is actively encouraging motorists to switch to winter products. This message comes with the aim of boosting tyre safety in the upcoming cold months.
Bridgestone Winter tyres
Bridgestone Tyres is actively encouraging motorists to switch to winter products. This message comes with the aim of boosting tyre safety in the upcoming cold months.
With the conditions all set to become more and more unpredictable and with the increasing number of casualties due to unsafe tyres, Bridgestone has taken it upon itself to educate people about the importance of tyre safety in the winter.
I have never known a winter tyre that stands out above the others. There are many reasons why our customers prefer a certain brand or even type of tyre. We have a few particular instances that stick out; one of them is a guy who imports and fits carpets.
His work takes him to all over Europe, and he travels thousands of miles a year. His main destination is Belgium because of its large carpet manufacturing industry. The only thing that he will fit in his Mercedes Sprinter long wheel base van is Michelins. The guy just did not want any old Michelin’s; he wanted Michelin Agillis Alpin winter tyres.
The man insisted on nothing else and sometimes we have to get them from Holland for him. He says that he gets all-year-round grip and feels totally confident in all road conditions and any inclement weather.
Bridgestone Tyres
Another thing that we always see. Some drivers will only stick to the make of tyre as original equipment. These tend to be middle-class gentlemen. A good example is the owners of new VW cars. These are the guys who ask for the Bridgestone brand of tyres.
Although Bridgestone tyres come out in all sorts of makes of cars,. VW cars are one of the most modern cars to have these tyres fitted. Audi cars are also equipped with the Bridgestone brand.
Again, these drivers will stick to the same brand of tyres. Consequently, we sell Bridgestone Blizzak winter tyres because the customers who drive them will stick to the same brand of tyre. My opinion is that it is good for business, and it would not be a good thing for us all to be the same and all buy the same products.
There is no doubt
that the large tyre manufacturers are getting more involved with their winter products. Here in the UK market. On the continent, drivers have to fit winters by law.
So the tyre companies sell as many as they can. It has to be said that we have to battle for the crumbs of the left-over tyres once they have supplied the rest of Europe, but we have been helped by imports from places like China and other Eastern tyre makers.
Yokohama BluEarth tyres range demonstrates its commitment to reducing its environmental impact globally. The BluEarth AE-01 tyre encompasses much of Yokohama’s environmental technology and exper…
Yokohama BluEarth Tyre
There is no doubt in my mind that the Yokohama BluEarth tyres will become one of the big tyre players shortly.
Their commitment to the motorsport scene and research and development is second to none in the tyre world.
http://www.pellonautocentre.com/blog/?p=12322
Yokohama Compounds were tested as far back as the 1980’s It is common knowledge that Yokohama tyres were first starting to develop more
Yokohama orange peel oil symbol
Environmental friendly tyres back in the 1980’s. The giant Japanese have always believed that motorsport participation would lead them to better research and development opportunities. However, this seems to be the case with many of the leading tyre companies, who are now developing more and more tyre products on the quest to obtain the best rolling resistance, by using different products in their compound mixes and indeed creating more diverse tread patterns to achieve this goal.
Yokohama Blue-Earth Tyre uses orange peel oil technology on new race tyres. Yokohama BluEarth Tyre
It is no secret. It was back in the 1980’s that Yokohama tyres started to experiment. By using Orange peel oil in some of their tyre compounds. The first tests were carried out on some of their motorsport racing slick tyres. These are the tyres that have no tread and look like
blue Earth symbol
bald car tyre. These slicks are used to drive the racing cars on a dry circuit. They are a soft compound tyre. These tyres have to be warmed up in special sort of tents. In which they place a portable blow heater to pre-warm the tyres before a race commences. This orange oil helps give a softer compound and has now being incorporated in some of their tyre product range a tyre known as the “Ascend”. I am not familiar with the name of this product, and I think that it is made in Virginia and is only for sale in the USA.
Yokohama BluEarth Tyre
“Yokohama is the only tyre company to have perfected this science,” said Andrew Briggs, Yokohama director of product planning and motorsports. “The result was the ADVAN® ENV-R1TM, which debuted in 2009 at Sebring International Raceway and became the world’s first tyre in a racing series that used sustainable materials.” This would later replace the ADVAN ENV-R2. To bring things up-to-date, Yokohama has started to develop a common tyre concept, calling it the BluEarth concept. The complete line of BluEarth tyres features the new concept mark on the tyre.
