Heat Cycle and Shave Kumhos

[TexasPettey]

I've got a set of Kumhos, Ecsta V70A. I plan on using them only on road racing courses. I'd like to get the maximum longevity. The shop I bought them from drop shipped only, so they couldn't heat cycle or shave them.

Does shaving help the longevity of the tires? The track I run on can be pretty intense: high bank oval front straight and ~15 turns. Sessions are usually 20-25min each, which means some pretty good heat buildup.

What do I need to do to heat cycle the tires? Do I need to run them ******* the street or just drive them around for ~15min at speed and then jack up all 4 wheels for the night?

Thanks for the help.

 

[SidewinderGTS]

Shaving would give you best traction,but it will kill the life of your tire.
If you do this just for fun,like I do,I would`nt shave them because you would get their anyway and have fun doing it.

Heat cycling would make them last about 15% longer.
I`m not a 100% sure how to do it,but your on the right track.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I would not shave Kumhos. They don't last long as is, peeling off a layer of rubber can't help.

 

[pdmracing]

I beg to differ with you , Ask the Khumo engineer, you get better longevity BY shaving them, you get less heat build up & chunking due to tire squirm & they definitely last longer in race conditions. They are much faster shaved too. sounds counter intuitive but its true. I had a $11k Khumo tire bill in 2004, I have much experiance racing on them. 4/32 should do it for dry use. Carefull heat cycling will increase longevity too.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Interestingly, I CANNOT FIND the above referenced "Kumhos, Ecsta V70A" on the Tire Rack Website...BUT, Luke at Tire Rack tells me that the ECSTA V70A is the Euro version of the ECSTA V700...and MUST BE SHAVED for dry track usage !!!!

To avoid confusion between the ECSTA V70A, the ECSTA V700,the ECSTA V710 , and the VictoRacer V700:

From the Tire Rack Site; FOR THE ECSTA V700:

" Important Notice: Kumho ECSTA V700 tires must be shaved to 3/32" - 4/32" tread depth for any autocross or track use in the dry.

Kumho advises that the ECSTA V700 DOT-legal competition radial must be shaved prior to use in dry conditions. If this tire is not shaved, excessive wear may occur causing the tire to wear to the cords prematurely in a localized area.

Tire heat cycling will not prevent the excessive localized wear of full tread depth tires but will continue to enhance tire consistency and wear on shaved tires.

The ECSTA V700 should only be used at full tread depth (6/32") for wet track and wet autocross use. "


From Tire Rack Site; FOR THE V710:

" On the outside, the ECSTA V710 tires mold a high-grip tread compound (that runs with tread temperatures of between 210 and 240 degrees Fahrenheit when pushed to the limit) into an asymmetric tread design utilizing a "slick" tread surface with just two circumferential grooves on the inner half of the tread. This maximizes the rubber-to-road contact to increase grip. Beginning with a tread depth of 4/32-inch, they will not require shaving, however they will benefit from heat cycling before competition. On the inside, the ECSTA V710 features radial construction that uses two slightly angled polyester carcass plies (with one ply wrapping around the bead and returning high up the sidewall to provide three actual sidewall plies). The belt package consists of twin lightweight steel belts reinforced by a spirally wrapped circumferential nylon cap ply under the tread.

NOTE: While KUMHO ECSTA V710 radials meet DOT requirements, they are not appropriate for highway use as the expected miles of wear from their racing tread compounds is greatly reduced."


From The Tire Rack Site; FOR THE VictoRacer V700

" Important Notice: Kumho VictoRacer V700 tires must be shaved to 3/32" - 4/32" of remaining tread depth for any track use in dry conditions.

Kumho advises that the VictoRacer V700 DOT-legal competition radial must be shaved prior to use in dry track conditions. If this tire is not shaved, excessive wear may occur causing the tire to wear to the cords prematurely in a localized area.

Tire heat cycling will not prevent the excessive localized wear of full tread depth tires but will continue to enhance the tire consistency and wear on shaved tires.

The VictoRacer V700 should only be used at full tread depth (6/32") on the track in wet conditions.

Recommended Reading: Care and Feeding of the Kumho VictoRacer V700"

CALL LUKE at 1-800-428-8355 EX 362 for REAL help !!!!

 

[Luke@tirerack]

I would post something but Steve-Indy and pdmracing have both already hit the nail pretty squarely on the head .... what sizes did you get because it has been some time since there has been an appropriate front size for a Viper?

 

[TexasPettey]

Thanks for the data. It's always important to figure out how many race days I can get out of a set of tires. Sounds like shaving and a short heat cycle are the way to go. Luckily, I've got a local tire shop that can do the shaving.

Luke, I got 335's for the rear and 315's for the front. If you still have 335-17's available, I'd love to get another set. Kumho's web site shows them in the SPEC list, but I have had trouble tracking down a place to buy them.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hey, Luke...THANKS for the help !!!

 

[Jim Wilson]

Excellent thread! Thanks for the information.

 

[1TONY1]

Never shave them for street use. Also, I quit shaving them for autocross use ater the first pair. Changed to the Hoosier and when the V710 came out I switched from the Hoosier autocross tire back to the Kumho.

Lets see....who is telling us to shave good rubber off tires: The manufacturer and the retailer Sorry...had to say it !!!!

Side note: Ten years ago I built a 12,000 sq ft commercial building. I let the lighting manufacturer do the lighting plans....I'm still tripping over spare friggen lights in the garage