What Is Kedge Grip?
A kedge grip is designed to grip the road and give extra traction due to the materials it is made of, a combination of crushed walnut shells and glass particles that are mixed into the entire tread rubber compound.
There are three types of Kedge Grip your tire can have:
- Light Kedge Grip (standard)
- Medium Kedge Grip
- Heavy Kedge Grip (by special request only)
The difference between light and heavy kedge grip is the amount of added particles (glass and walnut shells) present in the tread. Kedge Grip for tires is great for road trips during the winter. Read on to learn why Kedge Grip tires are the best choice for winter driving/off-roading.
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The Benefits of Kedge Grip
The following is a list of the benefits of Kedge Grip, a unique custom tire option that will improve the grip of your tire:
- Grips the road securely (extra traction)
- Long-lasting
- Great look- will have that “custom tire” appeal and you are able to choose the compound, carcass, and tread design
- Great price- for the price of a set of another brand’s tires, you can replace TreadWright tires with Kedge Grip 2x
Comparing Kedge Grip To Tire Siping
Tire siping is when the tread surface is thinly cut to provide extra traction on the road. Tire siping improves traction on snow and ice and also works to manage tire heat on hot roads, as the slits create that extra surface area needed to cool down.
In order to accurately compare kedge grip and tire siping, we need a closer look at exactly what happens as the walnut shells and glass particles in a kedge tread wear down. As the tire wears down, the walnut shell is designed to displace from the rubber, leaving a small (1mm) pit or void that provides additional traction edges (micro-siping). The crushed glass is designed to stay in place longer, providing additional grit and grip on the surface of the tread.
As you can see, kedge is its own naturally-occurring form of siping. Both tire siping and Kedge Grip come at a cost to the tire owner, as the additional open area on the tread will cause the tire to wear about 5% to 10% faster than a tire without Kedge Grip or siping. However, this is the trade-off for better winter traction.
How Is Kedge Grip Better Than Tire Siping?
Kedge Grip and tire siping both have their unique advantages. Tire siping will not wear your tires down the same way Kedge Grip does, but you will not have as much traction as you would get with Kedge Grip. Kedge Grip is better than tire siping if you plan to drive through a lot of snow and ice, although tire siping alone can get the job done if you are not worried about having the maximum traction.
However, not everybody needs this extra traction for their rig, especially if you live in a climate that rarely sees ice/snow/cold weather. In conclusion, Kedge Grip has all of the benefits that tire siping does and then some, with the unique drawback of wearing your tires a small percentage faster than normal.
Order Kedge Grip For Your Next Set of Tires
The best type of TreadWright tire for Kedge Grip is going to be Mud Terrain tires, as they are designed with maximum traction in mind when it comes to tough terrain and offroading. Adding Kedge Grip to any of Treadwright's Mud Terrain tires will provide the ultimate grip on the road (or offroad).
Choosing which tire is right for you comes down to how you plan to use your tires. If you plan to drive through a lot of ice and snow, Treadwright's Mud Terrain tires are the way to go as they are rated 4.5/5 on winter handling. Paired with Kedge Grip, your tires will be winter ready. Tread aggressiveness and off-road traction on Mud Lords is a 4.5 rating compared to 5/5 that the Claw and Claw II boast. The set of tires you choose to buy comes down to what you value most in a tire, which is why we provide the specs so that you can make the best decision for your rig.
The following is a list of the best TreadWright tires suitable for Kedge Grip:
$149.49-234.99
Tread Aggressiveness: 5/5
Off-road Traction: 5/5
Winter Handling: 4.5/5
$130.49-$182.99
Tread Aggressiveness: 5/5
Off-road Traction: 5/5
Winter Handling: 4.5/5
$144.99-$279.99
Tread Aggressiveness: 5/5
Off-road Traction: 5/5
Winter Handling: 4.5/5
About TreadWright Tires
Unlike retreaded tires that are pre-cured with glue, TreadWright uses Mold-Cure Technology, the same “curing” manufacturing process used in new tires. Remolded tires have been used for years by emergency response vehicles and airplanes, and now your rig can wear them too. Here are some quick facts about our 100% American-made and environmentally sustainable tires:
- Our remolding process uses 66% less oil compared to making new tires
- Remolded tires cost 40% less than new tires
- The remolding process helps reduce tire landfills (less rubber is wasted)
- We only use carefully inspected premium American casings
- Each tire is remolded only once to maintain reliability
- We will never manufacture our products overseas
- Voted Big Business Green Company of the Year 2016 by Business Intelligence Group
Visit TreadWright.com to learn more about our quality remolded tires we sell, and to view our Kedge Grip tire options.
