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Age of Slicks

Posted By: Anonymous

Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 12:35 AM

Anyone have any experience or first hand knowledge of how to determine whether it is safe to run slicks that have been sitting...for years.........my instinct says if they pass a visual inspection they should be fine, but that is just my common sense opinion. I now many will say just buy new and be on the safe side, but I plan on changing the rear housing and running a much narrower tire in the future and would rather not spend the $850+ for new tires and tubes just to run a half dozen events this year. I am buying new front tires and they have very slight weatherchecking on the sidewalls, but the slicks appear to be fine.
Posted By: tubtar

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by 6_pack_runner
Anyone have any experience or first hand knowledge of how to determine whether it is safe to run slicks that have been sitting...for years.........my instinct says if they pass a visual inspection they should be fine, but that is just my common sense opinion. I now many will say just buy new and be on the safe side, but I plan on changing the rear housing and running a much narrower tire in the future and would rather not spend the $850+ for new tires and tubes just to run a half dozen events this year. I am buying new front tires and they have very slight weatherchecking on the sidewalls, but the slicks appear to be fine.

Send it.
They may not be very consistent , but absent dry rot or cracking , I wouldn't be afraid to use them.
Posted By: topside

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 02:22 AM

When you say "sitting", were the tires on the ground, were they aired up, or was the car on stands?
Do you run tubes?
How many years dormant?
What kind of ET/MPH or power?
If properly cared for but just old, they likely won't hook as well, but should otherwise be OK.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 03:11 AM

16-33-15 Hoosiers with tubes....been sitting for 10 years indoors in Texas....mounted on car, not sure if it was on jackstands......plan on keeping it 10.0 and slower for now
Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 06:14 AM

You've have two choices, correct shruggy Try them or replace them work
I would try them, do a pretty long burn out to get to better rubber and be careful on that first run twocents
My S/P car had sat for over 6 yrs before I bought it and started racing it, it had a set of older Goodyear 16x33x15 tubeless on it that had one set of the cords on outside of the tires, both sides on both tires, broken at the wide part of the sidewalls shock
It hooked and ran good, 9.23 at 143.MPH on the throttle stop for 1.7 seconds weighing right at 2750 Lbs. with me in it, for the rest of that year on those tires shruggy
If there is any doubts in your mind about them being safe please replace them twocents up
Posted By: dvw

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 09:09 AM

I ran a pair of "new" 7 year old M/T 10.5wx31. They weren't cracked or dry looking. They were as good as the next pair I bought new.
Doug
Posted By: sandmangtx

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 04:40 PM

I think DVW can confirm this, on my GTX i have a set of hoosiers 14.5 x 32 x 15's that have been on the car for over 16 years, DVW has even put a plug patch in one. And the tires hook every time with very little burn out in my blown 68 GTX, best 60' 1.21 they hook good enough to rip the out put shaft right off the planetary. lol
Posted By: jcc

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 08:08 PM

Well two things that stand out to me, define for us "years" and as already asked, under what conditions. Some of the other comments that have run slicks for over a decade, neglected to mention how often the tires were run. From my experience, which is true it seems for many things in life, worse thing is sitting/neglect vs regular use.
Second, which is very much a current topic of the day, peace of mind and spending $850 on a new set you MAY NOT use next season, vs body damage to yours and maybe another's from a failed slick on track and the downtime and cost for repairs, aggravation, and mental anguish for making the wrong choice, etc. ie its all Risk vs reward, only you can decide.
Me, a new set and not look back.
Posted By: Locomotion

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 08:16 PM

Slick sidewalls are thin. If they dry out enough, they will crack. Not good if it happens while going down the track.

