Nitto Dune Grapplers...

[biju]

Dood - no worries. twas my poor attempt at being funny.

-beej.

[Chopper]

OK...Well, first; got my Dunes, love the look, but they just won't work for me. In Fla. there are two conditions we drive in. Wet,smooth, and Fast... and dry, smooth and Faster. Two lanes are posted@ 55-65, four lanes are mostly 70, which means we are pretty much all doing 65-90 all the time. Around here, the roads are well maintained, and glassy smooth, with looong straights and banking on the few curves we have. These things are too "squirmy" at speed, and since I don't go off road, they are now gracing a Wrangler that belongs to one of our metal men. A much better home in my opinion. The Michelin Pilots are working much better for me...laser tracking, great cornering, don't know about wet, but they ain't cheap. A little over 1700 with alignment and balance. Second:Wifey wanted me to look at that white one this weekend, for her. She wants it Purple! Cool by me, I'm thinking somewhere between old "Plum Crazy" and "Prowler Purple" but with a ton of dry Pearl and maybe a smidge of House of Kolor super fine gold flake in the clear. Glitter like a Bass boat in the sun and sparkle like a starry sky at night. I love doing totally inappropriate paint jobs! Figure all the prep (removing the glass, grill, door handles, lights,rack etc. interior,and dash, doors, all the stuff on the inner fenders and firewall...everything) at about 100 hours including stripping the old paint. Easy 40 hours priming, sanding, then cutting in the edges and insides. Two base coats, maybe one candy/clearbase, Three clears; next day 2000 grit it flat and give it three more clears and let it breathe a day or two...about 20 hours. Cut and buff out, 12-15 hours. Put it all back together, about 20 hours. About 8000 in labor and depending on type 3-4000 in material. Anything quoted at 2000 or so is a cheap scratch and squirt shoot... not what you want on a collector, more like Chevy Malibu. You can spend a LOT more...we,ve hung 40,00 on some nuts Viper... but not a whole lot less than 10000 for a real good shoot. Hope this helps answer some questions. Man this is a long post... but Hey... I was "jacked" Wayne

[biju]

These things are too "squirmy" at speed

Chopper: Strange - mine are very solid at high speed (flat surface). It's just the large grooves they don't like. (here in colorado we have some nasty nasty road grooves). Did you get the same size (18")?

-biju

[Chopper]

Hey Beej, it wasn't the straights so much, as fast sweepers, and particularly the quick left- right transitions. I think the sidewalls are a bit compliant... probably a concesion to airing down, or absorbing sharp object impact. Don't misunderstand, they are awesome tires, big improvement over the "Stones" and if I hit dirt at all, they would still be on the VX. Yeah, they are 18's by the by.