Michelin XL tire grooving and siping

[AJMBLAZER]

Only got the front two done now as other things have gotten in the way but I'm pleased with the results.

I grooved each block in two and then siped each of the blocks. Takes about an hour to do the grooving for each tire and about 35-45 minutes to do the siping. Had to get my technique down so the first tire took probably twice as long. Also helps to have a fan aimed at you so you aren't breathing in ALL the fumes.

 

[HeadWizard]

Those look good! What did you use to do the work?

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Just a regular grooving knife. Used to have a pic...guess not anymore.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/sipe/
http://www.4x4wire.com/tech/grooved_tires/

I saw that article a few years back and bought the same Ideal siper/groover. Works pretty well but the dense rubber of the XL's was definitely more of a challenge than the softer rubber of most car tires I've done. I've siped four or five sets of tires now and loved the results. Easily gotten back my $75 I paid 4 years ago.

I bought mine from Afco there at the end of the article but I've seen them cheaper elsewhere since then.

 

[cranetruck]

Good job! Can't see the siping very well in those images.
This is how I did mine...only siping, about 3/16 deep, no rubber is removed. Takes about 15 minutes/tire.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Cool. What kind of tool is that? Did you do one pass across each block or down the center or something?
How much of an improvement was it on those NDT's?

One of the guys over on CK5 works on big truck tires for a living and has access to some $2000 German made siper/groover. He siped and grooved his Swamper TSL's in about 30 minutes per tire. Makes me jealous a bit but then I think of the beating my wife would give me and I figure I'm good with the one I have.

 

[LanceRobson]

What did you use for the siping?

Lance

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Same tool. You just flip the blade over so instead of the U going down and grooving it's now on top of the heating element and the two legs are sticking down. You get two sipes for ever pass.

 

[LanceRobson]

Thanks, Ive got 11.00R20 XLs on one of my deuces and M105s and am thinking this is worth doing due to all the snow we get for almost half the year.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I hear you on the snow. It is a marked improvement in most tires but depending on the tires you can only do so much.

Still, I turned a set of highway tires on my wife's Cavalier into actually good winter tires just by siping them. Today we have three vehicles and all are muds or military tires and I'd drive any of them in the middle of the winter. Even the wife's DD XL7 has siped mud terrains.