how to cut tire siping

[asp]

i did a quick search and didn't come up with anything...

but here's my story. i've been looking at my new 34x10.5 LTB's and they have almost a half inch of tread from the top of the tread to the base, but it's close to the wear bar. i want to cut out that extra rubber and get the full tread depth in all places. these are going to be wheeling-only tires. is tire siping something i can do myself? is it worth trying to do myself? someone please shed some light on this.

 

[derider]

I use an angle grinder to cut siping in my dirtbike tires, should work for you itll just take forever.

 

[drifto77]

Here ya go.....
http://www.texas4x4.org/showthread.php?p=219478#post219478
And I thought these were for trimming fenders.

<--- me

 

[JAS]

I have heard of using a skill saw that would allow you to control the depth a bit more than the chainsaw of the video

 

[toplessxj89]

holy crap that guy is crazy for using a chain saw on those tires. he must have had a lot of liquid confidence. lol i would be afraid i would cut to deep and ruin a 400 dollar tire

 

[stumpXJ]

Looks like it worked like a champ though... props for trying it out.

~James

 

[cherokee chuck]

You aren't really interested in siping your tires, right? If you want to trim the wear bars try a Dremel. It worked for me when I need to get a few more miles out of a set of tires. I tried a pair of dykes first[come on, this is a perfect setup for lesbian jokes, don't let us down] & it was a pita & didn't do a neat job, so I tried the Dremel & it worked o.k. but I went through quite a few cutting wheels. BTW siping tires used off road isn't a great idea. My sons' Goodyear MTRs wore out pretty fast & we were told it was because he had them siped & rocks eat up siped tires.

 

[bcmaxx]

You aren't really interested in siping your tires, right? If you want to trim the wear bars try a Dremel. It worked for me when I need to get a few more miles out of a set of tires. I tried a pair of dykes first[come on, this is a perfect setup for lesbian jokes, don't let us down] & it was a pita & didn't do a neat job, so I tried the Dremel & it worked o.k. but I went through quite a few cutting wheels. BTW siping tires used off road isn't a great idea. My sons' Goodyear MTRs wore out pretty fast & we were told it was because he had them siped & rocks eat up siped tires.

tires really start chunking when siped deep, I hit ansdspun on an old peice of culvert, I lost a 3/4 inch strip of tread almost right around the tire. good thing they were some cheaper kuhmo mts.

 

[RCP Phx]

Get a grooving tool,they really are not that expensive.

 

[asp]

my original plan was to take any and all rubber that was not normal tread off down to the base of the tire. on the LTB's, there's a slightly raised section, about the height of the wear bars between the center pattern of tread.

so what does a grooving tool look like? is it basically just a handheld u shaped razor to cut down? i've seen how the factory cuts siping in big construction retreads, but these aren't quite the same size. i just did a quick google search and that looks like it's more for siping. i guess i should have said 'tire grooving", not siping in my OP... i'm looking to take out about 3/16" width of tire down to the base of the tread, maintaining the original tread pattern, just getting some extra life out of the tires.

 

[RenegadeT]

you can sipe your own tires with a standard tire groover, just turn the blade upside down. I did my 35" BFG ATs, about 20 mins each.

Google tire groover.... http://www.pmzracingproducts.com/tire_groover_1.html

 

[RCP Phx]

you can sipe your own tires with a standard tire groover, just turn the blade upside down. I did my 35" BFG ATs, about 20 mins each.

Google tire groover.... http://www.pmzracingproducts.com/tire_groover_1.html

Siping is TOTALLY different,its about "micro" cuts in the tread.Re-grooving is a whole different subject!

 

[asp]

yeah now that i think about it, it is. i'm more looking at regrooving, but good info in all cases anyway. i found next to nothing when i searched.

 

[derider]

Well in this case my grinder idea is not going to work for what you want to do but works great for siping.

 

[asp]

Well in this case my grinder idea is not going to work for what you want to do but works great for siping.

true, it reminds me a bit of the chainsaw approach though. and as badass as that is, it's a bit scary.

 

[derider]

true, it reminds me a bit of the chainsaw approach though. and as badass as that is, it's a bit scary.

I think its far safer than a chain saw and works wonders on beat dirtbike tires for rock runs. Just do 1/16 slits all over the tire in cross patterns and see how it works. Makes a ruined dirt bike tire stick like glue.

 

[RenegadeT]

Siping is TOTALLY different,its about "micro" cuts in the tread.Re-grooving is a whole different subject!

I know that, and I guess the OP finally figured it out. If you want to groove your tires, use the tool I linked to and use the blade right-side up