i wanted to know if i should rotate my tires on the track.. my rear tires are close to bald, they are kumho street tires, but the front ones have a lot of tread on them, should i rotate the tires, put the good ones in the back for the track?? and which pressure should i run the tires at... and would it be good to launch at like 3.5 to 4k RPM. anything lower than that i bog and i cant take off, its hard

98 z28 6spd..

thanks

 

I don't know much about the tires you are using because they are street tires. Street tires really don't hook up very well. I am not in favor of using "bald" tires on front, particularly while racing, that just sounds stupid to me.

Bald tires are not slicks. Not even close. Generally people running street tires seem to do better if the tires have some tread on them.

If you want to hook up get some drag radials or ET Streets.

 

well, i just rotated it for the track, i wanted the good tires in the rear to get a lil more traction, i know i need to get some drag radials but for now this is what i have to do... is this a good idea?? i will be rotating them back after the race but i need good times.. this is my first time at the track so ill see what happens..

thanks

 

Above are words of wisdom from a seaoned racer. Running bald tires is just an accident waiting to happen. Keep the good tires in the front and get a set of drag radials, ET Streets or even new street tires.

 

well its not entirely bald, there is some thread left on it, i should get rid of these tires and get some drags, which tires are good for street and drag???

 

As for tire pressure, you want a pressure that allows as much tire as possible to contact the track as possible (in the rear anyway). This can be a tricky balance with regular radial tires - too much pressure and the tire will bulge in the centre of the tread, reducing the contact patch. Not enough air pressure and the tire will cup in the centre, again reducing the contact patch.

To set your tires for maximum contact, bring a tire gauge and a spray bottle of water to wherever you fill up your tires. Overinflate the rears a little, mist the tire and roll the car forward. You can then read the tread marks. Heavy in the middle indicates to much air. Heavy on the outside indicates too little. A nice even tread mark indicates optimum tire pressure. Measure the pressure and remember it

Keep in mind that the temperature of your tire will affect tire pressure. After the customary quick scrubbing of the tires at the track, your tire may heat up a bit which will reduce the pressure, so you might want to read your tracks with the tires warmed up a little.

Sitting with one side of the car in direct sun and the other side in the shade will cause one tire to have different pressure than the other. At the track I like to park my car so it faces the sun.