Swamper Groove/Sipe Poll (1 Viewer)

[flintknapper]

Agreed...the proof is in the pudding.

I have never grooved or siped a tire so I can offer no first hand experience.

I do question how "objective" a person is when evaluating the difference between a stock tire and one he just spent an hour "customizing".

It is human nature to think that whatever WE have done has greatly improved the original design. But, like the post before this....somethings really do work!

One question: Why is everyone "cutting up" swampers when you can just go buy "MTR's" and have a better all around tire?

 

[woody]

One question: Why is everyone "cutting up" swampers when you can just go buy "MTR's" and have a better all around tire?

new topic, do NOT hijack this thread with a long discussion on why the traction and sidewall strength of a MTR sucks relative to the sidewall and tread strength of a bias ply Swamper SX

people cut up MTR's and BFG's just as much....check out the CORR race teams....it's all a matter of what works best for your application....

 

[Junk]

people cut up MTR's and BFG's just as much....

That's a half-truth. I'd prefer to just throw away the MT/Rs

flint - I'd not even allow my son to degrade himself by using an mt/r for a tire swing.

 

[IdahoDoug]

My personal favorite in the "what works for tires" department has to be the Parnelli Jones offroad tire from a few years back. I recall reading the review with near hysterical laughter as the Parnelli people soberly explained how the interlocking "PJ" shaped tread blocks were arrived at because they optimized side hill grip, mud shedding, wet root grip, restored hairlines and cured gout. The magazine then dutifully found the same results and were really, really, really (no, really) impressed with the tire's offroad prowess. Absofreakin' hilarious except that they were all completely serious.

Tire design is a bizarre world where styling sometimes dominates the process since modern materials make it easy for a tire to pass the SAE standards for grip and wear almost no matter what the tread shape is. On the other hand, tires are better and safer in nearly all respects than they were 10 years ago, including the Firestone tires of Explorer fame.

What can ya do?

So, what result did the poll come up with before I opened my fat mouth?

DougM

 

[woody]

11 votes in the poll....

as expected, not many people have really experimented personally with grooving and siping tires....I siped my old Swamper Radials and had improved wet traction, siped my SX's for better wet, and later grooved them for more body flex and biting edges.

There is a point where the surface area is irrevelant and where edges alone are what get traction....as we all know, there is no perfect tire for all wheelin, otherwise we'd all run them

 

[IdahoDoug]

Agreed. Even my own personal choice for all around tires (Cooper S/T) was made with only my own subjective observations over the years. No freakin' data. But I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night, so they're siped

DougM

 

[flintknapper]

Ah....come on!

That's a half-truth. I'd prefer to just throw away the MT/Rs

flint - I'd not even allow my son to degrade himself by using an mt/r for a tire swing.

Not even if it was "siped"?

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Woody, I'm about to groove my Bias 38x12.50 TSLs Honestly have no idea which pattern I'm going to use, and don't really have any reason to do it aside from I can't afford to do anything else to the truck right now, and I have the groover LOL.

Anything you'd like me to check or note while I'm doing the grooving?

Ary

 

[kenton]

Has anyone ever been nabbed for a DOT inspection ... if so what happended?

Oh, man it was HIDEOUS. You have to understand, on Wisconsin/Cheesehead highways, people are nabbed by the DOT Highway Inspection Team squad constantly. However, although there are many HIT squad members, Woody's mom is the only one I would say provides a "good" inspection. If you know what I mean.
When you're really unlucky, you get her "best" inspection. She checks each of your grooves by hand. ~shudder~ Woody and I both guarantee you'll fail-- trust me you don't WANT to pass!

I like the CORR tires. Are they easy to find or get?

They are easy to find and get if you attend a CORR race. Some teams sell them out of their trailers at the end (the one's with tire sponsors).

Kenton

 

[woody]

LOL

this means you were inspected by a Mom impersonating woody's Mom, since mine only inspects vehicle in the state she resides in....and that ain't WI. hehehe

http://www.corrracing.com I think....championship offroad racing - awesome stuff. We hit a few races a year, and I've got good contacts with a few of the drivers locally....

Nice thing is, they have 35" tires for 17" rims all the time, grooved up, and so few people run 17's that some of the drivers damn near have a warehouse full (just gotta know who to talk to....lol)


Arya, nuthin to check, just enjoy the smell

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Hey Ary,

What are you cutting them with?

I've got an Ideal Heated Knife and it works okay. I noticed it was easier if the tires were already warmed up in the sun.

 

[woody]

Ideal knife here too....flip the blade over and hand sipe

 

[Tooth Fairy]

That is exactly what I did. Worked like a charm, just make sure you don't push too hard and slip off a lug and hit the carcass.

The siping doesn't take very long, but you're right it'll take about 20 minutes a tire to cut'em.

Good music and a hot day help.