Dunlop Grandtrek SJ6: owner reviews and features

When choosing a new rubber, each driver is guided by some of his rules, relying on certain parameters. For some, the main role is played by durability, while the other does not get the pleasure of driving, if the rubber is too noisy. However, there are some parameters that can not be determined without a long test. And the results of official reviews can not always help. To the aid can come the opinion of other drivers about this or that rubber, rolled back on it for a while. Today's review is devoted to the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6, reviews of which will serve as the main indicator of quality. However, first consider the main characteristics presented by the manufacturer, and also analyze the results of some official tests.

Historical facts about Dunlop

The manufacturer has a very interesting story. It is worth noting that it was the Dunlop tires that were the first in the world to use the air pumping method. Its origin, strangely enough, they take in the distant 1888, when the vet (!) Decided to modernize the bicycle of his young son. To do this, he wrapped the cast rubber wheels with several layers of rubber, and then pumped air between them. As a result, it was possible to soften movement on uneven terrain. Later, he continued to work on this technology, which gave rise to a new industry. The name of this veterinarian was John Boyd Dunlop.

For more than a century, the company has been producing automobile and aircraft tires, improving production technologies every year. It managed to excel and produce rubber for the world famous "Formula 1", greatly modernizing in due time the technology of developing and pouring tires designed for very high speeds.

At the moment the company is one of the subdivisions of Goodyear Holding, due to which there is a continuous exchange of experience, and the development of new products is reaching a higher level. As far as they are qualitative, only time can show. And it will help just to appreciate the tires considered in this article Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 99Q, because there is already the opportunity to see the opinion of those who have been on them for more than one season.

Briefly about the model

Rubber is designed for movement during the winter season. The manufacturer positions it as universal, able to cope with any weather conditions. As can be seen from the predecessor, this can be a very successful move, because SJ5 received very positive feedback from the drivers. The novelty is called to replace it, providing even higher quality.

Considered winter tires Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6, reviews about which we will analyze at the end of the article, have a symmetrical tread pattern with very large blocks. As the manufacturer assures, it is this option that is perfect for both driving on snow porridge and ground, and for driving on a slippery ice. It should be noted immediately that this model is supplied only in the non-studded version, so the stability on the track should be provided by a rubber compound and correctly positioned blocks of the tread.

Features of the structure of the tread

Designers tried to make a memorable and practical drawing, which, on the one hand, would be familiar, but on the other hand - adapted for special conditions of harsh winter. As a result, we developed our own technology for the placement of blocks of a protector called Digityre-II. It involves the use of computer software that allows you to reproduce various life situations and in real time simulate a protector that would have the properties that would allow them to cope with all of them without any problems.

As a result of the research, it was possible to create the optimal pattern with a V-shaped protector in a symmetrical version. The results were not long in coming. Already in the first tests it turned out that, regardless of the driving mode, the area of the contact patch remains invariably large, and this leads to better coupling even on a rather slippery track. Reviews of the rubber Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 subsequently confirmed this observation.

However, this was not the last timeframe. The stability was also helped by the fact that the contact spot itself was also thought out. Regardless of the position, the profile in it remains ten-step, and the surface itself - smooth, but not sliding.

The benefit of choosing this design

As experts of the company say, this approach allowed to achieve several positive moments at once. So, the quality of the grip on the slippery surface has increased, because, for the most part, it depends on the area on which the wheel is in contact with the road surface.

However, one more effect, which can definitely be called positive, is a decrease in the level of rolling resistance. So, it allows solving two problems at once. Firstly, the roll on the vehicle improves, making it easier to control and feel its speed. And the second aspect - due to the lowering of the resistance, it is less necessary to press the gas, which leads to a relatively substantial fuel economy. Drivers, when they write about the winter tires Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 reviews, note this as one of the key positive points.

Features of the center line of the tread

If you carefully consider the resulting tread pattern, you can see that in the central part of the individual blocks, an obviously noticeable ring is formed, which surrounds the entire tire. The blocks are all made in quadrangular form, and also have fairly large dimensions. Their task is to ensure exchange rate stability when driving in a straight line, as well as during smooth maneuvers. However, these are not all the missions that are assigned to them. So, thanks to their special structure, they help to evenly distribute the load throughout the rubber contact spot with the track. This has a positive effect on the overall wear of the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 R18 tire, as it becomes the same across the entire width of the rubber, which means it can last longer. In addition, uneven wear could lead to an emergency even before the protector worn to a critical level.

Features of using large blocks

It is quite easy to trace the whole tread pattern on these tires. The tread blocks are large, however, if you look closely, you can see that on the edges they have notches that seem to divide them into smaller blocks.

This is done in order to form the largest possible number of lateral edges, responsible for high-quality grip and rowing characteristics. So, it is these edges that can effectively move and stop on loose snow or wet ground.

They also manifest themselves when braking, preventing the wheel from sliding, and as if trying to rake the surface in the opposite direction from the direction of motion. As a result, the braking distance is markedly reduced, and the car with an emergency braking is significantly less likely to go into the drift. All this guarantees a reduction in the number of emergency situations on the road, as repeatedly emphasized in the reviews. Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 225 * 65R17 101Q gets high ratings, because, without spikes, almost inferior in the length of the braking distance to studded competitors.

Thoughtful lamella system

A lot depends on the correct arrangement of the lamellas. After all, they are responsible for the quality removal of liquid or loose snow from the contact patch to the sides in order to ensure the highest level of grip with the track, as far as possible under current weather conditions.

