FASTFATBOY

I got some old NT-05's I want to burn up, the rears are older and harder...no grip back there.

Rears are 4 years old, fronts 2 years old. The car is *** happy all over the place.

I went so far as to start the session with 41 psi in front and 27 in rear to TRY and get some push in the car.....no luck.

Any of that round track grip in a can stuff work?

Solofast

I've used Formula V on tires for 25 years and it's worked well on tires from the old 001R Yokohama thru the old BFG's, and up to the new A6 Hoosier and V710.

Don' t know it it will work on NT05's, you're going to have to try it. One caveat is that most tire softeners don't work well or at all on "street" tires. That is because those tires don't have the same kinds of compound as "racing" tires.

That said, if your rears are heat cycled out it may help them soften up.

Remember that tire softeners need to be applied up to a week before for a couple or three days and then need to dry out for three days before use. Once softened they typically only work for one day at the track and then need to go thru the entire softening cycle to be good again.

With newer tires, like the V710, the results weren't as good as with older compounds. The old tires could be brought back to almost as good as new, but newer tires could be brought back to 80 or 85% but never seemed to get "good as new". The V710 even when old could get pretty sticky if you got it hot enough, but it was really slippery when cold.

Every tire is different, the only way to know for sure is to try it.

CHJ In Virginia

Have two friends that use the formula V product on old tires. A pita to apply per instructions, but you can get an extra couple of days out of an old set of tires.

Han Solo

Tried Formula V and it seemed to help for 1 autocross run on some V710s then it seemed to go away. Smelled suspiciously like charcoal lighter fluid.

Used mineral spirits with great results on some A6s. Cycled out set would stick like new for a whole day of autocross. Tried on V710s and didn't get the same improvement but some.

I don't know if any of this stuff would work on Street compounds.

PushinTheLimit

Alot of guys in the roundy round dirt tracks try to use it even though it's outlawed in most rule books. Many talk about how toxic it is and not really all that safe unless you know what you're doing.

I have no experience with any tire softening solutions, but I know from those that have used it, it can make a pretty big difference on Hoosiers... no idea about street tires though.

Bill Dearborn

Just throw them in the waste can. I would spend the few bucks you plan on paying for the softner on a new set of tires.

Bill

SouthernSon

I tried the Formula V a few years ago on two different sets of tires. I didn't have the success some others have had with it. My tires blistered badly after a 30min road course session. My have worked great for autocross, though. Like Bill, I now just buy new tires.

froggy47

You will only try this once, you end up wasting the $$ on mounting them, wasting money on tire softener, wasting the money on entry fee, wasting the time on track not learning anything. Maybe wreck the car if you over drive the lack of grip.

Put them in the back yard, fill with dirt & plant tomatoes.



BTW real race tires (not nt05) do not have the preservatives in the compounds that street tires have & thus have MUCH shorter life span (say 2 years max). Also most do NOT have build dates on them, so if you think you are getting some great deal on slicks, maybe not so much.