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What are some signs of good tire wear vs bad tire wear?
Last week was my first DE in my GT3 with the PSC2s that were on it. I had checked the tread depth before/after the event and they wore pretty good. Less than 1/32" off the tread... note: I'm intermediate, not as good as many of the others here. However after several days and some normal driving to get the slag off, have noticed some different patterns on the tires, such as the passenger being smooth outside, but a little rock collection on the inside. And the drivers side having like a discoloration on part.
I believe the car was previously tracked, but don't know how many heat cycles the tires previously had. The rears are down to about 5/32" passenger and 6/32" driver side now.
So mainly want to ask, do my tires look like they're wearing poorly (eek, replace now) or wearing ok (maybe 1-2 more DEs left in them)? And, in general what are some indicators of tire wear so I can be more cognizant of it?
Last edited by krobertson; 05-09-2016 at 07:33 PM.
Reason: Fix bad character that cut post short.
They look pretty normal to me. I'd guess they are good for 2-3 more weekends, maybe even 4. Of course, when I run street tires, I don't consider them worn out until the inner wear indicators show (the cords).
As they turn into slicks, their usefulness in the rain will, of course, taper off. But if the grip hasn't totally gone away, and it's dry, no reason not to run them until the cords start showing.
I think the tires still have plenty of life. Running through 1/32 on track is pretty normal depending on HP, driving style, alignment and speed. I can also see the need for more camber - you're working the outer edge more than the inner (simplified explanation), most likely due to camber loss during aggressive cornering.
Addressing your comment on the discoloring - a bluish tint / hue is normal as the rubber runs through heatcycles.
You could share your alignment specs and I'm sure other gurus with the same car will confirm if it is indeed suitable for track driving.
I've only had the car a month, so don't know what the current alignment specs are. I measured the tread width at each of the main bands, but the first band is 1/3rd of the way in.
I'll likely make an appt and bring it in to the shop.
I've only had the car a month, so don't know what the current alignment specs are. I measured the tread width at each of the main bands, but the first band is 1/3rd of the way in.
I'll likely make an appt and bring it in to the shop.
Tires look like they have some life left. Factory spec for camber is -1.4 to -1.6 deg for both front and rear. You should be able to get a bit more adjusting the top struts but may need shims in the lower control arms if you want to go over -2 . There is more info in threads on the 991 Gt3 forum. Consider how much street driving you'll do also as high neg camber will of course wear the inside edges in normal road driving. Here is one of mine (front) after 5 track days with -1.5 deg. For track, needs more camber but it's driven more on the street.