In this case, the V-shaped arrangement of the tread elements has benefited. Large lamellas were formed between them, able to easily cope with large volumes of liquid or soil and remove them to the side. Smaller lamellas are primarily designed to create additional edges, but also serve as a kind of "capillaries", diverting small portions of water toward larger slits on the surface of the wheel.

The result is a universal solution that, on the one hand, has good rowing characteristics and is able to cope with the problems of moving over a loose surface, and on the other hand it allows to effectively fix a vehicle while driving on an ice-free surface, preventing it from going into a skid. As they say about the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 owners' reviews, drift is generally very rare for cars equipped with these tires, if the driver adheres to a safe driving strategy.

Reduced noise level

As already mentioned above, the special arrangement of the tread elements led to the fact that the rolling resistance decreased, which made it possible to obtain a number of positive results. However, this is not all the advantages that have been achieved thanks to this, and this can also be learned by reading about the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 101Q driver reviews.

The fact is that the main source of noise on winter tires are either spikes or edges of the protective elements. There are no thorns on this rubber, and the edges are designed in such a way that they are able to perform their tasks, but at the same time they allow the wheel to move as freely as possible. As a result, friction is reduced, and with it disappears and obsessive noise, which can cause discomfort, especially on long trips.

Wear-resistant

During development, this parameter was also given special attention. One axial line of the tread to increase the resistance to wear would be small. Therefore, a special formula of a rubber mixture containing silicic acid was developed. It, on the one hand, can allow the rubber to remain soft even at rather low temperatures overboard, but at the same time strengthens the bonds between the components, making the rubber more durable. As a result, in addition to reducing the erasure of rubber from the surface, the puncture and cut strength is increased, which can not but rejoice drivers who, due to their professional duties, travel a large number of kilometers every day, and want the machine to be the most reliable assistant. When you read about the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 195 * 80 R15 reviews, you often meet that drivers mark the long life of these tires.

Purpose of rubber

This model comes in a large number of sizes, so almost every driver will be able to pick up the one that fits his car. It is worth noting that it does not apply to the budget option and is often installed on premium cars. The ruler of sizes amazes with a variety. So, you can buy rubber on disks with a diameter of 15 and ending up already 21 inches.

It performs well both on sedans and on large SUVs. Perhaps, at first to Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6, reviews about which we will consider very soon, will need to get used, but it behaves quite predictably, so there should not be any special problems. In relatively warm weather, it is worth counting on the fact that it can become too soft. Especially this applies to those who have installed themselves tires with a high profile. At plus temperature it is better not to make sharp maneuvers at a very high speed, because the rubber has a little "swim" and can simply fly off the disk, but it's not pleasant in this.

The opinion of drivers about the positive aspects of tires

After analyzing the reviews of the owners about Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6, who already had the opportunity to roll on the rubber for a while, we can conclude whether it is worth buying it for ourselves, especially given the fact that this pleasure is not cheap.

Drivers with experience note the following main advantages of this rubber:

1. Good adhesion to the surface. Apparently, the work of designers and chemists has not been in vain, as many drivers say that rubber behaves well in different versions of the pavement and in all weather conditions. Nevertheless, when driving, do not count only on rubber. We need to soberly assess the situation, so as not to create emergencies.
2. A small stopping distance. Given the rather good dynamic characteristics described by users, a short stopping distance is an excellent addition for them. As drivers say, rubber is able to quickly stop the car even when ice, and on slippery as a result of blurring the ground behaves quite well.
3. Low noise level. Perhaps, this is the moment that is less common in the rubber of other manufacturers, because it is rather difficult to achieve a reduction in noise level without cutting any characteristics. In the same model, it was possible to combine both dynamics, and braking, and grip, and the absence of noise effects that irritate the motion and cause excessive vibration. As practice shows, about winter tires Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 reviews speak about noise only at high speeds, when "rattles", in principle, any tires.
4. Good abrasion resistance. Since the model is no longer a new one, it can be compared with variants from other manufacturers. One driver mentions that he bought himself this rubber as soon as it appeared, and after 9 years he still sometimes sets it for a ride in the summer season. Of course, the characteristics are already far from the initial, but it still shows good results. Even those people who spend half their lives in the car - taxi drivers - note the high resistance to wear, and, as a consequence, the practicality of such a money investment.
5. Sturdy lateral part. Resistance to punctures and cuts of the side is clearly a plus of this rubber. Well-designed rubber compound allows you to confidently navigate the frozen roads, not being afraid that some particularly sharp piece of ice will be able to break through the reinforced sidewall of the rubber.
6. The ability to use tires all year round. Thanks to the use of silicic acid, the rubber has become very stable. And, despite the fact that in the hot time it becomes very soft, it can still be exploited, however, with caution. However, this does not detract from the fact that, if necessary, you can always ride a month or two on winter tires, even after the summer. As noted about the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 reviews, already almost worn out winter tires, but still usable, can easily replace the summer with careful driving.

These are the main advantages of rubber, which generally coincide with the characteristics of the manufacturer and the results of official testing. However, she also has her own minuses, which should also be remembered.

Negative sides of rubber based on reviews of drivers

Among the disadvantages can be identified not so many aspects, but still worth paying attention to. So, some drivers, when writing about the tires Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 reviews, do not really take the moment that this model does not have thorns, because, compared to studded variants, it still has a somewhat longer braking distance.

In addition, the new rubber shows noise on clean asphalt at high speed. Most likely, this is due to the specific shape of the individual elements of the tread.

In the rest it can be said that there are no serious drawbacks to this rubber. Therefore, it is quite possible to buy for your car, if you value reliability and quality, and you do not mind the high cost in comparison with the offers of competitors. Perhaps someday you can write about the Dunlop GrandTrek SJ6 review, which will have more positive moments than negative ones.