Yokohama tires are famous worldwide for their use in almost every kind of vehicle. The brand has satisfied its consumers with durable and flexible products. But did you ever wonder who makes Yokohama tires?
The Yokohama Rubber Company Limited manufactures Yokohama tires. With high durability, Yokohama tires make less noise. They are available in different sizes and have high-rated treadwear.
This 100-year-old brand follows some simple steps to manufacture beautiful tires. Avid All-Season, Avid Ascend, and Geolander are the best-known tire types of Yokohama. The 30-day free trial helped Yokohama to gain customers’ trust.
Not everyone can afford this premium brand. Plus, the sports tire isn’t good for multiple laps. But doing some routine checks increases tire safety and durability. Plus, you must know the price before buying a new pair of tires.
An Overview Of Yokohama Tires
The Japanese tire company Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd was established on October 13, 1917. The Hiranuma plant, the first production plant, was established in 1920. In the same year, Yokohama manufactured the first corded tire.
Yokohama manufactured its first tire in Yokohama facilities in 1930. After seven years, Yokohama rebranded itself from Goodrich to Yokohama. This tire brand produced tires for the famous zero fighter planes during wartime.
The Y-29 is the first Japanese snow tire. In 1955, it introduced Japan to HAMA Liner, the first Japanese tubeless tire. Fast forward to 1973, Yokohama brought Surfam, a high elastic element, into the market. Their D-PARC tires testing area contains 20 types of roads and 410 banking to push tires to the extreme.
The century-old brand came to the Indian subcontinent through an agreement with Ceat tires in 1983. As of 2006, the total employee number of the premium tire brand is 14617. Here’s a short table about Yokohama:
| Founding Year | October 13, 1917 |
| Headquarter | Minato City, Tokyo, Japan |
| Employees | 14617 (March 2006) |
| Official Website | www.yokohamtire.com |
| Turnover | $5.220 billion (in 2014) $4.414 billion (in 2020) |
Why Go For Yokohama Tires?
Many tire brands are available in the market. But why should you use Yokohama tires? Here’re some facts about using tires of this 100-year-old brand.
Less Noise
The 4-pitch tread decreases the noise when you’re driving the car. The car makes less noise even if you suddenly stop your car.
More Durable
Yokohama tires have durable treads in them. These treads have a 50,000 miles warranty. You can enjoy a 30-day trial before purchasing it.
Size
Yokohama offers a variety of tires depending on the size. You don’t have to worry about the availability of your car’s tire. The tires are available in V and H speed ratings.
Treadwear
The average rating of treadwear is between 400 to 650. But, the Advan A/S has a low (180) treadwear score. These statistics explain the toughness of Yokohama tires.
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How Yokohama Tires Are Made?
The Yokohama brand uses cutting-edge automation to manufacture premium quality tires. They follow some simple steps to produce their best tire.
Here’s a simple discussion about the manufacturing process of Yokohama tires.
Step 01: Gathering Basic Material
Bead wire, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, textile cord, steel cord, and compounding elements are gathered in the manufacturing plant. Then, the raw materials are sent for bead twisting.
Step 02: Bead Twisting
Raw materials are mixed to form a bead. Then rubber coating is used to cover the beaded wire. The bead wire gets a circular shape before it reaches the bead assembly.
Step 03: Calendaring
The tire’s rubber gets steel or fabric coating in the calendaring process. Cap plies, body plies, belts, everything is manufactured through calendaring.
Two huge rollers are used to stretch the fabric and the rubber. Extreme pressure provided by the rollers makes a strong tire foundation.
Step 04: Extrusion
An extruder gives a standard shape to the rubber composites. Major parts like filler, sidewalls, and treads are made in the extrusion process.
The tire obtains a proper form in the chamber where the elements are pressed together using extreme heat.
Step 05: Central Mixer
Oils, chemicals, and rubbers are mixed with the basic materials in a vast and closed mixer. Obtained thick sheets are then sent to process them in the calendar and extruder.
Step 06: Manufacturing Green Tire
A tire is manufactured from the inside. First, calendared and extruded sheets are cut to specific lengths. Combining these elements with bead wraps results in the desired green tire.
Step 07: Curing Of Tire
Heat and pressure make the green tire accurate and usable. Curing toughens up the bonds between the rubber and other components. The sidewall and tread design of the tire comes in shape in the curing process.
Step 08: Quality Control
The tires are sent to the testing facility to check their quality. The testing facility, D-PARC, has 20 types of different road pavements. Durability checks, abrasion testing, and grip tests are performed on these pavements.
Types Of Yokohama Tires
Yokohama tires are used in almost every kind of automobile. These tires are made depending on the weather and road conditions. Summer, winter, and all-season tires are a few types of this renowned brand.
Avid Touring All-Season
The most sold kind of Yokohama tires is the Avid Touring All-Season. You can notice this tire in minivans, crossovers, and sedans. A combination of triplex tread composite and uniform tread pattern increases the traction and longevity of the treads.
Four flexure channels, narrow rain channels, and traction pipes provide enhanced gripping every season. The hard rubber over the sidewall increases the tire’s absorption power, making the ride comfortable.
