The British company Dunlop, founded in 1888, is engaged in the production and sale of car tires. This company was one of the first to use pneumatic tires. Currently, almost every motorist has heard something about this brand. In this article we will consider expert reviews. Dunlop Ice Touch has long been discussed online. The performance characteristics of the tire, its advantages and disadvantages - all this is extremely important when choosing rubber.
Triangular spikes
Since 75% of the shares are owned by Goodyear, almost all technologies and innovations are taken from this company. The obvious advantages of the multifaceted spikes, which many Japanese and European brands have long used, have been noticed by the British company. That is why here for the first time not traditionally round, but triangular spikes were used. Since the law governs the weight of the tenon (not more than 1.1 grams), the excess metal has been removed from it. The spike is installed in the tread so that its long edge is directly involved during braking.
Everything is quite logical here, because the predominant number of accidents happens precisely because of the long braking distance. The developers tried to fix it. The number of spikes has also been increased. If before there were 12 lines, now everything is 22. This significantly reduced the braking distance on ice, which is confirmed by reviews. Dunlo p Ice Touch is a great choice for the winter.
Innovative lamellas and tread
The directional tread pattern slightly changed its appearance and stiffness. Lamels already have internal gearing (waffle). The rubber mixture is two-layer. Moreover, the content of silica, as well as polymers in the surface layer was significantly increased. This ensures the elasticity of the rubber even at critically low temperatures.
Christian Liz, the creator of the new rubber compound for Dunlop tires, conducted an experiment in which he dipped a strip of rubber in liquid nitrogen. As a result, it did not lose its elasticity, at the same time ordinary rubber practically did not resist the tensile strength. Accordingly, all this is directly reflected during a ride in the winter, when the temperature can drop to -30 or lower.
Sport in everything
Even visually it is seen that tires allow you to quickly ride in the winter. This is evidenced by expert reviews. Dunlop Ice Touch is equipped with inactive tread blocks. Since the mobility of the gum is limited, the handling becomes more responsive and a good reaction is needed. Although you quickly get used to this driving style, especially if you do everything right.
If you make a timely correction of skidding, then the car does not lose its trajectory. A little late, and already have to "catch" the car. But at the same time, some comfort and confidence is felt, which is what motorists say.
With such rubber, you can go very fast. The maximum safe threshold is about 190 km / h. Of course, it is still not worth accelerating on ice to such a speed. But in emergency situations, "sink" can be without any consequences .
Dunlop Ice Touch tires: reviews, tests
Testing of these tires was carried out with the participation of competitors such as Gislaved, Goodyear, as well as Bridgestone. It should be noted immediately that Dunlop and Goodyear are almost identical. This applies to both the composition of the rubber compound and the shape of the spikes, which in both cases are triangular. Moreover, the applicants were made at the same factory, which is located in Poland.
Nevertheless, the test results were not so clear. The fact is that Goodyear are positioned as calm and reliable, and Dunlop are designed for active sports driving. That is why such a tire is more inherent in sharp breakdowns in turns. However, this will not be a problem for an experienced driver, but a beginner can immediately push away. This is confirmed by numerous expert reviews.
Stable behavior on the pavement
Dunlop Ice Touch tires behave very differently on dry roads. Owner reviews come down to the fact that for urban operating conditions this is almost an ideal option. High stability on the road, low noise and, most importantly, adequate behavior when driving on dry asphalt. Goodyear loses significantly in this race.
Of course, for driving on snow and ice, the tire is also well suited. But according to the test results, it was clear that there are certain problems. For example, with acceleration and braking on an ice surface. In the snow, indicators are more stable and close to the leaders of the rating. Even better, they are on dry pavement. Customer reviews come down to the fact that these are tires specifically for urban operation .
Increased tread stiffness
As noted above, the engineers made the tread more rigid by reducing the mobility of the rubber blocks. The use of the so-called "dynamic bridges" made it possible to exclude deformation of the lateral part of the tread with increased lateral loads. The self-cleaning grooves of the tire are made wide and deep. This significantly improved the tire's behavior on loose snow.
In such conditions, the first place during testing was taken by the Dunlop Ice Touch tire. Owner reviews come down to the fact that tread wear has slightly decreased due to increased rigidity. It also provides high directional stability and controllability when driving on a dry road. Dynamic Bridge has shown its best side and will be used in the latest developments of the company.
