Should I have my tires Siped?

[Reimann]

I just got new tires at a Discount Tire Co and they were trying to get me to get these things added to them called Sipers. I've never heard of them before but they said that they greatly increase traction. With winter coming up it sounded tempting but I didn't know if it was worth the money. They are running a special for $10 a tire right now. Should I go for it?

Edit: After looking at their website it isn't a product by a process done to the tires.

 

[hotmustang331]

First time I heard of that.

For wet and snow traction it seems the siping process improves traction....however im will to be that dry traction would decrease. Notice most drag radial designs....they use the largest tread blocks as they can with minimal edges....and slicks of course have zero edges.

But for the most part I would say that it couldnt hurt. I would take a note of how your car hooks now, and then after. I havnt seen any negitive comments on it from people who have done it....but none of them were performance street cars either

 

[Jbauer]

while on the topic, whats the deal with these "Tire traction Compounds" you just rub them on your tire and they are suppose to provide better traction for racing

 

[Reimann]

Here's the website of what I was asking about Tailor Made Servers

 

[SaleenGT2001]

i had my 40" swampers siped. they would clean out in the mud really well.


dont see the need on car tires?!?!?

 

[02nightmaregt]

I don't know dude if you live in a place where you get really bad weather in the winter i.e. lots of snow and ice than go ahead, but i'd probably pass on it.

 

[Team801]

I've had mine siped few years back when I just got the tires, since I go some cheap ol tires. I live in Utah and we get some mean winters up here, and I've never had any problems and it gets great traction in the snow too.

 

[MrCarlson]

If they are year round use tires and you live in an area that gets icy, then I would consider it, otherwise don't. I used to work at a 4x4 shop where we would hand sipe tires (basically, make fine cuts through the tread). it gives more edges to catch on things. The problem is the edges wear down, so it would slightly decrease the life of the tires. The real problem is that you don't want that on a dry pavement traction tire. I am confident that your 60ft times would be reduced.

I siped my 35" mud tires on my truck and it really improved traction on icy roads... but that is the only scenario that I would sipe tires personally. If the manufacturer thought it would be a big advantage, they would do it at the factory (tires like blizzaks actually have siping like cuts, so they are doing it in the factory for more extreme winter tires).

MrCarlson

 

[myponyrocks]

just buy a good set of blizzaks and be done with it.

I did ok in CO winter with siped Khumos the first year, but then I got the Blizzaks and I'll never go back. I'm not even sure I'll use studded tires on my beater cars ever again either. The Blizzaks are just amazing to me for a non studded tire, AND outperformed my FWD car on studded wheels when mentally compared to my RWD Stang with 200 more RWHP and the Blizzaks on.

 

[Mossberg]

I had my old Kuhmo 712s siped for the hell of it back when I lived in Detroit. I got caught in an ice/snow storm one day and it didn't make one bit of difference. I still spun the damn thing twice.

That was the last time my stang saw snow.

Maybe they would help with just snow without ice.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Siping tires does work but it's no substitute for winter tires or increasing traction on a high performance car.

It involves using a sharp hot razor to cut tiny slices in the large traction blocks kinda like snow tires. The idea is that separating the block allows the tire more wiggle motion causing less heat, less wear and increasing traction slightly in the wet.

For normal car tires i wouldn't bother, but for a truck or something driven in the mud i would

 

[Notchbck93]

just buy a good set of blizzaks and be done with it.

I did ok in CO winter with siped Khumos the first year, but then I got the Blizzaks and I'll never go back. I'm not even sure I'll use studded tires on my beater cars ever again either. The Blizzaks are just amazing to me for a non studded tire, AND outperformed my FWD car on studded wheels when mentally compared to my RWD Stang with 200 more RWHP and the Blizzaks on.

I second the nomination for Blizzaks. That car easily backs up my driveway in 3+ inches of snow. Blizzaks turn ol Whitey into Abominable SM.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I picked up a set of 15" V6 wheels for $30. I think i'm gonna go the blizzack route this winter

 

[Notchbck93]

I picked up a set of 15" V6 wheels for $30. I think i'm gonna go the blizzack route this winter

A true Snow tire is the only way to go. I ran stock width winter tires in the snow and the thing still bit hard despite the width: it was insane how well the Blizzaks hooked. My wife wasn't even scared to drive it, she said it felt as sure footed as her 4x4 Xterra with the Dueller A/T's.

When you're leaving 4x4 Wranglers with crappy car tires off the line in a Mustang, in a snow storm with properly equipped tires, well that's just priceless.

When we were getting slammed with the 6 + inches and the streets hadn't been plowed for a good 4 hours, I had a Jeeper pull over to watch my wife make what would have been an otherwise impossible climb in the GT. I had her come to a complete stop, on an embankment that slopped down towards a huge ditch in one direction and turned up a long steep grade in the other---the direction we were going to over-come and she took off in the 'Stang without spinning the tires.

