Zeoohsix

So I bought some used Hoosier R6 tires for my C5 and they looked OK, just caked in rubber picked up from the track. I mounted them and then drove about 30 miles on the street to get an alignment and back. Felt a heavy vibration at about 75-85 MPH, seems to go away at lower speed (didn't go any faster).

I checked things out when I got home and found that one tire has a fairly large flat spot (about 3/32 lower than the rest of the tire). The grooves are nearly gone where the flat spot is but I still have some depth before the cords. I have never flat spotted a tire, so I don't know too much about them. Has anybody continued to run a tire like this? Will it smooth out with a few sessions? Or is this tire a lost cause.

This will be my first time on r-comp race tires and now I am afraid I won't get the feedback I need through the tires because of the vibration. I am running in an HPDE at VIR next week and I don't think I have time to get a replacement take off tire in time. I do have some life left in some NT05s on spare wheels I am bringing as a backup. My plan was to try these Hoosiers on Friday and see if they improve. If not, then switch to the NT05s. Any thoughts or advice?

63Corvette

I would call whoever you bought them from and explain the flat spot and request they send you another tire with good tread. In addition to the imbalance, the tire will usually (always) stop on the "flat spot" when you are braking hard, and therefore the "flat spot" will grow and get worse until you cord it.

StreetSpeed

Slap the flat spotted tire on the back and do some burnouts, though it sounds like you have a tire that's severely flat spotted, in which case by the time you burn the rubber off the tire won't have much left anyway. But in my experience, flat spotted tires don't tend to heal themselves. I ran without ABS last year so ask me how I know.

brkntrxn

A flat spot that bad will not fix itself. You cAn run it, but the vibration will never go away.

Zeoohsix

Thanks everyone. You have all confirmed what I feared. I think I will just slap the Nittos back on for one more event while I wait for another take-off to replace the bad one.

brkntrxn

Are you running VIR with NASA next weekend? If so, come find the Mafia. I have a red F250, red enclosed, and red C5Z06.


Kevin

Hat_Trick_Hokie

What size tire? I'm running with NASA this weekend and might have some spares.

Zeoohsix

Yes. I will be running with NASA. I'll look for you. Always like to set up near the other Vettes. I'll be in a grey F150 with a white trailer and a yellow C5Z06. See you there!

-Jerry

Zeoohsix

That would be awesome if you have a spare I could buy. I am running 295 30 18 all around.

I would be interested in a pair of 305 or 315 for the rear if you had those. I put the spare wheels with the Nittos back on today and I'm not certain they will last 3 days.

brkntrxn

I have two sticker 315/18 R6s I will sell. Date code mid-year 2014, mounted but never touched the ground. PM me if interested.

Zeoohsix

I appreciate the offer, but I think sticker tires will be more than I can afford right now. Thank you though!

Hat_Trick_Hokie

PM on the way

Supercharged111

I saw this at work a few days ago and never chimed in. When I started driving the Camaro without its illustrious Z06 caliber ABS, I flat spotted a couple of tires. My first went right to the cords, but my 2nd did not. When putting through the pits I could hear my gutted door slamming every time the flat spot hit the ground. 2 sessions later, I forgot I had a flat spotted tire. Mine seemed to fix itself, don't know why my experience differed from the others in here?