The new technology will provide the driver with a better driving experience, through newly evolved tread designs and rubber compounds that include orange peel oils. Finally, the new concept of tyres also gives the driver a better return on his fuel costs, because of the improve fuel efficiency of the tyre range. Yokohama’s tyre innovations are born on the race track and end up supporting the regular guy with their regular cars.
Part Worn Tyres; The number of motorists fined by Auckland Council parking wardens for having unsafe tyres has almost doubled in the past three years. – New Zealand Herald
What will help to control this out-of-hand practice of selling illegally worn tyres?. Right on Auckland and may, many others follow their suite.
Some Authorities are clamping down on the part used tyre sellers. Trading standard officers all over the world are gradually clamping down on these hot part used tyre dealers. There is no doubt in my mind that this is indeed a western world problem that has raised its ugly head again since the early 1990’s.
It is also no coincidence: Part Worn Tyres Fines Double
that these operations (selling illegal part worn tyres) are carried out by the immigrant population, especially here in the UK. Small, what I call bucket shops, have opened up all over the place, at the same rate as the car washes. In fact, the two types of operation are linked; car washes usually sell worn tyres.
Part-worn tyres- Part Worn Tyres Fines Double
We have seen this all before, but the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to the matter. Here in the UK, a law was introduced to regulate the quality of part worn tyres sold; this was in 1994.
Things started to improve. Furthermore, with the onset of the financial crisis, cash-strapped families became an easy target for the part used tyre market. We now know that 22% of the tyre buying public have bought part worn tyres. A huge slice of the tyre market, almost a ¼ of tyres purchased are part worn’s. It is also no coincidence that the number of tyre related road accidents have increased. Over the same period. I must repeat myself that I have nothing against selling part worn tyres as long as they come within the present laws.
We have seen a massive increase in the number of tyres removed from cars that were bought as part-worn tyres. Furthermore. they are downright dangerous. Government departments should deal with the part-worn tyre problem with more vigour. Indeed, because of the number of tyre-related accidents, it has been announced that various government agencies, including Department for Transport, Highways Agency and Transport for London, have had meetings about the need to improve the standard of tyre safety and help reduce the number of tyre-related incidents and accidents here in the UK.
Part-worn tyres- Part Worn Tyres Fines Double
Stuart Jackson the head of Tyresafe.org, said. “It’s clear that the tyre industry has a shared vision of how we can work collaboratively to help reduce road casualties further and with further support from the government, its agencies and other stakeholders, I’m confident we can continue to make a real difference.” There is no doubt that this was an important meeting, but let us hope that we can get some conclusive results and move on outlawing this despicable trend of selling illegal part worn tyres and restrict it back to third-world countries.
A reader wonders if snow tires will help a Toyota Camry reach the top of a very steep hill.
Snow Tyres
In my opinion, the answer to this is a resounding YES. Hence, this type of pick-up truck do not grip the road very well at the best of times. As a result of owning a Nissan Navarre, I lost the thing on a few occasions. Even in the summer on a wet road.
I fitted a set of winter tyres (snow tyres), and the truck was a different animal in summer and winter.
For this reason, snow tyres are not just for SUV vehicles? Therefore, in my opinion, snow tyres and winter tyres are the same thing.
Because, in the past, we always associated snow tyres with being very heavy-tread tyres. Thus, they look more like today’s 4×4 tyres used for mud and slush. Especially on farms and in fields.
The new breed of winter tyres are far from this and have to combine good grip in bad weather along with the ability to drive down motorways.
In fact, I believe that these tyres were first developed in Germany for the drivers who could speed down the motorway‘s and then have to climb up mountains to get to the ski resorts in ice and snow. Usually in their BMW or Mercedes.
The old-fashioned snow tyre would be too noisy for this because of the lumpy, heavy tread pattern.
The car would also have been difficult to control with these heavy tyres fitted. Anybody with an old-fashioned 4×4 vehicle that is equipped with heavy-duty M&S tyres will tell you how bad the vehicle is to handle and the noise that these types of tyres make.
