Tire Groover info

BigClay

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
I only run my TSLs on the trail so I think it is time to groove them. What groover should I get (the cheaper the better because this will be the only set I groove for a while)? What grooving pattern on some 33" TSLs? Anyone have one I can borrow for a weekend?
 
I got one you can borrow. Might need to get some blades for it. It is the ideal brand
 
Did you say Grover???



aupload.wikimedia.org_wikipedia_en_b_be_Grover.JPG
 
oh boy have fun grooving some tsls with an Ideal knife lol...they are SLOW and Slow and well...slow HAHA. stick with it though and just don't think about how much more you have to do after 2hrs on half a tire :lol::lol: you can make TSLs pretty bad ass tough if you take the lugs down real deep.
I say IF you're gonna groove, go all the way!! If you gonna spend 5hrs ish on 33 TSL....you might as well spend 10hrs and get every bit of grip out of them that you can...
Here's some Thornbirds that I still can't believe I went this far with but WORTH EVERY BIT of the rediculous hours I had in them lol...many saw them in action and they were pretty bad ass
thornbirds 2.jpg
thornbirds.jpg
 
Oh I forgot too...in all seriousness, the center lugs on the TSLs are much easier and faster to do with a router and 5/8"bit..set the depth where you want it, hold on pretty good and work it down the center and lateral if you go that way like most do...that's how I still do most TSLs or the like when grooving the centers where it's flat and easy.
anvilrubi said:
10 hours? 10 mins I'd be checked out
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you think that's bad lol, imagine about 60hrs total on those thornbirds I had..hoowey that was fun, not really. I've been doing it about 9yrs now and gotten used to it. What helps me is some music, some cold beers and takes the focus off the job at hand (for me). My wife hates when I do this but I've actually brought them in the house before while watching movie or tv show LMBO all night just grooving away.
BigClay said:
I only run my TSLs on the trail so I think it is time to groove them. What groover should I get (the cheaper the better because this will be the only set I groove for a while)? What grooving pattern on some 33" TSLs? Anyone have one I can borrow for a weekend?
Click to expand...
For you sir, set yourself up to be "comfortable" is key!!! Lay 2 tires on top of each other and lean the one you're working on against them...then sit in a computer chair that can raise and lower so you can adjust the comfortable height where you can "push" the knife with your shoulder the easiest. Getting the technique down is THE KEY to doing this and CLEAN THE TIRES>>>NO DIRT. One small piece of dirt and new blade is ruined as far as how good it cuts. Once you get good, you can cut several sets of tires with one blade without breaking it or bending/dulling it. Use either comfortable padded glove or find a rag to wrap around the handle of the gun (that's what hurts your hand the most). Last but not least, it's more in the shoulder and forearm combined, not the wrist. I've watched many try and just push mostly with their wrist and you will wear yourself out quick and break a blade quick. I probably would do couple passes on scrap spare tire till you get the hang of it but clean clean clean the tires is big deal and air them up not flat to about 20psi. Good luck and any other questions you have, ask away. I'll try and check in every so often.
 
broncosbybart said:
Those Thornbirds look like they might somewhat work offroad.
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oh trust me, when I was running them, they did a lot of the work for me lol. many were very impressed including myself of how well they performed, even on rocks surprisingly but sold them to a "mud bogger" and he's now getting the designed use out of them!! That was with 1/4"tread starting....imagine a new set of thornbirds that come with 1" in the middle OMG, that's my dream tire someday, a new set of those grooved just like that! (now I'm sitting on plain old pro comp Mt's about 25%tread :( so that's gonna be very interesting wheeling with them...but I bought a winch!:rockon:)
 
Thanks guys.

As for grover, you got me :D
I did edit the title now, so anyone reading this in the future, I had "grover" instead of "groover" in the title. But I must say, Grover was one of my favorite when I was a kid haha
 
I think I found someone that will let me borrow their groover. I am thinking of just cutting the center lugs, like these:

awww.off_road.com_aimages_articlestandard_jeep_512005_260290_P1010057.jpg
 
Cut them like your pic and remove the wear bars and a regular bias TSL is like a whole new tire. Even works good on the stickies.

Doing it that way with the right blade and it shouldn't take you more than 30 min per tire even with the cheapo speedway Motorsports groover.
 
Mac5005 said:
Pick up one of these and matching guard/depth gauge from harbor freight.

Wayyyyyy faster & cheaper than a normal groover.

Just make sure you are fluent with running a grinder, and your insurance is paid up before use

View attachment 224924
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now that right there is something I have yet to try but dang if you ain't got me going now..I'll be picking up one of these bad boys as soon as we move off the mountain where there is Harbor freight!! thanks, looks fun and much much faster than even router
 
marty79 said:
I'll be picking up one of these bad boys as soon as we move off the mountain where there is Harbor freight!!
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No, no you shouldn't. That's widely known as just about the most dangerous attachment you can put on a power tool. They have quite the reputation of destroying perfectly functioning hands, and fingers, and wrists, and forearms.
If you don't believe me, just Google "grinder Lancelot accident" (the bigger size is called Lancelot instead of Squire). Do not go to the images tab after you Google it though.
Seriously though, it's all the potential flesh-mangling danger of a chainsaw, but with none of the control because it's on a grinder..

