Ridge Grappler vs. Recon Grappler

[SVT54]

I am hoping to find some Recon Grappler owners who have owned Ridge Grapplers. I just ordered my 2" lift and a set of 17 inch Icon Rebounds. I haven't ordered the tires yet because I am not sure which way to go. I have 35x12.50R22 Ridge Grapplers on my F150 and I love them.

That being said, I am considering the Recons for my 4DR OBX. I will be going 25x12.50 either way. Being honest with myself, I prefer the looks of the tread as well as the sidewall of the Ridge Grapplers. My wife will drive the Bronco a lot more than she drives my truck though, so if the Recon is hands down better as far as ride, noise level, etc. they may be the better option.

The truck may see some mild trails, but nothing extreme, or mudding, so off road performance isn't really a factor. More looking at on road manners. Please tell me why you like the Recon better, or just tell me to follow my gut and get the Ridges. Either way, your input is appreciated.

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[HeliPilot]

I have the ridge grapplers on my TRX. Love them. They will flat spot when cold until they warm up a bit. I went with the BFG KM3 on my Bronco. They are surprisingly good too. I know you were looking for Recon updates, just thought I’d give you some real world info on the Ridge.

 

[tractorcrusher]

I'm interested in this as well. I spoke with 4WP and they were pushing Recon Grapplers hard to me... quoted at $359.99/ea for 285/75/17 back in July last year.

 

[Raptor911]

If you are not wheeling hard then stay away from E-rated tires as they are heavy as hell and will give you a rough ride

 

[SVT54]

I have the ridge grapplers on my TRX. Love them. They will flat spot when cold until they warm up a bit. I went with the BFG KM3 on my Bronco. They are surprisingly good too. I know you were looking for Recon updates, just thought I’d give you some real world info on the Ridge.

I have the Ridge Grapplers on my F150 too. I considered the KM3 as well. As sad as it is to say, sidewall appearance plays a HUGE roll in my tire selection. The KM3 made the short list as well. It being a mud terrain scared me a bit as the RGs are the most aggressive tire I have owned.

How would you compare the KM3 to the Ridge Grappler as far as noise, road manners and wet/snow traction?

 

[HeliPilot]

I have the Ridge Grapplers on my F150 too. I considered the KM3 as well. As sad as it is to say, sidewall appearance plays a HUGE roll in my tire selection. The KM3 made the short list as well. It being a mud terrain scared me a bit as the RGs are the most aggressive tire I have owned.

How would you compare the KM3 to the Ridge Grappler as far as noise, road manners and wet/snow traction?

maybe a slight bit more on the KM3s, but honestly, I think it’s attributed to my TRX being better insulated. Even with that, the noise difference is negligible. Not much louder than the factory Goodyears they replaced.

 

[Raptor.Tremor.Bronco]

I am sponsored by nitto, they sent me one of the very first sets of recons so I have more miles on recons than just about anyone. I also have a lot of seat time with ridges since they are on my daily. They are very similar tires. In terms of performance the ridges will have a slight edge. For more street use the recons will do better, they are slightly quiter and might get slightly better mpgs along with improved traction in rain. From my use they are both very durable. I think the ridges will hold up a little better to hard use offroad. My recons have seen almost 30k miles on and offroad plus some burnouts. They are still just under half tread. That's on a heavy duty truck too. Something to note is Ridges have a thicker, more round look on the side wall compared to recons which are narrower and more square, that's both 35x12.50s. I'd just chose which one you like the look of.

 

[choppersean]

Cannot give you a comparison, but I went with the Recons. Price, availability, and use were all a factor for me. I will not do much extreme wheeling as my Bronco is also my daily driver. I have had BFGs and Hankook Dynapro on previous vehicles (Nissan Xterra and Jeep XJ)......and the Badlands SAS stock Goodyears. I like the Recons better than all, by far. No noticeable difference in noise and I think they are perfect for daily driving but also have a more aggressive tread for snow and mild/medium offroad use that I plan on.

 

[HeliPilot]

I have the Ridge Grapplers on my F150 too. I considered the KM3 as well. As sad as it is to say, sidewall appearance plays a HUGE roll in my tire selection. The KM3 made the short list as well. It being a mud terrain scared me a bit as the RGs are the most aggressive tire I have owned.

How would you compare the KM3 to the Ridge Grappler as far as noise, road manners and wet/snow traction?

Just to give you a better noise perspective on the KM3s, I just drove home from the gym at 75mph down the interstate with my base stereo set to volume 11. No problems hearing that SHI**y stereo at those speeds. My bronco is a badlands, so rubber flooring.

 

[kodiakisland]

I plan to go with the Recons on the next set of tires as they are the only 37X11.50s I have found. Kinda pricey, but at this point everything on the Bronco is too.

 

[redone17]

I plan to go with the Recons on the next set of tires as they are the only 37X11.50s I have found. Kinda pricey, but at this point everything on the Bronco is too.

I’m looking forward to seeing that combo.

@Raptor.Tremor.Bronco review above has some interesting insight. I personally love how my Toyo AT3 bulge out from the wheel. Helping to protect the wheel a bit. I still have a decent amount of damage on my steelies from rubbing rocks. I would imagine that would be even worse with the narrower sidewall - but, perhaps the height would make up for that.

 

[1979]

I plan to go with the Recons on the next set of tires as they are the only 37X11.50s I have found. Kinda pricey, but at this point everything on the Bronco is too.

I’m with you. I currently have 37x12.50 Ridge Grapplers and have already committed to myself that my next set will be 37x11.50 Recons.

 

[beagletim]

I will be installing my Icon stage 3 and the Recon Grappler 37 - 11.5 on my stock Badlands SAS wheels. I didn't mind the stock Goodyears, as they performed well off and on road and great in the snow, I just left the 37s would look and perform a bit better on my 4 door. I'll let you know in a few weeks how this setup performs.

 

[kodiakisland]

I will be installing my Icon stage 3 and the Recon Grappler 37 - 11.5 on my stock Badlands SAS wheels. I didn't mind the stock Goodyears, as they performed well off and on road and great in the snow, I just left the 37s would look and perform a bit better on my 4 door. I'll let you know in a few weeks how this setup performs.

Cool. Can't wait to hear how they are. I will soon be installing my second set of Icons (warranty) but am changing to 5.13 gears before getting the Recons. I'm afraid they are too big and heavy for my 4.56s currently.

 

[Beach Bronco]

I have 35s Ridge Grapplers and think they're a really nice tires and feel the noise level is pretty low. No complaints... I love them!!!

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