This is certainly no good for the modern car that needs to be driven at speed and still retain the safety aspects that a modern winter tyre will give them. The ideal time to fit your car with winter tyres is from October to Easter, although the year before last gave us an exceptionally cold spell with heavy snowfall at the end of March.
In general, though, this is the best time period to fit your winter tyres (snow tyres), when the temperature begins to drop below 7 degrees.
Firestone winter tyres are now regarded as the old-fashioned type snow tyres used in the late 1960.
Although I am writing this article in early November
There are signs that we may be running out of certain-sized snow tyres, This is because winter tyre production is based on last year’s sales figures, and once a certain-sized tyre has sold out, that is it until next year.
Most tyres for winter use are pre-ordered by the countries that have to fit winter tyres by their countries law and that leaves the rest for the remainder of Europe to scrape over , including us here in the UK. Bridgestone Tyres has set out a list of 16 good reasons to fit winter tyres and I thought it would make good reading for our customers and readers.
Snow Tyres
“1. Winter tyres perform better in winter conditions like frost, snow or ice-covered roads 2. Winter tyres have shorter braking distances, better grip and improved steering performance on snow- and ice-covered roads. 3. Winter tyres offer greater safety when travelling in winter conditions. 4. Summer tyres are simply not suitable for driving on snow or ice 5. In certain countries, driving on appropriate tyres in winter conditions is required by law and can be sanctioned if not followed.
6. These fines can be much higher if you disrupt traffic because your car has the wrong tyres. 7. Winter tyres are made using a special compound and tread pattern to make them more suited to cold weather. 8. Not even the most advanced car technology can compensate for tyres which are not suitable for the road conditions. 9. Modern winter tyres are just as comfortable and can be as quiet as summer tyres. 10. Winter tyres provide significantly higher levels of safety, even in highly changeable autumn weather.
———————————————————————————11.At low temperatures, even when there is no snow, summer tyres become less efficient 12. Even 4×4 vehicles need winter tyres in snowy and icy conditions. 13. All-year tyres typically do not perform as well in winter conditions as winter tyres but are still more effective than summer tyres. 14. Statistically, in central Europe, if you add up all of the days where it was wet, icy, frosty or snowing, you have 185 days of winter weather each year. 15. Modern winter tyres cost more or less the same as summer tyres. 16. Fitting winter tyres saves you money because you aren’t using your summer tyres and are extending their lifespan”. Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre offer car and van servicing and repairs to all makes of vehicles.
How winter tyres work: As many of my readers know, I am a big fan of Dunlop tyres. In my earlier career, I used to work for them as an office manager. At the beginning of 1970,s. Dunlop Tyres was one of the leading tyre companies in those days.
Tyre manufacturers were more localised to their country of origin. Globalisation was a word that had not entered the world of tyres. Most of the other large tyre companies originated in the USA.
The 1970’s were the beginning of the world car boom. People could afford to buy a car. Blue-collar workers were entering the new car market for the first time. The times were good in the auto industry.
The national automakers were doing well. How do winter tyres work
Car sales were hitting new records. Higher car sales. Would mean that tyre makers were seeing their market share rise. Tyre companies were starting to expand across countries. Michelin was very active in Europe and the USA.
Dunlop Tyres were dipping their toes into the motorsport market. Michelin was also investing in motorsports to promote its tyre products. Dunlop became an important tyre supplier for the Prestige Jaguar cars.
Consequently, Dunlop was starting development work alongside Jaguar engineers to develop new products. However, this did not always work out the way they would have liked it. A new textile radial tyre had to be prepared for the Jaguar XJ6.
“Stay Safe This Winter with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D Tyres from Pellon Tyres in Halifax”
A dependable and secure vehicle is more important than ever as the frost of winter descends over our lovely town of Halifax. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D tyres, which are sold at Pellon Tyres, are the ideal combination of local trust and innovation in this regard.
A Touch of Local Flavour: How do winter tyres work- Let’s take a moment to celebrate our local heritage before delving into the technical prowess of these tyres. Halifax is not simply a town; it’s a community that values safety and dependability, much like the philosophy behind Dunlop’s Winter Sport 4D tyres. It boasts a rich history that dates back to the 12th century, as well as the majestic Piece Hall.
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D: Why? How do winter tyres work
Let’s now discuss tyres. Not just any winter tyre will do for the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D. This technologically advanced tyre is made to withstand even the most challenging winter weather. These tyres provide unparalleled handling and grip on snowy roads close to Shibden Hall as well as slick areas in Halifax’s downtown.
