How much tread on a track day?
Discussion
That's not normal though, it was a 'play day' on an airfield.
Not sure really because I normally share a set of track day wheels with Joospeed, and he just puts the part-worns that I and others give him when we put new ones on the road wheels. I think that it can be minimal if you're not going out to drift it round every corner.
Not sure really because I normally share a set of track day wheels with Joospeed, and he just puts the part-worns that I and others give him when we put new ones on the road wheels. I think that it can be minimal if you're not going out to drift it round every corner.
DustyC said:
How much tread did you use on a track day?
Or
How long did your tyres last and how many trackdays did you do on them?
Its all down to how you're going to drive (and the type of tyres you have, and the surface, and .....), but you might typically get through a few mm.
Stop asking the questions and get out there on a track day - that's the easiest way to find out! 
In fact, go to a track day that has a tyre service on site and you can buy some new ones to drive home on if you wear them out.
>> Edited by jeremyc on Wednesday 30th June 15:04
I have a track day booked at Silverstone Grandprix circuit in August and am consdering booking another before it. I want to know if the tyres will last both of these and my Euro Holiday in September.
I have taken the car on a RideDrive airfield day and it pretty much ruined the new S03's. Still have a fair bit of tread but its now very marbled.
My driving style will be at the novice level.
The main reason I ask all this is I still have a set of S02s with about 3mm on the rears and more on the front. The idea being to get some spare wheels and haul these to the track. If I use them up I'll just fit my originals back on.
Shpub: Its alright, I didnt forget your comments!
I have taken the car on a RideDrive airfield day and it pretty much ruined the new S03's. Still have a fair bit of tread but its now very marbled.
My driving style will be at the novice level.
The main reason I ask all this is I still have a set of S02s with about 3mm on the rears and more on the front. The idea being to get some spare wheels and haul these to the track. If I use them up I'll just fit my originals back on.
Shpub: Its alright, I didnt forget your comments!
On a track (as opposed to an airfield) the outer front will wear the most - so n/s front at most circuits.
The rears don't take too much of a pounding unless you hoon around.
The marbles you've got now will wear off during normal road use, but you'll get them back again at the next track day.
IIRC I got around 3 track days & 3k road miles from S03 fronts.
The rears don't take too much of a pounding unless you hoon around.
The marbles you've got now will wear off during normal road use, but you'll get them back again at the next track day.
IIRC I got around 3 track days & 3k road miles from S03 fronts.
If you're careful, the amount of tyre wear at a track day can be too small to measure. But there are several things you can do to make it a lot worse.
Tyres with a lot of tread generate more heat, which makes them softer, and move around more, which makes them wear more. This is worse if the tyre is brand new i.e. it hasn't been fully cured by heating it and also worse if the tyre is over-inflated.
Tyre squeal is a warning sign that the tread is starting to slide, which will lead to increased tyre wear. The harder you push past this point the faster they will wear.
Some concrete surfaces are extremely abrasive and if you slide the tyre on these surfaces the cheese grater effect will quickly cut the tread to bits.
Tyres that are well scrubbed in with 3-4 mm of thread are probably just about ideal for a track day, just keep an eye on the tread wear during the day (along with oil levels, tyre temperatures and pressures, and all the other stuff you should be monitoring throughout the day.)
Tyres with a lot of tread generate more heat, which makes them softer, and move around more, which makes them wear more. This is worse if the tyre is brand new i.e. it hasn't been fully cured by heating it and also worse if the tyre is over-inflated.
Tyre squeal is a warning sign that the tread is starting to slide, which will lead to increased tyre wear. The harder you push past this point the faster they will wear.
Some concrete surfaces are extremely abrasive and if you slide the tyre on these surfaces the cheese grater effect will quickly cut the tread to bits.
Tyres that are well scrubbed in with 3-4 mm of thread are probably just about ideal for a track day, just keep an eye on the tread wear during the day (along with oil levels, tyre temperatures and pressures, and all the other stuff you should be monitoring throughout the day.)
tvr4ever said:
Peter,
I'm on the brink of buying new S03 rear tyres. Is there a good way the run them in, or is what I'm asking utter nonsense.
