The Hercules Winter HIS-S tire is available in a studded version, i.e. without studs, but with places for their installation. Another feature of this model is the presence of 6 variants for minivans and light trucks in the range of sizes. In total, the manufacturer offers 19 sizes for wheels with a mounting diameter from 14 to 17 inches, of which 13 are designed exclusively for passenger cars. However, regardless of size, this tire has exceptional capabilities on any winter surface, as evidenced by the assigned speed indices - T and V.
V-shaped tread pattern
Most renowned manufacturers use V-shaped tread pattern designs for their winter tires. The North American tire manufacturers also chose to equip this tire with a similar tread pattern, which is most effective on slippery surfaces. However, despite the widespread use of such a scheme for arranging tread elements, this model has found a place for a number of original technical solutions. In particular, this tread is equipped with a very rigid central rib. This made it possible to significantly reduce the reaction time of the Hercules Winter HSI-S tire to steering wheel turns, which has a very positive effect on handling - it has become more stable and predictable.
The rest of the tread is occupied by a huge number of individual blocks. Despite their small size, all of them have a very complex configuration, replete with many angles and faces. Since they are all arranged in different directions, it was possible to ensure reliable grip in all directions.
Excellent resistance to slashplaining
One of the key features of this tire is the numerous drainage channels formed by the multitude of tread blocks. The combination of large sizes with a direction against the direction of movement allows these channels to very effectively clean the contact patch not only of water but also of much heavier snow masses.
Main features of Hercules Winter HSI-S
- Excellent traction properties on any winter surfaces, thanks to the optimized tread pattern with a V-shaped design;
- A rigid central rib provides excellent directional stability and fast response to steering wheel turns;
- Large contact patch sizes remain unchanged in any situation, making handling more reliable and stable;
- Excellent resistance to slashplaining, thanks to the large number of wide drainage channels directed against the direction of movement.
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