Pueblo man challenges tire siping process

A Pueblo man who describes himself as a 20-year auto mechanic is challenging the effectiveness of tire siping, a process that KRDO NewsChannel 13 reported on Wednesday.

Michael Legnetti contacted KRDO via email, willing to express his criticism of the process, in which a machine-operated blade cuts into a tire tread, with the intent of improving traction, dissipating heat and helping tires last longer.

Legnetti said tire makers, who are said to sipe tires during manufacturing, advise against siping because the process voids a tire’s warranty.

“It gives way to compromising the design of the tread,” he said. “It also possibly compromises the steering.”

Legnetti said that even though siping has existed since the 1920s, it doesn’t mean that it should continue to be an accepted process.

“Design, engineering and technology have changed,” he said. “Chains are better. They grip the tire without compromising the tread. Air pressure and wheel alignment are more important factors.”

Jacob Rixon, manager of Tire King in Colorado Springs, disagrees with Legnetti.

“He’s a mechanic, I’m a tire technician,” Rixon said. “I know what I’m talking about. I’ve siped tires for 12 years and have never voided a warranty. Some manufacturers may, but I haven’t seen it.”

Siping became a patented process in 1928 after it was invented by John Sipe. But the process wasn’t widely applied to tires until the 1950s. According to different historical accounts, Sipe was a slaughterhouse worker or a deckhand who invented siping to avoid slipping on wet rubber floors.

A report by Consumer Reports in March found that the advantages of siping are only modest and don’t justify the cost of about $10 per tire.

“I still know it works,” Rixon said. “I sipe my own tires.”