ive used big-o xt tires for almost 50K now (on one set!), really like them offroad (except in gumbo mud), and they didnt hurt the milage too much contrary to what i expected. i'm about to move up to 35s, and would like to continue using these same tires (sturdy, great traction offroad, great warranty, etc) except the lug pattern is not well siped and does not provide good traction in the rain or on ice. snow, dirt, rock, or dry, theyre great, but wet/icy theyre not the greatest.

has anyone siped their large-lugged tires, how did it turn out? i'd take 'em to discount tire or something, have them machine siped.

did you have the entire tread width siped or just the center lugs?

thanks,
sean

 

I've got some 35x12.5 Cooper STs that were siped down the middle two rows. The outer lugs are studded, and I didn't want to end up throwing them for having cut the rubber they anchor into. They stick quite well for their width.

 

I do my own, I don't like the machine siping.

 

Siping is alright for all seasons and truck tires but is a waste with soft compound tires as they will come apart under hard driving. I wouldn't do it to tires I took off road since they would just come apart and the actual gains I've seen from siped tires didn't impress me enough to do it.

 

I've done it to two sets of off-road MT tires and have had no problems with tread chunking (you do need to be careful and avoid sipes within 1/2" of either end of the lugs). Also, the gain in traction was well worth the work. I plan on siping my set of MTRs once I finish mounting them.

 

I siped my set of 285/75/16 MTRs. Well, I had them siped by America's/Discount Tire. Had no problems with chunking (i.e. losing bits). I can't say if they helped with wet weather traction since the MTRs were new to me and I had nothing to compare against. I'm now running a set of 315/75/16 MTRs that are not siped. I should be able to compare the difference between the two.

Only the center lugs were siped.