bemmett

Some quick background: I've participated in HPDE events over the years in other people's/company's cars, so never had to worry much about tire wear and normal track maintenance. Now that I've got my GT4, I obviously have to start caring about this stuff so have been reading all these threads ravenously for info.

I was at Laguna Seca with PCA GGR for the first time a few Sundays ago and got my "ok to solo" from my instructor after the first two morning sessions, and now I plan on getting being at Thunderhill in July.

The sun came out after my first session at Laguna, and after the second session my tire pressures spiked. Here's what all 4 tires generally looked like after the second session.





Looks like graining to me, but folks here might know better. They're Dunlops and they generally still look like this after the afternoon sessions with lower tire pressures. After lowering pressures and sitting overnight, all 4 tires had an equal decrease in pressure, so I'm taking this as evidence that I was over-inflated after my second session, and not actually over-driving the tires.

Question: Tread depth on these is still decent, but since I plan on going to THill for a full weekend would it make more sense to just drive these tires and get some final sessions out of them before they give up the ghost, or do you think this is a safety/traction issue that really warrants getting new tires now?

I appreciate all the expertise here, so thanks in advance for helping out a beginner.

katmeho

Theres a ton of life left there. Run them and watch your pressures after each session.

Jenner

This is what a too much pressure and much more tire wear on the Dunlop will look like:


Your tires look nearly new. If anything you are driving too slow and picking up other peoples rubber on the track.

I don't see any signs of over inflation nor over driving based on this picture. Zero safety issue and plenty of life left. You aren't anywhere near "final sessions" and "giving up the ghost"

What hot pressure are you running the Dunlops? I found low 30s to be best before I switched to the RE-71Rs.

orthojoe

bemmett, that picture you are show is not graining, but rubber that you are picking up from the track. Nothing to worry about. I remember having the same issue years ago when I first started as well. Once they start to disappear, you'll know you are getting faster.

btw, the tires look great. keep running them and don't change anything

bemmett

Thanks!

Rears hit 38# after the second session, I dropped them down to 32# after that.

If was my first track session ever in my own car, so entirely probable I was initially slower than I needed to be in the morning while I was getting a feel for the handling. There was definitely a ton of rubber all over the place that Sunday...

Appreciate the feedback!

bk_911

Yeah you will have lots of detailing work once that crap starts to fly off the tires :-)

I've got 3 track days of spots from that rubber crap on my car. Still have some spots left to scrub.

THill gets hot and you get some quick speeds. I can hear those tire pieces hitting the side of the car and undercarriage when on track.

bemmett

I'm seeing a pattern emerge. Drive faster!

Thanks! Really appreciate how helpful this forum is for newbies and experts alike.

mooty

tire is fine.
see u at TH in july with GGR
chk pressure hot right after u come off track.
i do not know the psi for dunlop. someone here would know. and target for that pressure
how much the psi increases depends on how you drive. i see 12psi increase for me usually (1st sessions)

ExMB

I must be slow. No matter how fast I go I always have some of those on my tires. Maybe I need to drive faster cool down laps.

mooty

^ i am surpirsed you have those on your tires. i am not fast like joe, but those rubber debris are non existent on my tires. i used mpsc2 or RE71R

doborder

I used to questions this all the time and when this first happened, the drive home would suck because of all the vibration...

Mother R3 works great for removing tire marks

+1 Always check your pressure after first session

orthojoe

Admittedly, my cool down lap is primarily for the brakes. I still go hard through the corners to practice my line and entry. I just approach the braking zone at a speed where I don't need brakes

They are nonexistent on your tires because you are fast.

ExMB

MSPC2s. Found one. Rears are worse but too lazy for pic.

doborder

Very few people can out run Joe I'm still working on my video from Mooty day... Definitely a good car but I'm not in my hands...

mooty

that thing i swear is toxic, so after using it, rinse with little water than put liquid spray wax on.

i see, no wonder i blow by you on last lap.
i dont ever cool down.
my rotors are always smoking when parked.
now i know why they wear out so fast.

lmao, before i jumped the fence b/n T8 and 9 (u wont know there's a fence there, until you jumped it) i was actually fast... now my immortal days are in the paswt

those are good wear patterns actually and you are fast.
the wear pattern is not the same as OP's
i also think OP's were quite over inflated to get that pattern.