The new Gislaved IceControl and ArcticControl models do not replace the well-known NordFrost 200 and SoftFrost 200 – they stand a little higher and receive the status of flagship models. What exactly is the difference, and why do these two lines have completely different names, but have so little in common in the tread design? Because this is not just a separate branch… It actually grows from a different root. Which goes to Germany.
We have already talked about some Gislaved tire models and the Swedish brand itself, so we will only repeat the main points. The Gislaved brand is one of the oldest in the industry and not much younger than the car itself. It has been producing tires since 1905. The name is pronounced “Gislaved” – this is how it has become established in international practice, although the company’s hometown, after which the brand was named, is read as “Yislaved” in Swedish.
Gislaved’s reputation as a winter tire manufacturer has grown, not surprisingly, in northern Europe. Winter in Scandinavia means frost, snow and ice. Just like ours. In the early 1990s, the Swedish brand was bought by the German concern Continental – and continued to develop it as an expert in winter tires and the main competitor of the Finnish Nokian.
Dmitry Pitersky / Gislaved
The history of Gislaved in our country received an unexpected renaissance after the departure of the parent company, Continental AG, from Russia. The line of winter models included the well-known NordFrost 200 and SoftFrost 200 – their production continued. At the same time, it was Gislaved that became the brand that can still be officially used in Russia.
The current owner, the Russian tire holding Cordiant, inherited this respected brand along with other assets, including modern Continental and Bridgestone plants. The question of “what to do with them” did not arise, since Cordiant has an advanced research and development center that has always worked in an open competitive market, and was not created as part of some national project related to import substitution. The competence of this center was also strengthened by employees of departing brands, including German expert engineer Michael Zickfeld, who did not want to quit his job in Russia.
Dmitry Pitersky / Gislaved
By the way, the plant where Bridgestone was previously produced began production only in 2016, and we described in detail how it works, having looked at the processes with our own eyes.
And yet, where did the studded Gislaved IceControl and friction ArcticControl come from? The simplest and shortest explanation: these are renamed analogues of Continental IceContact 2 and, accordingly, VikingContact 7. However, this is also a gross simplification. The differences are not limited to the new design of the sidewalls, although in some sense the number of these differences should have been minimized. The task facing Cordiant’s chemists, engineers and technologists was not trivial: premium line tires must at least maintain high performance characteristics. After all, who needs a cheese product… that is, just “tires with a Continental pattern”?
However, the above does not mean that the tread pattern is of secondary importance. And it’s worth talking about this in more detail.
Let’s start with the IceControl model. When the original IceContact 2 was introduced, an asymmetrical pattern on a studded winter tire was far from an obvious solution. Back then, the only famous brand that used it was… Gislaved. Yes, the premium German Continental followed in the footsteps of its own “winter” brand – and it was right. IceContact 2 has won many comparison tests. Which were not at all similar to our fun rides on a frozen lake near Tyumen – specialized experts tested the tires in a variety of disciplines with instrumental measurements.
Let’s say Gislaved IceControl is a generous inheritance from Continental. How is this model different from the NordFrost 200, which we know as an incredibly quiet studded tire? It’s the spikes that make it different!
Even in the largest standard sizes, the number of studs on the NordFrost 200 does not exceed 130 pieces per tire. The small number is compensated by an advanced design: studs with a triangular carbide insert are used.
And IceControl in the 18-inch size already has 232 of them! And even with so many studs, they are arranged so that their number in the contact patch is always constant. The studs are located almost across the entire width of the tire: both closer to the center and in the side blocks.
The compact Continental 209 Tikka stud was replaced with our own Russian-made Gislaved stud. The head of the stud is rectangular (this is why they are even called directional), but the profile of this rectangle is rounded for wear resistance. The shape of the recessed part of the tenon has also been optimized: the oval flange securely holds the tenon, and the square body prevents its rotation. Reservoirs were also provided for the removal of crushed ice.
Modern work with a rubber mixture means choosing the optimal ratio of about forty different chemical components. What if some of them have to be replaced? Obviously, the composition will have to be selected again or at least adjusted. But for what purpose – to reproduce the Continental recipe? Or maybe we shouldn’t stop there?
It seems that the developers thought so too. It is interesting that the main components of the rubber mixture can be compared with composite materials, because they also act as a matrix and filler. The matrix is a mixture of polymers, and the main filler is silicon dioxide, also known as silica. Gislaved IceControl was able to create a polymer mixture of exceptional homogeneity. This improved the compatibility of silica and other components with the “matrix”. The result is that the rubber compound retains constant properties at lower temperatures.
On summer tires we are accustomed to seeing accentuated longitudinal ribs; on winter “asymmetrical” tires, the main grooves often form a rather transverse pattern. But in the ArcticControl model, the central blocks have an almost symmetrical diamond shape. This solution increases the contact patch and distributes pressure evenly over it. At the same time, the blocks themselves are quite large, but at the same time dotted with many 3D lamellas. These recesses are needed to effectively drain water from the contact patch, but not to weaken the structure of the block.
Sipes can be thought of as thin, deep slits in the tread. If there are a lot of them, then under longitudinal and lateral loads large blocks will be greatly deformed. But if each cut is three-dimensional, then after a certain amount of displacement these small channels will close each other with their relief, preventing further deformation of large tread elements.
This design is most often used in winter tires, where the ability of the tread to instantly remove a large volume of water from the contact patch is critical to ensure reliable traction on wet roads and slushy snow. On the ArcticControl model, the tread blocks are connected by reinforced bridges to improve handling.
Does all this mean that modern friction tires have become so “improved” that they can already do the work of studded tires, only silently? Of course not. But the difference appears only in specific conditions. It’s easy to call extreme discipline: it’s braking on bare ice. The thorns in it have no equal. But if such conditions do not occur in your practice, then you can choose friction tires for the sake of comfort and not sacrifice either controllability or safety. The main thing is not to neglect the opportunity to adapt your driving style. This benefit of being a responsible driver is irreplaceable and free.
The Gislaved IceControl studded model is available in 36 sizes from 15 to 21 inches. That is, you can choose such tires for both budget cars and expensive crossovers. Studless ArcticControl also covers the niche from 15 to 21 inches, but there are even more standard sizes: 41. Gislaved are not the most affordable tires on the market: Chinese manufacturers are quite aggressively entering the plans of Russian motorists. But a Russian-made premium brand will not compete with them in dumping. If only because its feeling of confidence on a winter road rivals the best in the world. /m
With duct tape and a razor: how Japanese-Swedish-Russian Gislaved tires are made. Gislaved winter tires from Russia: what is worth knowing about them? Gislaved PremiumControl
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