Tire makers take tread to new levels through advanced siping, improving traction and longevity.
Computer modeling has enabled exhaustive virtual and demonstration-type testing where the tread’s behavior can be watched through glass. In due course, major tire manufacturers have figured out how to use siping to improve wet traction, prevent irregular wear and even help tires run cooler.
The evolution of siping suggests that when purchasing new tires or picking the tread pattern for a retread, you should ask the company how any model’s sipe design works with the rest of the tread pattern and how it affects the tire’s lifespan. If you do off-road or severe service work, ask if the siping is compatible, as some sipes can trap small stones and cause damage. You might also want to talk about rotating a tire from its original position and how its siping is likely to affect operation on another type of axle. And, if you do your own siping, be sure to ask about how the manufacturer’s warranty might be affected.
Two major benefits of siping advances are improved heat dispersion and traction.
“Part of the energy that wears a tire comes from heat,” says Weir Schankel, manager of Van Alstine Manufacturing, which makes an aftermarket siping tool. “When a siped tire warms up, the sipes open up and this means more surface for dispersion of heat.” He notes that in car racing, where tires sometimes blister from heat, drivers have found their tires run cooler after siping.
The main function of sipes is enhancing traction. When driving in snow, for example, “anything that can’t be evacuated gets pushed into the sipes so there is more tread block touching the road,” says Walt Weller of CMA LLC, the maker of Double Coin tires.
