Siping Design for Maxxis Creepy Crawlers

[Hunt]

As the title says I’m mauling over the idea of siping my DOT compound Maxxis Creepy Crawlers. I’ve read a lot about why and how to do it and I’ve pretty well got myself convinced I’m going ahead with it. I’m good with the how, why, pros and cons.

My questions are;

What design to use?
Is there anyone with experience with different patterns? Alternating pattern, straight across, diagonal intersections, zig-zag?

Give me some ideas and I’ll post up some pictures and a review when I’m done. It will give me a good reason to buy a red star.

[GMGuy]

When I siped my last set of mud tires I used a straight across pattern using a utility knife. It improoved wet road manners.

Alex.

[raging squirrel]

i hope by sipe you mean groove. if you are looking at micro cuts (siping) then copy a snow tire design. if you are talking about 1/8"-1/4" wide grooving, then i recommend a lot of diagonal or dog leg cuts for improved flex and multi-directional traction. my set of baja claws had a circuit board type tread when i finished. the results were phenomenal on rocks and snow. i could climb limestone ledges in 2wd. i will try to get a picture of my current alterations of a set of baja belteds. be careful about cuts at the outer edge of the tread or chunking will be a problem. choose a good design/pattern and you will never run uncut tires again.

[Greg@RME]

I don't know that it's needed Clayton, those Creepy Crawlers have plenty of reliefs for traction and have good sidewall flex. IMO you wouldn't be doing any favors by grooving them, just taking life out of the tire.

Now some of the Super Swampers need grooving to work better, but the tread blocks are just solid chunks of rubber, not like the Creepy Crawlers.

I didn't ever see that the tires had any traction problems, they worked very well when I was wheelin that rig.

[HAPPYJOHN]

Originally Posted by greg@rme

i don't know that it's needed clayton, those creepy crawlers have plenty of reliefs for traction and have good sidewall flex. Imo you wouldn't be doing any favors by grooving them, just taking life out of the tire.

Now some of the super swampers need grooving to work better, but the tread blocks are just solid chunks of rubber, not like the creepy crawlers.

I didn't ever see that the tires had any traction problems, they worked very well when i was wheelin that rig.

x2

[Hunt]

Originally Posted by raging squirrel

i hope by sipe you mean groove. if you are looking at micro cuts (siping) then copy a snow tire design. if you are talking about 1/8"-1/4" wide grooving, then i recommend a lot of diagonal or dog leg cuts for improved flex and multi-directional traction. my set of baja claws had a circuit board type tread when i finished. the results were phenomenal on rocks and snow. i could climb limestone ledges in 2wd. i will try to get a picture of my current alterations of a set of baja belteds. be careful about cuts at the outer edge of the tread or chunking will be a problem. choose a good design/pattern and you will never run uncut tires again.

Why are you “hoping” I mean grooving and not siping? I am aware of the difference and I meant SIPING. I’m running mostly semi loose rocks that are typically wet. I’m looking to improve the number of leading edges not the amount of void spaces.

[GMGuy]

Interpretation of description terms.
I'm sure the Raging Squirrel had the same thoughts as me when you mentioned zig-zags & patterns. Sipes are little cuts, how you would manage to make a zig-zag sipe (as opposed to a criss-cross pattern) is beyond me. Making a zig-zag usually involves a grooving tool, which definately won't a sipe make.

Alex.

[raging squirrel]

you can sipe with a grooving tool, i have done so,many times. you turn the groover blade upside down. it will make a pair of parallel sipes very nicely, it's the most efficient method i have used. zig zag sipes are easy using this method.
hunt, i was not trying to make you sound ignorant, most people who see my grooved tires refer to the grooves as sipes. even if they are grooves and not sipes. i hoped, because i was unsure of what you wanted.
here is an example of both, provided i succeed with attaching it.

[Greg@RME]

A siping machine used by tire shops only works one way, there is no choice for different patterns. If I recall from my days of working in the tire shop, there were a couple different depths available, but that was it. You'd place the tire on the machine and the cutter rotates, rolling the tire as it cuts.

If you're going to do this, I would not go too deep. I friend of mine siped his tires, wheeled hard with them on the rocks and they chunked pretty bad. Whatever you do, do not sipe the outer lugs or they will chunk for sure.

[kwrangln]

I've heard plenty of folks say "don't sipe the outer lugs or they will chunk", but I have yet to have a problem with it. Your milage may vary, and it will depend on the tire as well as its durometer, but my BFG's don't seem to mind.


Here's how mine are siped.




Here's a closer shot, you can see how burned down the leading edge is, but no chunking of the outer lugs.

[Hellbilly Delux]

ive got a set of 40" goodyear mtrs siped by a machine straight across and right out to the edge they chunk when i corner hard . . or hit the body . .and gravel roads and blast rock kick the crap outta them.. . super wicked in the wet and snow.

but i think i would have siped them much more carefully and left the edges of the corner lugs intact and siped maybe every second lug to minimize wear.

if money and tread life dont matter sipe the crap outta them straight across and theyll work great.

[raging squirrel]

i have only had problems with a circumferential (as opposed to across the tread) sipe at the outer edges. i wanted to keep my tires from sliding laterally into ruts and make it easier to climb up the side of rocks, but chunking was a problem. the baja belted i pictured above has about 5000 miles of use including rocks. my old baja claws held up to grooving and siping well also, but every tire is different. if you stay away from the outer edges, you can do about anything you like.