Dunlop Graspic DS3 is a premium Nordic-type winter friction tire with a symmetrical tread pattern for passenger cars and crossovers.
Country of origin: Japan.
The Dunlop brand belongs to the American manufacturer Goodyear Tires.
The non-studded winter passenger car tire Dunlop Graspic DS3 can be safely considered one of the successful winter models of this British manufacturer. With a wide range of dozens of the most popular sizes ranging from 13 to 19 inches, this model is perfect for most passenger car models produced today. At the same time, the tire provides a comfortable and safe movement, both on snow and ice, and on asphalt.
Tread design
When developing the tread pattern, the company's specialists applied the Digital Rolling Simulation II technology, i.e. rolling digital simulation technology. The practical result of the application of this technological innovation is the symmetrical non-directional tread pattern, characterized by the original S-shaped design. The tread of the Dunlop Graspic DS3 tire consists of three main zones with different tread densities. The center of the tread is made from a softer rubber compound, and the shoulders are made from a harder one. This made it possible to ensure a tighter adhesion of the tread to the road surface, which significantly increased the area of the tire-to-road contact patch. In addition, this design solution contributes to a more even distribution of the load over the contact patch. As a result, it was possible to achieve excellent directional stability and handling.
Also noteworthy is the block structure of the tread pattern, in which the blocks are grouped into five longitudinal ribs, separated by drainage grooves. At the same time, the distance between the rows of blocks, as well as between the blocks themselves, is quite enough for the tire tread too quickly clear of snow. This ability provides reliable and stable traction on snowy and icy surfaces.
Another characteristic feature of the design of the tread pattern of this model is the presence of a huge number of special MIURA lamellas, the special shape of which increases the rigidity of the tread blocks. Due to the high structural rigidity, it is possible to maintain reliable contact with the road surface, as well as to achieve excellent wear resistance. In addition, the special shape of the sipes made it possible to equip the tread with an increased number of them. As a result, these sipes additionally formed numerous sharp edges that effectively cling to any irregularities in the roadway. This made it possible to further increase the traction and grip indicators, as well as the braking efficiency on snowy and icy surfaces, thereby compensating for the absence of studs.
Innovative rubber compound
Especially for Dunlop DS-3, the company's specialists have developed a new rubber compound, which differs not only in the proportion of silica that is doubled compared to conventional tires but also in the presence of fiberglass. Silica allows the tread to more closely adhere to the microroughness of the roadway, and hard glass fibers, acting like spikes, provide exceptional traction even on an icy surface. In addition, the increased content of silicon-containing components in the rubber compound has a beneficial effect on the abrasion resistance of the tread, which significantly extended the life of the tire.
Main features of the Dunlop Graspic DS3 model
- Optimized with Digital Rolling Simulation II Technology S-shaped design of symmetrical non-directional tread pattern provides reliable and safe behavior, both when driving on icy and snowy surfaces, and during thaw periods;
- An innovative rubber compound with a doubled content of high-quality silicon-containing components, as well as with fiberglass, allows the tire to remain elastic at low temperatures while providing excellent grip on snow and ice;
- Wide application in the development of computer modeling tools has made it possible to create a protector with an increased contact patch area while ensuring optimal load distribution;
- Optimal rigidity of tread blocks, provided by special MIURA sipes, made it possible to give the tire a perfected character of handling, reliable and stable adhesion to various types of road surfaces;
- The increased number of lamellas, forming additionally numerous sharp edges, made it possible to fully compensate for the lack of studs in this model while providing excellent grip on an icy surface;
- Low noise level due to carefully selected shapes and sizes of tread blocks, as well as variable pitch of their placement.
The tire performed moderately on ice and very well on snow, where it has one of the best stopping distances among similar non-studded tires and, in general, a slight lag behind the leaders. Dunlop's weak point is behavior on the wet pavement: here she has mediocre handling, as well as the worst braking distances and lateral stability. On dry pavement, the tire also slows down weakly (although the lag behind the leaders is noticeably smaller) and, in general, demonstrates good lateral grip.
Among the advantages of the model are also low noise level, high comfort, and fuel efficiency.
Expert Review:
The soft tread did not help the tire to brake well on the asphalt: on a wet surface, when making sharp maneuvers, the car easily goes into demolition, and on a dry one - into a skid. Also, a large number of sipes did not provide a reliable grip on ice. The only thing the tire is good at is on the snow, where it has good acceleration and braking performance.