In recent decades, Japan has been famous for its high-quality products, and it does not matter which sphere it belongs to. So, the electronics produced in this country have become almost a worldwide standard of reliability. But can you say the same thing about things like car tires? This will require a little research. Finding official information about a particular rubber is not so difficult, but in order to check it, you can use the reviews of drivers about a particular model and manufacturer. This article is about the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tires. The reviews left by those who have already managed to test them in practice will help to see a full-fledged picture and evaluate how much truthful information was provided by the manufacturer.
Brief description of the model
As the name implies, the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 model is designed for winter driving. It was launched on the market not so long ago, which means it has modern characteristics, and innovative techniques were used in its manufacture.
According to the development team, when designing and testing, the CIS countries with their wide variety of cold weather conditions were considered the main target region of application. That is why the installation of spikes was by default recognized as mandatory. Particular attention was paid to this point, because, given the habit of many local drivers to use an aggressive driving style, the spikes should have turned out to be as strong as possible.
How successful this decision was can be seen from the reviews of drivers. Now we will analyze successively all the features of the winter novelty.
Variety of sizes
The manufacturer made sure that almost every driver had the opportunity to install this rubber model on their car. Since the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 is aimed primarily at cars, the size of the inner diameter starts at 13 inches. The maximum diameter of the disk is 20 inches, which indicates the possibility of installing tires on some types of minibuses, as well as crossovers and SUVs.
For all diameters, more than 80 sizes are thought out regarding tire width and profile height. Therefore, choosing an option whose dimensions match the requirements of the manufacturer of your car will not be difficult.
Innovative developments
This rubber model was the next in the lineup, having received some features. As already mentioned, it was primarily aimed at the CIS countries, where winter can be a heavy snowfall, leaving a large amount of loose snow on the road, and thaws leading to the appearance of a thin slippery ice crust. Situations are not excluded when during severe frosts the asphalt remains absolutely clean, and such weather features should be taken into account to make the rubber truly universal.
During testing, experts working on the development of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tire tried to maximize its performance. As the leadership of the development team notes, the changes introduced to the project were designed to improve the hitch when maneuvering on smooth ice or on a snowy track.
Another problem that had to be seriously fought was the strength of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 R16 rubber. On the one hand, it should be soft. But at the same time, softness can reduce its strength, up to the point that damage can be obtained from sharp pieces of ice. In order to avoid such problems, I had to rack my brains over changing the composition of the rubber compound and strengthening the side walls of the tire.
Special stud design
If we evaluate the spikes externally from the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 photo, you can hardly see that they differ significantly from their counterparts in the competitors' tires. The fact is that the main change is hidden inside the tire itself. The manufacturer fundamentally redesigned each seat, as well as the shape of the inner part of the spike, in order to increase the fixation strength. As a result, as reported by the results of numerous tests of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, it was possible to almost completely overcome the problem of falling out of these important metal elements.
Central tread block
At the center of the tire is a strip that surrounds it without interruption over the entire surface. This turned out to be a very wise decision, because it was thanks to him that the rubber received a number of important features.
So, this strip allows you to maintain directional stability in a rectilinear movement on clean asphalt or ice. It has a system of small multidirectional lamellas, which are cutouts in the shape of a herringbone. Thanks to them, rowing characteristics are increased, which allows the tire to perform better when riding on loose snow, and during the thaw - on snow porridge with water or sodden dirt on unpaved roads.
In addition, this strip allows you to evenly distribute the load on the surface of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tire, which reduces its abrasive wear. However, in order for her to be able to carry out her task efficiently, it is necessary to make alignment / toe.
Shoulder zones
The herringbone pattern, which is visible in the central strip, continues on the side of the tread. He divides them into separate large blocks, which are able to maintain the stability of the car during maneuvering. This applies not only to turns on the tracks, but also to get off track when overtaking, as well as return to it.
Such maneuvers in the winter are especially dangerous, because the car can simply go into a side skid. But this will not happen when you consider that the tread design of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 is thought out correctly. Spikes located almost on the edge also help. Although there are few of them, they play one of the key roles during such maneuvers, allowing the tire not to slip on the icy surface.
