Siping?
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Senior User
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 188
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From: Montana
Siping?
If you mods could leave this here for a few that would be great, because nobody looks at the tire thread. And it's relevant because they're going on my 73 250.
Have any of you folks heard about this "siping" procedure? I'm getting all 4 new tires installed on the 73 literally right now and they asked if I wanted to get them "siped". First time in a long time I've bought all new tires. They had a little brochure on it and everything, but it seemed a little odd to the old gut feeling and took a pass on it. For now. I just wanted to reach out to a few people and see what the story is before they go cutting little deals all over my brand new expensive *** tires.
Hope everyone is well! Other than that, Jenny is champing around crushing berms up here in Montana! Lot's of snow.
Have any of you folks heard about this "siping" procedure? I'm getting all 4 new tires installed on the 73 literally right now and they asked if I wanted to get them "siped". First time in a long time I've bought all new tires. They had a little brochure on it and everything, but it seemed a little odd to the old gut feeling and took a pass on it. For now. I just wanted to reach out to a few people and see what the story is before they go cutting little deals all over my brand new expensive *** tires.
Hope everyone is well! Other than that, Jenny is champing around crushing berms up here in Montana! Lot's of snow.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Langley, BC
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 63
From: Eastern, Idaho
I have heard a lot of good things about it but never done it. I will tell you that my mud tires suck on slick roads and siping would help them. I have also heard they make the tires last longer.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,587
Likes: 47
From: Eagle River, AK
I have personally done it and think it is great.
I either buy winter tires that are of the "pre-siped" design (actually there is a different name for it if it is molded into the tire) or, have siping done. For the winter time, I stud the outer tread blocks and sipe the inner tread blocks.
If you spin the tires a lot or have some bad suspention components, you may see some accelerated wear to each spe, but the tread block as a whole will stay flatter because each sipe will get "cupping" wear instead of the complete tread block getting worn. It will almost have a serrated look to it.
Sipping really helps on wet roads, wet ice and packed snow (it acts as pinchers on packed snow).
I say do it...
I either buy winter tires that are of the "pre-siped" design (actually there is a different name for it if it is molded into the tire) or, have siping done. For the winter time, I stud the outer tread blocks and sipe the inner tread blocks.
If you spin the tires a lot or have some bad suspention components, you may see some accelerated wear to each spe, but the tread block as a whole will stay flatter because each sipe will get "cupping" wear instead of the complete tread block getting worn. It will almost have a serrated look to it.
Sipping really helps on wet roads, wet ice and packed snow (it acts as pinchers on packed snow).
I say do it...
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Senior User
Joined: May 2013
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From: Montana
My mechanic thinks it's kind of dumb on AT's, which is what I'm mounting. But that it kind of makes sense on ice....but these big rigs suck on ice no matter what, and you just have to run them them slow on the ice. Period. I don't know. I just went with the gut this time and took a hard pass, she's been running like like a champ in the snow already on horrid tires, so these new tires shouldn't be anything but a solid improvement across the board. Siping or not.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 778
Likes: 2
From: southeast Idaho
I am a firm believer in siping tires, I sometimes wait a season or so and then get them siped though. On my semi I always siped the drive tires. It never made them wear funny or anything and they ran a long time too.. Ran on snow and ice a lot but they said they would run a little cooler too in the summer.
I don't know about that but it does not hurt them at all and it does help with traction too..
I don't know about that but it does not hurt them at all and it does help with traction too..
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 124
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From: Anderson California
Hi, I work at a commercial tire store and drive a lifted 79 f250 maybe I can give some insight. Siping tires is a great option if your truck sees mainly highway and street driving conditions. The link Trozei posted is a great resource. All of the benefits listed are true, shorter stopping distance, better traction, increased millage (cooler tire temperature) etc. However if you do any off-roading or if your truck sees alot of gravel roads I would not recommend siping. The reason being if you look at the picture in Trozei's link you will see what a tire looks like after the siping procedure. Notice the series of horizontal incisions in the tread. Off-roading, Gravel roads, burn outs all will eventually cause chunks of tire tread to be torn free between incisions, you end up with chunks missing from your tread. I will take some pics the next time I see one come in. Anyway not to say you can't take siped tires off road or through gravel in moderation, but consistently and over time will eventually catch up with you
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2005
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sipping does really help in icy conditions. for pickup tires there are some nice selections tires with tons of sipping from the factory. ill normally pick out tires that have a ton of sipping already in them. but when iv ended up with tires that didn't have any or much on them i sipped them myself.
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
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Agree as many have posted, it helps on ice and rain. The downside is fuel economy in dry conditions. The siping lets the tread squirm around more.
My General AT2's are made with lots of siping and work great on snow and ice. I like them but I could feel the higher rolling resistance as soon as I put them on.
My General AT2's are made with lots of siping and work great on snow and ice. I like them but I could feel the higher rolling resistance as soon as I put them on.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,099
Likes: 8
From: York, Pa
Siping really does help in bad weather but will wear the tire out a little quicker at least to the depth they are siped. Like said before it lets the tread move around which creates heat and sometimes a little road noise.
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