AMP Terrain Gripper A/T G Tire Review

Once upon a time, the market was not saturated with offerings of all-terrains, mud-terrains, and all-season tires. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it – back when tires were basically no better than what you found on a tractor, and just as uncomfortable to drive and steer with.

But those days have changed, and nowadays tires have put a greater focus on not just traction in the dirt, but also being comfortable to drive on the road. Out of this mode of thinking, we also have the AMP Terrain Gripper A/T G.

Even on its own, the Terrain Gripper and Mayhem wheel combo was an intimidating one.

We recently took shipment of 35-inch Terrain Gripper A/T Gs (along with a set of Mayhem Arsenal 8104 wheels) and installed them on a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado to try and see what set these puppies apart. But first, let’s explore some the features of the tire and what they mean to you as off-road-worthy vehicular footwear.

Background Of The Tire

AMP Tires has three distinct tire offerings nowadays, including the Terrain Pro A/T P, Terrain Attack M/T A, and of course the aforementioned Terrain Gripper A/T G. The Terrain Gripper A/T G is one of two all-terrain offerings from AMP, and Joe Podlovits of The Wheel Group had some more insight to share on the vision and development of the tire.

“We found a definite need for a highly aggressive, all-terrain tire that was a beast off-road but was able to perform confidently on-road,” said Joe Podlovits of The Wheel Group. “We consider the Terrain Gripper an adventure tire, or the ‘tweener’ of our line since the look and function positions right in the middle of our Terrain Pro A/T and Terrain Attack M/T.”

Both the sidewall and tread blocks show an aggressive aesthetic that spells good things for off-roading.

Regarding the testing of the Terrain Gripper, Joe stated that many techniques and technologies were brought to bear for this all-terrain. “To aid safety and performance, we used computer modeling and simulation to help reduce noise from the tire and to make sure we are providing the largest contact surface,” said Joe. “We also worked rigorously with our engineers to develop a functional and durable tread compound.”

“The fun part comes in when we are able to field test the tires,” he continued. “We took the Terrain Gripper in every possible environment and put it through its paces. We tested in sand, dirt, mud, rocks and even snow to be sure that the tire could handle whatever was thrown at it. We tested on stock trucks, SUVs, all the way up to rockcrawlers, and the results were astounding.”

The Terrain Gripper was tested by its engineers on multiple platforms and in various terrain types, and made it through all of them. It even managed to attain the “tri-peak” snowflake rating, which makes it rated to handle severe snow service.

Taking The Tires To Task

With the tires balanced and installed, we wheeled the Colorado outside the shop and took out to a local trail to see how it could do. Along the way, naturally, we took some normal paved roads to get there and got to experience what it was like to drive around on the Terrain Grippers.

In a word, the Terrain Grippers were acceptable as on-road driving tires. We drove along the better-paved sections and noticed hardly any tire noise, which was good because the gaps of the tread blocks seemed to denote that tire noise would be a problem. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. We could still have conversations in the cabin and not have to raise our voices.

On-road, the Terrain Grippers handled themselves with distinction, operating quietly and keeping the truck comfortable to drive.

Over some of the less-well-paved sections of asphalt, the Terrain Grippers still performed admirably. A street nearby called Fig Street is a lot less nice than it sounds; let’s just say, the sign at its entrance – “END CITY MAINTAINED ROAD” – is an understatement! Potholes as deep as basketballs pockmark the western end of it, making it a bumpy ride, and you’d be wise to avoid it every day of the week.

Forging through it in the Terrain Grippers, the truck had no problem getting through even the nastier holes. Satisfied, we went back to trails near HQ to test out the off-road performance.

In dirt, the Terrain Gripper gave the Colorado the grip it needed to keep things moving.

In some dirt trails with gravel nearby, the Terrain Grippers again were deft handlers. Granted, leaving it in two-wheel-drive and flooring the gas pedal would cause some sinking, but slow and steady wins the race, and it won the day with these tires equipped.

Terrain Gripper A/T G Conclusion

At the end of the day, the fun was nearing an end, but we didn’t want it that way. The Terrain Gripper A/T G tires proved themselves to be professional fun-havers, giving us traction in the dirt and asphalt alike, and with zero complaining to boot.

We recommend the Terrain Grippers to anyone in the market for an all-terrain. And with their wide range of sizes – from 30 to 35 inches – there’s bound to be one that fits your rig.

For more information, go check out the AMP Tires website. There, you can review the details of the full range of AMP’s tire selection, as well as follow the company on social media.

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About the author

David Chick

David Chick comes to us ready for adventure. With passions that span clean and fast Corvettes all the way to down and dirty off-road vehicles (just ask him about his dream Jurassic Park Explorer), David's eclectic tastes lend well to his multiple automotive writing passions.
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