Enhanced Winter Grip: Dunlop’s exclusive 4D sipe system gives these tyres a wide variety of sipes, or tiny grooves, that interlock to produce a more durable tread. You may drive with greater confidence on slippery and snowy roads thanks to this, especially on chilly Halifax mornings.
Better Handling: Dunlop’s cutting-edge technology guarantees that you stay in control during the winter. The SP Winter Sport 4D has improved handling and braking performance thanks to a unique polymer blend in the tread compound that maintains its flexibility in cold weather.
Better Resistance to Aquaplaning: While slick and rainy roads can be a nightmare, these tyres’ deep grooves help to drain water and slush, greatly lowering the chance of aquaplaning.
Dunlop Winter Tyres
Local Reliability and Assistance: How do winter tyres work
These tyres can be found right here at Pellon Tyres, a mainstay of Halifax’s automotive industry, and they come with the guarantee of excellent service. Being well-established in the neighbourhood, our staff is aware of the subtleties of the driving environment in addition to the value of a trustworthy tyre.
A Nod to Dunlop’s Legacy: The history of the innovative brand Dunlop is deeply entwined with the UK’s automotive heritage. Selecting a Dunlop tyre is a tribute to the engineering and inventiveness of Britain, as well as a choice made for quality.
Reliable, secure, and prepared for the winter: How do winter tyres work In conclusion, the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D tyres, which are sold at Pellon Tyres, are a winter safety kit for your car in addition to being rubber for your wheels. These tyres ensure a controlled, pleasant, and safe driving experience, whether you’re tearing up the mediaeval streets of Halifax or negotiating the treacherous Pennine slopes.
Thus, as winter approaches, make sure your car has the greatest accessories.
Visit Pellon Tyres, speak with our welcoming staff, and get fitted for Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D tyres to ensure a safe and secure winter driving season. After all, a big part of what makes Halifax such a wonderful place is your safety when driving. Enjoy your winter drive and keep yourself warm and safe!
How do winter tyres work
The XJ6 was having problems with road noise. Dunlop would have to create a specific tyre size, especially for this car model. The infamous ER70VR15 tyre. This was to be the textile radial tyre. The tyre had problems with the shape. Believe it or not, the tyres were not round?
To counteract this, Dunlop had to develop a unique machine. This machine would skim the tyre tread area to re-shape the tyre. I remembered clearly having to take the Jaguar cars to the Dunlop tyre depot in the centre of Leeds here in Yorkshire, UK.
However, the Dunlop tyres of today are a vastly different animal. How do winter tyres work
The tyres are of superb quality. This includes the SP Winter Sports 4D These winter tyres exhibit excellent handling and grip for high-performance cars in wet and icy conditions. The fuel-efficient design and enhanced snow and ice traction make it a popular choice amongst performance enthusiasts.
This is a good story for, let’s say, the more mature garage owners amongst us (the older guys). We are the ones that remember the cars and their tyres back in the 1960’s and on from there.
The tyre industry is about to do a turn-around when it comes to car tyre design and sizes and will revert back to similar ones that were used in the early days. They are going to start making taller and thinner car tyres.
This reversal has come about under pressure
from governments to encourage car manufacturers to design and make their cars more eco-friendly. By reverting back to the tall, thin tyre, they are helping the car designers reduce fuel consumption and give their cars better carbon emissions figures.
When I first worked in the industry, this type of tyre size was the norm.
The MGB sports car came out on 165×14 tyres, a narrow tyre by today’s standards. The early E-Type Jaguars were originally fitted with 185v15-size tyres, as were the Ferrari 250 GT’s. Even the more common types of cars, such as the VW Beetles and Volvos, were fitted with 155×15 and 165×15-size tyres, which were very narrow compared with some of the tyre sizes that were later to be developed.
Bridgestone tyre showing the tall and thin effect of the new car tyres.
Pirelli was one of the companies to develop the slimmer car tyres. Car Tyres get Taller and Thinner
Pirelli has said that they will be driven to come out with new sizes by stricter European Union regulations that will force them to develop tyres that have the best ratings.