Key tire features
Upon visual inspection, a V-shaped tread pattern of a directional type catches the eye. It provides a high level of controllability both on a snowy road and on dry asphalt.
As mentioned above, the triangular shape of the spikes is an excellent solution, which allowed to increase gearing on ice, and therefore the stability of the car on such a surface.
Of course, one cannot fail to single out the configuration of the drainage grooves. They are deep and wide. As the test results showed, water is removed from the contact patch at the highest level, so this tire effectively resists aquaplaning, and the likelihood of catching a "water wedge" is minimized.
About tires of the 15th radius are very positive reviews. Dunlop Ice Touch (185/65 / r15) 88t, according to motorists, even with a tire width of 185 mm has an optimal contact spot. This is achieved due to the wide central rib of the tread. Therefore, acceleration and deceleration on ice and snow is not a problem. Engineers managed to slightly reduce rolling resistance, in particular due to the increased tread stiffness. This directly affected the fuel consumption in the direction of its decrease.
About the sizes of tires "Dunlop Ice Touch"
These products are more suitable for middle class cars. Currently, developers have released tires from 14 to 17 inches. In principle, installation and not some SUVs is acceptable, since 17 inches is enough for many.
As for the width, the minimum here is 175 mm, and the maximum is 225. Wider tires provide good cross-country ability on loose snow, while narrower ones behave better on ice.
The height of the tire is from 45 to 65 mm. The recommended maximum speed is 190 km / h, which is quite good, but since tires are positioned as sports, this is the expected result.
A little about the price
The price tag for this manufacturer is more than moderate, although many consider it overpriced, as you can find out by reading consumer reviews.
Dunlop Ice Touch (spike.) 14 inches will cost about 3,000 rubles, and a 17-inch rubber costs about 6,000 rubles.
Much depends on the speed and load index, tire width and height, so these are average numbers. For example, 185/65 / R15 94T will cost about 4,500 thousand rubles. And the 175/65 / R14 82T is already much cheaper, about 2,800.
If we talk about the most popular models in Russia, then this is R16, which are suitable for Chevrolet Niva and other small SUVs. The cost of such a tire with a width of 215 is approximately 4,200 rubles. More than a humane price tag for a product of this quality.
The same "Hakapelita" from Finns with similar sizes will cost an order of magnitude more expensive. At the same time, the operational characteristics of such tires are approximately at the same level. But of course, you decide, although it hardly makes sense to overpay.
Some more reviews
Since the tires were created specifically for the harsh climate of the northern part of Europe, they are perfectly suited for operation in Russia. It is logical that all tire manufacturers praise their tires, but their effectiveness should always be proved only in practice. That is, until you check it yourself, you won’t understand anything, especially if there is something to compare with.
This is very well help consumer and expert reviews. Dunlop Ice Touch (225/50 / r17), for example, the most expensive option in the lineup, is very praised. Many note the durability of rubber without losing its operational properties. That is, even after several seasons of operation, it remains as soft and elastic as in the first winter.
It is difficult to underestimate the importance of modern technology and engineering solutions. For example, Dunlop tires are manufactured using the same technology as Goodyear. The latest brand has established itself only with the best hand and is famous for its quality. This also applies to the British company, which is currently successfully trading in the world market, showing excellent product quality and a high level of reliability.
Rigid sedentary tread in combination with a V-shaped directional pattern and spikes of a special shape give indescribable confidence on any road, regardless of its condition .
To summarize
We examined all the positive aspects of the tire, but there are also negative reviews. Dunlop Ice Touch (205/55 / r16) 94t XL, for example, has a weak cord that deforms even with small bumps. There are complaints about the noise when driving. But this is more likely minus all the spikes, rather than specifically this model. Otherwise, these tires are praised. They behave perfectly on rolled and icy surfaces and provide comfortable handling on a dry road.
Many motorists recommend these tires for installation on rear-wheel drive cars. The fact is that the increased number of spikes will allow you to easily slide uphill even on ice. With the resource of work, too, everything is very good. On average, there are 4 seasons, but sometimes more, depending on how much and how you drive. Of course, insufficient cord strength is a minus. Therefore, sharp stones and pits are best to drive smoothly, side cuts that are often impossible to repair are especially dangerous in this case.