When to change tires?

Discussion in 'PSI Superchargers Tech Questions' started by Scouder, Oct 16, 2010.

  1. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    It just occurred to me that I don't know when a set of rears should be replaced. I have Goodyear 34.5s.

    How deep are the wear checks when the tire is new?

    How deep do you let them get before you change out the tire?

    Thanks,

    -Brian
     
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  2. altered boy

    altered boy Outlaw Altered

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    if you're running a big hp car then you'll 'wear them out' long before the wear indicator holes are gone. slicks usually give up the available impregnated compound long long before the carcass is worn out

    when you notice the back of your car/wheelie bar is clean and not getting black specs and rubber stuck on it... then those tires have given up most of their compound



    in a lower hp car running brackets etc it may not be that bigga deal. but a blown alcohol, nitrous, huge cid, or nitro deal will fall off quickly
     
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  3. suddendebt

    suddendebt Blown Altered

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    A good rule of thumb that I have both been told and have seen first hand is around 2 years or less. It just depends on your caliber of car, as for us we get two years and then its almost like there is a switch that gets thrown that turns them off or something. and as soon as you do a burn out with them the clock starts and they will age weather on the car or not.

    Again just my opinion and experience.

    What do you guys think about the whole letting all the air out of them when your not going to use them for a while? i know you want them off concret when storing them just curious about what you think.
     
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  4. Don Onimus

    Don Onimus New Member

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    tires

    I put old tires on the car when traveling or sitting. But mine loose there air all by themselves, + I just put air in them when ready to put them on.. Sort of like when the car shuts itself off when I hit the chutes. One less thing to think about. Don;[
     
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  5. Mike Canter

    Mike Canter Top Dragster
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    On a competetive high horsepower blower car it can be as few as 12 runs or as many as 22 runs. The best thing to do is to monitor your 60 ft times and if you see them start dropping off then it is time to change your slicks. This also depends on how competetive you want to be.

    The problem is that if your tires have already lost there "oils" and your 60 fts have already gone down the drain you may not be able to see them get worse. They may only got a lot better with new slicks.
     
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  6. jim phillips

    jim phillips ta/fc

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    if i remember right someone told me when you down to a 125 thousands left on the hole put a new set on 60fts were still ok but down track they seem spin more
     
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  7. Jason Bunker

    Jason Bunker Member

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    We have a set of Hoosiers on the car now with 23 runs on them. 60 foot never really went away on them, but they seemed to be worse as the car got out through low gear. It went .980, .990, .986 on the last 3 runs on them.

    Thats on a Pro Mod car. 2700lbs. Roots car.
     
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  8. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    Thanks guys.

    Based on all of this, I'm overdue for new shoes. My wear checks are down to .108 and the tires are more than two years old. This might explain why our best 60 has been a 1.09. Now I have to decide what to put on it. These were 1490's. Since this is not a world-class track I'm thinking of Hoosier 2055 or even MT. I've heard both of these stick better than the Goodyears on poor tracks.

    -Brian
     
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  9. Reeves Racing

    Reeves Racing New Member

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    slicks

    We run MT and these things are great
     
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  10. Mike Canter

    Mike Canter Top Dragster
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    Brian, the big problem you may encounter with changing from old slick Goodyears to a brand new sticky Hoosier or M/T is tire shake. Your old slicks may have allowed a little spin to get the wheel speed up so no shake. Just watch that wheelspeed with the new tires. If the driveshaft RPM drops below 2500 at .5 sec then you are going to have to make some adjustments to keep it out of shake.
     
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  11. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    Thanks Mike,

    In addition to the new tires, we are switching from 3.89 to 4.56 out back to better suit our little 1/8 mile track. Those two things combined should make the car have a completely different personality, so we'll be watching for any bad traits. Unfortunately, our track won't open again until mid May, so I just have to rub my hands all over my new tires and fantasize for the next 7 months!

    -Brian
     
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  12. Mike Canter

    Mike Canter Top Dragster
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    So what first and second gear are you using and what diameter tire? Do you only run 1/8 mile. What is the max rpm you are shifting at now?

    Yes, you are correct you are going to see a big change in the car's personality.
     
