Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 Tires Review
Posted on April 20, 2009
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The company Bridgestone, appeared on the market with its line Blizzak tires in 1992, represents a new, improved, more secure and high-tech tire - Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 replaces the popular tire Blizzak WS-50. The new tire has passed an enormous amount of changes that affected not only on the look of the tread, but also the production technology with the use of the most modern technologies and materials such as NanoProTech, RC Polymer and Tube Multicell.
Using technology NanoProTech in this area can reduce rolling resistance, better braking on wet roads. RC Polymer - butadiene rubber with a silicon atom at the end of the polymer chain. High-butadiene rubber has excellent flexibility at low temperatures and abrasive resistance, due to its microstructure. The introduction of silicon into the structure of the polymer chain, for its part, gives the material properties with excellent adhesion to a smooth surface.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 also uses a technology Tube Multicell. Tube Multicell - microporous rubber composition, which provides a secure grip on the winter road, replacing the pins. This technology allows the withdrawal of water at the micro level. Tube Multicell allows the tire directly contact with the «dry» crystal layer of ice, resulting in that the tire literally sticks to the road. Micropores and small channels engraved on the edges of the ice create an edge effect, providing grip.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 will go on sale very soon, the range will be presented to 38 sizes from R14 to R17, and the height from 45 to 70.
A review on Toyo M410 tires
Posted on April 18, 2009
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A change to summer tires is a headache not only for the owners of sedans, hatchbacks and universals. SUV’s owner also have to care about changing tires too. From the very first look it seems to be quite easy – jeep is simply a jeep anyway. But, it turns out to invent a tire for a SUV in many ways is even more difficult than for the other cars.
It could not be done without science. Let us seek for example from the Japanese. Dynamic Simulation Optimized Contour Theory technology Dr. Ken Isihara of Toyo company has developed more than ten years ago and in 1992 it received the grand prize by the American Association of tires The Tire Society. Then DSOC II took the place of DSOK, which in 2001-m has been updated and expanded by the T-mode technology.
Immediately after the introduction of new developments in industrial production a preparation began to produce a new tire, including a tire for SUVs. New tires were distinguished by softness, high levels of comfort, ability to be driven at high speeds and excellent handling, especially on bends.
The first tires for the jeep made on DSOC technology - Tranpath SU - appeared in 1997. The SU letters (Sport Utility) suggest that the model is designed for urban-type jeep. TASU, as the abbreviated name of novelty, had to taste the owners of large SUVs. Aggressive jeep pattern showed that the tire is not afraid of off-road at all. However its benefits could be tested on a highway too, where it has good adhesion to the road at a very low level of acoustic noise. The Japanese car companies Daihatsu, Mazda and Nissan immediately drew attention to the new tires, and soon they began to use them for their brand’s SUV’s.
Awhile, on the off-road tire market appeared another tire prepared by Toyo - M 410. It differs from a predecessor with a more “concentrated” tread pattern to ensure its excellent resistance to bending and high wear resistance. Good self-refing and advanced water-removing network made the tire indispensable while driving on a wet road. This model has shown wonderful manageability and accelerating, braking performance and powerful diamond and square pieces has ensured a good cross for a car. Again, as in the case of TASU tires, M 410 immediately became a leader in the class of tires for large SUVs.
Technology DSOC II is used by Toyo for nearly a decade, and each new development of Japanese tire company says that the ability of this technology is far from being exhausted.
Nokian Hakka Z SUV. End of alphabet
Posted on April 15, 2009
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Nokian Tyres’ Alphabet was to end in the last letter of the Latin alphabet, but the Finns managed to think of three more.
Nokian Hakka Z Suv - new high-speed summer tire for urban off-road cars. She added the family, which includes «nearest relative» Hakka Z and «sisters» Hakka V / H, Hakka i3, Hakka SUV and light-truck Hakka C Van / Cargo tires.
The peculiarity of the family - the calculation for a northern summer with lots of rain, frost, rough pavement, mild off-road combined with grease.
New tires are not intended for off-road, which in addition to non-aggressive tread pattern is also indicated by velocity indices - V (up to 240 km / h), W (270 km / h) and Y (300 km / h).
