TheLex

I came across this on their website. Seems they have a machine that can put siping for snow/ice traction on most any tire. They DON'T mention if this voids the tire warranty though. I imagine it would. I also wonder if it affects dry performance handling at all. If it is effective and works as claimed, it would seem a cheap alternative to upgrading from the stock P6 tires for limited winter driving. Or if you're really brave, you could cut up/sipe a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S!

http://www.discounttire.com/dtc/brochure/tire/tireSiping.jsp

grat

I have in the past, I do not now.

most winter tires don't have a mileage warranty as they wear fast because of soft compounds and tall tread blocks. So there is no mileage warranty involved. Discount will cover the tires for road hazard if you buy it (this from experience) siped or not. I would assume they would stand behind the tire if you brought it back to them on milage (on those that have it).

While siping may increase traction on ice, how often do you really drive on an iced surface (not hard pack snow, flat slick glare ice?) in any other condition it doesn't really help that much. At least not enough to be pronounced enough to notice. Siping will increase tread block squirm because you have effectively reduced the tread block siz. So you will loose dry road grip. verdict is out as far as I'm concerned on tread life.

I change tires spring and fall, it doesn't make since to put on a set of tires that won't make it through to the next change date. I usually get 2 winters out of a set of snows, siping doesn't change that, nor does it increase the amount of grip I get from the tires so it doesn't add up to being worth it for me.

your milage may vary,

fj..

LNGBRDNPWDR

Back in about '94 when I drove a '93 Accord, I had some all season Good Year MXV4 (I think) siped and it DRAMATICALY increased grip on both ice and snow, starting and stopping mostly. Now that car had the basic FWD where which ever wheel had the least grip spun uselessly, making even slight uphill starts nearly impossible. Once siped, accel and decel grip was much better. Those tires seamed to last pretty well too. Also definately true was the fact that dry cornering gave alot less grip when siped, which I don't mind because I like to drift a little now and then, when the weather and traffic are agreeable, and I felt it was a little safer to do at say 30MPH on siped tires than 40 MPH on regular tires. Anyone getting sipes on thier tires, make sure they don't sipe the outside tread blocks, because that would really destroy the cornering ability and possibly the tire. I put ALOT of snow miles on that car driving 2 hours one way to Loveland and Berthoud Ski areas, so I definatly know the sipe helped on THAT car and THOSE tires.

I've talked to alot of people who have not noticed any improvement with siped tires...I think it helps some tire and vehical combinations and not others. My best advice is find a tire shop/guy that you can trust that has alot of experience and ask them about siping on which ever tires and vehical you're interested in. BTW my siped tires were from Discount Tires and for the usual $8 per tire I got 40K mile road/defect/whatever warrenty.

I have one other ice/snow experience solution...CABLES.
They suck because your top speed is 30, they'll put a little wear on your tires, and you need really good gloves/mits and light to get them on. They're like chains, but much less damadging, and you can put them on any car. The plus side is you can have traction on glare ice when everyone else is sliding off the road. One crazy morning just past the Morrison exit on I-70 (just west of Denver) there was an accident, and everyone had to stop. When traffic stared trying to move again, half the vehicals went sideways or back down hill. It was a serious mess. If I hadn't had cables on, not only would we have been in the ditch, but that Greyhound bus sliding backwards would have flattened us. It felt pretty good looking back and seeing nearly no one behand us...in an Accord! Cables suck, but they're cheap and can litterally save you butt.

itacud

No doubt, cables offer the best insurance against slipping.

s.carder

I wouldn't due to close proximity of susp. parts

itacud

I finally checked the manual... only on the rear, and only on "winter" wheels... (215/65/16 tires).