Heat cycling with ice water

mbuskuhl

mbuskuhl

New member
I have some sticker Hoosiers I'm running next weekend, unfortunately I just can't figure out a way that I'm going to be able to get that first cycle on them, and have time for them to cure. I do want try and maximize tire life. So, I thought of another idea and emailed Hoosier...

On your first session, take it easy and warm the tires up like your supposed to. Then, take the wheels off the car and put them in ice water (tire mounted on rim still), I was going to bring a big ice chest (one tire at a time). This effectively cools the tires much quicker and speeds up that 24 hr down time.

Here is part of what Hoosier wrote back "I might suggest hosing or spraying the tire tread after a 10 - 15 minute track run on new tires. The tire may not cool completely but it would serve the same purpose as allowing the tire to cool overnite."

Here is the proper way to heat cycle a Hoosier just for reference - https://www.hoosiertire.com/Tctips.htm

Anyone have some opinions on this?
 
Plagerized from 'Pinks' on Speed channel - I've seen them cool down everything from radiators to clutches with nitrious.....

...the secretary will disavow any knowledge of you or your mission!!!!! :-)
 
I really disagree with the ice method. Think about it, the whole tire is ~180-200* F and uniformly heated coming off of that first break in session and then it is going to be "shocked" back down to temp. So where you are applying ice it is 32* F, you have a 150* temperature change. If you are not applying the ice all at once and uniformly you have a very steep temperature gradient between sections.

This seems like it would break the polymere chains within the rubber compound by the temp difference, especially with ice packs vs. a water bath. Of course these may form again when heated up again.

I would say the best method would be to do the break in laps, bring them up to temp and then to the paddock. Jack up the car of the ground and put on jack stands and get all the weight of the tires. Allow to air cool as long as possible. Don't take them off and set them on the ground becasue the ground will be cooler and have a higer rate of heat transfer throught the part touching the ground, and thus not cool in a uniform manner.

Have a soda, take a leak and then come back to the car. Now would be the time to add cool water if they needed to be cooled further..... This should give a quick curing compared to the 24 hour recommend period.

The key is to do this uniformly and in gradual steps. A few slow laps, a few quick laps, a few hot laps bring it in and let cool in as long of a period as you can.

HOWEVER, on the flip side I think the "quench" method would prevent the tire from curing and I think it may allow the tire to stay "greener" longer. During the tire building process rubber is drum cooled in some stages to stop curing but that is initial stage curing vs. "sticker tire to longer lasting tire curing". But this is complete theory (and completely unfounded) and will address the issue again when I have a few years under my belt. I am probably completely wrong so ignore this last paragraph.
 
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i have put heat into tires by running them on a street car.

run two tires up front and do relatively slow speed tight turns.........
 
i would be surprised if that street method gets the tires up to a temp that is useful. have you measured what temp you get them up to that way? (probe type, not ir, pyrometer).
 
I once measured the temps on my street car after a fairly long drive and they were no where near temps I get at the track. (I also wasn't trying to get heat in them, but I don't think it would make a huge difference)
 
Big smokey burnouts get them up to racing temps, I have proof of that. Just cycle two at a time this way.
 
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