The idea behind this is to reduce the rolling resistance of the tyres. The first target for the regulations is 2016 and then a higher target in 2020. The new tyre rules will be getting stricter and stricter, and so it will not be long before we see this type of tyre coming into our garages and tyre shops.
What is rolling resistance? Car Tyres get Taller and Thinner
Rolling resistance is basically the friction between the wheel and tyre and the road surface. The broader the tyre footprint, the more resistance is created.
We would normally put this down to a better grip, and this is one of the reasons that low-profile tyres were developed, firstly for motorsport and then for road cars. Also at the bottom of the tyre, where the tyre meets the road surface, there is a flat spot; this is known as the “compact patch, “and as you roll over it going forward, the flat section moves around the tyre. The shape of the tyre is constantly changing.
This gives an extra resistive force.
This is why the car uses more fuel when its tyres are not inflated correctly (underinflated). The engine has to work harder to push the car along with its flatter tyres.
A simpler way of putting it
is that if you have a half-flat tyre on your bicycle and you know that it is much harder to peddle, then it is the same for your car; this is known as “rolling resistance.”. Also, because of more modern tread designs, there has been no loss of “wet and dry grip,” This is also due to more modern tyre compounds and tread patterns with deeper sipes.
Sipes are the tiny slits. Car Tyres get Taller and Thinner
that help to dissipate water in wet driving conditions. This tyre design is incorporated into Michelins new tyre, the Michelin AS all-season tyres, As the tyre wears down, the sipes do as well, giving excellent grip as the tyre wears down, https://www.wintertyres-yorkshire.co.uk/michelin-premier-s-season-tyre/
In fact, Bridgestone and Michelin are two of the tyre companies that are involved in the development of taller, thinner tyres.
In fact, the new BMW i3 concept car has 19-inch wheels with a tyre size 155/70×19 but the tyres are half the width of the conventional
According to Michelin,
Increasing the tyre diameter by 2 inches will reduce rolling resistance by about 5%. The new Citroen C4 cactus will use 18-inch wheels, which will be just 155mm wide (about 6 inches). One good thing about this is that I love change? I believe that these new tyre designs are what make our job more interesting, especially for us older guys who remember the original skinny tyres going back 40 or 50 years.
In all my years in the tyre business, this has always been a difficult thing to judge. One of the reasons is because the tyre often disintegrates into pieces and the original cause cannot be seen , at least with the nakedeye. I am bringing this up because just this week we have had two cases of tyre separation on two different types of vehicle.
One was a car, and the other was a caravan.
The car had developed a large “egg” on the shoulder area, and the caravan had pieces of tread hanging off after a blowout occurred when the driver was returning from his holidays. Both of our customers were disgruntled, to say the least and both blamed the tyre separation on faulty tyres. More reading…http://www.tirefailures.com/coopertire/tirefailures.html
This takes me back to my younger days
When faulty tyres were very common. Even in my later years I noted that Firestone in America was having huge problems with tyres blowing out on the Ford Explorer.
The problem of the tyres became a mixture of blames as the SUV’s turned over after the tyre blowout occurred, but other problems with the vehicles design came into play, so I won’t go any further with that.
Tyre tread separation in the 1970’s
Tyre tread separation in the 1960’s and 70’s became a common thing.The problem stemmed from the tyre companies inability to design
Tyre Separation
and make a worthy steel belted radial to compete with the Michelin tyres, that were out classing all their other rivals in both quality and tyre mileage, the Michelin’s could double the mileage of all the other tyres on the market.
Goodyear and Firestone experimented with different types of steel to make the steel belt wires
But failed to stop the belts oxidising (rusting) and the oxygen that this gave off caused the tyres to separate. (Tyres are made of a build-up of different layers of rubber called a casing). In the long run they were given a licence from Michelin and the secret of a steel belt coated with alloys made up of brass and copper resulted in the other tyre companies developing a better product, and virtually eliminating the tyre separation problem in their tyre products.
Another problem that let some of the tyre makers down was their lack of cleanliness. In the factories that produced the tyres. I can vouch for this myself, having visited some tyre factories and seen the dirt and dust everywhere.
In fact it has been known , over the years that things like screws and bolts, even a chicken bone and a screwdriver have been found embedded in a tyres structure, eventually giving the tyre owner problems.
