Suggesting tire shaving depth?

blk-majik · Sep 15, 2009, 03:38 PM

I'll likely be buying a set of R-comps before my next club DE event. I'm leaning towards Toyo RA1s or R888s. Most likely the RA1's, which have a 8/32" tread depth. After my first event, I've seen first hand how thermal breakdown can cause the tread to start to peel off the tire if they are not shaved. With the RA1's, I'm thinking of shaving them to 6/32". Have any of you track fiends who've been using Toyo R-comps on the X had any similar experiences? Without shaving, about how much seat time can you expect to be able to use them? Please specify what tires you were using

For those of you who have used shaved tires, what depth are you having them shaved to?

How about the R888's? They come with 6/32" tread depth, so any advantage to shaving them?

TxEvo8 · Sep 15, 2009, 03:49 PM

Most shave to 4/32nds

goofygrin · Sep 15, 2009, 03:59 PM

4/32 is the standard depth, but if I'm paying for tires, I'm using the whole thing

With RA1's, when they are bald, they still have 2/32s left.

LaXGSR · Sep 16, 2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofygrin

4/32 is the standard depth, but if I'm paying for tires, I'm using the whole thing

With RA1's, when they are bald, they still have 2/32s left.

I think what blk-majik is saying is that shaving the tire will actually make it last longer by avoiding chunks peeling right off of the tread. I wonder if that is true. I know a guy that shaves down to 2/32 for autocross. For track use, 4/32 definitely sounds more reasonable.

EDIT: just did some reading and yes, it sounds like tire shaving will make your tires last longer if they are mainly used for track or autocross. I would go with 4/32 as others have suggested.

goofygrin · Sep 16, 2009, 11:01 AM

I know *why* he was asking, but I still won't pay to shave off the tire I'm buying

NT-05's come 7/32, but they did chunk a little at this depth.

LaXGSR · Sep 16, 2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofygrin

I know *why* he was asking, but I still won't pay to shave off the tire I'm buying

NT-05's come 7/32, but they did chunk a little at this depth.

I see where you're coming from...so would the most economical thing to do be daily driving the tires until they are down to 4/32" depth, then hit the track with them? It sounds like tracking full-depth tires is a bad idea because they could chunk and actually cause you to lose more tread than if you had shaved them to begin with. My stock tires are now at 3/32" after only 1.5 track days and some daily driving (<2000 miles). I feel that my stock tires got destroyed due to tracking them at 8/32" depth.

blk-majik · Sep 16, 2009, 02:08 PM

That's kind of what I did my first time out (but I didn't wear them down enough). But I plan on getting a set of R-comps for my next trip. There's no point in shaving street tires

The R-comps won't be used on the street. They're virtually slicks, and they ain't cheap. Driving them on the street will be unsafe if it rains, and will be expensive since they'll still wear down more.

My plan is to get a set of R-comps ONLY for the track, and a set of performance dry tires for DD. Sure, paying for shaving and paying to have the tires swapped for track events adds some overhead, but its better than buying a set of street tires every time I go out and not performing as well. And its better than hydroplaning on the way to work because I thought R-comps would be good for DD's.

That said, it might be worth another thread, but has anyone figured out an easy way to haul tires around with the X?

LaXGSR · Sep 16, 2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blk-majik

That said, it might be worth another thread, but has anyone figured out an easy way to haul tires around with the X?

The back seat (assuming you're not too tall) fits 4 tires pretty well

That's the cheapest option.

blk-majik · Sep 16, 2009, 02:18 PM

I'm almost 6', but I didn't think they'd fit. Im not above hunching a bit, but when the track is 4hrs away, that might get annoying rather fast

I might try to fab up one of those cool hidden hitch brackets. Been looking for an excuse to learn to use a mig welder!

goofygrin · Sep 16, 2009, 02:29 PM

you'll heat cycle the tires out before you kill the tread if you do what you're talking about (dd'ing them until they're where you want them).

There's a reason that people that are looking for the best times shave tires... but if you're asking this question, you're not one of those people.

As far as carrying tires, 4 fit just fine in the back seat, even for long drives. I've had me, my wife, my kid (in his car seat, my dog, 4 race tires/wheels, my track bag, 2 5 gallon gas cans and all our stuff for a week at the inlaws in my car. Sure it was cramped, but it all fit.

LaXGSR · Sep 16, 2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofygrin

you'll heat cycle the tires out before you kill the tread if you do what you're talking about (dd'ing them until they're where you want them).

There's a reason that people that are looking for the best times shave tires... but if you're asking this question, you're not one of those people.

As far as carrying tires, 4 fit just fine in the back seat, even for long drives. I've had me, my wife, my kid (in his car seat, my dog, 4 race tires/wheels, my track bag, 2 5 gallon gas cans and all our stuff for a week at the inlaws in my car. Sure it was cramped, but it all fit.

Yeah I'm not looking for the best times - just don't want to chunk the tires like last time. Guess I can just DD the tires and avoid running them on the track at full depth to avoid chunking?

BTW, how's you fit your kid/dog with the race tires/wheels? Did you fit all 4 tires in the back seat? I stacked them two high, maybe you went higher?

goofygrin · Sep 16, 2009, 06:35 PM

I stripped the trunk (no spare, no sub, etc). One tire in the well, 2 gas jugs, a small suitcase, toolbag and other stuff (jack, etc) thrown in.

In the back seat, he was in the middle, one tire was behind me in the footwell (I've got short legs and a long torso, so the seat was up a little bit), one was standing up in each of the seats next to my son, with towels over them (brake dust), and bags in the wheels. The dog sat on my wife's lap or in the floorboards (depending on her mood).

It was packed.

LaXGSR · Sep 16, 2009, 08:22 PM

^ Wow that is impressive! You prove the evo x CAN haul a bunch of stuff

weneversleep · Sep 17, 2009, 06:59 PM

Good luck finding RA1s in sizes to fit an Evo. Toyo stopped production of them last year, and are re-producing them soon due to demand, but only in Miata sizes (for Spec Miata).

You don't need to shave an R888. I've been through 3 sets (on my M3), and they stick right out of the box unshaved with no tread squirm or overheating. They do not even need to be heat-cycled. All shaving does to an R888 is decrease its usable life.

--michael

blk-majik · Sep 17, 2009, 08:01 PM

Ah, suck. I knew the spec miata guys cried enough to get the RA1's brought back, but I didn't realize it was JUST for the miatas

Cool about the R888's. Thanks for the insight!