avizandum

Just bought Kumho XSs for AutoX and occassional HPDE. They're going on as DDs also. What's the best way to initially heat cycle them on the street prior to my first AutoX on Monday?

avizandum

Anyone?

autoxer6

Street tires aren't soft enough to need a heat cycle. I dont heat cycle my Hoosier A6's before an Auto x. They get it the first event.

c4cruiser

Street tires don't need a heat cycle. The XS is supposed to be slightly softer than the earlier MX tire, but it's still much harder than any of the R-compound race tires.

What I would do is to drive the car as much as you can prior to the event. There will be some release material on the tire surface that will make the tire feel greasy. This material is what helps the tire come out of the mold.

Try a freeway trip of maybe 50-75 miles and then find some twisty roads where you can moderately push the car; not hard, but just slightly aggressive. The idea is to scuff the tread and remove those compounds. It will also help to give you a feel for the new tires. They will be a big difference over what tires you may have had.

Start the event with the recommended tire pressures (see the door sticker). If this is your first-ever autocross, don't play around too much with air pressures. Once you get a feel for autocross, like walking the course to help learn it, finding the proper line and how the car is handling, then it's time to invest in a decent tire pressure gauge and a small 12 air compressor.