Fred
You need to give them a couple of hundred miles to buff the surface and then cure them. Curing is done by heating them up to about 60 degrees and then letting them cool down naturally. This allows the vulcanisation process to continue, hardening the rubber so it deflects less and wears less. You can bring them up to temperature quite easily in this weather by driving moderately hard for about twenty minutes with plenty of firm accelerating, braking and cornering, until the tyres are good and hot. I don't mean donuts and tail slides, you don't need to actually slide the car but you will need to push it a little to heat the tyres up - gentle driving just won't do it. You'll know they're up to temperature when they are almost too hot to touch.
When you do this you need to be aware that the tyres will start off soft and get even softer as they heat up, so they're going to squirm a lot if you push them too hard. Not a problem as long as you are aware of it, better for it to happen now than on your first track day!
Peter,
Thanks for you explanation, it's true after all that you need to run them in. I heard this some time ago from someone, not going into detail like you. I then thought it to be one of those nutty professor storys, you know, like running in new speakercables for your hi end stereo with certain music pieces.
Cheers Fred
Thanks for you explanation, it's true after all that you need to run them in. I heard this some time ago from someone, not going into detail like you. I then thought it to be one of those nutty professor storys, you know, like running in new speakercables for your hi end stereo with certain music pieces.
Cheers Fred
GreenV8S said:
Peter,
I'm on the brink of buying new S03 rear tyres. Is there a good way the run them in, or is what I'm asking utter nonsense.
Fred
You need to give them a couple of hundred miles to buff the surface and then cure them. Curing is done by heating them up to about 60 degrees and then letting them cool down naturally. This allows the vulcanisation process to continue, hardening the rubber so it deflects less and wears less. You can bring them up to temperature quite easily in this weather by driving moderately hard for about twenty minutes with plenty of firm accelerating, braking and cornering, until the tyres are good and hot. I don't mean donuts and tail slides, you don't need to actually slide the car but you will need to push it a little to heat the tyres up - gentle driving just won't do it. You'll know they're up to temperature when they are almost too hot to touch.
When you do this you need to be aware that the tyres will start off soft and get even softer as they heat up, so they're going to squirm a lot if you push them too hard. Not a problem as long as you are aware of it, better for it to happen now than on your first track day!
I ran my S03s in in this way. It is also described in the bible.
After the short blast the tyres should be left to cool again (according to bible).
When my tyres were new they were awful (but fun!), probably the reason why a lot of people claim S03s are rubbish.
Now run in, they are fantastic.
RichB said:
I did a great day at Bedford on SO2 pp's and didn't use too much rubber. Perhaps it depends on the surface of the track or airfield? Rich...
Im hoping so. The airfield I was on ate tyres and spat them out again.
Then again it was a ridedrive day so was things like slalom and fast starts and stops. Probably the hardest strees that can be put on a tyre, especially when driving them on a cheese grater surface.
I think I may have come across wrong.
Im no tyre angel. I bought the Griff to use it and bought the best tyres I could get for what they are meant for. All I need to say is that I have a l9ot of fun in the Griff
The reason I asked about tyre wear is that I now realise Im gonna have to either get some spare wheels sharpish or budget for new tyres before my September trip.
Whilst Im up here on this soap box...
S03s have so many good reports that they just had to be the ones. Although they are the dearest I feel it was worth it.
Im considering getting Toyos next though just so I can see both sides of the argument.
Note: If you look for good and bad comments on the S03/Toyo debate consider the persons background.
All the people that said S03s were the best were sprinters, long distance/longterm griff owners and writters of technical manuals on the Griff!
Of those that said the Toyos were better and the S03s were crap the majority seemed to just be passing on the rumor.
I believe that some people have bought S03s and not cured them. Thought they were crap and then gone away from them.
Im no tyre angel. I bought the Griff to use it and bought the best tyres I could get for what they are meant for. All I need to say is that I have a l9ot of fun in the Griff
The reason I asked about tyre wear is that I now realise Im gonna have to either get some spare wheels sharpish or budget for new tyres before my September trip.
Whilst Im up here on this soap box...
S03s have so many good reports that they just had to be the ones. Although they are the dearest I feel it was worth it.
Im considering getting Toyos next though just so I can see both sides of the argument.
Note: If you look for good and bad comments on the S03/Toyo debate consider the persons background.
All the people that said S03s were the best were sprinters, long distance/longterm griff owners and writters of technical manuals on the Griff!
Of those that said the Toyos were better and the S03s were crap the majority seemed to just be passing on the rumor.
I believe that some people have bought S03s and not cured them. Thought they were crap and then gone away from them.
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