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  13. jim phillips

    jim phillips ta/fc

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    you go from a 3.89 to a 4.56 your car will be violent leaving and you will problley have to start knocking timing out so it will leave without knocking the tires off are going into tire shake early with the automatic you may want to leave the gears alone untill you put the new tire on 4.56 is a big jump i run the 2055 with beadlocks i have mid 90 60fts but i run a clutch and leave a 5000 rpms with a 4.30 but i know my car is a lot lighter than yours i think and run 4.0s some times baby steps work better just my thoughts
     
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  14. fastavenger 588

    fastavenger 588 New Member

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    tires

    just want to know how much better are the goodyears than the m/t or the others thenks
     
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  15. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    Mike, I thought I posted a response earlier today, but I must have missed the SUBMIT button. This is a glide car, 1.80 and 1, on a 34.5 tire. We run our local 1/8 mile airport track only. Since we are only out for the fun of it, and there isn't any money to win anyway, we baby the car as much as we can. We intend to shift at 7500-7800. We believe our little track will support about 170mph next year, but with the 3.89 that's still only about 6600 engine rpm. My idea was to match the gear to the track just a little closer. A 4.56 would put us in the 7500rpm range at the same speed.

    Jim, You are the second person today to tell me I should leave the gear alone, run the new tires, and then decide what to do about the gear. The other person was a buddy that acts as my crew at the track. He as been pretty good about reeling me in when I get big ideas, and reminding me to do one thing at a time. Hmmmmm....

    -Brian
     
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  16. jim phillips

    jim phillips ta/fc

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    i had a friend tell me one time an old drag racer he said HEY this isnt a monkey see monkey do deal so with that said i learned to only try one thing at a time so i could tell what helped and what didnt remember most of the time the little home tracks wont hold the horsepower any way unless its prepped very well for a special events and even then wont hold big horsepower cars another thing that took me a long time to understand and the signs were there all along the hopped up car isnt always the fastest you can take power away and go a lot faster in the early years i have had the best cars and parts money could buy AND COULDNT HIT MY ASS WITH BOTH HANDS because i was to harded headed and stubborn to take power away it just didnt make sence to me low and behold when i decided to knock some power out i started going alot faster in my mind set on kill had to be very fast not true always for sure not at the local tracks good luck
     
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  17. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    Jim,

    You and my crew win. I'm gonna pull my horns in and just run the new tires with my existing setup. If I run that setup to the max and the track holds it then I'll throw a different gear at it, or maybe just add some pulley. All I'm shooting for this year is 4.2, which shouldn't be that hard to get. By the way, what does your car weigh? You got me curious with your comment earlier.

    -Brian
     
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  18. jim phillips

    jim phillips ta/fc

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    im gona say with me around 2200-2300 i changed bodys keep in mind i have run on a ton of local tracks probley like yours match racing all over the country some better than others and i have always had to pull the horsepower back to get down them fast without shaking are spinning the tires 540kb brad fuel heads 1471 littlefield 57.7 over 44amp 3 speed lenco with a 10"clutch 430 gear and a good fuel system the car will 60ft mid 90s any where its the rest of the track where you will have the most trouble and in good air i really have to pull it back 26* -30* timing and no leanout hooked up hope this give you a good ideal and it will run 4.0s to low teen pulled back and 3.9s on the best tracks with the leanouts hooked up and timing bumped back up give me a call some time 812 228 7683
     
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    Last edited: Oct 19, 2010
  19. Scouder

    Scouder New Member

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    I'll give you a call.

    -Brian
     
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  20. Mike Canter

    Mike Canter Top Dragster
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    Well with a 1.80 first gear and a 3.89 rear your 60fts are never going to be outstanding. Yes a 4.56 will change the way the car comes off the line and will be more violent but the 1.80 first gear is still going to be a controlling factor. One of the problems your are experiencing right now is the amount of rpm drop when the car shifts to high gear. Once that RPM drops like that it is hard to get it back with a 3.89 rear. I have said this before many times if the motor will not RPM in high gear then you don't make boost and therefore will not make power so the car will not want to MPH and the engine RPM will tend to flat line. One of the answers is to bump up that shiftpoint out of first gear so whe the rpm drops the revs are still higher. How much rpm do you drop when the car shifts to high gear? How much boost do you lose at that point?

    No doubt the new tires will help but with the current gearing I don't think you are pushing the old tires. If you think the 4.56 is too much then I would go with a 4.30 but I would not stay with a 3.89.
     
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