Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 winter tire review

The Nokian company has existed on the Russian market for a long time. In order to gain popularity among motorists in Russia, it was necessary to create winter tires for harsh conditions, as well as improve older models. Nokian Nordman products have been produced for a long time and are represented in several generations.

Initially, tires were produced in Finland, the city of Nokia. However, in 2005, an enterprise was created in Vsevolozhsk, where these tires are currently manufactured.

Nokian Nordman 2

These tires are very similar to the previous ones, but there are still differences. They are able to provide safe and comfortable driving regardless of operating conditions.

The tread pattern is designed in such a way that it creates virtually no additional noise when driving. It also has a drainage system that is responsible for traction on wet surfaces.

The rubber contains an increased amount of silica, which is why the tires remain soft at low temperatures. Slats and spikes, which have an unusual shape and are protected from falling out, are responsible for traction on ice and snow.

About the Nokian Nordman tire brand | Internet

The Finnish tire production and sales company Nokian Tires has been known to the world for more than a century. The rich history of the corporation's development dates back to the end of the 19th century. Over time, the type of activity and production areas have changed, from the production of rubber galoshes and shoes to car tires, but the level of product quality has always remained high. At this time, the company produces Nokian Nordman tires directly at the Finnish plant in Nokia.

The history of the emergence and formation of the Nokian Nordman brand

Nokian Tires in 1931 decided to obtain a patent for the production of car tires. A huge amount of work was done to train staff, study technological features, train professionals in the USA, and a year later the plant was able to release the first tire model from the assembly line. Due to the huge demand for its products, in 1945 the company opened one of the largest production bases in Finland. The brand gained worldwide recognition after the car races in Monte Carlo in the mid-twentieth century, where cars with Finnish tires proved to be the best on difficult icy tracks. Over the entire period of operation, the corporation's products have been repeatedly awarded honorary titles of the best according to Tekniikan Maailma.

Nokian Nordman summer and winter tires began to be produced after a special agreement was concluded between the company of the same name and the large Amtel association, the main production base of which was located in a small city in the Leningrad region. The joint production was organized in 2005. Finnish organizers supplied the plant with the latest equipment, thanks to which the company was able to produce products of higher quality. Due to the location of production bases on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as the use of domestic raw materials, prices for rubber were quite affordable. You can buy Nokian Nordman tires on the website of the online hypermarket of wheels and tires.

Unfortunately, the tandem of companies did not last until our time, but this in no way affected the quality of the product produced or its pricing. Nokian Nordman tires are still in demand and are successfully sold in more than 35 countries around the world.

Products Nokian Nordman

At this time, dozens of different models of both summer and winter Nokian Nordman tires are presented. Anyone can choose the type of tire for their own car. This model range has the following characteristics:

  • Frost resistance.
  • Increased strength.
  • Long operational period.
  • Anti-icing.
  • High traction and grip properties.
  • Low level of wear.
  • A variety of sizes, taking into account the expected load and indexing.

Test drives of Nordman tires were carried out in harsh conditions at various testing grounds in Siberia and the Far East. Tests have shown that the rubber of this production is wear-resistant and guarantees safety even at very low temperatures and large snow-covered icy surfaces.

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Nokian Nordman 4

The peculiarity of this particular model is that it can be used not only in winter, but also in early spring or late autumn. The differences from the second generation are noticeable. The tread blocks are now more pronounced, but due to their location, driving noise is reduced.

Each of them has lamellas and strong spikes that guarantee full traction on difficult road sections.

In their reviews, owners write that the adhesion properties on any surface are excellent. If you follow the speed limit, the tires will ensure safety. The spikes are installed in such a way that they are protected from falling out. Motorists often write that tires are too noisy at high speed, which not everyone likes.

Winter tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7

Winter tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7

Even those who have never been to Russia know that one of the features of our country is a long, cold winter. Where there is winter, there is snow. This means that for Russian drivers, the essential item is tires designed for operation in difficult climatic conditions, for driving on snow, ice, mud and slush. Moreover, the use of high-quality winter tires is not only a matter of driver comfort, it is also a matter of safety. After all, the car's handling largely depends on the tires, and a poorly driven car can cause a wide variety of road accidents.

Several years ago, in 2006, the Nokian Tires company released excellent Hakkapeliitta 5 tires. They were very popular among Russian drivers. But there are no perfect tires. There is always something that can be improved and modernized. According to Teppo Huovil, head of product development and development at Nokian Tires, the main goal when creating the Hakkapeliitta 7 tire was to come up with something new and special. As Teppo Huovila said, the company has accumulated vast experience in creating tires for difficult climatic conditions. Therefore, the developers tried to do everything possible to ensure both driver comfort and the highest degree of safety. How is this achieved?