Intelligent lamella system
To create a tread pattern design, the manufacturer used modern techniques, which include analysis by computer modeling of the behavior of rubber in certain situations. As a result, we can see a balanced structure that ensures traffic safety.
Lamels play an important role in it. Thanks to their presence on separate tread blocks of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 tire, edges are formed that provide reliable grip on the road surface and allow you to move confidently even on loose snow or ice.
During the thaw, they allow you to effectively divert water from the point of contact with the track while moving through puddles or snow porridge. If you look at the tire, you can see that they are all connected into one common web, the ends of which are in the lateral parts of the tire. As a result, all the water is simply thrown to the sides, without interfering with the movement.
If you have to drive along freshly fallen snow, which has a loose structure, the lamellas of Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 rubber can play the role of a short-term storage for it. After the tire leaves the working surface, due to its elasticity, it ejects snow adhering in the slots, and the cycle can be repeated indefinitely.
Increased Rubber Strength
When developing the composition of silica, innovative formulas for rubber compounds were used. Patented technologies made it possible to make a truly soft, but at the same time wear-resistant tire that is able to cope with external negative influences.
So, the use of silicic acid and other similar chemical components has reduced the level of abrasive impact on the working surface of the tread. And the competent arrangement of the cord of rubber “Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000” strengthened the overall design and increased the strength for puncture or cut.
The reinforcement of the lateral parts made it possible not to worry about the fact that when leaving the track the tire would be torn on a sharp ice edge, or a similar situation would occur when parking close to the curb.
Positive feedback on tires
In order to finally make sure of the correctness or, on the contrary, the fallacy of the decision to purchase this tire model, it would be right to turn to the opinion of those who have already managed to skate on it for some time.
So, according to reviews on the "Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000", this rubber has the following positive sides:
- High strength rubber compound . So, the manufacturer managed to ensure that the tire became resistant to damage, the sources of which are so many on winter roads. Drivers do not have to use the warranty issued upon purchase, since there are very few warranty cases.
- Strong side parts . In addition to reinforcing the working surface, the manufacturer also made sure that the driver was not under any circumstances able to tear the sidewall. This significantly increased the life of the tire.
- High wear resistance . The strength of the rubber compound entailed abrasion resistance to the road surface.
- No problem of spikes flying out . Provided that the new rubber has been correctly run for the first hundreds of kilometers, you can not think about the fact that a large number of spikes will be lost during the season. Perhaps at the end of it, you will have to reinstall a couple of dropped items at the nearest tire fitting, but this demand will definitely not be massive.
- Reasonable cost. These tires have a slightly higher price than most budget options. Therefore, almost every driver will be able to purchase them for their car.
- Predictable road behavior . After just a few kilometers done, you can get used to how the rubber behaves in a particular situation.
- Good grip on a snowy track . Excellent rowing characteristics, formed due to the large number of edges on individual tread blocks, allow the tire to maintain dynamics, so that the car picks up speed without slipping, which will especially appeal to fans of high-speed driving at any time of the year.
As can be seen from this list, almost all the manufacturer's promises are fulfilled. However, there are several disadvantages that should not be turned a blind eye.
The negative sides of the rubber in question
The main disadvantage that is felt on any studded tires, users in their reviews about the "Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000" called the high noise level, which is observed especially when driving on clean asphalt or ice. It is caused by the friction of the spikes on the surface. Unfortunately, avoiding it, while maintaining the same effectiveness of metal teeth, is simply unrealistic.
High strength and wear resistance affected the overall softness. This problem is especially felt during the cold snap, as the rubber simply starts to double, and its characteristics noticeably worsen. At such times, if you have these tires installed on your car, you should be especially careful when driving.
Output
As you can see from the pros and cons listed above, the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000 model as a whole turned out to be quite successful. Its noise can not be called a flawed drawback, since it is inherent in all types of tires equipped with spikes. Something needs to be paid for safety on the road. In this case, comfort becomes currency.
If severe frosts are a frequent occurrence in your region, then it is also worth thinking about how convenient it will be to operate hard tires. Otherwise, according to reviews of the Bridgestone Ice Cruiser 7000, the model is perfect for those who value the safety of traveling on their car, do not like to change tires too often and want to save on their purchase.