The all-season passenger tire Hankook H426 Optimo was initially designed for the North American market, but for some time now, domestic car enthusiasts have had the opportunity to get acquainted with it. This model was developed using Kontrol Technology, the main goal of which is to ensure interaction between the driver, vehicle, and road. It allows the tire to have excellent safety, comfort, and handling characteristics.
Low noise level
When developing the tread pattern, the specialists of the South Korean manufacturer sought to achieve an ideal balance between low noise levels, soft ride, and handling. That's why the tread consists of a sufficient number of longitudinal ribs, as this made it possible to minimize the vibration load on the tire. In addition, the width of the transverse drainage channels was selected in such a way as to maximize the reduction of the noise level generated by them.
So, the tread pattern consists of five longitudinal ribs, which in itself contributes to a reduction in noise levels. In addition, their edges were made rounded, which made it possible to significantly reduce the noise level caused by vibrations.
Grip on a wet road
The main elements of the drainage system are four grooves located along the entire tread. Their impressive size allows them to accumulate large amounts of water. At the same time, the longitudinal grooves are connected by special channels located at an acute angle relative to the direction of movement. This solution makes it possible to quickly remove a huge amount of water from the contact patch, which provides excellent resistance to aquaplaning.
In addition, in the shoulder zones of the Hankook H426 Optimo tread, there are also drainage channels that divide them into separate rectangular blocks. I.e., these channels, in addition to removing water from the contact patch, form additional traction edges, which, due to their almost perpendicular arrangement, increase the effectiveness of braking on a wet road.
Stable and reliable handling
In addition to optimizing the tread pattern, the South Korean tire manufacturers found other ways to improve handling characteristics. One of these technical measures was a special shape of the tire bead, which minimized the gap between it and the wheel disk. To do this, special beads were placed inside the bead, which not only eliminated the void between the wheel disk and the tire but also ensured a more even distribution of pressure. As a result of such devices, it was possible to significantly improve handling, which became more reliable and stable.
Stable carcass shape
As you know, when driving, the tire carcass is constantly exposed to external and internal influences, which deforms its profile. In this model, due to the addition of additional layers of breaker and metal cord, it was possible to minimize these dynamic deformations, as a result of which the tire's service life was significantly increased. I.e., now the tire carcass has a two-layer steel breaker and two layers of nylon, which significantly increased the tire's resistance to any aggressive impact, and also made it possible to ensure an almost ideal balance between strength and handling.
In addition, it is impossible not to note the excellent protection of the tire's sidewalls from all kinds of aggressive influences. To a large extent, this is due to the special tread ring, which reliably protects the sidewall from punctures, cuts, and abrasions.
Main features of Hankook H426 Optimo
- The S-shaped symmetrical tread pattern provides reliable traction in any weather conditions;
- Modern 5-rib design, thanks to which the tire has a large contact patch and excellent directional stability;
- Rounded edges of all five longitudinal ribs contribute to a significant reduction in resonant noise and vibrations;
- Four longitudinal drainage grooves are connected by transverse channels, the arrangement of which at an acute angle contributes to faster water removal from the contact patch.
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