If you have a Les Schawb or Discount Tire, like said above, they can sipe the tsl's for ya. Will make a 100% difference. It'll even help off road and on the rocks etc. I think it's like $10-15 per tire?
CK5
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big tires+wet road= not fun
- Thread starter blazeonchevy
- Start date
Depends one what they consider a "big tire" and how big of a tire they can do.
One place quoted me $5 a tire for regular sizes and $15 a tire for "big tires". I showed up with my 33" tall 285/75R16's and you'd have thought they were 44's from the way the guy was talking. Fit on the machine just fine. Bet 35's would have gone on it no problem.
Some machines can't fit very big tires so be sure to explain to them just how big your tires are.
Oh, and these machines aren't likely to be at tire shops out of the snowbelt.
That said...buy a siping knife for $75 or so and then after 2-4 sets it's paid for itself. The machines put more sipes in the tread but of all the sets I've done myself I've never missed the extra siping. Meanwhile you can sit in the garage for a few hours, crank the radio, drink a beer or beverage of your choice, and get slightly high on melted rubber fumes.
One place quoted me $5 a tire for regular sizes and $15 a tire for "big tires". I showed up with my 33" tall 285/75R16's and you'd have thought they were 44's from the way the guy was talking. Fit on the machine just fine. Bet 35's would have gone on it no problem.
Some machines can't fit very big tires so be sure to explain to them just how big your tires are.
Oh, and these machines aren't likely to be at tire shops out of the snowbelt.
That said...buy a siping knife for $75 or so and then after 2-4 sets it's paid for itself. The machines put more sipes in the tread but of all the sets I've done myself I've never missed the extra siping. Meanwhile you can sit in the garage for a few hours, crank the radio, drink a beer or beverage of your choice, and get slightly high on melted rubber fumes.
Thanks for the info AJM. Great another tool to buy 
.
Any difference in the life/wear/chunking of the tire after siping?
.Any difference in the life/wear/chunking of the tire after siping?
It's a great tool. Easy to use, no maintenance to speak of and pretty much self explanatory. Results are instantaneous and always good as long as you actually think it through.
The official line from most siping companies is that siping helps dissipate heat in the tread so the life of the tire is extended. Sounds valid. How much longer...dunno. Never had a set long enough to say but it's a valid argument.
Never had much chunking but then again I don't do rocks and also try to keep the siping inside of the tread of the tire and don't go super deep. Sipes all the way to the edges can lead to tearing/chunking because as the tires turn in a corner or curve they will put more force on those little bits and they can then be ripped off. Similarly siping as deep as possible could also lead to the small corner bits tearing off if something gets down in the sipe.
That said I've had both on tires I had siped and for regular use it's hard to say. One hard wheeling trip on most offroad tires and you'll get similar damage. Totally usable afterwards.
The official line from most siping companies is that siping helps dissipate heat in the tread so the life of the tire is extended. Sounds valid. How much longer...dunno. Never had a set long enough to say but it's a valid argument.
Never had much chunking but then again I don't do rocks and also try to keep the siping inside of the tread of the tire and don't go super deep. Sipes all the way to the edges can lead to tearing/chunking because as the tires turn in a corner or curve they will put more force on those little bits and they can then be ripped off. Similarly siping as deep as possible could also lead to the small corner bits tearing off if something gets down in the sipe.
That said I've had both on tires I had siped and for regular use it's hard to say. One hard wheeling trip on most offroad tires and you'll get similar damage. Totally usable afterwards.
