Skip Wolfe

Hey guys,

I have decided to go with the Toyo RA-1's (16" 225 & 245)and want some input from those who have used them if I should get them shaved or not. I will be using them for DE's and consequently I am interested in longevity over outright speed. I know that unshaved, they tend to have some initial tread squirm, but I can live with this. I just don't want them to chunck like the Kuhmos Ecsta V700 are reported to do when run at full tread. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

Carrera51

Skip:
I bought a set of Toyos 1.5 years ago to use as rain tires and for DEs. I didn't shave them. There was a little tread squirm until they wore in a little. If you are concerned about longevity, don't bother shaving them. I didn't experience any chunking with the tread.

In my opinion, the RA1s are a great tire for DE. They are not as sticky as a Hoosier or Michelin Sport Cup on a dry track. I can't comment on how they compare to Kuhmos because I haven't used them. Plus they are excellent in the rain.

Adam Richman

They will not chunk like the Ecsta V700 - then again, from what I have seen at racetracks over the last 8 months, nothing will blister like a v700. I shave my non-rain RA-1s (run a set of fulltread as intermediates). We have gotten excellent wear and have been told by the likes of Bob Vilven that the 3/32nds will outwear the non-shaved - I trust him more than anyone I read on message boards personally. Running both the 3/32nds and 4/32nds shaves, we are averaging 3 plus 1.5 hour endurance races plus qualifying and practice sessions. My intermediates show minor chunking from just drying conditions in a race last year. YMMV and it might all come down to how hard you drive them - I personally would NOT run these unshaven if I wanted them to last.

M758

I run a 944-spec car and run Toyo 225/50R15 on a 2450 lbs 944 NA.

I currently have 2 sets. I have 12 track days that make up 43 heat cycles on the tires. That includes 13 races. I ran them full tread. They never chunked and always felt good. They do seem to be impoving as the tread depth as been reduced to almost nothing. They looked beat about 6 race days ago and I figured I'd cord one. Still have not I figure I can get another race or two from them.

I also have a second set. I got these since I did not know when the first set would wear. These were also full tread. They seemed a little slick early. I heat cycled them on the track and then have used them for 1 race, 1 wet day where the were great and 2 test days. Only at the end of the two test days do they seem to be getting as fast as my old set.

For DE it probably does not mater, but for racing I am considering shaving my next set. It seems that the full tread tires are a bit slow on a dry track until you get just about to the wear bars. Once here the tire just seems to get quciker and last and last as experinced by my first set.

BTW.. Even if they are worn don't toss them till you see cord! If did that I would have lost about 6-7 track days. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

ADAM....
Based on my experinece above does shaving seem like a good thing to get consent grip AND long life? To me based on this and what you have said 3/32 to 4/32 sees like good depth.

Note most of my heat cycles were in 20 min sessions.

Skip Wolfe

Thanks guys,

Any advise on who has the best prices on these. I found Bob Woodman tires out of SC that has them at:

225/50 16 @ $168 shaved
245/45 16 @ $180 shaved

Anybody eles I should check out? Thanks for the help.

John Veninger

Also try Radial Tire in MD.
301-585-2740
I purchased a used set, but Radial Tire was recommended when I asked the list a while back.
Might give a PCA discount.

Erik

What tire pressures (hot) are recommended for the Toyo's ?. I'll be trying my first set of Proxes, unshaved this weekend. I'm used to Kuhmo's, just wondering if 36 and 38 lbs (hot)is too much for the Proxes.

Thanks
Erik

p.s the car is a 930S with approx 400 track HP, used only for DE, but at least 2 days a month. Trying to make these last a little longer then the Kuhmos, even if they are slower.

Adam Richman

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by M758:
<strong>I run a 944-spec car and run Toyo 225/50R15 on a 2450 lbs 944 NA.

I currently have 2 sets. I have 12 track days that make up 43 heat cycles on the tires. That includes 13 races. I ran them full tread. They never chunked and always felt good. They do seem to be impoving as the tread depth as been reduced to almost nothing. They looked beat about 6 race days ago and I figured I'd cord one. Still have not I figure I can get another race or two from them.

I also have a second set. I got these since I did not know when the first set would wear. These were also full tread. They seemed a little slick early. I heat cycled them on the track and then have used them for 1 race, 1 wet day where the were great and 2 test days. Only at the end of the two test days do they seem to be getting as fast as my old set.

For DE it probably does not mater, but for racing I am considering shaving my next set. It seems that the full tread tires are a bit slow on a dry track until you get just about to the wear bars. Once here the tire just seems to get quciker and last and last as experinced by my first set.

BTW.. Even if they are worn don't toss them till you see cord! If did that I would have lost about 6-7 track days. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

ADAM....
Based on my experinece above does shaving seem like a good thing to get consent grip AND long life? To me based on this and what you have said 3/32 to 4/32 sees like good depth.

Note most of my heat cycles were in 20 min sessions.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">M758, I really don't know and reading your experience, sounds like you are not having any wearing/chunking issues at all. On my full treads, its pretty easy to see the pitting and this is something I have not seen on my shaved tires. Since the full treads have only seen a drying track at best/worst (whichever <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> the driest would be drying), I am extrapolating that would get worse with using them in the full dry. I have heard guys saying that full treads are just as good and they wear like iron and so on. In this case, I am just taking what Vilven said over that (and I could always have missed a nuance in the conversation).

One question though. Have you felt a significant difference between those that are full tread new to those that are shaved? I have never felt what one feels like when its gone from full tread to 3/32nds (I am sure they still do great) but going from the full treads to the shaved (on a drying track) I think the shaved feel alot *more* like a Hoosier. The full treads feel very sluggish. But this is like two races in drying conditions I am pulling information from so take it with a huge nugget of salt.

The only reason I mention that I'd run them shaven if I wanted them to last was that I know a couple people that have corded full treads in what I thought were very short time periods. I have no information whether they did the same on shaved but only that data point.

Paul Bloomberg

My 2 cents......

My decision to shave my next set will be based on what tracks are on the scheduled that I will run the most. On a track like AMP or PIR I would shave them, but for FIR I wouldn't shave them to get a little more life.

How are your local tracks on tires?

If cost wasn't a factor I would shave them period.
I have not seen any "chunking". There is a quite a bit of rolling and you can feel it when going thru a corner on new unshaven tires.

Paul