.
- USTMA — Toyo Tire Corporation (member profile) — Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas as the North American subsidiary of Toyo Tire Corporation of Osaka, making Toyo and Nitto tires, with a passenger and light-truck plant in White, Georgia.
- Nitto Tire — Terra Grappler G3 (G2 URL now redirects here) — The G2's replacement by the G3, the G3's features, wet-performance claim over the G2, 3PMS rating, 120 sizes and 70,000/55,000-mile warranty.
- Nitto Tire — Recon Grappler A/T product page — Recon Grappler sizes, load indexes, tread depths, UTQG, the 65,000/55,000-mile warranty and the absence of a 3PMS claim.
- Nitto — Ridge Grappler product page — Ridge Grappler hybrid-terrain features, its size and load table and the 500 A B grade on metric sizes.
- Nitto — Trail Grappler M/T product page — The 3-ply sidewall (excluding 15in sizes), the 34%/36% quieter claim against the Mud Grappler and the Trail Grappler's size table.
- Nitto Tire — Nomad Grappler product page — Nomad Grappler sizes, speed ratings, 3PMS rating, UTQG and 60,000-mile warranty.
- Nitto Tire — Dura Grappler product page — Dura Grappler 4-rib LT and 5-rib P-metric designs, its sizes and the 60,000-mile warranty on P-metric sizes.
- Nitto — Passenger and Light Truck Tire Limited Warranty and Owner's Manual (PDF) — Warranty terms (1/32in uniformity, 25%/60-month free replacement, proration, mileage formula, staggered 50%, exclusions), the P speed symbol at 93 mph, and the 1.1 load reduction for P-metric tires on light trucks with its 305/50R20 example.
- Goodyear — Load Index and Speed Rating — Load-index conversions to pounds up to index 120, and the speed-symbol chart (Q 99 mph through V 149 mph).
- Goodyear Canada — Tire Load Index chart — Load-index conversions above 120 (121 = 3,197 lb through 129 = 4,079 lb) used in the worked examples.