Cleaning Slicks

[eastlmark]

After racing at Lydden my slicks are covered in pick up rubber so badly that the wear guides are covered. Any tips on cleaning them up? Have a heat gun and scraper as seen once at Britcar but worried about digging in too far and removing good rubber.

[AndyMil]

Hillclimbers use soapy water and either a surform, or a small wood plane.

[Trev450]

Yep as suggested, warm soapy water and a surform.

[h_____]

Always use a scraper and wire brush.....

[Sf_Manta]

Heatgun and scraper works fine, just make sure the tyres fairly warm before you start digging at the lumps, they should lift off fairly easy though along with the old rubber

[Count Johnny]

Sf_Manta said:

Heatgun and scraper works fine, just make sure the tyres fairly warm before you start digging at the lumps, they should lift off fairly easy though along with the old rubber

I'd avoid a heatgun as it's surely putting your tyre through a pointless heat cycle.

[XG332]

Count Johnny said:

Sf_Manta said:

Heatgun and scraper works fine, just make sure the tyres fairly warm before you start digging at the lumps, they should lift off fairly easy though along with the old rubber

I'd avoid a heatgun as it's surely putting your tyre through a pointless heat cycle.

Its a fairly common practice in motorsport actually.

[h_____]

Indeed, always see the F3 teams at the back of the pits doing exactly that. In club circles we can never be bothered to lug a heatgun around........

[Count Johnny]

XG332 said:

Its a fairly common practice in motorsport actually.

I know. It just seems a bit stupid.

[thunderbelmont]

Count Johnny said:

I know. It just seems a bit stupid.

Not really, they'll not be used for race use again - only for testing, or just in case spares (the F3 guys, and many more of the pseudo-pro types) If there's a second (or three) a lap in having new tyres, you ain't going to use those old ones, no matter how well the boy may have cleaned them up!

And if they're Dunlops, by the time you read this, they'll be harder than a nylon caster on a shopping trolley and will never ever grip again.
If they're Avons - leave the old rubber on there, they'll be more grippy until it wears off!!
If they're Michelins, clean it off with the hot air gun and the scraper, but be careful.

[eastlmark]

They are Dunlops, in this case anyway. Spent a torrid 2 hours with heat gun and scraper and now are in reasonable shape. One of the rears had around 1cm of pick up uniformly around half the width of the tyre, If I had used as they were the other half of tyre would not have been in contact with the ground. Cannot afford a new set after every sprint/race! Lesson for nesxt season: not moving off line for anyone!
Thanks for everyones help, the surform idea just didnt seem to be working at all or maybe I just dont have the correct tool. WIre brushes just dont sound like a great idea to me!

[andy rob]

after qually I come in do tyre temps & pressures & take wheels straight off, usually the tyres are still warm enough to remove all the pick up with a scraper without needing the heat gun.
Anyhow car is rwd, I clean up the fronts but the backs have to be really bad before I clean them up, as a lot of right foot on the out lap has the same effect

[skeggysteve]

thunderbelmont said:

...

And if they're Dunlops, by the time you read this, they'll be harder than a nylon caster on a shopping trolley and will never ever grip again....

I know exactly what you mean, thanks Mr TB, that has brightened up my night.