The main problem in the past, though, has been dust and dirt
contaminating the adhesive that helps to vulcanise the tyre layers together. If dust gets in, then the tyre will eventually crack or start to form a bubble due totyre separation. Other problems can be found with the steel belt. They can form rust and corrosion, which can be evidence that there has been some sort of moisture contamination during manufacture. Tyre makers can now tell what a more specific problem may be. of moisture contamination during manufacturing. Bare wire is an indication of a manufacturing adhesion defect. Brassy wire is a strong indication that there has been an adhesive left out altogether.
These type of faults can now be detected by the use of high-resolution photographs.
These images can be taken of any exposed surfaces as quickly as possible after the problem has been discovered, especially if this is required as evidence in an accident case.
Tyre tread separation can be detected at an early stage
This is one of the dilemmas that we face when determining whether the fault lies with the tyre manufacturer or the customer.
The main thing is to make sure that you check your tyres at a regular basis, as well as check the pressure and look and feel for any sign of a small lump or bubble. I must admit that they are easy to see on the sidewall but not on the tread area. The most common causes of these lumps and bumps on the sidewall are the tyre becoming kerbed, hitting a stone, or running over a pothole. One of the sidewall cords breaks, leaving a wet spot and pushing out the rubber to form a lump. If this happens and you detect it, then unfortunately, you will have to buy a new tyre.
This tyre looks like it has developed a fault. We could not find any objects that had penetrated the tyre.
The tread area is a little different.
I have found that the main problem for an egg to appear on the shoulder/tread area comes down to a previous puncture repair that the tyre has had. What happens is that the nail or screw, whatever you had in the tyre has damaged the wire in the steel belt and the tyre oxidises, just like a faulty new tyre does.
In 90% of cases an old puncture repair will be to blame and we are able to show the problem to the customer. If we cannot find anything that could have caused a problem then we will send the tyre back to the manufacturers with a suspected faulty tyre. This is a bit of important advice. If you do go over a pothole or hit a kerb with you tyres bellow the pressure that they should be, then you will increase the chance of tyre damage.
Also if you feel that the car is pulling to the left or right
Subsequently, or your wheels are out of balance then this is an early sign of a separation problem in your tyre. Whenever a customer has a balancing problem, then the first thing we do is to examine the tyre for other problems.
Because it is most unusual for a tyre to go out of balance unless a wheel weight comes off, which is very rare. Therefore, it is likely that you will have another issue if you need the wheels balanced, and that issue is typically a slipped belt due to separation.
Like many other major tyre companies, Michelin is experimenting with different materials to use in the tyres compound. This is to try and reduce the amount of petro-chemicals that are used in the manufacture of tyres.
Michelin has used a combination of sunflower oil and silica. The siliThe majority of tyre companies use silica, especially in their winter tyre lines. Silica helps the tyre in wet weather by providing more strength and stability to the tyres
The excellent new Michelin Premier AS All-Season tyre
performance, whist the sunflower oil helps the tyre perform well in lower temperature, a mix that goes well in an all-season tyre, helping it to perform in both summer and winter, hence the name all-season. Most tyres have incorporated sipes and grooves into the tyres tread.
This dissipates the water from the tyre in inclement weather.
As the tyre wears with use, these grooves start to disappear in many makes of tyres; in fact, some tyres, particularly Continental, look like racing slick with 3mm of tread left and would be useless in the wet.
The new Michelin however, has grooves that are spread around the outside of the tread, which become wider as the tyre tread wears out.
This means that the tyre will maintain its grip as it wears down and dissipates water, whereas normally the opposite happens: the tyre loses grip when it wears down. As the tyre wears, more grooves that have been placed deeper in the tread will start to appear; in fact, there are about 150 extra hidden grooves placed in the central area of the tyre, only showing when the tyre wears down.
This also gives extra grip in wet weather. When the tyre increase its mileage, it gives more stable traction on the road surface.
The Michelin Premier A/S will replace the MXV4 all-season tyre.
All the new developments in this Michelin Premier tyre are known collectively as Ever-Grip technology and it is said that Michelin have been working on the Ever Grip system for many years. The new tyre has been tested against its predecessor and other makes.
The disappointing aspect of the new tyre was the performance in “dry braking”. This was measured as only average when compared to other makes of tyres and actually worse that the MXV4. When a worn tyre was tested the dry stopping distance was even worse, about 10 foot different.