Anchor spike and eight-row stud

The main innovation that makes the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires different from its predecessor is a new type of anchor stud. For greater strength and stability, Nokian Tires specialists increased the base of the stud so that it became wider than the cross-section of the body. This was done in order to achieve better lateral grip. Even with strong lateral resistance, the stud is practically not deformed, so the tire does not “drive”, and the car remains on course. Residual deformation is suppressed using a technology called “bear claw”, which will be discussed below. Under the base of the stud, in the body of the tire itself, there are steel threads that give the stud additional stability.

There is a carbide insert inside the tenon. Unlike previous models, where the insert was first round and then quadrangular in shape, it has the shape of a hexagon with beveled sharp corners, installed so that the wide part of the insert is in the direction of rotation of the tire. In this case, the sharp corners are directed towards the sidewall of the tire. Their task is to improve traction when sliding sideways.

Evolution of the stud shape in different models of the Hakkapeliitta 7 winter tire

Evolution of the stud shape in different models of the Hakkapeliitta winter tire

In this case, the developers could take the path of increasing the number of spikes. In this way, significantly greater tire stability could easily be achieved. But this would simultaneously lead to an increase in its mass. Therefore, Nokian Tires specialists found another, more elegant solution that allowed them to achieve the same results and leave the tire weight unchanged. They did not increase the number of spikes, but changed their arrangement. Now there are eight rows of studs on the right and left of the tread, providing excellent grip on the surface.

"Bear Claw"

The technology with such an original name was first developed for the Hakkapeliitta V tires. Its necessity is due to the fact that when sliding sideways, the studs begin to bend to the side, thereby reducing the tire’s grip on the road surface. No matter how strong the tenon is, such deformation still occurs. This problem becomes especially serious when braking.

The “bear claw” is a special rubber protrusion on the tread block. It is designed to prevent the stud from bending during braking and side sliding. Thanks to this, the car continues to stay on course and does not drive. This is a very simple solution, but it is extremely effective.

New tread design

The tread design on the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires is symmetrical and directional (that is, with a given direction of rotation). The central part of the tread is reinforced, which is achieved by combining the central rib with the central blocks. This not only strengthened the entire structure as a whole, but also had a positive effect on the vehicle’s handling and the stability of the tire while driving. Three-dimensional lamellas, tightly adjacent to each other, also further strengthen the structure. The car feels especially good on dry asphalt.

Tread pattern Hakkapeliitta 7

Tread pattern Hakkapeliitta 7

The tread pattern is carefully thought out. It is this arrangement of lamellas and checkers that effectively displaces snow and slush from the tire contact patch with the road. We can say that the tires self-clean while driving. As numerous test drives have shown, thanks to the new tread design, the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires cut slush perfectly, while providing reliable traction.

The tread design is multilayer. The bottom base layer is the most rigid. It not only provides support for the next, softer tread layer, but is also responsible for the reliability of the studs, since their bases are installed in the base layer.

Another feature of these tires is the characteristic sloping shoulder areas. This is also aimed at displacing unpacked snow and keeping the car on course.

Noise problem and air shock absorbers

Studded tires are a source of noise. Therefore, the developers of the Hakkapeliitta 7 model paid a lot of attention to solving this problem (although, as you can read in the last section of the article, a number of domestic drivers believe that this problem was not ideally solved). By analogy with the “bear claw”, the technology used here was called “air claw”. A teardrop-shaped hole was made in the tread block in front of the spike. Thanks to this hole, the checker turns into a kind of pillow, which is an air shock absorber. It softens the impact and dampens the vibration that occurs when the stud and the road surface come into contact. Accordingly, the noise emitted by the tire becomes weaker.

Stud on the Hakkapeliitta 7 tire

Stud on the Hakkapeliitta 7 tire

An additional effect of using an "air claw" is that the shock absorber not only dampens the noise from the impact. It also protects the road surface by reducing the stress placed on it by the studded tire. In this way, Nokian Tires contributes to longer road life.

Cryosilane

In the manufacture of Hakkapeliitta 7 tires, a new rubber compound was used, based on cryosilane. This substance is a mixture of natural rubber, silica (silicon dioxide), which is a binding component, and rapeseed oil. For a long time it was not possible to combine silica and natural rubber; all the resulting compositions turned out to be unstable. The problem was solved by adding silane to the composition.

The addition of rapeseed oil made the tires more elastic and tensile strength. In turn, silica not only serves as a binding element, but also can significantly reduce rolling resistance. These factors have had a positive effect on the wear resistance of the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires. Since they have become more durable, their service life has also increased.

It can be unequivocally stated that cryosilane represents a real breakthrough in the field of rubber compounds for winter tires. The use of this substance made it possible to significantly improve the tire's grip on the road, including in harsh climatic conditions, on wet, snowy and slippery surfaces.

Reducing rolling resistance has reduced fuel consumption and reduced harmful emissions into the atmosphere. As a result, Hakkapeliitta 7 winter tires have high environmental properties.

