Yokohama Ice Guard IG55

The Yokohama Ice Guard IG55 studded passenger tire is one of the novelties of the well-known Japanese manufacturer, replacing the very popular IG35 model in our country. It is created using the latest rubber compound, where, in addition to traditional silica, orange oil was used. Among its other features, it is worth noting the aggressive tread pattern with an original design of the shoulder areas. The result of numerous technical innovations was a tire that has very precise and predictable handling on any winter surface, from dry asphalt to ice.

A spike created with the help of 3D design

In the development of the Yokohama IG55 model, modern digital technologies were widely used. In particular, with their help, a completely new spike was created, and its optimal location on the tread was calculated. A distinctive feature of the new spike is its star-shaped form, both of the flange and the core, which significantly enhanced the edge effect. As a result, the tire demonstrates more confident behavior on ice, while it was possible to significantly improve the reliability of the spike fixation in the tread. Their optimized arrangement made it possible to substantially improve traction on an icy road, reducing the noise and vibrations generated by them. At the same time, the new shape of the holes provides a more snug fit of the spike to the tread, ensuring more reliable fixation.

Original V-shaped tread pattern

One of the innovations of this model was the tread pattern, which was also developed using modern computer modeling tools. In its central part, there is a very wide longitudinal rib, composed of numerous arrow-shaped blocks connected by rigid bridges. Such a structure made it possible, on the one hand, to provide the tire with excellent directional stability and low rolling resistance, and on the other hand, to additionally improve traction due to the presence of many differently directed gripping edges.

Key features of the Yokohama Ice Guard IG55 winter tire

- a wide central rib provides excellent directional stability and low rolling resistance;
- a multiple increase in the number of gripping edges compared to the previous model, formed not only by blocks but also by multi-faceted 3D lamellae;
- a new spike with a flange and core in the shape of a star provides more reliable traction on icy roads;
- shoulder areas with blocks equipped with special "digging" elements provide excellent passability in deep snow.