Scientific Test Prove Snow Traction Improvements Up to 200% by Saf-Tee Siping Process

PHOENIX, Oct. 30, 2003 -- New independent tests prove that consumers who have their tires professionally siped can improve traction capabilities in cold-weather-driving on basic all-season tires and high-performance tires. The process, done by the patented Saf-Tee Siping equipment, can turn a good all-season tire into "severe snow service" status, and can improve low-profile, high-performance tires enough to go from free-spinning to the level of good all-season tires.

An independent company that has run thousands of tires through snow and ice tests conducted cold-weather-driving tests on selected contemporary tires in February of 2003 in Houghton, Mich, and the results indicate tires can gain significantly improved traction after undergoing the Saf-Tee Siping procedure. The Goodyear Eagle LS, a good all-season tire, and the Michelin Pilot Sport, a comparatively new tire that is original equipment on numerous high performance sedans and coupes, were chosen for this year's tests, which compared them to the Uniroyal Tiger Paw, the industry-standard base all-season tire.

On a controlled course in Houghton, Mich., all the tires were run on a drive wheel at 5 miles per hour, and then the test vehicles drive axle was accelerated until the tires broke traction. The vehicle maintained its 5 mph pace while data from the spinning tire was accumulated. The test and base tires were tested through 10 consecutive rotations a day, for three consecutive days, on a snow-packed test site maintained at a "medium compacted" level, with the temperature at 15 or 16 degrees. All data was gathered according to American Society of Testing and Materials standards or more technically none as the ASTM F1805-00 Gradient Correction Method.

The test tires all measured 205-55, mounted on 16-inch wheels. In unsiped form, the traction with the Goodyear Eagle LS measured 101 percent of the base tire; the siped Goodyear Eagle LS measured 134 percent of the traction of the base tire. That 33 percent improvement boosted the Eagle LS into the realm of "severe snow service," awarded only to tires that achieve 110 percent of the base tire's traction, and which the siped Goodyear easily surpassed at 134 percent.

The unsiped Michelin Pilot Sport read only 35 percent of the base all-season tire's traction. This was no surprise because this type of tire would normally be a free spinning slip-slide in these driving conditions. Two siped Michelin Pilot Sports were tested, with the SAF-TEE Siping process cut on slightly different depths on each. One of them showed an improvement of 93 percent of the base all-season tire, while the other improved to 103 percent.

Past tests have proven that tires put through the brief and inexpensive process on a Saf-Tee Siping machine improved traction to accelerate, steer and stop. The concern that the slits could adversely affect wear were eliminated because heat is the major cause of high-speed or long trips, and the siped slits also ventilate the tire treads and can improve tire life. Visit sipers.com or contact Saf-Tee Siping & Grooving at 800.223.4540 to review the scientific test results and get results from other tests conducted.