SNOWTREK.org

Looks like I might be getting lucky if this elusive and shy snow stuff keeps falling that I'll be able to run my new TSL's in some deep powder once they're in. And yes.. You may ask why, From looking at my pictures of my current tires (MTR kevlars) that there is virtually no wear in the 8,000 miles I've put on them, which is impressive as can be. I want to try something a little different and my philosophy has been sell something before it's worn out (to a certain extent) and I've found that doing this with tires is a great example. I hate having to buy full price tires, plain and simple. Taking a $900-$1400 whack in one shot for it all to wear out makes me cringe, as well as driving on half worn or less tires, somethin about it I just don't like. So I have my 35's sold to a friend for $920, only having paid $985 out the door plus an $80 rebate, I'm already ahead. It also helps that I've got a good friend who works for discount tire and he got me new 36x12.50-15 TSL radials, at $270 a tire. Dealer cost. However they don't sipe tires over 31" anymore ! So I'm going to try and make my own siping attatchment for my knobby knife, and I'll post results! You guys don't need to sell me on siping, trust me I'm a FIRM believer, however, knowing that you guys run siped TSL's can I have some info on them and what's the best way to sipe them for daily driving as well as optimum snow performance? I do drive on gravel/dirt roads every so often so I don't want them to chunk. Thanks guys !!

Made my own hot knife attatchment tire siper. Brand new razor blades, I TIG welded to the un threaded part of a long bolt, 3/8" diameter, ground off the rest of the razor blade and I ground another edge to the front of the blade so I can push as pull into the tread blocks up to 1/2" deep. Pretty happy with it I can't wait to test it out ! Here's the pics I said I would provide.

Why the change or heart on tires? I'll be curious if you think one tire performs better than the other. Keep in mind that the radial TSL's do run narrow.

If you haven't already seen it, here's a video on how I sipe my tires. Since I'm not doing any high speed cornering etc, I prefer to just get as many perpendicular sipes as possible on the tire. My tires have been around the block a few times, especially on my old bronco. I just haven't had a problem with chunking.
http://www.snowtrek.org/tire-siping/tire-siping.php

Let us know how your homemade hot knife works. You might find that it doesn't get hot enough. The grooving blades are much smaller, so I would think they would stay hotter. But whatever works! Years ago, I used a regular old razor knife. That was brutal! I think I gave up and took them to a shop. Even with a hot knife it's a lot of work.

I am thoroughly impressed with the MTR's, however I'm a little disappointed that they discontinued their 37x12.50-15's. That was what I absolutely had my heart, and wallet... set on. But they've phased out all 15's over a 35" so I'm pretty bummed. Also TSL radials in 36's are 5 pounds per tire less than my 35" MTR's. So I'm still expecting to move pretty dang good like I do right now, probably wont be noticeably better but technically it should be. And I just really like the look of the TSL's, they catch my eye everytime I see them, and when i had my 37" SSR's that came on my beadlocks, I was sold on how they looked under my runner. Also I'm going to rotate them every 2,000 or so miles and with siping and proper air pressure I'm pretty confident in good tread life. By the way, Hot Knife! worked really well. I began siping the MTR's for fun today and as long as I let it fully heat, it cuts in very nicely with minor effort. I could do one tire in about 20-30 minutes. And yes, i gave up on a razor knife after one cut haha...

It's tough to beat the animal traction, rumble and good looks of an old school swamper...

I really want a set of these in my arsenal eventually too.

Oh tell me about it, I love the looks and performance of the swampers... They'll just be something fierce sitting under my runner and hopefully they'll be here and on by next weekend!

This should be interesting.
I have seen the 14.50s suck in the snow but the 12.50s have a bit of different pattern, closer to the old buckshot. Always wondered how the narrower tire would work.

When the buckshots were no longer available, I settled on the TSL Radials because they were the closest thing I could find. I've really liked them as an all around tire. I've considered trying the 14.50's next since the 12.50's are so narrow, but I'll have to cross that bridge when the time comes.

Narrow tires definitely have their place in snow and offroad world as a whole as far as i'm concerned, i actually kind of like the look of tall narrow tires, and because of the way they cut and dig into certain terrains, they certainly serve a purpose. But being that my runner is my daily rig, i didnt want to compromise mileage for a wider tire either. I was pretty damn happy when i read through the info tables on the TSL's as well as the MTR's and found that the radial TSL's are 5 pounds lighter per tire for 36's over my 35's, so i didn't compromise anything during the upgrade! I whored out my hot knife siper by the way and let a friend take it to do his 38's for $30, and even got as carried away as to sipe the bottom of my romeos.. hahaha. The way my girlfriend looked at me was priceless.