The Goodyear UltraGrip Ice SUV Gen-1 winter tire has recently joined the lineup of "friction" models from the North American manufacturer. However, this has not prevented it from gaining popularity due to its excellent traction and coupling properties, efficient braking, and stable behavior on slippery, icy, and wet surfaces. High operational characteristics were achieved through the use of both long-known and new technical solutions.
Interlocking Lugs
The 3D-BIS technology has been used by the North American concern for at least 10 years, which does not prevent it from remaining relevant today. Interlocking lugs are also present in this tire, where they are cut into each block. This technology is based on a special design of these tread elements. When in contact with the road surface, the lugs open, simultaneously limiting the mobility of the block over its entire area. As a result, the contact patch receives many additional gripping edges, as well as the ability to maintain its shape unchanged. Thanks to this, the tire excellently grips the slippery surface, demonstrates stable behavior, and shows speed and accuracy in responding to the driver's actions.
Active Grip Technology
The ActiveGrip technology was applied when creating the tire. The essence of this innovation is that the tread, adapting to road conditions, strives to maximize the width of the contact patch. This allows reducing the specific pressure on it, thereby improving stability and grip. This property is ensured by several technical solutions. The key one is the optimization of the tread profile. In addition, an ideal combination of the location of shapes and sizes of tread blocks was selected to increase the width.
Improved Longitudinal Traction Properties
Another important innovation was the placement of the working surfaces of the tread blocks at an angle, namely, parallel to the direction of movement. As a result, when the tire is affected by longitudinal acceleration forces, the area of the contact patch remains maximum, which significantly improves the tire's performance when accelerating and decelerating. In addition, this solution made it possible to reduce rolling resistance and, along with it, fuel consumption.
Snowflake Indicators
To control the degree of wear of the tire's working surface, the North American manufacturer uses a very simple technical solution in everyday use. Several holes are cut into the tread, made in the shape of a snowflake. As it wears out, it becomes smaller. Its complete disappearance means that the residual tread depth is less than 4 mm, which means that it is impossible to further operate the tire on winter surfaces.
Main Features of the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice SUV GEN-1 Model
- Interlocking lugs improve grip on slippery surfaces, while providing excellent handling and control over the vehicle;
- "active grip" technology increases the width of the contact patch, which reduces the specific pressure on it, thereby improving stability and grip, preventing uneven wear;
- surfaces of tread blocks inclined parallel to the direction of movement reduce the braking distance, provide increased efficiency when accelerating.
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