Tyre condition
Discussion
Well if you drive around slowly all day they might last however....
If it is dry, remotely warm and you use that pedal on the right (remember you've paid for all those revs do use them), then you may take a significant amount of tread off your tyre, this will leave you with:-
a) possibly no rubber and bare canvas
b) four knackered (illegal) tyres to drive home on
Now you could risk it, but a pull from the law or a summer thunderstorm and you could be in deep sh*t. An aquaplaing car (with absolutely no control) followed by accident followed by an interview with Mr. Plod about your tyres doesn't bear thinking about.
Remember your tyres are the one of the most critical things on the car.
davidy
If it is dry, remotely warm and you use that pedal on the right (remember you've paid for all those revs do use them), then you may take a significant amount of tread off your tyre, this will leave you with:-
a) possibly no rubber and bare canvas
b) four knackered (illegal) tyres to drive home on
Now you could risk it, but a pull from the law or a summer thunderstorm and you could be in deep sh*t. An aquaplaing car (with absolutely no control) followed by accident followed by an interview with Mr. Plod about your tyres doesn't bear thinking about.
Remember your tyres are the one of the most critical things on the car.
davidy
sorry, didn't make myself clear.
The tyres have worn along one edge, but would still offer good tread (5-6mm) and if swapped over hopefully they wouldn't go to canvas. they are of course road--illegal as the worn bit has 0mm tread depth.
The idea would be to take them up to a track day IN the car on a different set of wheels, put them on INSIDE THE CIRCUIT CONFINES and put the road ones back on for the drive home. What I was wondering was, if it IS DRY AT THE TRACK, are the scrutineers bothered about tyres being road legal?
Maybe I won't bother and will just let the garage throw them away when they come off.
The tyres have worn along one edge, but would still offer good tread (5-6mm) and if swapped over hopefully they wouldn't go to canvas. they are of course road--illegal as the worn bit has 0mm tread depth.
The idea would be to take them up to a track day IN the car on a different set of wheels, put them on INSIDE THE CIRCUIT CONFINES and put the road ones back on for the drive home. What I was wondering was, if it IS DRY AT THE TRACK, are the scrutineers bothered about tyres being road legal?
Maybe I won't bother and will just let the garage throw them away when they come off.
On the track days I've attended it is possible to use slick tyres, at the organisers disgression and providing the track is *completely* clean and dry. I would check with the organiser, but the last event I attended there was a Renault Spider and a Porsche 928 racer on slicks. Or see if some of the Yoko 038R or "tusk" tyres will fit your rims/spare rims. The 038R's are the ones used on Lotus 340R, looks like a bike tyre for a car. Not much fun in the wet I'll grant you, but great fun in the dry.
On a dry track worn tyres will be better than newish tyres. This is because the tread blocks move under cornering, this generates more heat and the tyres deteriorate more quickly. More tread depth = more movement = more heat.
Clearly you will need to keep an eye on any tyres ata track day - wearing through to the canvas is not a good idea. Check you tyres after every session on the track and don't stay out too long.
I have used slicks on a road car at track days before with no issues (other than not being able to get enough heat into them on standard suspension - oh - and invalidating my insurance!).
Actually that is a good point - if your insurance covers you for track days but you prang it with non-road legal tyres, I wouldn't think the insurance company would pay out....
Clearly you will need to keep an eye on any tyres ata track day - wearing through to the canvas is not a good idea. Check you tyres after every session on the track and don't stay out too long.
I have used slicks on a road car at track days before with no issues (other than not being able to get enough heat into them on standard suspension - oh - and invalidating my insurance!).
Actually that is a good point - if your insurance covers you for track days but you prang it with non-road legal tyres, I wouldn't think the insurance company would pay out....
Be careful using slicks on a road car as the extra grip caused by warmed up slicks puts a lot of strain on suspension components.
Also a worn road tyre is not a slick, it is a worm road tyre, slicks still have a significant amount of rubber on them, they just don't have a tread pattern (ecepting cut slicks!)
davidy
Also a worn road tyre is not a slick, it is a worm road tyre, slicks still have a significant amount of rubber on them, they just don't have a tread pattern (ecepting cut slicks!)
davidy
erm, yes - the slicks I used were racing slicks, not worn road tyres.
I agree about suspension - it could break before the tyres lose traction - or the car could roll rather than slide. It all comes down to using common sense and not driving totally stupidly. I found that I got reasonable grip, but due to the limitations of a) my driving and b) the fairly standard suspension and brakes on the car (an Impreza), I never got the slicks really hot. Without the 'ultimate' grip the suspension was never going to be under serious threat.
