Goodyear's Eagle F1 'TRED' Technologies Complementary

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SAN ANGELO, Texas  -- No tread element on Goodyear's new Eagle F1 is an island. That is, no water-evacuating grooves surround any tread blocks.

Yet one look at the tire treads, and you almost can imagine the water coursing through its V-shaped grooves. That's the beauty of Eagle F1's OneTRED design and V-TRED technology. They're diametrically opposing forces that work together in the name of ultra-performance, according to senior tire engineer Bob Nelson.

Take OneTRED, a continuous link between the tire's tread elements, and you get eye-popping dry traction without noise. V-TRED, meanwhile, employs directional V-shaped tread grooves for excellent wet traction, Nelson said.

They're diametrical, yet complementary. They need each other to perform in street applications, the engineer added.

At one extreme, OneTRED is a Goodyear Eagle race-inspired slick that provides continuous road contact and maximized force transfer, Nelson said. Eagle F1's OneTRED features a solid centerline, tread links and a stable shoulder zone.

That's fine on dry roads, Nelson said, but without V-TRED, the tire would be putty in a puddle.

The continuous centerline stiffens the tread area for improved steering precision and sporty response in the dry. In the rain, the strip of rubber forces water into Eagle F1's directional V-TRED grooves for unsurpassed wet traction, the engineer said.

Asymmetrical rib angles in the shoulder area increase stiffness laterally for excellent cornering performance. Eagle F1's less open grooves on its shoulders further increase lateral stiffness for improved heavy handling, he added.

Transfer bridges of rubber create continuous links between tread zones for excellent performance in handling, acceleration and braking.

V-TRED technology, Nelson said, improves water flow in the footprint by taking rainwater in front of the tire and forcing it through the grooves away from the tire's shoulder area.