Released by the famous North American manufacturer, the winter tire General Tire Altimax Arctic, thanks to its existence in almost a hundred different sizes from 13 to 17 inches, is perfectly suited not only to the majority of modern compact class passenger cars, but also to vehicles with increased cross-country ability, including SUVs and pickups.
The appearance of this tire is owed to the legendary winter tire Gislaved Nord Frost 3, which after 8 years of successful sales was discontinued. However, its popularity and continued high demand led to its use as a prototype for the General Tire Altimax Arctic winter tire. That's why the tread pattern of this tire is so similar to the Nord Frost 3. However, engineers from the North American company made a number of significant additions that substantially improve the efficiency and performance of this tire.
Firstly, the central rib of the tread pattern has been modified, which has its own name - "Center Stability Rib". As the name suggests, as a result of this change, the tire's directional stability has increased. The system of longitudinal and transverse channels has also been changed, which have become more effective in removing water and snow from the contact patch, improving traction characteristics during thaws. In addition, due to the increased width of the drainage channels, the self-cleaning performance of the tread has improved, which, in turn, has increased the tire's General Tire Altimax Arctic ability to handle deep snow.
The next significant change was made to the system of lamellas, which are now placed at a wider angle of divergence - 270°, which has significantly improved the traction characteristics on icy surfaces.
The main features of the General Tire Altimax Arctic tire
- High directional stability due to the special structure of the central rib of the tread;
- The asymmetrical arrangement of the lamellas increases traction on icy surfaces;
- Increased efficiency of water and snow removal from the contact patch improves handling characteristics in bad weather;
- The two-layer structure of the tread, the rubber compound of which contains natural rubber and silica.
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