But back to the orginal question, worn (but not completely shagged) road tyres are a good bet for a dry track.
I agree about suspension - it could break before the tyres lose traction - or the car could roll rather than slide. It all comes down to using common sense and not driving totally stupidly. I found that I got reasonable grip, but due to the limitations of a) my driving and b) the fairly standard suspension and brakes on the car (an Impreza), I never got the slicks really hot. Without the 'ultimate' grip the suspension was never going to be under serious threat.
But back to the orginal question, worn (but not completely shagged) road tyres are a good bet for a dry track.
quote:
erm, yes - the slicks I used were racing slicks, not worn road tyres.
I agree about suspension - it could break before the tyres lose traction - or the car could roll rather than slide. It all comes down to using common sense and not driving totally stupidly. I found that I got reasonable grip, but due to the limitations of a) my driving and b) the fairly standard suspension and brakes on the car (an Impreza), I never got the slicks really hot. Without the 'ultimate' grip the suspension was never going to be under serious threat.
But back to the orginal question, worn (but not completely shagged) road tyres are a good bet for a dry track.
I accidentally ran a pair of tyres down to the 'canvas' at a recent track day. The rear tyres wore right down on the inner corner where it wasn't obvious. It was well below the bottom of the normal tread and I could just start to see braiding coming through. When I had the tyres replaced, I checked how thick the remaining material was. There was nothing left at all, just the thickness of a piece of paper. Would have taken very little extra wear before blowing. Thinking back to the EVO crash, makes me think track days are the very last place you want to be driving on bald tyres. The handling will be distinctly iffy, you won't have as much grip as normal and I would be very concerned about getting a blow out.
Perhaps I should clarify...
By worn I mean 2-3mm of tread left - I don't mean totally bald. I don't know about you guys but I don't like letting my road tyres get down to this level for use in wet weather, so I replace them. The tyres that come off are often ideal for a track day.
I might drive to the track with these on, but I'd have my newer road tyres with me to drive back on (or to replace the older ones if it rained or the wear got too bad).
Of course now I've got a Griff rather than a 5 door Impreza, carting around a trolley jack and 4 spare wheels and tyres will be a bit more challenging!
By worn I mean 2-3mm of tread left - I don't mean totally bald. I don't know about you guys but I don't like letting my road tyres get down to this level for use in wet weather, so I replace them. The tyres that come off are often ideal for a track day.
I might drive to the track with these on, but I'd have my newer road tyres with me to drive back on (or to replace the older ones if it rained or the wear got too bad).
Of course now I've got a Griff rather than a 5 door Impreza, carting around a trolley jack and 4 spare wheels and tyres will be a bit more challenging!
I agree with the comments about extra loadings through the suspension components and the chassis pickup points. This could cause breakages. Additionally, if there is flexibility in the chassis or bodyshell, slicks will agrivate this flex to the long term feeling of looseness of the car. It was, and probably still is, the custom to buff new road tyres down to about 4mm tread in certain formuleas which require road/control tyres to be fitted.
excellent chat lads!
yes, the tyres are 2-3mm so probably ideal. I too change them at this depth because any lower does increase on-road aquaplaning, even if it still legal, it is better to be still alive!
So 2-3mm should last me on the track, not cause a suspension collapse and it doesn't matter if I sh@g them out because they would only otherwise have been thrown away!
Everyone agree with that consensus?
PS the reason they are worn along one edge (I am told) is that power steering exaggerates tyre wear. The legal tread measurements are taken across the middle 2/3 of the tyre, not the edge, so they are technically road legal, but as I say, in the wet the fact that the edge is practically slick means no water dissipation along that edge, hence more water build up under the tyre, hence greater risk of aquaplaning. So off they come.
yes, the tyres are 2-3mm so probably ideal. I too change them at this depth because any lower does increase on-road aquaplaning, even if it still legal, it is better to be still alive!
So 2-3mm should last me on the track, not cause a suspension collapse and it doesn't matter if I sh@g them out because they would only otherwise have been thrown away!
Everyone agree with that consensus?
PS the reason they are worn along one edge (I am told) is that power steering exaggerates tyre wear. The legal tread measurements are taken across the middle 2/3 of the tyre, not the edge, so they are technically road legal, but as I say, in the wet the fact that the edge is practically slick means no water dissipation along that edge, hence more water build up under the tyre, hence greater risk of aquaplaning. So off they come.
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff