Siping MH tires for wet traction
I remember a thread not too long ago where someone commented about siping MH tires for traction in wet and snowy conditions. I had tires puton my car the other day and inquired with Discount Tire. ...
Forum Discussion
There are 2 kinds of "sipes".
1) The kind put in the mold by the tire manufacturer. Those are obvious by looking at the tread pattern. They are blade like, but they have a clear gap.
2) The kind cut into the tire at the tire dealership. Those are the result of a knife cut and have no gap.
What siping does is cut a block of otherwise continuous rubber into smaller pieces. That allows the blocks of rubber to be more flexible, but it also creates edges so it enhances the "paddle wheel affect".
But more movement generates heat, and wear.
Benefits of siping?
Better snow traction.
Better wet traction.
Disadvantages?
Some wear loss
Some dry traction loss
Some fuel economy loss (very small)
Increased running temperature (very small)
Yes, some of the above contradicts advertised claims. I would caution people about listening to anyone trying to sell a product or service. They may not be entirely accurate.
Personally, I would only sipe a tire near the end of its life - to offset the loss of wet traction and snow traction as a tire wears. The loss of wear and the F/E hit are offset by the increased life I can get out before the traction drops to unsafe levels.
1) The kind put in the mold by the tire manufacturer. Those are obvious by looking at the tread pattern. They are blade like, but they have a clear gap.
2) The kind cut into the tire at the tire dealership. Those are the result of a knife cut and have no gap.
What siping does is cut a block of otherwise continuous rubber into smaller pieces. That allows the blocks of rubber to be more flexible, but it also creates edges so it enhances the "paddle wheel affect".
But more movement generates heat, and wear.
Benefits of siping?
Better snow traction.
Better wet traction.
Disadvantages?
Some wear loss
Some dry traction loss
Some fuel economy loss (very small)
Increased running temperature (very small)
Yes, some of the above contradicts advertised claims. I would caution people about listening to anyone trying to sell a product or service. They may not be entirely accurate.
Personally, I would only sipe a tire near the end of its life - to offset the loss of wet traction and snow traction as a tire wears. The loss of wear and the F/E hit are offset by the increased life I can get out before the traction drops to unsafe levels.