Geolandar A/T G015
The long-lasting tread of this tire is made of advanced polymer and orange oil. So, the car runs smoothly on and off the road.
It is equipped with EdgeTec Grooves tread that creates enough space between the treads. So, sand, rocks, and mud don’t get stuck inside the prints.
Their RMA symbol on the tire means it is perfect to use in extreme weather conditions. Geolander has the standard output on both light and heavy snowy roads.
Avid Ascend
BluEarth technology is used to manufacture Yokohama Avid Ascend tires. The high amount of silica increases grip and reduces tread noise. Orange oil makes the tire more flexible and durable.
Cornering grip at high speed and quick steering response makes the tire suitable for every season.
Yokohama Tires SUV
Geolandar H/T-S is the perfect all-season tire for SUVs. The A/T-S model provides joyride in off-road action and better functionality. If you want more off-road adventures, use the M/T plus for the best traction.
Yokohama Performance
The Yokohama Advan series is known for its performance. Advan sport and S Drive can endure extreme road conditions. Avid Envigor and the Advan S4 provide super performance on harsh weather and worst-conditioned roads.
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Advantages Of Using Yokohama Tires
Yokohama brand has a variety of tire types. Different tires offer different benefits. You’ll observe some unique advantages when using tires of this world-famous brand.
Advantages Of Using Avid Ascend All-Season Tires
- Quality performance in dry conditions.
- Has significant traction in any season.
- Make less noise while you’re driving your car.
- Avid Ascend offers excellent handling.
- Quicker steering response.
Advantages Of Using Geolandar A/T G015 Tires
- Better on and off-road performance
- Best tires for icy and heavy snowy roads.
- Lots of options for selecting the desired size.
- Makes the highway journey real smooth.
- Provides superb durability.
Advantages Of Using Avid Touring All-Season Tires
- Avid Ascend tires have excellent traction in dry and wet conditions.
- A smooth and comfortable journey all the way.
- Outstanding response to the steering.
- Avid Ascend Tires are well made.
Apart from these advantages, the Yokohama tires have a reliable guarantee and warranty. Plus, the quality never disappoints.
Disadvantages Of Using Yokohama Tires
Using Yokohama tires has some cons. They don’t vary much according to the tire types. This list will clarify the disadvantages of using Yokohama tires.
- Worn-up treads make a loud noise.
- Any kind of tire is a bit expensive.
- The wet braking system is not up to the mark.
- It can’t provide better-rolling resistance.
- The tires are made of soft rubbers.
- Soft rubber tires can’t be used for the long term.
- Poor performance of winter tires in less snowy weather.
- Flat tires are a common problem in Yokohama tires.
- A short warranty is a significant disadvantage.
- Yokohama sports tires aren’t preferred for long repetitions.
- Sports tires can withstand heavy rain.
- The winter tire’s performance is average.
- Most of the tires are noisy.
- Yokohama tires are far behind in applying technology to their tires.
- The price is high, but the quality isn’t.
Price Of Yokohama Tires
Yokohama is a premium brand in the tire industry. These tires aren’t cheap but affordable. Tire price changes according to the vehicle you use. A tire of $93 can run 85,000 miles without any problem.
Avid Touring S
The Avid Touring S is an all-season passenger car tire that costs 123.04 bucks per tire on Amazon. But on Tire Rack, each of these tires is priced at $141.83. Each of these tires has a five-year or 65000 miles warranty.
Geolander Series
A/T G015 and the X-CV are the most used types of this series. One A/T G015 will cost you $210.53 if you buy it from Amazon. But sites like Tire Rack charge $220.99 per tire.
Advan Sport
It’s the updated version of A008 tires. Advan Sport is a cheap high-performance tire. $152.70 is the price of one piece of Advan Sports. But the tire is more affordable on other online shops than on Amazon.
Yokohama Winter Tires
We’ll talk about the Yokohama Iceguard tire. A passenger car winter tire has a price of $199.99 on Amazon, which is the same as the official website. The dedicated online tire shop, Tire Rack, charges $212.36 for each tire.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yokohama is a premium tire brand. The 100-year-old tire brand produces premium quality tires for almost every vehicle. Tire durability and flexibility is the reason behind the premium quality of the Yokohama tire.
You can buy Yokohama tires online. The official website will guide you to purchase tires depending on the vehicle. Online shops like amazon, Tire Rack, Walmart, and AliExpress also sell Yokohama tires.
Yokohama tires are expensive. So, it’s tough to afford Yokohama tires. But the quality of these tires is reliable. Depending on the market condition, the price of Yokohama tires varies.
Yokohama tires are made in the USA. The brand has two production plants in the USA. One is in Salem, Virginia, and the other is in West Point, Mississippi.
See More: Who Makes BFGoodrich Tires
Bottom Line
Yokohama Tire is a trusted name among consumers. Consumers use this brand because of the durability and elasticity of the tire. Their tires are expensive, but they ensure a high-quality product. The Advan Sport is cheaper than other tire types.
We hope the analysis of who makes Yokohama tires has given you a clear idea about its manufacturer and the product quality. You can choose tires depending on the vehicle you use. Check out the market price and do some ground research before buying a tire of this excellent brand.
