Ordered some Ultra High Performance All Season's from Discountiredirect.com
General G Max AS 03's
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...w=false&cs=205

They asked me if I wanted my tires siped? Discount Tire says it doesn't affect the dry handling but it does improve wet traction and braking?

I've read so many conflicting reviews online.

What are your thoughts?

 

Sipes are the small slits on all season and winter tires. They are there to provide additional grip in the snow. If adding additional sipes didn't affect dry handling and improved wet handling and braking, wouldn't summer and race tires have them?

General has been owned by Continental for more than twenty years. Continental has been making treaded tires longer than anyone else on the planet since 1904. If you think employees at Discount tire know better, go for it.

 

I think it does affect the tires warranty. Not sure if that matters to you.

 

Siping simply removes rubber with a knife....to increse the voids in the tread....idea is to give more traction in the snow...
But by doing this you are basicly destroying the tire for short term winter use....
Simply buying a more agressive all season or a winter tire would be better.....no vibrations on smooth pavemnt, better wear, and they WILL have more traction all the time...siping improves sloppy performance, but destroys wet, snowy and ive...less surface area.
Bet they tried to sell you nitrogen inflation too!!
By the way....if the tire needed siping, it would have been done in the molding of the tire by the oem when sold....
If the weater in your area is so bad you need siping....you need true winter tires!!

 

Thanks for the input everyone. Unfortunately I agreed to let them sipe the tires and they are at my door. I called discount tire and they said try them out for a while and if I don't like the siping they will replace the tires. They also said since I got the road hazard warranty it doesn't void the contract. We'll see how it goes.

I have been on other boards and some people have had great feedback and others haven't had such great luck.

I would tend to agree with your feedback though. If the companies who spent lots of cash on R&D felt that the sipes made the tire perform better; they would have just done it at the factory.

Thanks again everyone!

 

Keep us posted