[s-cars] Re: S-CAR-List Digest, Vol 7, Issue 98 - 17" tire size ideas

[Theodore Chen]

--- Larry C Leung <l.leung at juno.com> wrote:
> Teddy, 
> 
> Is this on your S-car or the Miata? I would think with the 
> weight and power of the S-car, shaving would actually
> make them last longer. I even found with the GTi (note,
> nearly 58% of it's weight was up front, probably over 80%
> under braking and turn in), that shaving helped tire life, 
> although then it was actually hard to get the tire temps up 
> to full operating temp (had a hard time getting them over
> 128 degrees F, although my tread temps only varied by
> 3 - 4 degrees on an SCCA stock class car). 

this is on the mustang, which is where virtually all of my race
tire experience comes from.  the spec miata is a new addition this year.

shaving will make the tires last longer if you're having problems with
chunking, but i've never seen kumho V700s chunk.  they come with 6/32"
of tread, and the actual raised tread is quite thin.  they become slicks
quickly.

i think what you're really getting at is heat cycles.  for tires that
are good for only a few heat cycles, shaving will definitely get more
useful life out of the tires, and the tires will be stickier during that
time.  however, when you're talking about tires like the kumho V700 and
toyo RA-1, which are very consistent over many heat cycles, shaving won't
buy you anything in terms of useful tire life if you're not having any
chunking or graining problems.

> I really never could get the tires properly heat cycled on 
> the street, even with a spirited highway run. Car was just
> too darned light to heat up 205/55-14's. I was looking 
> forwards to trying 195/55-14 Kumho V700's when the
> tree fell on the car. Smush!

too bad about the car.  what did you replace it with?

-teddy



	
		
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