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Tire sipping?

half-breed

Charter Member
Full Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2002
Messages
1,131
Location
Chicago (Woodstock) area
I have Goodyear Duratracs with 40K miles. When new these were awsome on ice, now that great traction has dropped off a little. The tires, when new, had about 3/4" tread. Now, after over 40k miles they still have a lot of tread, but the tire sipping from the factory is starting to dissapear. Can I just take an exacto knife with the straight (square) end and just push the knife into the tread where the sipping is to make it deaper? I will not go beyone the wear indicator height. I would plan on just making the existing sipping deeper. Treadwear right now is nearly perfect, so I expect Ican get another 40K miles comfortably, maybe 60K until the wear indicators.....but I never go that low if I use the tire in the winter.

Would it be helpfule to heat the knife blade with a blow torch?

I knw that in Canada you can go to a tire dealer and they have machines that cut across the tread to add sipes.

Comments or suggestions?
 
Wouldn't try sipping yourself... Most tire places would do it cheaply but realistically on a snow/winter tire once the factory sips are gone you are better off getting a new set. The traction that your missing is not just the sipping but the tread depth as well.  Your more likely to sit on top of the snow than sink in and grab it the shallower the treads.

But depending on the area you live in and your finanical situation you MAY be able to get them sipped at a tire shop and get a little more usage out of them. The wear bars really only apply to non winter tires... Or when driving in other seasons. If your past the factory sips you should not expect the same traction even if you have them sipped again.

Rodney
 
  I?m not familiar with these tires. If they have the snow flake on them the
soft winter traction compound is only a certain percentage and wears off.
Leaving you with a harder compound with a little less grip on ice than before.
If they are a true snow tire you should still have good traction in snow. 
 
False alarm. I just looked at them again, in the dark with a flashlight. The tread is 7/16 to 1/2 inch right now, the sipping is still good, definitely deep enough. I think what I had seen was the holes for the studs, and thought that it was the end of a worn down sipe.
 
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