The main innovations are incorporated in the concept of a so-called Cool Zone - multi-layer structure of the tread - the rubber mixture with silica and rapeseed oil plus a new radius of curvature of the tread.
The inner layer of a three-layer tread is a thin layer, reducing heat and rolling resistance. Sub-elastic layer reacts to a mixture of traditional maneuvers faster. Natural rapeseed oil used in the mix for the tread, gives it elasticity and tensile strength. Nokian Cool silica and rapeseed oil contribute to a better tire adhesion on the wet road and preserve the elasticity at low to near-summer temperatures of the tires.
This combination reduces tire’s rolling resistance, which leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and air pollution. The new «rectified» radius of the tread curvature improves the exchange rate stability during maneuvers and reduces the heating of the tire while driving at high speed.
Pattern of the Hakka Z SUV is asymmetrical. Reinforced center rib is responsible for lane stability (especially at high speeds). Stronger external shoulder - for the stability in cornering and handling, interior - effectively removes water from the contact spot. Longitudinal grooves Improve drainage.
Robust on-board zone improves controllability at high speeds, the annular collar protects the edge of the rim. At the helm of the sensitivity and driving accuracy maintenance banding on the circle, seamless solid lateral ring, and reinforced filling cord in the side zone positively affect. The absence of seams in the nylon band – is a pledge of a lack of vibration at high speeds.
Traditionally, the tire has two wear indicators. The first shows the residual depth of the tread in millimeters. The second, in the form of stylized drop, disappears from the surface of the tread when the tire is unsafe in the rain. On the side there are info-station, where you can make the necessary mark (the recommended pressure, place of the installation of tire, etc.)
The tire does not contain toxic highly-aromatic oils, what is particularly pleasant, because it is produced not only in Finland but also in Russia. 14 standard sizes are introduced - from 235/65R17 108V XL to 295/30R22 103Y XL.
Michelin X-Ice tires - Review on Winter Tires
Posted on April 12, 2009
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As the major manufacturers use to do, they launched a new generation of Michelin X-Ice tires after four years from the first generation. The tire is designed for the regions where roads most of the winter are covered with snow and ice - Scandinavia, Japan, Canada and Russia.
Major advantages of the new friction winter tires - a unique blend of rubber Flex-Ice, adapted to changes in ambient temperature and an innovative tread pattern to divert water from the surface of ice. However, this is not the full list of innovations.
To ensure optimum adhesion of tire, contact patch should be as broad as possible, and the pressure should be distributed as evenly as possible over. Combining several technologies, Michelin engineers have increased contact spot area of Michelin X-Ice II by 13% in comparison to the predecessor. Positive (rubber, in contact with the road) increased from 60 to 73%. Moreover, changes, introduced in the pattern will even reduce the risk of aquaplaning.
Lamellas along the edges of each tread block were replaced by micropumps - blank holes, capable to pump water from the contact spot during the compression of rubber. Skaters know: ice is not slippery, water is sliding, appearing on the ice under the pressure of the skate blades. Micropumps pump water under the spines. Lamellas in the center of blocks, bending, cling like spikes on the smallest irregularities on any road surface. But the greatest impact is felt on the ice, especially when melting - the slippery surface.
X-Ice II has sent a symmetrical V-shaped tread pattern effectively removing water and snow porridge. Using the silika in the composition of the mixture makes the tire more rigid at high and elastic at low temperatures, increases the term of its service and provides a high quality grip, especially on a wet road.
Sidewall lamellas have undulating profile in two planes, which guarantees their cohesion under load. Tread blocks become tougher, which achieved excellent handling and exchange rate stability. And stops between the blocks make tread hard. Contact spot becomes more stable, the pressure in it is distributed more evenly. Accordingly, the tread wears evenly, which increases the service life of the tire.
Manufacturer positioned X-Ice II as a winter car tire friction representative / sports class, mostly operating on ice-and snow-covered roads. Speed index - T (190 km / h). There are 36 standard sizes from 175/70R13 82T to 245/45R18 100T XL.
