Doesn't it? Seems like a new trend around here. People siping their tires at discount tire. That cannot be good for your tires.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I never heard of siping before. If it was a benefit ... wouldn't the MFR's perform this? I found the following on www.KALTIRE.com:

Looking to improve your traction on snow, ice or in wet weather? Consider tire siping - a process that cuts tiny slits across the tread of tires.

• Siping can be performed on new tires or on used tires with at least 50% of the original tread left.
• These slits create thousands of sharp edges to provide extra traction in poor weather conditions.
• The slits are very thin. Resulting in no loss of rubber on the tread face.
• The results are similar in performance to studding your tires.
• Siping improves the traction of all-season or multipurpose tires.

With siping, you will also enjoy improved braking and acceleration, extended tire life and a softer ride.

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- 2006 C230WZ Sport sedan, 6 speed, Black/Charcoal
- 2003 S500V4 Sport, Black/Charcoal
- 2002 E320 4Matic, Wedgewood Blue
- 1995 C220, Emerald Green, 95K miles
- 1991 300CE, Smoke Silver, 79K miles
- 1989 300E, Black Pearl / Grey, 136K miles *** STOLEN 3/2012 ***
- 2001 Corvette, Torch Red, 18K miles

Siping is very good. All Nokians come with sipes. No to be confused with snipes.

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Steve

1992 300CE Sportline Sophie
1990 300E Emma - in the family
1979 240D Josephine - sold, but not forgotten
2004 Pacifica AWD

http://web.mac.com/dakota/Mercedes/Home.html

almost all tires have sipes designed into them ..... winter tires have alot of sipes and all-season tires have less ... summer tires have even less


but slicing a tire up is not a good idea unless your are the one getting paid to do it

I know all of the arguments and facts behind the "quoted benefits" but, it is all hype ....

yes, the testing did show improved braking grip on the ice but, the test used luggage handling vehicles that do not exceed 20 mph at O'Hare airport that had solid rubber slick tires ... for a street vehicle all it will do is make money for people doing it and shorten the life of the tires and create irregular wear

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Please, call me to place orders or for more info
use my name for on-line orders

I'm talking about people who take their tires somewhere to have them siped. This can't be good like Luke says. It's probably the most unsafe practice I've ever heard about. I'm not one to say there oughta be a law... but there oughta be a law.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I remember a bunch of years ago, they were pushing this for semi truck tires touting that it would not only improve handling , but increase tire life, so a bunch of companies went out and had their tires siped.
They handled a bit squirlier and the tread fell off the things. I wasn't impressed.

I think it's only good when the tire was originally designed for it.

----------Robert

The extensive siping on winter tires is only part of the equation for enhanced winter traction. Aside from providing additional biting surfaces for snow traction, they also help in ice traction, by channelling away the film of water that instantly forms between the tire and the ice as the tire rolls and melts the ice.

However, another key ingredient of winter tires is the tire compound itself, which stays pliant at very low temperatures.

Sipes however, decrease tread block rigidity, which is required in high-speed, or high-traction conditions.

Adding sipes to non-winter rubber (e.g. all-season tires) will only produce marginal improvements in winter, because the non-winter compound will be less elastic in such conditions. When used in summer, the decreased rigidity of the tread blocks will adversely affect traction and handling.

Scrimping on tires is false economy. If you get dedicated winter tires, they will pay for themselves the first time they save you. This could be in the form of getting unstuck, or stopping/steering well enough to avoid a collision.

Exactly.
Around here in Arkansas, some people think I'm crazy buying Nokian snows for my cars, but I always tell them, it's cheaper than an insurance deductable. and i dont have any trouble at all getting around in the occasional nasty ice storms that we get, when everybody else is stuck where they are.

Another thing to remember about proper snow tires is that in many places, if there is a colision on snowy roads, the guy without the snow tires is going to be labeled at fault (failure to have proper equipment for conditions ).

----------Robert

I live here near Albany NY & I get stupid looks and even dumber questions about why I run studded snow tires on my cars & trucks.

I grew up on a dirt road 3 miles from town where they plowed our road "when they got around to it..."

People here in NY amaze me It snowed 90++ inches last year (not all at once mind you), doesn't it snow enough to invest in some decent rubber? Come spring, change back to summer tires. Seriously, you need some rubber to ride on, why not buy the right kind for the weather?

I cant believe that people get that upset about spending a few hundred $$ on good tires for a vehicle that cost them tens of thousands???

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Phil
Previously loved
variety, but I miss the 99 F350 PSD- 37k, traded, damn

Current stable
98 E-300 TurboDiesel, 253k
http://www.facebook.com/people/Philip-Underwood/762882374