What Is Tire Siping, and Why Is It Important?

As the only part of your car that touches the road’s surface, tires influence your transportation’s comfort and energy efficiency. While you want your tires to keep you firmly on the asphalt, you don’t want them to keep you from moving forward. You want to strike a balance.

Road conditions impact your tires’ performance. If you’re interested in finding a way to keep your tires reliable, ask, “What is tire siping, and why is it important?”

What Is Tire Siping?

Siping is the process of making small slits in a new or used tire’s tread block, the raised segments of the tire that make contact with the road. These slits improve traction in snowy, wet, or icy conditions.

The siping machine rotates the tire and makes small 90-degree cuts. These cuts increase the number of edges your tire has for gripping the road, improving the tire’s traction and braking ability. When done by a professional, tire siping won’t harm the tire or reduce its performance.

How Does Siping Improve Tire Performance?

While siping gives your tires better traction, it also produces a smoother ride over rough roads. The tires’ added flexibility from the small notches helps them more easily conform to the bumps on the road’s surface while maintaining grip.

Sipes also disperse heat over the tire, helping your tires cool off faster. Resisting heat built-up on the tire also increases its working life span.

Should You Get Your Tires Siped?

You’ve learned what tire siping is and why it’s important in snowy, wet, or icy conditions. But while siping offers clear benefits on rough roads, you shouldn’t get your tires siped during warm weather. Tires don’t have to battle against snow or ice to grip the asphalt during warm conditions. In this situation, the added grip from the sipes would unnecessarily build up pressure on the tire, wearing it down further.

Visit Us

If you decide to get your tires siped or want to know if your tires are in need of siping, feel free to stop by your local Commercial Tire. Our team of trusted professionals are here to help you.