When are Pilot Super Sports worn out for track?
03-29-2015, 06:02 PM
#1
When are Pilot Super Sports worn out for track?
OK. Didn't know what else to title this question.
2015 Z51.
I'm pretty new to tracking. I planned to wear out the stock tires as I gained track experience before going to dedicated track slicks and just got Pilot Sport 500 tread wear non run-flats for street on other rims.
I've tracked these stock Pilot SS's three track days with factory camber after 1500 street miles. I saw the imbalanced wear happening fast as I got faster on track and have now changed car to the recommended -2° camber, etc. and run then ran one more track day yesterday. This is what the fronts - outsides look like and didn't change much at all yesterday on track. So the alignment has almost stopped the fast outside wear - but obviously will still wear some.
My question is inspired by the tire guy's comment (private race tire service work trailer) at Chuckwalla yesterday. He said, "These tires are shot. You can see the steel belt starting to show through here." And pointed to the area you see in the photo. Well. I came home and filed off those little riffles in one spot he was pointing out to see if I got more steel belt or not and there was just more rubber under them, indicating that they were just "little rubber riffles not steel belt." You can see from the photo that the original small lateral tread lines which are very shallow on a brand new tire seem to be not much more than just barely worn off in the middle of them.
I have a lot of rubber on the rest of the tire due to my not changing alignment when I should have - like before I tracked them for the first time. OK. don't chastise me, please. I'm new at this. So, does anyone know how much rubber is actually under those outboard lateral lines? I'd like to wear out the rest of the tire if possible. Thanks.
2015 Z51.
I'm pretty new to tracking. I planned to wear out the stock tires as I gained track experience before going to dedicated track slicks and just got Pilot Sport 500 tread wear non run-flats for street on other rims.
I've tracked these stock Pilot SS's three track days with factory camber after 1500 street miles. I saw the imbalanced wear happening fast as I got faster on track and have now changed car to the recommended -2° camber, etc. and run then ran one more track day yesterday. This is what the fronts - outsides look like and didn't change much at all yesterday on track. So the alignment has almost stopped the fast outside wear - but obviously will still wear some.
My question is inspired by the tire guy's comment (private race tire service work trailer) at Chuckwalla yesterday. He said, "These tires are shot. You can see the steel belt starting to show through here." And pointed to the area you see in the photo. Well. I came home and filed off those little riffles in one spot he was pointing out to see if I got more steel belt or not and there was just more rubber under them, indicating that they were just "little rubber riffles not steel belt." You can see from the photo that the original small lateral tread lines which are very shallow on a brand new tire seem to be not much more than just barely worn off in the middle of them.
I have a lot of rubber on the rest of the tire due to my not changing alignment when I should have - like before I tracked them for the first time. OK. don't chastise me, please. I'm new at this. So, does anyone know how much rubber is actually under those outboard lateral lines? I'd like to wear out the rest of the tire if possible. Thanks.
03-30-2015, 01:53 PM
#2
I can answer my own question now. Talked to my service manager today who is familiar with Corvettes and the Michelin tires that come on them. He says regarding Michelin Pilot Super Sports, "In the outside area of the tire where the lateral shallow grooves are present: the grooves represent half the rubber depth."
