Hankook Ventus Prime 4 Pattern Revealed: In the automotive world, the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 has established itself as a benchmark for superior wet braking performance, setting a high standard in tire safety and reliability. In this article, “Hankook Ventus Prime 4 Pattern Revealed,” we delve into the intricacies of this renowned tire, focusing on its pitch sequence and tread depth. These two critical aspects play a pivotal role in defining the tire’s performance characteristics, notably influencing factors such as noise generation and the contact area.
The pitch sequence, a strategic arrangement of tread blocks, is key in minimizing road noise, providing a quieter, more comfortable ride. Meanwhile, tread depth, a determinant of tire longevity and efficiency, affects the tire’s ability to maintain optimal contact with the road surface, especially in wet conditions. By examining these elements, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 achieves its acclaimed status, particularly in aspects that impact driver experience and safety.
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Results: Hankook Ventus Prime 4 Pattern
The tire in question is a 225/45R18 Hankook Ventus Prime 4, a model known for its quality and performance. This particular tire has a production code of 3723, indicating that it was manufactured in the 37th week of the year 2023. It holds an E4 certification, which signifies compliance with European tire standards, ensuring safety and quality. The Ventus Prime 4 was produced in their Daejeon Plant in South Korea.
Basic data:
| Size | 225/45R18 |
| Outer diameter | 659.7 mm |
| Number of blocks | 80 |
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4, sized 225/45R18 and with an outer diameter of 659.7 mm, is designed with 80 blocks. This higher block count improves wet performance by enhancing water dispersion for safer driving in rainy conditions. Additionally, more blocks contribute to reduced road noise, offering a quieter ride compared to the Prime 3’s 70-block pattern. However, the increased number of blocks slightly reduces the surface area per block, which may impact handling on dry roads.
Pattern Pitch
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tire features a specialized tread pattern composed of three distinct pitch types, which play a crucial role in its performance. These pitch types are categorized as A, B, and C, each with different block lengths: Type A has a block length of 21 mm with a total of 31 blocks, Type B measures 17.4 mm in block length with 26 blocks, and Type C has the longest blocks at 25.5 mm, totaling 23 blocks.
| Pitch type | Block length, mm | Total number |
| A | 21 | 31 |
| B | 17.4 | 26 |
| C | 25.5 | 23 |
The importance of this pitch sequence in the tire’s design cannot be overstated. The varying lengths of the blocks, arranged in a specific sequence, are key to the tire’s noise performance. This sequence helps in effectively reducing road noise, making the ride quieter and more comfortable. Contrary to some marketing claims about “noise grooves,” the real factor behind the tire’s noise reduction capabilities lies in this careful arrangement of pitch types. The strategic distribution of these varying block lengths works harmoniously to minimize the acoustic impact, debunking the notion that special grooves are primarily responsible for noise reduction.
Pitch length ratio
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tire’s design is significantly influenced by its pitch length ratio, which is a crucial aspect of its tread pattern. This tire features pitch length ratios of 1.21 and 1.47. Understanding how this works and why it’s vital for noise reduction is key to appreciating the tire’s design.
| Pitch length ratio | 1.21 |
| 1.47 |
The pitch length ratio refers to the relationship between different lengths of the tread blocks in the tire’s pattern. A well-calculated pitch length ratio is essential for reducing tire noise. This is because the variation in block lengths disrupts the harmonic noise frequencies typically generated as the tire rolls on the road. By carefully adjusting these ratios, the tire’s design can significantly reduce the noise produced, leading to a quieter ride.
The specific pitch length ratios in the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 are the result of extensive simulations and testing. Tire manufacturers like Hankook often keep these ratios confidential, as they are developed through numerous trials to ideally fit the specific outer diameters of the tire sizes. This tailored approach ensures that each tire size has an optimized pitch length ratio, contributing to the tire’s overall performance in noise reduction.
Pitch Sequence
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tire features a complex pitch sequence that plays a critical role in its design and performance. This sequence, composed of varying arrangements of the pitches A, B, and C, is not arbitrary but the result of meticulous randomization and simulation. The aim of this sophisticated process is to identify the most effective combination for optimal noise reduction.
