Keep track of heat cycles on track tires
02-27-2008, 11:40 PM
#16
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What's the point? If they last longer than a 3 day weekend, you're not driving hard enough.
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Larry Herman
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Larry Herman
2016 Ford Transit Connect Titanium LWB
2018 Tesla Model 3 - Electricity can be fun!
Retired Club Racer & National PCA Instructor
Past Flames:
1994 RS America Club Racer
2004 GT3 Track Car
1984 911 Carrera Club Racer
1974 914/4 2.0 Track Car
CLICK HERE to see some of my ancient racing videos.
02-28-2008, 01:01 AM
#17
Rennlist Member
Semantics question here: What's the "true" definition of a heat cycle? I've always taken them to be the amount of time you put on a tire that you're consistently under load. As soon as you pit and give the tires enough time to cool, you've just finished one heat cycle. True?
02-28-2008, 05:35 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
oh.. I use a pocket knife and carve a notch in the rubber after every run like a gun slinger marks his kills. Thats not a good idea?
Seriously though - Heat Cycles alone can't be a precise measure of track tire life. I don't think it can be binary. I was thinking of using a durometer to track change in hardness. Does that make sense? An absolute count of runs and days doesn't really take into account the effect of run time, range of heat cycle (cold to hot etc) in the functional life of the tire.
Does anyone use a durometer? Does that work better?
Seriously though - Heat Cycles alone can't be a precise measure of track tire life. I don't think it can be binary. I was thinking of using a durometer to track change in hardness. Does that make sense? An absolute count of runs and days doesn't really take into account the effect of run time, range of heat cycle (cold to hot etc) in the functional life of the tire.
Does anyone use a durometer? Does that work better?
02-28-2008, 08:41 AM
#19
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02-28-2008, 09:12 AM
#20
Instructor
Yellow crayon
How are you guys keeping track of heat cycles,when you have 8-10 track tires..I have been marking on the side of the tire , but is there a better way. would you # each tire 1 - 10, then keep a chart....ie, tire 2 has 6 HC,tire 3 has 10 HC, etc.. anyone have a cool chart?!
Mr. B
02-28-2008, 09:25 AM
#21
Race Director
I have 3 sets of wheels. (12 tires)
At first I would mark the wheels with numbers with a sharpie. For keeping track I have spread sheet and I just record what sets I used during a weekend. I have every heat cycle on every set of R-tires I have used since 2000 on my spread sheet. It is nice to have to track tire life trends over time. For me a tire last 6 months or more so I need to have way to keep track. I never track individual tires for the most part, just an entire set of tires. I rotate them each track day so overall they tend to wear very evenly.
A few months ago I decide to just paint my wheels different colors. I have red set, white set and a black set. This is much easier to keep track which set of wheels is fo race use and which set I am breaking in. Often my third set is either for rain use, old and worn out or new yet to be used.
At first I would mark the wheels with numbers with a sharpie. For keeping track I have spread sheet and I just record what sets I used during a weekend. I have every heat cycle on every set of R-tires I have used since 2000 on my spread sheet. It is nice to have to track tire life trends over time. For me a tire last 6 months or more so I need to have way to keep track. I never track individual tires for the most part, just an entire set of tires. I rotate them each track day so overall they tend to wear very evenly.
A few months ago I decide to just paint my wheels different colors. I have red set, white set and a black set. This is much easier to keep track which set of wheels is fo race use and which set I am breaking in. Often my third set is either for rain use, old and worn out or new yet to be used.
02-28-2008, 09:45 AM
#22
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02-28-2008, 03:59 PM
#23
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thats a good idea M758..different colors..spead sheets!.I also carry 3 sets,and it can get confusing remembering to mark them after each run..also like the idea P / Q / R,then #ing them
02-28-2008, 04:02 PM
#24
Rennlist Member
I use the silver metallic marker. I put a "N" for Nitrogen at the valve stem, when Nitrogen replaces the normal air that the tire shop used. I then put on a letter for each type of heat cycle such as, Q=Qualify, P=Practice, R=Sprint Race, E=Enduro. Not only can I count the # of cycles, I can typically calculate number of minutes or hours on the tires too.