The Jeep guy was whiping his half top plastic door in utter disbelief as he watch the 'Stang just motor on by making the hill climb look easy.

I bought a Marine product called Salt-Away for washing the 'Stang down after salty commutes. It has proven itself in many marine apps and plow drivers swear by this stuff, so hopefully I can get many years out of this old girl as a DD.

Anything that maybe a chance to rust I coat all seams with Syn-motorcycle chain lube.

I figured the Gt should be good for at least 150K and by then I will be able to upgrade to an S197.

 

[myponyrocks]

Notch, I was with you until the salt away thing...

I plow snow for a living (and yes the Stang is my only car), any way a good rinse with water will do just as good as any chemical.

Most counties only use Mag Chloride (Nasty stuff! Look at the ruber marks from wipers on snow plows in the areas that use them) or Ice Slicer (Some sort of Bio-Rock salt stuff). Both ARE nasty on cars, but both rinse off fairly well. IMO Ice Slicer is harder to get off and requires a hand job as opposed to a drive through job, but as long as you don't let it sit more than a week you should be ok.

Obviously if you have something older than an SN95 use the treatments and a good wash in tandem, but the newer cars have so much less exposed metal bits you can get away with a drive through with undercarriage wash followed by a 2 dollar pressure rinse at a DIY place once a week.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I routinely go to a car wash and wash the underside of my car after driving in salt once the roads dry up and just have that white salt coating on them. I try to go once a week just to rinse it. I've driven through 5 winters and i really only have very minor light surface rust.


Even my '88's been driven in the winter...and the undercarriage is pretty damn good considering

 

[Notchbck93]

Oh guys, trust me, I way back when I would have laughed at this stuff, maybe it's just Chicago that has more salt on the roads than snow, I can't speak for any other areas; just the rust battles that I have delt with in the past.

My pop's 99 F-150 is made love to and his brake lines have rotted away, gas tank about fell out of the truck, and all seams look just plain vomitous. The front corner cab mount looks like something off a 1960's truck and I've already had to replace an exhaust manifold from it rotting through.

Maybe it was just a bad run of rust coatings on the F-150's, but I am talking regular undercarriage washing, claybar and waxing and doing the best I could to prevent salt damage but it looks like I haven't done a thing to this truck as far as preventative maintenence cleanings. I had to do front calipers at 38,000 because the slider pins froze up on it from salt.

I also bought a Nissan Spec V and cleaned it religously in a heated garage. After 5 years I was under there with a rattle can because stuff looked like shiot.

Just the salt in the air was/is corroding all the aluminum under the hood; it's like WTF. Maybe it's the waking up in the dead of winter to a wet car from the humidity that does it, it's like Georgia dew point with IL cold.

I have never used this stuff personally, so I will give it a try.
Salt-Away Applications ...

I certainly am not advertising this just saying this is what I will try, because I've done the fresh water undercarriage washes once a week and I've still lost terribly in northern IL.

I've done the research and there are always others who say to use vinegar, sulfameric Acid at a less than 5% solution, baking soda, copious water, grab some phospherous for an ounce of prevention.

I think using these products are like motorcycle rides, you have to ride your own ride no matter who says what. Some guys could pee pee on their cars after each snow storm and 30 years later she's rust free, others could use all the top of the line products and have it rust away in 20 years; or maybe not.

I know I have tried to play by the weekly washings with McGuiers and Mothers car wash soaps and for whatever reason, it just hasn't worked for me on my Fords in IL.

 

[Notchbck93]

Notch, I was with you until the salt away thing...

I plow snow for a living (and yes the Stang is my only car), any way a good rinse with water will do just as good as any chemical.

IMO Ice Slicer is harder to get off and requires a hand job as opposed to a drive through job, but as long as you don't let it sit more than a week you should be ok.

I remember your plow pictures from last year LOL.

It's the places we can't wash off with a sponge: It's the clinging that makes it difficult to do hand to hand combat.

I figured nothing ventured nothing gained. I know for some, slight browning at all the seams is no big deal, because it's going to take 10 years for it to rust through, but I don't even want to see the browning, especially on a white car.

Check out the floor pans on this car:

http://forums.stangnet.com/757857-kinda-rusty-underneath-normal-can-i-undercoat.html

 

[clentonz]

I used to work for Discount Tire for about a year and a half, and I have to say that they are just trying to make an extra buck. It does help a little but I would pass, unless you live in really bad/icy conditions; but its up to you.

Just a heads up, from my work experience, you have to watch the tire techs. They sometimes.....half*** their work...like not balancing all the tires, not zeroing out the tire, installing new valve stems, proper lube, don't rotate, don't check air(and air check for your spare), proper torquing, etc.

I know this is a little off topic for the thread, but just trying to give you guys the heads up. Just go out front or inside the garage and watch the tech's working on your car(usually 2 techs).......when I was a tech is was annoying having some random guy watching over my should, but it did make me do everything perfectly. But just keep a eye them, they will pull some pretty tricky ****:grouphug:.