mud tire performance in snow

[AJMBLAZER]

Mmmmkay...do IROK's have siping? I'm not even sure.


Siping just works. If it's done correctly it does everything that is said it does. If done incorrectly it can lead to chunking and tearing.

More sipes = more surface area for heat to escape. More biting edges to cause friction but still vastly more area for heat to escape. Proven over the past 50+ years.

 

[BILTIT]

Yup, iroks have siping they work very well in the snow and ice. I was too scared to try my TSL's on the ice! I was going to sipe them but got a great deal on the iroks instead.

 

[LargeMouthFeaver]

i run ltbs year round besides the noise they do ok for agressive tire i got 34 10/50s had them on my cruiser now there on my k5. they did good in snow, for the record, snow tires are designed to actualy hold the snow for one complete revolution then throw it off and pick up another batch. the theroy is the snow sticks to snow better and causes better traction. the sipeing helps in rain to give the watter a place to go to help prevent hydroplaining and also aids in more traction on ice. Sipeing on a mud tire helps its tractions in the rain and on ice and it helps a tire conform to rocks and such alittle better when its aired down. siping will also help tire noise a tiny bit

 

[MaxPF]

So i guess snow tires should last 200K? More siping also allows more flex which produces even more heat=tire degredation.

Snow tires have very soft compounds to keep them from becoming too hard and rigid when they get cold. That is why they tend to wear faster, especially if used on dry pavement.

Siping is generally a good thing. Done properly there is little downside...

 

[BILTIT]

Yup, i understand they have soft compounds and how that affects tire wear, some offroad tires have fairly soft compounds too.

I agree that siping is generally a good thing.

 

[Blue85]

Mud tires are great in deep snow - especially when it's wetter. For ICY roads they suck. Siping can make them almost as good as crappy all-seasons on ice.

Not wanting to have two sets of tires (plus winter tires don't look cool) I went with Ultra Grip tires with carbides: http://treadwright.com/CustomContent42.aspx

For winter driving, make sure all tires are the same diameter (your best bet is a matched set of tires). Different sizes force you to break traction periodically, which is not what you want.

 

[ciffer]

i'll have to call around and find a place that does siping, sounds like that is the way to go.

 

[DK5]

Kumho Tires

I run kumho AT's and they're great in the winter. Not the greatest for mudding though but I get by.

depends on your budget

 

[Blue85]

You can also sipe them by hand with a utility knife. Takes a while, but is free. Just set the blade so that you don't go to deep. This also lets you minimize chunking by placing the sipes where you want them.

 

[British Slave]

Wish I could help ya, but it don't snow here.