How mant track days should Hoosier R4's or R6's last?
06-05-2007, 11:14 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Member Since: Sep 2004
Location: Palm Beach Gardens FL
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
2 Posts
How mant track days should Hoosier R4's or R6's last?
My R4's still have plenty of tread left, but they are getting slippery after 4 track days (each day= six 30 minute sessions). Is this average or should they last longer?
06-06-2007, 02:51 AM
#2
Former Vendor
I race in SCCA and don't do track days, but the tires don't know the differance. I run my tires for the first 5 heat cycles in races. Then use them for cycles 6 thru 10 for practice/qualifying. After 10 cycles I throw them away. There is plenty of rubber left at that point, the grip just isn't there anymore. I would say that what you are seeing is quite normal. You can keep running them but the grip is deteriating rapidly.
06-06-2007, 07:15 AM
#4
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 0
Received 24 Likes
on
24 Posts
Tread depth has nothing to do with tire wear. Heat cycles do.
so 4 days time 6 sessions = 24 session. There are shot. You could use them untill they cord at reduced speed. Best to toss them.
15 heat cycles tends to be max
Heat cycles 1-3 the most grip
4-5 or 6 good grip
6 or 7 to 15 much reduced grip but ok for practice and track days.
so 4 days time 6 sessions = 24 session. There are shot. You could use them untill they cord at reduced speed. Best to toss them.
15 heat cycles tends to be max
Heat cycles 1-3 the most grip
4-5 or 6 good grip
6 or 7 to 15 much reduced grip but ok for practice and track days.
06-06-2007, 10:25 AM
#5
Safety Car
How fast you drive isn't directly related, but I get your point...you can be driving aggressively but slowly and chew them up much more quickly than smooth and fast...
Dr. Chill, try putting your old ones on the rear tires and learn finesse. That's always an enlightening excercise.
Dr. Chill, try putting your old ones on the rear tires and learn finesse. That's always an enlightening excercise.
06-06-2007, 10:27 AM
#6
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Oct 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Posts: 40,083
Received 8,924 Likes
on
5,330 Posts
You can try and extend the life of them with some tire softener. There are several brands on the market and if you search under tire softener you will get some old SCCA forum info on the subject. From what I saw people were able to improve year old slicks by applying 14 treatments of Formula V Traction Treatment (FVTT). It looks like the tires have to be treated before each use. Still could be cheaper than replacing tires with perfectly good tread. A local race shop sells a brand that goes inside the tire and is guaranteed not to be detectable by a race track operator. NASCAR prohibits the use of tire softeners and Jeff Gordon was accused of using treated tires to win a race several years ago but nobody could prove anything.
Bill
Bill
06-06-2007, 02:46 PM
#7
Go big or don't go...
I swap the tires on the rims then swap the rims left to right when doing track weekends. Last weekend was TWS CCW, but the weekend before was TWS CW so I left them alone for the first day. TWS is 15 turns or so with five turns being opposite ten, so one side receives a lot more wear.
At $300/tire it's worth the $40/pair to swap them on the rim and then swap the rims on the car. If you do both front and rear, it's $80, but getting more time on the $600/pair is great.
I have a reset tool, so that helps too.
JK
At $300/tire it's worth the $40/pair to swap them on the rim and then swap the rims on the car. If you do both front and rear, it's $80, but getting more time on the $600/pair is great.
I have a reset tool, so that helps too.
JK
