To sipe or not to sipe? I can see why a shop would want to sipe your new tires. But on an existing tire with probably 20,000 miles? I took mine in to fix a slow leak and the guy asked if I wanted to have a “safety sipe”. Seems like a way to make a few bucks.
If a tire needs to be siped it’s done at the factory. If it wasn’t done at the factory then it’s NOT needed.
It’s a way to make a few bucks, regardless of the age of the tire. Basically, this practice is a great way to ruin a perfectly good set of tires.
I somehow have trouble trusting Bernie at Tires-R-Us instead of the designers at Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, etc…
If a customer really feels that a tire shop knows more than the tire’s manufacturer about how a tire tread should be siped, then that customer might be gullible enough to fall for this nonsense.
Luckily, lsarosik was not one of those gullible customers.
Thinking that a tire shop knows more about tread design than the tire’s manufacturer is sort of like someone taking medical advice from the cashier at Walgreen’s, rather than consulting a doctor.
That being said, since these tires are now–depending on brand and model–anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 through their probable tread life, this “service” is especially dubious. The OP was correct about declining this procedure.
It’s strictly a revenue generator for them and could compromise your tire’s performance and integrity.
Siping goes back to the days of bias ply tires, when treads and carcasses were firm and the manufacturing technologies did not accomodate siping out of the mold. Bias ply tires had treads that flexed very little on firm carcasses, and grooves cut in the tread blocks enhanced traction on ice without danger to the tire’s strength.
Radial tires flex as they lay themselves down and pick themselves up. Post manufacture siping on a modern tire can weaken the tire. And manufacturing technologies used today enable the siping to be designed right into the mold, and done such that the strength of the tires is not compromised. Stop by a tire store and you’ll see a variety of winter tires from all manufacturers already siped.
Honestly, any shop still trying to get people to let them sipe their tires should be avoided IMHO.
Back some years ago, it could be an advantage, although it did reduce tyre mileage. Today tyre designs are different and there is not that much if any to gain and you might just loose more than you gain. I would not bother.
Just curious - did they offer a $10 nitrogen fill to go with the siping?