The safety of driving a car in the winter time largely depends on high-quality rubber. It is Yokohama Ice Guard IG35, in the opinion of many motorists who were able to verify this from their own experience, is very ambiguous in terms of compliance with all Russian requirements. After all, ice and a large amount of snow always accompany vehicle owners in our country, creating serious problems while driving. And this tire model does not always allow you to confidently cope with ice and snow.
Despite the fact that in many countries of Europe and Asia, motorists no longer use studded tires because of the excellent alternative in the form of friction rubber in mild winters and clean roads, in our country, and especially in the northern regions, the relevance of "studding" is still very high. After all, the use of "Velcro" in the conditions of icy and snowy roads is practically unable to guarantee safe traffic.
In this context, Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 winter tires, presented in a wide range of sizes, are quite in demand in the thematic segment of the consumer market in Scandinavia and the CIS countries. It is the low temperatures and poor quality roads that, according to the Japanese manufacturer, are the optimal range of practical applications for these tires. However, many motorists in our country do not quite agree with the characteristics declared by the manufacturer, considering them to be largely the result of marketing policy.
Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 Specifications
High-tech winter tires Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 from a leading Japanese manufacturer, according to the declared characteristics, meets the following practical parameters:
- high stability on the road;
- excellent vehicle handling;
- adequate behavior on the ice surface;
- excellent cross-country ability on snow-covered sections of the road;
- excellent lateral stability;
- increased tire strength and stud resistance to mechanical stress.
There are many more less significant declared characteristics that eloquently testify to the high quality of the products in question.
However, the opinions of experts and consumers on the account of Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 rubber differ in many respects. Reviews of some are filled with delight, while others - with criticism. It is among the latter that indignant reviews are associated with disappointment from dissatisfaction with expected indicators.
The manufacturer calls these products high-tech because of the use of a number of innovative technical solutions designed to guarantee high cross-country ability and driving safety. The tread in the yokohama ig35 tires has a directional pattern with three-dimensional sipes that have a multifaceted structure. This should provide increased traction with an icy surface, since the area of the "contact patch" and the stiffness of the tread blocks increase.
In addition, the spikes are located in special seats with special projections. The protectors in the central part have semi-radial grooves to ensure high-quality drainage, and on the sides - longitudinal. The latter elements are designed to give the tires lateral stability.
However, the practice of using yokohama 35 tires has shown that their operation is accompanied by a rapid loss of studs during sudden acceleration and braking, as well as a car skidding on an icy or snowy road even at low speeds.
Behavior on icy and snowy surfaces
Testing the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 tire under a wide variety of conditions has provided a realistic picture of the product's practical performance. So, on a clean road surface, the tires behave quite adequately. However, on the packed snow, their behavior changes dramatically. This is very well manifested in the instability of movement, high inertia in command execution, poor acceleration and braking. That is, in this case, there is a functioning characteristic of a frictional, and not a studded tire.
In this case, experts note the instant filling of the tread with snow. Moreover, the radial and longitudinal grooves intended for drainage do not fully cope with their functions. In addition, the studs have a very short service life. After all, their loss in the amount of 30-40% after one season of operation can by no means be considered a satisfactory result. Moreover, this trend is observed regardless of the driving style. And the properties inherent in studded rubber are lost, making it look like a weak copy of a traditional friction tire.
Another test for the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 rubber was a ride on a snowy road, which is very important for Russia. And here motorists and experts could not live up to their expectations from the high-tech "Japanese". After all, after the tire gets into a snowdrift, its tread is completely clogged with snow and becomes completely smooth and useless from the point of view of high cross-country ability. In this context, the competitive samples of other global manufacturers are immediately remembered.
Driver reviews
The strong point of the tires of the presented model is their wide assortment. The size range consists of nine types of tires (from R13 to R22), which corresponds to their complete set of all types of vehicles, from small cars to SUVs.
The positive feedback from the owners includes the following:
- the softness of rubber, which retains its properties at any air temperature;
- low noise tires, providing acoustic comfort while driving;
- relative democratic prices;
- adequate behavior on dry and wet asphalt, as well as in conditions of covering the roadway with shallow snow.
Critical notes regarding ig 35 tires:
- low quality of studs that fall out after the first two seasons of operation;
- poor stability on the road in the presence of an icy surface;
- unsatisfactory cross-country ability in the presence of snow drifts and drifts on the road.
Moreover, these reviews refer to the considered Japanese tires in the context of their comparison with competitive samples in the corresponding price range. And this makes this kind of conclusion quite objective. All criticism boils down to the fact that manufacturers need to revise their concept regarding the tread pattern and stud structure, in which the seat is not particularly reliable and durable. However, it is important to take into account the fact that the modernization of these tires today may not be justified due to the release of a more successful new model into production.
Summarizing
General analysis of guard 35 rubber shows that against the background of accessibility and durability, it also has weak points in the form of frequent dropping of studs after an insignificant run, due to which its practical characteristics in terms of cross-country ability and stability are significantly reduced.
However, there is a category of car enthusiasts who claims that with proper running-in of these tires from a Japanese manufacturer, everything looks much better. This part of consumers believes that in the first 200 km of running-in, it is necessary to create the most gentle mode of tire operation, when sharp braking and starts should be avoided. In this case, in their opinion, the spikes will be able to take on a more uniform load associated with an optimal location in the seat.
Thus, the unstable behavior of the rubber of the Yokohama 35 model at high speeds makes us state the fact that it is more acceptable for moderate driving. In addition, in urban conditions, it is distinguished by excellent smoothness and excellent handling. And the ambiguity of the reviews and some disagreements in the practical characteristics with those declared from the manufacturer should still be considered the working moments of operation. After all, none of the experts and consumers could claim that this rubber belongs to the failed and frankly weak models.