As for visual inspections - I had a brand new 16" trailer tire always stored in the trailer or the garage. It looked "perfect" even after 7 years when I finally installed it to replace a flat. When I got around 1000 miles on it, the tread peeled off like a banana. Luckily it held air despite riding on the steel belts because it took a few miles before I was able to find a spot to pull off.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by sandmangtx
I think DVW can confirm this, on my GTX i have a set of hoosiers 14.5 x 32 x 15's that have been on the car for over 16 years, DVW has even put a plug patch in one. And the tires hook every time with very little burn out in my blown 68 GTX, best 60' 1.21 they hook good enough to rip the out put shaft right off the planetary. lol
Sandmangtx...,..I believe you have my old car.....I sold and delivered it to Michigan back in 2005 or so....thought it was nw of detroit
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/03/20 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by 6_pack_runner
Originally Posted by sandmangtx
I think DVW can confirm this, on my GTX i have a set of hoosiers 14.5 x 32 x 15's that have been on the car for over 16 years, DVW has even put a plug patch in one. And the tires hook every time with very little burn out in my blown 68 GTX, best 60' 1.21 they hook good enough to rip the out put shaft right off the planetary. lol
Sandmangtx...,..I believe you have my old car.....I sold and delivered it to Michigan back in 2005 or so....thought it was nw of detroit


It Looks like the paint has been changed slightly
Posted By: sandmangtx

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/11/20 06:48 PM

This is probably the car. I know it came from Minnesota, and it was delivered in a mopar performance goose neck trailer. back in 2004. So even you can attest to how old the tires are becouse thay are still the same ones that came on it, LOL I believe they are probably the same ones that were on the car when you bought it from Larry Coslow. The Paint is still the same i havent changed it, its been through a few motors since i got it from you though. LOL
Posted By: 340Cuda

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/12/20 02:23 PM

A couple of years ago after my car had been down for a while I got it running again. I was using a set of 14.5 x 33 M/T Drag Radials that were well over ten years old.

Everything was fine for a while then the car started making violent right turns immediately off the starting line.

I worked with Calvert and a local chassis guy with no improvement.

I changed to set of equally old bias ply Goodyears and the car returned to going straight.

I then replaced both sets of tires.

I will say the M/Ts looked great, no weather cracking or discoloration and the wear indicators showed little wear.

A little different but I know that Discount Tire will not mount a tire that is over ten years old.
Posted By: Al_Alguire

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/12/20 04:59 PM

What do you have to loose? If they don't work buy new ones. If they only work for a short time buy new ones. I don't think they will come flying apart at the first hit by any means. I see a lot of guys who run VERY old slicks. Just make the first burnout a good one and let er rip..

The ONE thing I would do befoe you run them is to check the rollout to make sure the tires are even or close in size before trying to run them.
Posted By: racerhog

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/27/20 08:13 PM

Air them up... Check for cracks... If they feel good on the burn out... Send It..... Repete... smile
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/28/20 12:22 AM

I ran them a few weeks ago, no problems. Had them aired up to 10 lbs. cold on the first pass footbraking it, 1.42 60' spun hard and was all over the trac on the shift but overall felt fine. Next pass put them down to 8 lbs. slightly warm still, 4200 chip with transbrake 1.37 60' felt fine. I won't get a chance to get out much this year so they should serve their purpose.

I never liked that slight moving around on the top end in previous cars, how low do others run their bias slicks ? These are 16-33-15, have usually wun 14-32's in the past
Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/28/20 04:05 AM

I ran 8.0 and 7.5 lbs. in my 6+ yr old Goodyear 16x33x15 with no issues at 147 MPH in the 1/4 mile.
I bought a new set of M/T 14x32x15 stiffwalls at 7.0 lbs. also with no issues on the other end that I can remember. My rear rims are 15.0 inch wide also shruggy
Posted By: moparx

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/28/20 05:10 PM

as to the moving around issue.
what is your front end alignment specs ? was it aligned with the front end up 1" from static height ?
is your rear square to the chassis ?
beer
Posted By: OUTLAWSSAA

Re: Age of Slicks - 06/28/20 05:23 PM

14 1/2 X 32 11lbs
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