Yokohama Guardex F700Z

The winter studded tire Yokohama Guardex F700 is one of the most popular models from one of the most famous Japanese manufacturers. This model is designed for a very wide range of modern passenger cars, as the line of sizes includes several dozen options with a landing size from 13 to 20 inches. At the same time, some sizes are produced in a non-studded version with holes for studs.

Tread pattern of the Japanese tire

Japanese tire engineers used a tread with a V-shaped symmetrical tread pattern in this model, which has a non-trivial appearance. The tread consists of four longitudinal ribs, including a pair of shoulder zones. At the same time, each of these ribs is a separate row of tread blocks with a large height and massive size. The double blocks located in the central part of the tread have a complex shape with many sharp edges and angles.

The shoulder zones of the tread also consist of separate blocks, which, unlike similar tread elements located in the central part, are made in the shape of a quadrangle and have an original structure of the outer side.

Snow and ice on F700

The V-shaped design of the tread structure chosen by Japanese engineers allowed this tire to demonstrate excellent efficiency when driving on snowy and icy surfaces. The presence of a large number of tread blocks made it possible to ensure a multitude of additional sharp edges, which allow for more confident movement on a snowy surface, including areas with deep snow cover. Thanks to the V-shaped design,
At the same time, the blocks located in the shoulder zones of the tread work like powerful mud catchers in special off-road tires in deep snow, which significantly improved the passability indicators.

When driving on icy surfaces, the Yokohama Guardex F700Z tire demonstrates excellent traction and grip, thanks to two technical solutions. Japanese tire makers equipped this model with more than a hundred sharp studs, arranging them in such a way that they formed ten rows. This not only improved grip on ice but also significantly reduced noise levels. In addition to the studs, several S-shaped lamellas are located on the surface of each tread element. These lamellas form additional sharp edges that easily penetrate the water film that appears as a result of friction, effectively gripping any irregularity on the icy surface. At the same time, when in contact with the road surface, the walls of the lamellas, due to their S-shaped profile, are tightly fixed to each other, which allows increasing the stiffness of the tread element. This made it possible to significantly improve the handling characteristics on any type of surface.

Features of movement on asphalt

Another advantage of the V-shaped pattern of this tire is the large contact area and the stability of its dimensions, regardless of the driving mode. This makes it possible to ensure reliable grip, both on dry and wet surfaces. The presence of four wide longitudinal ribs made it possible to achieve excellent course stability, which is also important when driving on icy and snowy surfaces. In addition, the relatively close arrangement of the tread blocks significantly reduced the rolling resistance of the Yokoahama F700Z tire, which, in turn, led to a reduction in fuel consumption. A high level of comfort when driving on cleaned asphalt roads is ensured due to the uneven pitch of the tread blocks, which significantly reduced the likelihood of resonance noise and vibration.

Thanks to the block structure of the tread, this model has a highly efficient drainage system at its disposal. Due to the large number of wide and deep channels, the drainage system perfectly copes with the removal of not only a large amount of water but also dirt and slush from the contact patch. And the excellent self-cleaning indicators of the tread, ensured by a sufficiently large distance between the tread blocks, allow the tire to feel more confident in mud and deep snow.

The tread of this tire has a two-layer structure. The rubber compound located on top is characterized by increased elasticity even at low temperatures. Due to this, more reliable grip with slippery surfaces is ensured, as well as softness and comfort of movement.

Under the soft layer is a more rigid and hard layer of rubber compound. This layer is designed to reduce deformations that occur during movement, which significantly improved handling characteristics, especially on clean and dry surfaces. In addition, the lower layer is fixed with studs, due to the high density and hardness of which a more reliable connection of the stud with the tread is ensured.

Main features of the Yokohama Guardex F700Z tire

- The two-layer tread remains elastic even at negative temperatures, while maintaining resistance to deformations due to the more rigid lower layer;
- The optimized design of the V-shaped symmetrical directional tread pattern provides reliable grip on various types of surfaces in any weather conditions;
- Excellent passability due to the multitude of tread blocks;
- Excellent efficiency of the drainage system allows easy handling not only with water but also with dirt and snow slush;
- Unique 10-row arrangement of studs provides excellent grip on ice and also contributes to noise reduction when driving.