Breaking up a set of track tires question.

[ShelbyGuy]

Ok, so I had apparently a defective v710. I'm still waiting back from the tire rack 'adjuster' as to his opinion of my picture.

So, I'm faced with adding one fresh tire to three other used tires.

Should I buy another new tire and put them both on the left side? or both sides on the front?

Can I just put the new one on the left front and go about my business without any trouble?

I have no idea how to care for these tires to get the most life out of a set. Any suggestions are helpful.

 

[ac427cobra]

John:

One new and three old tires would be just fine on your car IMHO. Just keep them rotated for longest life. Two sessions max, then rotate until on all four corners of the car then repeat! I mark the tires with a paint stick on the inside sidewall with how many sessions ran and at what position on the car.

Stay on your rep at tire rack about the bad tire!

Good Luck!

:thumbsup: :coolman: :beer:

 

[b4409]

I rarely have 4 matching tires. I usually put the new one on the front inside b/c that's where I kill my tires. Then you just rotate as it looks appropriate.

 

[13 Cobra Toy]

Didn't the 710 have a recall for delamination problems?

 

[Flying Fred]

John, that's nothing! At Northwood's I was running a used 18" Hoosier on left front (from Autobahn race) with a year old 17" Kumho on the right front. The rear tires matched each other (used 315 Hoosiers), but were different from the fronts! Still ran 2:34s with that crazy combo! I just wanted to use up left overs as the event was not a race.

To answer your question, I would be more concerned if it was a race. For OT, just rotate according to wear. Heck, even if you were racing you would just learn to drive the car accordingly. I ran last weekend on crappy 275 rear Nittos and shot rear knuckles. The right got so bad that I almost came in after the 3rd lap of the second race. You just figure out what the car is doing and drive accordingly. Any half decent driver can do well with a well set up/perfect conditioned car. That is what I loved about Rehagen's #52 GAC car.... it's a no brainer to drive. The trick is knowing how to drive far less than perfect cars (like mine most times)!

 

['03 Sonic Blue]

Didn't the 710 have a recall for delamination problems?

They recalled them when they were introduced around March 2004 and banned by SCCA. They were reinstated by SCCA around the first of July 2004. Tires sold since "should" be OK. Obviously, John's is not.

In my experience, it is not unusual to be able to find the bond line in the tread face of the race tires that I've used. (I run cheap race rubber) I've never had one fail like the one shown.

John, I've also run un-matched tires to "finish off" old ones. I subscribe to the philosophy that the tire is not worn out until the cord is showing. My first exception: I have a set of Nitto 555II Extremes that will be tossed before the cord sees the light of day.

You should not have any problem introducing a new tire into a set of used ones. I plan to show up at RA in a couple of weeks with a new LF tire to go with 3 well used Avons.

--Mike

 

[ShelbyGuy]

well, tire rack's explanation that it was because i didnt rotate them. they gave me half my money back (or will when they get the old tire back). something is better than nothing, and i did have a good time on it all weekend

 

[03'Darin]

I ran the Kuhmo 710's for several years when I was racing AS. This was a common occurence with them. The Kuhmo rep used to tell us it was "normal". I never got the extra chunk out as the center of your tire did though. On a positive note I never had a tire failure from the tread seperation either.

As everyone else has already said mixing new and used tires isn't an issue. Racing on a budget I regularly rotated tires adding a new one in the mix as needed.

Darin

 

[Mr. Mysti]

well, tire rack's explanation that it was because i didnt rotate them. they gave me half my money back (or will when they get the old tire back). something is better than nothing, and i did have a good time on it all weekend

That sounds like a bullshit explanation... 1/2 is better than none... Did you try contacting Kuhmo, they have a warehouse in New Lennox...

 

[SVTmojo]

Sorry about your problem john, did that happen at gingerman? That is strange that Kuhmo wouldn't give you a new tire. I bought a set of 710's for autocrossing, first time out, one tire chunked similar to yours, and they sent me a brand new tire.

