SNOW TREADS By Bruce W. Smith Winter can bring with it a variety of adverse weather conditions from snow and ice to rain and fog. All of these unpredictable elements can make driving in winter very challenging. Mark Cox, Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colo., offers some practical advice to Truck Test Digest listeners on selecting the right tires for winter driving. “One of the most important factors in starting, steering or stopping on ice and snow is your tires,” Cox says. “It makes no difference if you have a front-wheel, four-wheel or rear-wheel drive, your vehicle will perform better in most winter driving conditions if it is equipped with purpose-built winter tires instead of all-season radials.” Cox explains that all-season radials are designed to perform year-round and cannot have the softer rubber compounds and unique tread of winter tires. “Tire manufacturers have certainly come a long way in improving winter traction of their all-season tires, but a dedicated winter tire is designed specifically to handle winter driving needs. And with more states outlawing or limiting the use of studded snow tires, studless snow tires are becoming more popular.” With more than 200 vehicle applications currently available in the United States, the Bridgestone Blizzak™ family of ice and snow tires will fit many of today’s popular vehicles, from sedan CUVs to SUVs and light trucks. Many Bridgestone Blizzak ice and snow tires feature a revolutionary Multicell® rubber compound* which contains thousands of microscopic cells and pores. These cells resemble Swiss cheese when examined through a microscope. As the Blizzak wears and the pores are exposed, they create thousands of biting edges that grip the road surface. The pores are uniformly distributed throughout the Multicell® compound so as the tire wears, new pores are constantly being exposed along the tire tread surface. The patented Multicell® compound is featured only in the Blizzak tire and is produced at only three plants in the world. In addition to the biting action, the pores absorb the film of water which often develops on top of icy roads, thereby allowing the biting edges to adhere to the surface with less interference. The result is greater driving and braking force on ice- and snow-covered surfaces. The Blizzak is a dual compound (cap and base) tire. The cap features the Multicell* compound and the base is comprised of a winter compound, allowing use as a basic winter tire. When the Blizzak is 50 percent worn, a snow platform in the tire tread lets the motorist know that only ten percent of the remaining tread is the Multicell® compound. “More and more state and local governments in the United States are prohibiting the use of studded snow tires to protect against road damage, but consumers still want the grip provided by a studded tire,” Cox warn. “The Blizzak offers the perfect solution because it is studless, yet it delivers superb ice and snow traction.” EDITOR’S PICK Pick Six: SNOW/ICE TIRES We get a lot of listeners and web viewers calling and e-mailing us about our recommendations for the best snow/ice tires for pickups, SUVs, corss-overs and minivans. Tough call. But dedicated ice/snow tires in all forms deliver far better traction (safety) than anything that comes on those types of vehicles from the factory. From our driving experiences here’re the brands of tires we’d put on our own vehicles when the road surfaces turn white or ice:
One of the very best. The new Nokian Hakkapeliitta Sport Utility 5 offers the same ingenious technical solutions found in the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 for passenger cars. The Nokian Hakkapeliitta Sport Utility 5 was designed for the growing SUV market. It has the widest size range on the market, offering 27 different sizes up to a rim diameter of 22 inches. The rubber compound used in the novelty has been adapted to winter use in SUVs. The compound contains large amounts of canola oil, which improves tear resistance and grip on ice. Among other things, the tyre shows good endurance against hard blows from sharp-edged stones.
The Latitude X-ICE is Michelin's Studless Ice and Snow winter tire developed for the drivers of family vans, sport utility vehicles and light-duty pickups that want a boost in winter driving confidence. Latitude X-ICE winter tires are designed to combine X-tra ice and snow traction with enhanced handling on wet and dry roads. The Latitude X-ICE molds an advanced silica-based winter tread rubber compound that remains flexible at lower temperatures into a directional tread design that helps maintain good traction on wet and slush-covered roads. It features Cross Z-Sipes Technology to increase tread and shoulder block stability and provide the lateral and longitudinal stiffness for better handling on dry and wet roads and more grip on ice- and snow-covered roads.
The Winter Dueler DM-Z2 is ideal for pickups and SUVs. It features a directional tread design to help maintain good traction on wet and slush covered roads while its zig-zag sipes and independent tread blocks provide the edges to help bite through snow. It also features Bridgestone's latest Link Multicell Compound which is glass fiber reinforced to enhance vehicle stability on dry roads while it helps disperse water to reduce the risk of slipping on the thin surface film of water that makes ice so dangerous. This allows the Winter Dueler DM-Z2 to approach the traction provided by a studded tire on ice ... without the use of studs.
The Blizzak WS60 is Bridgestone's Studless Ice and Snow winter tire developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans and crossover vehicles looking for traction on winter's slushy, snow-covered and icy roads. Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT Full Depth Locking Sipes and Angled Tread Elements 1000’s of biting edges creating unparalleled traction for pickups and SUVs. Arrowhead Tread Pattern (directional) Expels water, snow, and slush while providing uncompromised lateral grip. The 12-row, patented “Eco Stud System” rovides superb grip and responsiveness on polished ice while giving a smoother, quieter ride.
The studdable Hakkapeliitta S.U.V. delivers incredible off road traction through its Full Depth Locking Sipes and Arrowhead Tread Pattern. With its special long lasting rubber compound providing outstanding durability, this tire is designed to handle the most extreme conditions you can encounter on or off-road. Good one-stop snow/ice tire sources:
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Nokian
Hakkapeliitta SUV 5
Michelin
Latitude X-Ice
Bridgestone
Winter Dueler DM-Z2