USCA tech question - tire tread depth?
 

Can anyone comment on the procedure the tech guys will use to check the tire tread depth to ensure you meet the 2/32" minimum? I need to go confirm mine, but I expect I'm getting close after this past weekend.

Thanx!

Insert a penny into your tire's tread groove with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, your tread depth is less than 2/32 inch

I guess I'm poor cause I use a penny. :D

The wear bars are federally mandated to be molded at 2/32 (otherwise know as 1/16"). If you are above the wear bars your good to go.

Using an actual depth checker on my Falkens, Im right at 2/32 on the inner groove but the outer is almost 4/32. Do they check the outer wear bars or inner as well. How thorough are they?

If I can run these and buy new tires afterwards it would be great. Im sure tire availability is going to improve as soon as the event is over. :shakehead:

To answer my own question, as much as I'd like to go with an event sponsored tire, I've decided to err on the side of caution and go with the new tires I have on order. I'd hate to flatspot these thin tires on Saturday and then try to run them on the road coarse on Sunday. Not worth the damage to my car or anyone else.

Just a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. This was when the tires (same ones) were fresh. On a side note, it looks like I kept it between the cones.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J...no/Bad_day.jpg

I've worked a couple OPTIMAS --- in the stop box.... Cars barreling towards you only to slam on the brakes... your thoughts are "hope he can drive" as the car gets all sideways!! Second thought for me is -- "hope I didn't say anything to piss him off...." LOL

At Thunderhill they were not checking tires very throughly. Mostly looking for the TW number. If your tires looked ok and 200+ tread wear they where initialled.

usca tires
 

Just got new fronts for my car--Falkins
wondering how they will work with a different
type and age tire for the rear.. autocross, stop box
I think ok.. but track??? Viper guy I track with a lot together and
has found when he puts new tires on front and leaves
his rears the car has a shake or thunking noise....
Well that is what he says after that Black Pantera goes
past him:)

Bob

I know they have a wear limit....I run Falkens ....I will say that as long as the tire isn't old you can run them bald and they still grip....these tires were worn-out from 3 big events but since the tire was only 2 months old....these still gripped like crazy.....:thumbsup:

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/x...psmnt9slgd.jpg

If you do get new tires run em down a bit.

I'd run them maypops for the stop challenge. You can change tires right? Or is there a rule against it?

Happens to the best of them Chris. :thumbsup:

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9...9QXVF8G-X2.jpg

No changing tires.

One set for the entire event. There is some judgement / discretion should you have something happen (cut tire from something on the track etc) to a tire... but I don't think they'd use that card because you ran maypops.... LOL

I started to Google "maypop", then it hit me as I was typing it out. :bang:

Usca tires
 

I agree that if they are fairly new tires most
will stick until they are worn out.. Old Hoosier autocross
tires would wear in the inside because of the neg camber
and would actually work better due to the wedge they had

I also have corded a few Hoosier R6's at the track and they
were gripping good on the track... come in and saw those
shinny damn steel cords hanging out the sides and then said
it was time.. looked ok before starting the run

Bob

Got my new tires mounted today. Its amazing how nice a set of tires feel without the flatspots.

Funny, I did the exact same thing. With the same result...

I was hoping to get one more event out of the existing Falkens, but the flat spots were creating some bad vibration issues, bad enough that I pulled my driveshaft to have it balanced yesterday. I had a horrible harmonic vibration on the way home Saturday from Fort Worth, and it seems it was flat spot related.

I have a 4 hour drive in TOW tomorrow, so I'll see if the vibrations are gone. I have always had some kind of vibration around 2200-2400 RPM, with both the previous and new engine. That one I can't figure out, but it feels engine related.

See you Saturday!

You know it was such a difference Im now rethinking my strategy of investing in a really nice(expensive) set of wheels and going with 2 lesser sets just so I can keep some street tires around. When we talk about what makes our cars "street", NVH as I think I heard others call it, is a HUGE part. I took the car out for a short cruise last night with new headlights and besides the few interior rattles and squeaks (fire extinguisher is a huge contributor), it was a very nice ride.

On a side note... Truck-lite LED's... AWESOME!

I understand not changing tires for each segment, but can you rotate them? Like put the older ones on the front for the speed stop portion?

Tires can be rotated in any fashion you wish during the event, however, the event must be run on the same set of tires you tech with. Catastrophic failure is the only reason to change a tire and it must be the same brand and size as the tire being replaced.

All technical questions should be sent to [email protected] for official responses.

Thanks to everyone that has participated with us this year, we're off to a great start thanks to you!