Tire Technology - Need Help!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 109
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From: Richmond VA
Tire Technology - Need Help!!
I posted this in the Z06 forum and as suggested am postig it here with hopes of finding someone who is the king daddy of tire technology. I will summarize any useful responses and repost in the Z06 community for information:
Technical question about tires that have been run hard. I have ridden motorcylces for several years, have friends that race, and have read a lot and understand that (at least on motorcycles) high performance track tires, even though they may still have substantial tread left, may be completely worthless depending on the number of "heat" cycles they have been through. I think I understand this. The explanation includes the heating of the tire, the release of "plasticizer" and the tire is "soft" once it heats up, traction great. However, if the tire has been through its useful number of cycles, the plasticizer is gone and the tire never makes it back to is intended "stick".
Now, my technical question: Can this happen with the Goodyear Supercars? I have suspicion that my Z was at the least driven aggressively (may have seen some track time, but not indicated). The mods on the car when I bought it were minimal, but included braided brake lines. The maintenance manual had "replacement of brakes" highlighted. The owner a competative SCCA racer. Paint peeled from the hub of the rotor (like caused by extreme heat). A few clues pointing towards nothing for certain, but would help explain things.
The car is in great shape, and the tires still have reasonable tread on them, but the don't stick worth a crap (IMHO). ABS kicks on when braking firmly from 50 mph. Wheel spin is an every day occurance (maybe its really just the 385 hp, but mine seems to be a little too much. I can break the tires in 3rd pretty easily (not just a chirp). I am hesitant to buy new tires because: 1) they're not cheap, and 2) I seem to still have tread left.
Any technical tire guy out there that can either confirm or debunk my "tire hardening" theory? Should I just get the new tires and stop my bitching?
Technical question about tires that have been run hard. I have ridden motorcylces for several years, have friends that race, and have read a lot and understand that (at least on motorcycles) high performance track tires, even though they may still have substantial tread left, may be completely worthless depending on the number of "heat" cycles they have been through. I think I understand this. The explanation includes the heating of the tire, the release of "plasticizer" and the tire is "soft" once it heats up, traction great. However, if the tire has been through its useful number of cycles, the plasticizer is gone and the tire never makes it back to is intended "stick".
Now, my technical question: Can this happen with the Goodyear Supercars? I have suspicion that my Z was at the least driven aggressively (may have seen some track time, but not indicated). The mods on the car when I bought it were minimal, but included braided brake lines. The maintenance manual had "replacement of brakes" highlighted. The owner a competative SCCA racer. Paint peeled from the hub of the rotor (like caused by extreme heat). A few clues pointing towards nothing for certain, but would help explain things.
The car is in great shape, and the tires still have reasonable tread on them, but the don't stick worth a crap (IMHO). ABS kicks on when braking firmly from 50 mph. Wheel spin is an every day occurance (maybe its really just the 385 hp, but mine seems to be a little too much. I can break the tires in 3rd pretty easily (not just a chirp). I am hesitant to buy new tires because: 1) they're not cheap, and 2) I seem to still have tread left.
Any technical tire guy out there that can either confirm or debunk my "tire hardening" theory? Should I just get the new tires and stop my bitching?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,019
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Re: Tire Technology - Need Help!! (z06 stocker)
I can't give you a definitive answer except that others have said the same thing as you about too many heat cycles.
What I CAN say is that putting my car on the road course a few times apparently got the front wheel bearing hot enough to cook out the grease, and they started to get noisy (impending failure) with only 20K miles. You might want to check yours now and again.....
What I CAN say is that putting my car on the road course a few times apparently got the front wheel bearing hot enough to cook out the grease, and they started to get noisy (impending failure) with only 20K miles. You might want to check yours now and again.....
