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Re: Siping (on street tires)?

To: Traci Pearson <pearsontechcomm@frii.com>, shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Siping (on street tires)?
From: "Gene Merritt" <gmerritt@netins.net>
Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2004 16:06:23 -0600
Street tires are designed to perform adequately in most 
situations.  Racing slicks don't have to perform in rain 
and would hydroplane/slip terribly on city streets and 
highways.  Racing (I'm thinking IRL & F1) racing tires 
have plenty of grooves, although I'm not familiar with the 
type/amount of sipes they might have.

Grooves are for water displacement (and some aesthetics, 
I'm sure).  Sipes are the hair-line cuts that create more 
"edges" on the tread blocks.  I think of sipes as creating 
miniture lugs on the tire, just like how a farm tire has 
lugs that penetrate the soil and provide traction.

So, IMHO, slicks are great for drag racers and Indy cars, 
but they wouldn't work well as all-season tire around 
town.  Gravel, dirt, water, and ice would make them 
dangerous.  But, in theory, your idea about maximum 
contact area generating maximum traction would be correct.

Check this link for information about sipes: 
http://www.bridgestonetire.com/technology/add_tech.asp

Gene Merritt
gmerritt@netins.net

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 13:18:49 -0700 Traci Pearson 
<pearsontechcomm@frii.com> wrote:
>
>I was just thinking about tire grip and the fact that 
>tires with the most grip are slicks. They have the most 
>possible surface area, right?
<snip>
>Does anyone have any thoughts on siping? Does anyone know 
>of any studies or solid evidence that prove or disprove 
>its value?
>
>Thanks for satisfying my curiosity!
>
>Traci Pearson






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