Wear indicator

Anyone who has ever used Nokian Tires products knows about such a useful idea from the developers as a wear indicator. This is another simple invention aimed at increasing the level of security. In fact, there are even two of these indicators: an image of a snowflake and a row of numbers located in the central part of the tread. These numbers indicate the remaining depth of the main tread grooves, which is measured in millimeters. It is necessary to carefully monitor the numbers, as they disappear as the tire wears out.

Winter tire wear indicator Hakkapeliitta 7

You should think about changing a tire when the groove depth becomes less than 4 mm. It is from this moment that the manufacturer does not guarantee that the tire meets safety requirements. If the image of a snowflake is erased, this clearly indicates that it is definitely not worth driving in the snow. This way, the driver can very easily determine when his car needs tire replacement.

Opinion of Russian drivers

Russian drivers appreciated the Hakkapeliitta 7 tires. Most of those who drove a car “shod” with these tires note that the car feels great on asphalt, snow and ice. As some drivers note, at low speeds you don’t feel the difference between ice and asphalt at all; the car doesn’t pull to the side at all. Some handling problems occur on wet pavement at speeds above 100 km/h. But in general, the tires provide reliable grip on any surface on which the car drives, and behave well when cornering and braking.

Car with Hakkapeliitta 7 tires

The most controversial issue is the noise that the spikes make. As mentioned above, a lot of attention was paid to this problem when developing this model. However, judging by the reviews of some Russian car owners, the developers failed to fully cope with the task. While some cite noise as the Hakkapeliitta 7's only downside, others say it's easily the quietest tire they've ever used. Apparently, the noise of these tires depends on what speeds you drive at. It is noted that the noise becomes strongest at low speeds. Also, owners of cars with high-quality sound insulation often say that these tires are almost silent. Apparently, this factor is also worth taking into account when deciding to purchase Hakkapeliitta 7 winter tires.

On the other hand, judging by the reviews and test drive results, this is the only problem that owners of this tire model face. So we can safely give the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 the highest rating.

Nokian Nordman 5

They are radically different from the 4th generation. The first thing you notice is changes in the tread pattern. However, it also remained symmetrical and directional. Due to its structure, it helps improve the responsiveness of the wheels when turning the steering wheel.

The studs now provide greater traction thanks to their Bear Claw technology, which helps them grip the road surface.

In reviews, owners note the excellent traction characteristics of the Nordman 5 on icy and snowy roads. In such conditions, controllability is good. The tires' cross-country ability on snow is decent.

On an asphalt surface, all properties deteriorate, which is due to the presence of spikes - it should be clarified that, compared to the previous generation, they are not attached so reliably, which is why they often fall out.

Characteristics and parameters of Nokian Nordman 7 winter tires

The latest development of the Nordman series is a high-tech product of the 7th generation, which has many advantages not only over analogues of competing brands, but also some more advanced options within the products of the Finnish company itself.

These improved properties of this rubber, based on the manufacturer’s statements, the opinions of experts who conducted independent tests, as well as feedback from the company’s customers themselves, are given below:

  • These Nordman tires are the only representatives of the brand that have scored the maximum number of rating points based on laboratory and field testing protocols and are recommended for winter use by almost all foreign and domestic car dealers.
  • The tread pattern of the Nokian Nordman 7 tire has a very complex configuration with grooves arranged to collect water in 10 directions at once, and the car will confidently accelerate, brake, turn or change lanes even on slippery roads.
  • The company offers its customers a revolutionary technology of studs that are not pressed into the tread under the weight of the vehicle, which is why the traction effect is not lost even during contact with an absolutely hard road surface. This is achieved due to the wide heel of each stud, installed at different angles, which also provides comprehensive grip on the ice surface.
  • In production, silicate particles are added to the protectors, which have abrasive properties and improve traction on wet and slippery roads even as the upper polymer layers wear off.

Important!

All of these properties, combined with a reinforced rubber sole and sidewall frame, regardless of the width of the grip surface and profile height, which significantly reduces the risk of cuts or punctures, put it in first place in almost all world rankings among other manufacturers.


Tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9

What are the features of the Nordman summer tire tread?

The asymmetrical tread design ensures stability and maneuverability of the tire. The tread rubber is designed for harsh weather conditions. The tire has safe grip on the road surface both on a hot summer and a cool autumn day. The Nordman rubber tread compound adapts to the road equally successfully in the summer heat and in the autumn frosts. The Nokian Nordman summer tire grip over a wide temperature range.

Ring cuts in some tire models (SX) allow the load to be optimally distributed. This provides effective grip during maneuvers and prevents uneven tire wear. Due to the tire construction, design and materials, Nokian Nordman tires have low rolling resistance. They rotate with ease. And this in turn reduces fuel consumption.

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