The new Michelin shone out in a wet weather test when water was added to the test track.
The new tyre stopped almost exactly the same in wet weather as it did in dry weather, both with a new tread and a worn tread. The tests showed that the Premier was miles ahead of its predecessor, the MXV4, all season.
The Premier A/S delivered a safe, predictable stopping performance on dry and wet roads and is largely immune to the effects of tread loss, the tyre performs almost perfectly with a good tread and when the tyre is nearing the end of its treads life.
Michelin premier cross section
The new tyre’s rolling resistance was found to be very good, making it a good tyre when it comes to fuel economy. The tyre also performed well when handling ice and snow, and it also did well for hydroplaning resistance.
I really mean physically sick; let me explain. It was back in 2006; Vredestein Tyres was going to launch a brand new product. The new tyre would fit the new popularity of SUV vehicles that were hitting the car market. The 4X4 and SUV market was starting to become more popular amongst Europeans in most countries and was a growing favourite amongst women drivers. The extra height in the
Vredestein tyres are on test in the Austrian mountains
vehicles gave the drivers a better driving position, especially for the usually smaller female drivers, which, in my opinion, was one of the popular points of these cars. The test vehicles came from the more up-market brands. Of course, such as BMW and Mercedes. Quickly, followed by a new Porsche SUV and a completely new type of Land Rover Discovery. Hence, with a much more streamlined and sexy shape, they were becoming popular with business-owner types of customers.
Vredestein Tyres could see the market gap
Vredestein Tyres was already established as a leader in the winter tyre market and could see that this growing class of vehicles was going to need winter tyres, especially in the countries that have to fit them by law, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These cars were primarily made from original equipment shod with summer tyres.
The summer tyres were developed by the tyre manufacturers to provide these top-class cars with comfort and strength when cornering. Because of the large sizes of tyres that these vehicles were coming out in, some are now even larger with 23-inch wheels fitted. If the makeup and compound of the tyres were not right, then these tyres would be a very hard ride and uncomfortable on most vehicles, so the correct makeup of the tyres was very important.
Vredestein Tyres announces a new type of tyre
Vredestein Tyres had seen this problem arising and had developed a new type of tyre specifically for the SUV and 4X4 winter tyre market; the tyre would be the “Wintrac 4 Xtreme.”. The tyre was to be available in 16 different sizes and included some of the more exotic tyre sizes that fitted the more up-market models, including the new Porsche Cayenne.
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyres on test
Vredestein tyres was in those days a mid-range tyre manufacturer, but they always produced quality tyre products, and they were very excited about their new tyre.
The plan was to have a European-wide tyre dealer launch, and this was to be presented at a lakeside resort in Austria with extensive tyre testing in the mountains of Austria.
The whole adventure was kept secret to the last few days, and all the European tyre dealers were given different dates to attend the new tyre launched.
Countries were kept apart, and we would be in the United Kingdom to travel from Manchester to Saltsburg airport in Austria. The whole thing had been kept a secret, partly because we knew it must have been something about tyres, and I must admit that we were a bit excited about what was coming.
Then, coaches took us to a nearby lakeside resort. Of course, they were known as the Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Fuschlsee-Salzburg, and were told to meet at seven in the evening for drinks and a presentation. Vredestein had certainly gone to town with all the preparations, and I was most impressed with the whole experience.
After checking into our room
We refreshed ourselves and were told to meet at a certain bar for pre-presentation drinks.
I guess there were probably a hundred dealers there from all over the UK and Ireland, and after drinks, we were funnelled into a conference hall to be seated for the presentation of what was to be the “Wintrac 4 Xtreme,” especially designed for the new generation of SUV and 4X4 vehicles.
Following an evening meal and a male soul singer from Holland, the presentation was in keeping with the rest of the excellent hospitality.
We were briefed that the following day we would all be taken in groups of four in different brand new vehicles that were kitted out with the new Wintrac tyres. This was to prove to us, the dealers, how good the product was. The following day, we packed our bags and assembled outside the Hotel frontage, where we were given the number of the vehicle that we would be driving in. Professional drivers with experience driving in snow and mountains were operating all of the vehicles, which bore Vredestein logos.