You seem like a good guy, please stay far away from those things. Be safe, use common sense, don't buy one.
 
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Fabrik8 said:
No, no you shouldn't. That's widely known as just about the most dangerous attachment you can put on a power tool. They have quite the reputation of destroying perfectly functioning hands, and fingers, and wrists, and forearms.
If you don't believe me, just Google "grinder Lancelot accident" (the bigger size is called Lancelot instead of Squire). Do not go to the images tab after you Google it though.
Seriously though, it's all the potential flesh-mangling danger of a chainsaw, but with none of the control because it's on a grinder..

You seem like a good guy, please stay far away from those things. Be safe, use common sense, don't buy one.
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Not any more dangerous than a thin cut off wheel and sheet metal.

Especially with the guard with the depth gauge.

Definitely more dangerous using that on wood.

The rubber has very little restriction on the wheel, same as using a small chain saw.

Dangerous yes, but no more dangerous than a grinder with a thin cut off wheel.

Again be sure to use common sense and the guard with it.

Another option is a small 16" chain saw, even electric would work.

Another option is one of the multi tools that oscillates like a fein. Sharpen the flat tool like a chisel and scoop the lugs off. This works better for removing entire lugs.
 
Fabrik8 said:
No, no you shouldn't. That's widely known as just about the most dangerous attachment you can put on a power tool. They have quite the reputation of destroying perfectly functioning hands, and fingers, and wrists, and forearms.
If you don't believe me, just Google "grinder Lancelot accident" (the bigger size is called Lancelot instead of Squire). Do not go to the images tab after you Google it though.
Seriously though, it's all the potential flesh-mangling danger of a chainsaw, but with none of the control because it's on a grinder..

You seem like a good guy, please stay far away from those things. Be safe, use common sense, don't buy one.
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I appreciate the advise and concern, seriously. I'm pretty good with a grinder though which is only reason why I would consider it though. before I had a plasma cutter, and even still nowadays, i use the grinder for anything and everything for straight cuts and grinding. I have several grinders and each with it's own purpose. One of my grinders is with a 7"cutting blade (I know I'm crazy) but I've used it for years and years without any damage and the blade spins very super close to your fingers when holding it. I'm pretty crazy with the grinder but am very aware of it's use and dangers. I think i might agree with Mac005 though, it can't possibly give that much feedback cutting rubber...I'd be more worried about ruining the tire than I would my fingers personally. Who knows though, with new beginnings and new job, might be able to afford the "real good groover" which would benefit me and everyone else (for their prices that is lol)!! that's my goal anyways
 
marty79 said:
Who knows though, with new beginnings and new job, might be able to afford the "real good groover" which would benefit me and everyone else (for their prices that is lol)!! that's my goal anyways
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If you're actually going to be cutting a lot of tread blocks for paying customers, you'll probably find that the $400 for something like the Van Alstine groover is money well spent. If it's significantly faster that what you have, you can make money faster, so it pays for itself faster. And, sometimes it's just worthwhile to have a fast tool to get the job done and move onto the next thing.
 
Fabrik8 said:
If you're actually going to be cutting a lot of tread blocks for paying customers, you'll probably find that the $400 for something like the Van Alstine groover is money well spent. If it's significantly faster that what you have, you can make money faster, so it pays for itself faster. And, sometimes it's just worthwhile to have a fast tool to get the job done and move onto the next thing.
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Oh YEAH that Van Alstein has been on my radar for quite some time now lol, mostly for customers/friends to help more people out with grooving their tire needs without killing me or them! but Plasma cutter jumped the line so it's on my list of top 2 tools to get though!
 
Fabrik8 said:
. If it's significantly faster that what you have
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Oh it's stupid fast too, can't even compare it to the little guy. You can use 1"wide blade and cut 1/2" deep like butter so imagine the speed with that sucker...I can't wait for that day to come, everyone will be happy lol
 
So I got out my harbor freight wheel of death and tried it out. I'm opening up the lugs on my sx2s, similar to how you would cut a tsl.

Groover grinder works great.

Doesn't try to catch, works good and fast. Removes rubber fast, but is a bit messy.

auploads.tapatalk_cdn.com_20160814_92c317aeda40c58b16a6dcb6c7913da8.jpg


I have on safety glasses, leather gloves, face shield, leather jacket, etc. all similar ppe adequate for stick welding, arc gouging, or all day grinding.

I am running a guard on the grinder and an extra handle.

After reading all the safety concerns, I back up my previous statement that it is no more dangerous than a thin .045 cut off wheel on sheet metal.

In fact this wheel goes through the rubber easily so there is very little yanking of the grinder similar to a thin wheel on sheet metal.

I am very intimidated by it, but it works well.

I would not want to use it on wood. Lol.
 
Sweet!!! Thanks for the video..good to know for future tires!!!
 
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