Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Cutting / Groving / Siping R-4 for snow

[Mark Preston]

I have a little experience grooving and siping tires from racing a dirt late model. Most of what is stated here is pretty acurate. Siping and grooving tires on a dirt car provides significant amounts of added traction. There are complete books writen about the subject. I have experienced tire failure from over siping but never from over grooving. Siping cauces the edges to squirm and create a ton of heat which then can destroy the tire. I think on a slow rotating tractor tire grooving or siping wouldnt hurt the tire in any way, unless you went way overboard. On soft racing tires I have siped 12 blocks in a 1"x3" lug and it didnt fail, on a real abrasive track one night I cut the same lug in 8 blocks and didnt make the 25 laps before the right rear chunked out. The surface you are running on also makes a different. There are obvious differences between the two, but race car tires are super soft and if you screw it up they only cost 110 dollars or so and they are wore out in a couple of races anyway

 

[Deadman]

Never used this kind of tool......Is it "hard" to keep making straight nice cuts, or does it want to make ugly crooked looking cuts?
I'm just afraid if "I" do this, that the tires will look like crap, because my cuts are all crooked and uneven. I'm no artist, so thats my concern. lol

If I'm going to cut these, I want them to look like there were supposed to be cut, and not like a Kindergartner came and just cut them up.

I'd be all for buying a little more expensive tool if there is one that make the straight cuts easier and cleaner.

I'd also LOVE to cut my front R4's, but cut them the opposite way. They don't steer at all in snow, and I'm hoping I could change that with some cuts.

My buddies cut the tires on their mud trucks all the time and have no problems with them at all.

 

[Deadman]

Here is a couple quick videos I found on this.


YouTube - SUPER SWAMPER BOGGER TIRE GROOVING

YouTube - Grooving my mud tires

 

[teg]

Quick Tire Groover

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: I don't have one of the fancy irons but I do have a chainsaw!!!!

 

[NIdaho]

In this part of the country almost all equipment/Trucks run siped tires. I have always heard that the siping not only increases the traction but also lets the tire run cooler and thereby increasing the tread life. Walk thru the lots and every dump truck, logging truck, snowplow, ... will have siped tires.

 

[3Bladz]

Here is what I did to mine. Cuts are about 1/8 x 1/8

 

[Deadman]

Gladehound, Did you use the #6 head on yours? #6 is 3/8 inch, and I'm ready to buy a tool, but want to make sure that is about the size you used, as yours look real nice.

 

[Deadman]

I bought the knife with #3, #4, #5, and #6 heads and knives. Then i'll cut the fronts with smaller blades, and the rears with the bigger ones, most likely the #5.
I'm sooooooooo excited to be able to actually move on snow with these R4's!
My ATV would run circles around my JD2520 all because of these "Half Slicks" for tires. They won't really hurt the Turf much more in the summer either!

Thanks for the awesome idea! :thumbsup:

 

[gladehound]

Gladehound, Did you use the #6 head on yours? #6 is 3/8 inch, and I'm ready to buy a tool, but want to make sure that is about the size you used, as yours look real nice.

I used the #4 head which I think is just over 0.2" in width.

We had about 16" of very wet heavy snow yesterday (even had a little rain mixed in). this was the first time I had traction problems since siping the rears. But the rears weren't the problem! It was the fronts. I could not steer against the angle. I could go strait or turn with the angle but could not go against it. I WILL be grooving the fronts. Maybe this weekend. I'll post pictures! Hmmm... now what do I want my new tread patter to look like???

 

[gladehound]

Never used this kind of tool......Is it "hard" to keep making straight nice cuts, or does it want to make ugly crooked looking cuts?

I found it to be similar to using one of those small hand held jig saws. Maybe a little easier to go strait but no harder to turn. And believe me, I was not trying to make it look great. I was in a hury. If you take your time you will be able to put those grooves wherever you want them.