My car was to be a brand new Land rover Discovery
the first one I had ever seen. We waited until all the cars were filled with tyre dealers, and the cars all set off in a convoy. I must admit to feeling slightly nervous, not knowing what to expect. The vehicles split up into small groups, and we were climbing higher and higher until we reached the snow line.
We continued to go higher and higher, but now we were driving at speed on very narrow single roads with deep drops at one side.
I was now out of my comfort zone, as I am a poor passenger at the best of times . We eventually reached the summit, which I was told was a glazier.
After doing several wheelies on the glazier, I started to feel uncomfortable
But I was assured by the drive that we were perfectly safe, and he had been using these tyres for practice over the past 6 months. We then started to descend down the mountains, but we never lost the car once. I was most impressed with the tyres performance.
After reaching the forest line going down the mountain, the driver decided to demonstrate how good the tyres were on a mountain gravel track and started hurtling the Landover downhill at great speed before slamming on the brakes.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I could feel my stomach hurtling up to my mouth and threw up all over the brand new Land Rover, just missing my fellow passengers. I did feel a little better after that, and the journey became more tranquil as we wound down the small roads of the foothills back towards our waiting coaches and then onto the airport for our return flight home.
It was, on the whole, a really well-planned new product launch by Vredestein tyres and it proved to be successful for Vredestein and future sales, but the one thing I learned is that I will never be a rally car driver?
Q&A Session on Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme Tyres
Q: So, what is the story behind Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyres?
A: All right, let’s plunge in! The Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyres are like the tyre equivalent of Sherlock Holmes: they’re smart, dependable, and ideal for the unpredictable British weather. They are specifically intended for winter circumstances, although they are also suitable for all-year use.
Q: Winter tyres, you say? Are they just for snowy days?
A: Not only for the snow! While they excel on icy roads, they also perform admirably in wet and dry conditions. Ideal for icy mornings in Halifax or a wet trip through the Lake District.
Q: How do these tyres differ from ordinary winter tyres?
A: It is all about design and technology. The Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyres have a distinctive tread pattern and a silica-based substance. This combination delivers great grip and handling, especially in the coldest weather. It’s like having the grip of a Yorkshire terrier on a lead—powerful and steady!
Q: Do they suit any cars?
A: Vredestein has done an excellent job catering to a wide variety of automobiles. Whether you have a little hatchback or a large SUV, a Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyre would most likely fit.
Q: How do they function in heavy rain and puddles?
A: Imagine driving through Manchester on a wet day; these tyres handle it well. They are meant to quickly disperse water, lowering the risk of aquaplaning. So you can drive with confidence even when the skies open up.
Q: Are these tyres suitable for environmentally conscious drivers?
A: They certainly are. The Wintrac 4 Xtreme tyres are designed to be fuel-efficient, so you’ll not only save money at the pump but also help the environment. It’s a win-win!
Q: What’s the lifespan of these tyres?
A: These tyres are long-lasting, much like a good cup of Yorkshire tea. They’re designed to last, so you won’t need to replace them every winter. It’s a good investment for your automobile.
Q: Finally, why should I choose these tyres for my next winter purchase?
A: If you want a durable, adaptable, and safe tyre for the British winter (and beyond), the Wintrac 4 Xtreme is an excellent choice. It’s like enveloping your automobile in a warm, protective coat, ready for whatever the elements hurl at it!
Michelin’s popular – some would even say trend-setting –
CrossClimate tyre is now available to a wide range of SUVs and 4x4s.The Michelin CrossClimate was the world’s first summer tyre to achie…
Michelin 4X4 CrossClimate
There is no doubt that the Michelin CrossClimate has been a winner for the famous French tyre maker. This tyre has been a triumph. Hence, a summer tyre is suitable for winter use.
This new range will definitely be of benefit to drivers of SUV’s and 4X4’s. As a result, we have had complaints in the past. Hence, about their vehicle not handling very well in wet and winter weather.
In my opinion
The CrossClimate will be of benefit to this range of vehicles. For the purpose of better handling.
To bring this post up to 2020/2021 then the crossclimate has been a very successful addition the the Michelin tyre range. So, this tyre is a popular fitment to many types of cars. Covering winter and summer driving conditions.
This tyre has proved to be a winner in countries like the UK. Because of the mild climate, small amounts of irregular snowfall occurred.ries.
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Michelin’s popular – some would even say trend-setting – 