Tire siping: anyone done it?

[Grant Eaton]

The guy at the tire store today tried to talk me into siping my new Scorpions when they balanced them. Siping is a process of cutting thousands of tiny slits into the tread of the tire. It's supposed to give better traction, quiter ride, cooler tires, and longer tread life. Has anyone done that to their tires?

I was afraid to have them sipe $700 of new tires so I said no for now. I figured that by increasing the surface area of the tread, you would be exposing more of the rubber to oxidation and the elements. Over time, the exposure could possibly cause the tread to crack and turn brittle earlier than it might otherwise -- or so me thinks.

Here's a URL. Careful if you're at work, though; the page sounds like a video game!
www.sipers.com

[paultvx]

t's supposed to give better traction, quiter ride, cooler tires, and longer tread life

The sales guy told you all that didn't he? He's not exactly right. Made it sound like the miracle cure. Siping only helps traction on ice. Unless you buy mud terrain tires (like the BFG MT and Yokohama Geolander MT) you shouldn't need to have it done. Most tires come with siping designed right into the thread... and as far as I know, rubber doesn't oxidize. It may, however, be subject to UV damage. That's why there are products out there like Armor All etc., but most people use them for looks not for protection... The effects of UV damage is only cosmetic too... the rubber gets dull and turns gray. It would take a long time for it to break down due to exposure.

Assuming you have all season or all terrain tread tires.... For them to try to sell you siping on all season tread tires is like someone telling you that you need exhaust bearings to make the exhaust flow better.

Siping your tires may also void the warranty on them since the modifications aren't specified by the manufacturer. They can argue that by siping you've altered and adversely effected their patented thread pattern.

[IsuZOOM]

My thought on the subject is that if it really did everything they say it did, the mfr's would sipe them before they leave the factory. I trust the tire mfr more than Discount Tire.

[Daver]

Manufacturers do sipe their tires. The Pro-Comp A/T and BTG A/T KOs (I have the BFGs) both come with siping.

BUT, the siping you get from a tire installer is more effective, because of the nature of the cuts they make. Manufacturers have to make the sipes in the tire mold, so they cannot make as many and they have to be wider, so it comes out as a gap. The siping done by tire installers creates no gaps in the tread, they just cut the rubber. Much more effective on ice, like thousands of little teeth.

That said, when I got my BFGs I did not have them siped because I lived in Cali at the time. I highly doubt that siping extends the tread life... I would guess (not a very educated guess) siping creates more friction and heat on dry surfaces, reducing treadlife. Just a guess.

-Daver

[Moncha]

I'm with Tonka, I just got my Yok AVS 255/55/18's and just a little to scared to cut up my $700 investment.