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 Pattern Pitch Sequence
A B A C C C B A B A C C C A A C C C C A B B B B A C A A B A C C C A A C A A A C A B B A C A B B B B A C C A B B B B A C C A A B B A C C A A A B B B B A A B B A
Tire manufacturers, including Hankook, often use proprietary software tools for creating these pitch sequences. These tools allow them to simulate different arrangements and analyze how they impact the tire’s noise performance. This method of using randomized simulations is key to finding the best possible outcome in terms of reducing noise while maintaining other aspects of tire performance.
Furthermore, manufacturers don’t just rely on simulations alone. They also conduct extensive validation tests to ensure that the noise levels meet the expected standards. This means that the pitch sequence you see in a tire like the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 is the product of both advanced computational analysis and practical testing. This dual approach ensures that the tire not only performs well in theory but also meets the noise reduction expectations in real-world conditions.
Tread depth
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tire has varied groove depths across its tread, an important aspect of its design. Specifically, the depths of the four grooves are 6.5 mm, 7.54 mm, 7.33 mm, and 6.35 mm, respectively. This variation in depth plays a significant role in the tire’s performance.
| Groove | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Tread depth, mm | 6.5 | 7.54 | 7.33 | 6.35 |
One notable feature is the shallower depth of the shoulder grooves. This design is intentional and addresses the contour of the tire and wear distribution. Since the center of the tire typically wears faster than the shoulder, having shallower shoulder grooves helps to ensure a more even wear rate over time. This careful design consideration is vital for maintaining the tire’s performance and longevity.
| Top Touring Tires | Average Tread depth, mm |
| Hankook Ventus Prime 4 | 6.93 |
| Michelin Primacy 4 ST | 6.82 |
| Continental UltraContact UC7 | 7.31 |
| Bridgestone Turanza T005A | 7.22 |
| Giti Control P10 | 6.49 |
| Nexen N Fera SU1 | 7.38 |
| Goodtrip GM-5 | 6.79 |
Comparing the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 to our recently concluded APAC touring tire test competitors in the 225/45R18 size, we see some differences in average tread depth. The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 has an average tread depth of 6.93 mm. This is slightly more than the Michelin Primacy 4 ST (6.82 mm) and the Goodtrip GM-5 (6.79 mm), but less than the Continental UltraContact UC7 (7.31 mm), Bridgestone Turanza T005A (7.22 mm), and Nexen N Fera SU1 (7.38 mm). The Giti Control P10, at 6.49 mm, has the shallowest average tread depth among these comparisons.
These differences in tread depth among various brands can influence aspects like wear rate, noise levels, and overall driving experience. The Hankook Ventus Prime 4’s design, with its mid level groove depths, reflects a balance aimed at solving the wet vs wear target conflict.
Conclusion
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tire is engineered with several key design features:
- Pitch Types and Length Ratios: It utilizes three pitch types – A, B, and C – with specific block lengths of 21 mm, 17.4 mm, and 25.5 mm respectively. These pitches are arranged in a sequence that significantly influences the tire’s noise performance. The pitch length ratios, 1.21 and 1.47, are critical for reducing noise by disrupting harmonic frequencies.
- Groove Depths: The tire features four grooves with varying depths: 6.5 mm, 7.54 mm, 7.33 mm, and 6.35 mm. The shallower shoulder grooves help maintain even wear, particularly since the center tends to wear faster.
- Tread Block Count and Size: With 80 tread blocks, the Prime 4 differs from its predecessor, the Prime 3, which had 70 blocks. More blocks enhance wet performance through improved water dispersion, but also result in a reduced surface area per block, affecting dry road handling and potentially increasing noise.
- Comparison with Other Brands: In comparison, the average tread depth of the Prime 4 is 6.93 mm, positioning it within a range close to other touring tires like Michelin Primacy 4 ST (6.82 mm), Continental UltraContact UC7 (7.31 mm), and Bridgestone Turanza T005A (7.22 mm).
These design elements together make the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 a tire that balances performance in wet conditions with noise reduction and wear efficiency, reflecting advanced engineering and attention to detail in tire design.