Shelf life of Hoosiers????

[PhilC]

Does anyone know what the factory suggests regarding how long a set of Hoosiers (r compound) can sit around before being either unsafe or ineffective. I've had mine sitting in the garage for 1 1/2 years and they had approx 5-10 heat cycles on them when I put them there.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

 

[Russ Oasis]

Phil,
Bobby Archer is the expert on this. I'm fairly confident that he will tell you that 1 1/2 years is way too long.

 

[PhilC]

Russ:

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I kind of knew that but was hoping otherwise.

 

[VIPORXXX]

I would also like to know what the shelf life is.
I have 6-8 cycles on mine from this past season.
Mine are garage stored, climate controlled and no sunlight
beating down on them.

Fast Eddie

 

[DrumrBoy]

But they be looks good....

 

[Russ Oasis]

All I can tell you guys is that I bought a brand new set of Hoosier slicks at the beginning of November 2003 (maybe it was the end of Oct.) The crew chief at Archer wouldn't let me save them until Jan 2004. Now, apply that experience to your 1 1/2 years. By the way, if you are competing on any sort of a serious level, my experience has been that Hoosiers (slicks) really fall off after the 6th heat cycle.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

If your running for money. I would say ineffective. If your just doing track time driving events I would say use em up. I just slapped a 3 year old sticker set on this fall and turned the fastest laps I ever had done at Watkins Glen at a driving educational event.

 

[Sonny 00 GTS ACR]

Properly treating older Hoosiers with neon lights can help revitalize them. Red works best but Blue is also very effective.

 

[JonB]

P.S. Brand-new, never scrubbed, STICKER tires will have a longer life than tires that have had the OEM Mold 'skin' broken by use.

Storage matters as well. Since yours are 5-6 times USED, even if they were NEW they'd be way past their peak!

Id make em into sunken flowerboxes or Koi Ponds.....

 

[VIPORXXX]

Sonny, tell me your joking?!?!??...Red Neon lights
I've asked this question before but still not sure I have an answer,
How many track sessions (1/2 hour) can you get out of Hoosiers?
Going back to original post, How long in days/months can a used Hoosier be considered good??? I hope your not suggesting I throw away 6 month old Hoosiers with 5-8 heat cycles from track day events away!?!?

Fast Eddie

 

[Janni]

Our tire strategy was pretty much this:

2 races and 2 qualifying sessions on a NEW set, then they were only used for friday practice. Usually about 10 heat cycles total. After that - they are pretty much used up.

And Sonny knows that the BLUE neon lights are better than the red for DOTs, but the red is for a full slick.

 

[VIPORXXX]

Hi Janni, not sure who told me but I was using approx. 16 heat cycles
then done strategy. 10 Aghhh ...if only money wasn't an issue.
I've always respected your experience and guidance...Thanks

Any experience with age of Hoosier?

Fast Eddie

 

[Sonny 00 GTS ACR]

There are many factors that affect tire life. The track surface itself, certainly your setup; shocks, springs, roll bars, and tire pressure, the air and track temperature, as well as your driving skill/technique are a few.

Generally, as tires age they get harder. This is more of an issue for street tires since they tend to be used for much longer periods of time.

All things being equal, your best qualifying lap will be made with a fresh set of stickers (brand new) or scuffed (one good heat cycle - no abuse). The scuffed tires seem to get where you want them to be quicker and are more consistant than the stickers. You can either take a lap to bring them up to temperature, or increase the tire pressure slightly and go for it on the first lap. I prefer to warm everything up and then do 2 hot laps.

I like to use old tires for practice and go to fresh rubber for qualifying and racing. Most times the Hoosiers get pretty slippery after about 8 - 10 heat cycles, but I can learn a lot about a track from that experience. Usually when I go to fresh rubber I can almost drive a different line and can drive 1 - 1.5 seconds faster. On several occaisions the used tires seem to get better and better no matter how many heat cycles I put on them. I have sometimes gone to stickers and gained almost nothing. I can't really explain why except that all the various factors sometimes must be able to work together to prolong the life of the tire.

The bottom line is You should know when the tires are done. Check carefully for wear after every session (cords showing, flatspots that you can feel while driving) and see how they feel to run. Don't risk yourself or your car on a set that you can't control, but don't throw them out unless they deserve it. I don't really think there is a hard and fast rule - too many factors involved.

(These are my opinions based on my own experience, and some may not agree, but I hope it helps)

Also, I stand corrected, Janni is right as usual. The red neon is best for the full slick - my mistake... Try the Hoosierdaddy brand neon lightstick for best results.