My 944 came with a spare set of Fuchs and Hoosier slicks. I haven't used them yet, but I might use them for the NASA comp school and subsequent races (assuming I pass), unless you guys think I should continue to use my RA1s.

The problem is that I have no idea how old these tires are. I have a longacre durometer that I received as a gift, but I do not know what the values actually tell you about the tires, and whether the values should vary by type of tire.

Can anyone give me a quick lesson on this? It would be nice to be able to tell whether your tires will be useful or hard hockey pucks before you get on the track.

Thanks,

TD

 

I've come to the conclusion that, when talking about DOT rubber compounds, durometers are only useful for one thing - 'wheel chock'.

How they act at room (or ambient) temp has no relationship to how they act at operating temp. I've seen two different tires have identical durometer readings at ambient, but have wildly different grip on track. I've seen two identical tires, one new and one with a zillion heat cycles, read the same at ambient.

You're better off burning incense and chanting, while smearing chicken blood on the tires.

Any indications of how many heat cycles the Hoosiers have had ? That's the biggest indicator of 'life remaining'. Of course, you could do what I do...if there isn't any cord showing, then they're good.

Keep a 'paint pen' in your toolbox. Make a small mark on the sidewall for each heat cycle they've been thru. You can quickly tell which tires are pooched and which are good.

 

Very interesting. I was afraid that this was the advice I would get.

I have absolutely no idea how many heat cycles the tires have had. They show no cord, and they appear to have life left in them.

How do Hoosiers behave when they have had too many heat cycles or are too old? Do they break loose early and unpredictably, or are they fairly predictable but let loose at a much lower speed than "good" Hoosiers? I don't mind if they aren't that fast so long as they are predictable. I don't want to mess around too much with them if they snap out without too much warning and at fairly low speeds (like my old MPSCs on cold wet days).

 

Todd, take it from a pro at making tires "go off", they generally just get looser and looser (if it's the back that is going off first). I think that they usually stay fairly predictable. What makes some drivers feel that the tires become "unstable" is that they expect them to have the same grip, and when it fades they can't adjust. They keep trying to drive them at the same speed before the grip went away, and they wind up severely overdriving the tires.

As usual, Helmut's info is spot on. BTW, does the chicken blood really work?

 

Todd, are these S03's or 04's? If 03's I would not take a chance. I watched a set of 03's delaminate on the North Course bowl at a BMW event. You would think the hit the wall by the damage the car received by the large tire strip that slapped the car at 125mph. After the car was visited in the pits, I heard this story repeated by other drivers with older S03's they we trying to use after storing for a year plus. If 04's, look at the groove and wear indicators for at least an indication of the tread left. It may just not be worth and they might run slower than your existing rubber. Chicken blood works, but make sure you have an ample supply of Avian flu vaccine.

 

Hmmm. I don't know. I will check tommorrow. I assume it is stamped on the sidewall, right? Thanks for the tip. Delamination doesn't sound pretty.




I am not scared of too many things in life, but, I gotta confess that chickens sorta freak me out.

My grandmother used to slaughter chickens for big family meals when we visited the farm, which was quite frequently. When I was young (around 4-5), I had a few freshly decapitated chickens "chase" me around. Of course, the headless chicken wasn't really chasing me, but it still freaked me out a little seeing a headless chicken lurch drunkenly after me. The only thing that freaks me out more than chickens are wild boar (those damned things are just mean SOBs).

So, if it comes to a choice between driving on hard and slick, indeed, even unpredictable, worn out tires or slaughtering a chicken to collect the blood, I'll take my chances with the tires thank you very much

 

The professer's instructions are right-on....


Althougth personally, I find using a.... ROOSTER


to be more effective !!!

 

They are old S03s . . . so I am throwing them out. Fortunately, no chickens (or roosters) were harmed as a result of this thread.

 

TD, good move. I really liked the S03's, but they were a nylon ply I believe unlike the 04, now 05's. When you get a chance, try the 05's for racing. I used them at the end of the season in prep for Summit club racing next year and ran podium laps consistently without any suspension upgrades schedule for the off-season.

 

Are the lambs still shreaking, Clarice?


I can't wait to try the 05's this coming season! I was still on the 03's all this year.