Siping Tires

[Peter Berkey]

Found this article... anyone have any experience or advice with siping
tires? Any bad side-effects?

http://www.accidentreconstruction.com/news/oct03/103003b.asp

 

[Frank Logullo]

Found this article... anyone have any experience or advice with siping
tires? Any bad side-effects?

Personally I would not subject my tires to change from manufacturers specs.
At minimum it could void the warranty.
I'd buy the tires I need and forget about this.
Frank

 

[Peter Berkey]

Personally I would not subject my tires to change from manufacturers specs.
At minimum it could void the warranty.

"If We Can't Guarantee It, We Won't Sell It!"® (cut & paste from LSC
website)

This is a phrase the Les Schwab Company has lived by for many years.... they
are the ones who sold me these tires and they are the ones who sold me on
siping the tires. I'm sure that if there were any problem at all, they
would certainly guarantee what they sold me. I've heard no complaints
about siping tires nor that siping voids any warranty.

--Pete

 

[Diva]

Michelin Arctic Alpins are already siped by the manufacturer.

June

Personally I would not subject my tires to change from manufacturers specs.
At minimum it could void the warranty.

"If We Can't Guarantee It, We Won't Sell It!"® (cut & paste from LSC
website)

This is a phrase the Les Schwab Company has lived by for many years.... they
are the ones who sold me these tires and they are the ones who sold me on
siping the tires. I'm sure that if there were any problem at all, they
would certainly guarantee what they sold me. I've heard no complaints
about siping tires nor that siping voids any warranty.

--Pete

 

[J999w]

Here's a little pic of the process (via Google).

http://www.tirefactory.net/saftee_siping.htm

jw
milwaukee

 

[Greg Reed]

Michelin Arctic Alpins are already siped by the manufacturer.

June

Any decent snow tire will come siped from the manufacturer. If snow
performance is important, I'd advise getting snow tires. I would always
advise against siping all-season tires for use in the winter.

Some might think they're going to save money, but I don't believe they will:
By siping all-season tires you dramatically reduce the tread life of the
tire. If this tire is then used year-round, it will need to be replaced
much sooner, increasing long-term cost. If it is only used in the winter
time, then you really haven't saved much money over buying dedicated snow
tires.

I'm don't think that siping all-season tires is necessarily dangerous in any
way; I'm just not convinced that there's a practical reason to do it.

- Greg

--
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Formal Limousine
(for sale: http://www.dataspire.com/caddy)
1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro sedan 5-speed
2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)
2004 Forester 2.5XT 5-speed (coming soon!)

 

[Frank Logullo]

"If We Can't Guarantee It, We Won't Sell It!"® (cut & paste from LSC
website)

This is a phrase the Les Schwab Company has lived by for many years.... they
are the ones who sold me these tires and they are the ones who sold me on
siping the tires. I'm sure that if there were any problem at all, they
would certainly guarantee what they sold me. I've heard no complaints
about siping tires nor that siping voids any warranty.

I've seen discussions where it could void warranty. It may aid traction but
I find it hard to believe that it would extend tire life and think it may do
the opposite. Prices I've seen - ~$10/tire/year - would tend me to believe
you would be better off to put this investment into original tires. One
discussion group also said that need for siping was greater in the past when
tires were not designed as well as they are today.
Frank

 

[Peter Berkey]

I've seen discussions where it could void warranty.

If it does, I will go after the dealer who sold it to me.

It may aid traction but
I find it hard to believe that it would
extend tire life and think it may do
the opposite.

I absolutely agree that it seems far too good to be true... however
everything I've read about siping says otherwise. It does make some sense
that these slits help to keep the tire cooler, therefore less tread wear. I
can't find anything that says otherwise.

Prices I've seen - ~$10/tire/year -
would tend me to believe
you would be better off to put this > investment into original tires.

$11.50 each tire and no need to perform the siping every year, siping is
good for the life of the tire from what they told me. Makes it unnecessary
to switch out tires every year, so saves $$$.

One discussion group also said that need
for siping was greater in the past when
tires were not designed as well as they >are today.

These Toyo ultra 800's I purchased last year had no siping. I'm guessing
that siping is not done on many of the tires today because not everyone
needs it... not everyone drives in icy conditions. I'm also guessing that
siping would add to the cost of manufacturing a tire, so it probably makes
marketing sense to just sell tires cheaper without the siping.

All I really know for sure is that my OBW seems to be responding much better
now in slippery conditions. Hope it stays this way for the life of the
tires.

--Pete

 

[Frank Logullo]

If it does, I will go after the dealer who sold it to me.


I absolutely agree that it seems far too good to be true... however
everything I've read about siping says otherwise. It does make some sense
that these slits help to keep the tire cooler, therefore less tread wear. I
can't find anything that says otherwise.

I'm just speculating of course but heat problem in radial tires is in side
wall due to constant flexing.
Tread wear in tires is most rapid in the beginning because of low modulus
rubber's friction on the road.
Seems to me the slits would make the tread even more squirmy leading to
higher wear.
The tire folks used to screw you on the warranty by measuring treadwear as
if it were linear and prorating refund on this basis.
My Googling gave lots of discussion on siping but none by the actual tire
companies so it is hard to make real judgements.
Frank