 

[PETSNKE]

well, tire rack's explanation that it was because i didnt rotate them. they gave me half my money back (or will when they get the old tire back). something is better than nothing, and i did have a good time on it all weekend

That blows, you know we couldn't push our cars as much as we wanted all weekend due to a damp track. I bet Tire Rack get's ALL of there money back from Kuhmo when they return it.

 

['03 Sonic Blue]

well, tire rack's explanation that it was because i didnt rotate them.

:bs: :bs: :bs: :bs:

 

[b4409]

[QUOTE='03 Sonic Blue]:bs: :bs: :bs: :bs:[/QUOTE]

Exactly, that's total bullshit. The G*D*M tire broke apart. Can you say "Firestone?" I have been thru a bunch of tires.
Tires wear out. Some in one day, even. But one thing I can say for sure is that I will not buy a Kumho if this is the SOP. I don't even want to think about what I've spent at the Tire Rack in the last 24 months. I'm pissed for you, John!

bruce

 

[ac427cobra]

John:

They have had a crap load of issues with these tires. 50% is ok but I would raise a stink for a better deal?

That rotating crap is just a bunch of :bs: :bs: :bs:

 

[Mr. Mysti]

I guess we need the official BS Flag.

 

[Jon B. Quick]

Ok, so I had apparently a defective v710. I'm still waiting back from the tire rack 'adjuster' as to his opinion of my picture.

So, I'm faced with adding one fresh tire to three other used tires.

Should I buy another new tire and put them both on the left side? or both sides on the front?

Can I just put the new one on the left front and go about my business without any trouble?

I have no idea how to care for these tires to get the most life out of a set. Any suggestions are helpful.

Don't think wear, think heat cycles. No matter how much tread is left, the tire is good for only so many heat cycles.

You are looking for balance. You will not acheive that with one new tire!

 

[ac427cobra]

Don't think wear, think heat cycles. No matter how much tread is left, the tire is good for only so many heat cycles.

You are looking for balance. You will not acheive that with one new tire!

Balance schmalance. I've driven my car with three different brands of tires on it. I've also seen lots of others do the same thing at the track to "get their stuff used up" so the next batch of tires can get mounted for the next event.

Can Matt Kenseth do that to win a race at Bristol?!?! Hell no!! But we can do it when we're open tracking!! No Doubt! How fast do you really need to go to pass some Z06's?!?!!? epper: epper: epper: epper:


More Kumho Quality!!!

:fart: :burn: :bash: :kaboom:

 

[ShelbyGuy]

yeah the extra 00:00.10 per lap having a "balanced" set would gain me is negligible compared to the extra 00:05.00 per lap i'd gain with more experience. i already know what a tire feels like when its out of heat cycles (thats part of why i stepped up from street tires to stickies - ever drive a pilot sport thats got no heat cycles left in it? i have! its like they got smeared with vaseline! greasy!)

im not sure i have enough seat time with these tires to tell the difference between the new one and the other three, but i'm learning to feel the other three just fine. im pretty sure i took them through their full temp range at gingerman last weekend.

that said, i do have to teach myself now how to set the car up (and the tires) to be easier on them. the first thing i learned is that sticky tires (both the 555r2 i tried before and these v710) dont like pressure. starting with a lower cold pressure than i do with the street tires really helped even out the wear. i think i started at 27 rear and 30 front.

what i need to do now is get good at taking hot temps and dial in the pressures and camber.

 

[GordsFord]

John, I had a similar delamination on one of my Kumho Victoracer's last year at Seattle. They were a new set that had been heat cycled but not shaved, as they recommend for road course use. Tire Rack just gave me 25% off another replacement tire! I haven't had any other problems with 7 other Kumho's.

Gord

 

[ShelbyGuy]

the tire rack gave me a full refund (including the heat cycling!).