Description Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4
The winter studded tire Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 is one of the most popular winter models of the well-known and respected worldwide Finnish tire manufacturer. Despite its relatively old appearance on the market, its high technical characteristics are still very relevant today. Many of the design solutions first used in this tire have been successfully applied to the latest winter models of the Finnish manufacturer. This model is designed for use on most models of modern passenger cars with a wheel mounting diameter of 13 to 18 inches.
Design of the Finnish tire tread
For the tread of this model, Finnish specialists preferred a typical V-shaped symmetrical pattern for the entire Hakkapeliitta line, which has an original appearance. First of all, it is worth noting the central rib, made in the shape of a "Christmas tree". This solution allowed the tire to have excellent directional stability, especially on snowy and icy surfaces.
Another feature of the V-shaped tread design is the large contact patch area and the constancy of its size, regardless of changes in road surface characteristics. This allows the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 tire to have stable and reliable behavior on any type of surface.
Also, the undoubted advantage of such a design is the excellent self-cleaning properties of the tread. The tire's drainage system perfectly copes with the removal of snow and dirt from the contact patch. Such performance was achieved thanks to the location of the drainage channels in the opposite direction of movement. This allows the tire to more confidently overcome sections of the road with deep snow cover.
Eco Stud System
It was this model that became one of the first to feature the advanced Eco Stud System studding technology for winter tires. This technological innovation, in turn, consists of several interesting technical solutions. In particular, the studs received a wider distribution across the entire tread, which made it possible to significantly improve traction on icy surfaces. In addition, each mounting location was equipped with a special cushion that softens the magnitude of peak loads when the stud comes into contact with the road surface, which significantly reduced the noise generated by it.
Moreover, this tire became the first model to be equipped with studs of a special four-edged shape. The so-called "four-edged" stud provides more reliable traction on icy surfaces in four directions. In addition, this shape promotes more reliable fixation of the stud in the tread, thereby significantly reducing the risk of its premature loss.
Improved rubber compound composition
Another technological innovation was the new composition of the tread rubber compound of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 tire, which includes natural rapeseed oil. In addition to environmental benefits, rapeseed oil has significantly improved the durability of the tread to various aggressive influences, such as punctures and cuts. In addition to the presence of rapeseed oil, the rubber compound can boast an increased content of silicon-containing components. This made it possible to provide the tire with excellent elasticity even at negative temperatures. The elastic tread has become more effective in enveloping the irregularities of the road surface, which led to an improvement in traction on slippery surfaces. At the same time, the silicon-containing components made it possible to achieve not only an improvement in the elasticity of the tire in the cold but also made the tire more durable due to the improved resistance of the tread to wear.
Main features of the studded tire Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4
- Optimized V-shaped design of the symmetrical directional tread pattern is characterized by a large contact patch area, the size of which remains practically constant, regardless of changes in road surface characteristics;
- A multitude of S-shaped lamellas form an additional huge number of sharp edges that literally bite into snowy and icy surfaces;
- A wide central rib in the shape of a "Christmas tree" allows the tire to demonstrate excellent directional stability and excellent braking efficiency, especially on snow and ice;
- The innovative four-edged shape of the stud in combination with a more dispersed arrangement provides more reliable traction on icy surfaces in four directions;
- The use of special cushions in the stud mounting locations makes it possible to reduce noise and regulate their protrusion height;
- The use of rapeseed oil in the composition of the rubber compound has significantly improved elasticity at low temperatures, as well as the durability of the tread to punctures and cuts.