The Goodyear Ultragrip Coach truck tire is unique in many ways, as it is a model designed for winter operation on the driving axles of intercity buses. According to the manufacturer, this tire is an excellent choice for transport companies that carry passengers in countries with a cold climate, where road conditions often become the cause of lengthy delays. This model has a special design adapted to adverse road conditions in winter, providing excellent traction and a high level of acoustic comfort.
TravelMax Technology
In the development of this model, the TravelMax technology was widely used. It is a whole complex of technological solutions that covers almost all components of the tire, from the composition of the rubber mixture to the design of the carcass. As a result, North American tire makers were able to find the perfect balance between all the main operational characteristics.
Silefex Rubber Compound
Evidence that the characteristics of the rubber compound are of primary importance for traction properties is the tread of the Goodyear Ultragrip Coach tire. It is made from the Silefex rubber compound, which provided a 7% improvement in traction compared to a standard truck tire. This was achieved by selecting the optimal level of silicon-containing fillers and natural rubbers.
V-shaped Symmetrical Tread Pattern
Since the tire was initially designed for winter operation on the driving axles of bus equipment, North American tire makers had no choice but to opt for a symmetrical directional tread pattern with a V-shaped arrangement of tread elements. Additionally, this design is typical of most Goodyear winter tires for several decades, which speaks to its excellent adaptability to winter surfaces.
As for the Goodyear Ultragrip Coach tread, its design is noticeably different from what we are used to seeing on other winter models from this North American manufacturer. It consists of many separate blocks, which form four longitudinal ribs in the central part of the tread pattern and two shoulder zones. They are arranged in such a way that during movement, they form very long transverse edges of traction, which have a bend exactly in the middle. This arrangement provides excellent traction and directional stability, which is especially evident when driving on slippery winter roads.
It is also worth noting the presence on the surface of each block in the central part of the tread pattern of several straight lamellas. During movement, they form a multitude of additional traction edges, making the tire's behavior even more reliable and stable.
In addition, the tread pattern of this model is distinguished by a practically flat profile and a large width. This combination allowed the maximum increase in the size of the contact patch. At the same time, due to the uniform distribution of external pressure on it, high resistance to uneven wear is achieved.
Main Features of the Goodyear Ultragrip Coach Tire
- an increased number of traction edges in combination with an open design of the shoulder zones provides increased traction on snowy and icy roads;
- a flat profile in combination with a large width of the tread pattern contributes to improved handling, even wear, and a long service life;
- several lamellas on the surface of each block in the central part ensure that the contact patch has a large number of additional traction edges;
- a zigzag shape of the longitudinal drainage grooves, which reduces the noise level and also prevents the accumulation of stones and other foreign objects in the tread.
