QUESTIONS:
1. How do I purchase a Hoosier Race Tire?
2. What is the
proper burn out procedure for Hoosier drag tires?
3. What is the number written on my bias race tire in yellow chalk?
4 . I use a Hoosier (slick) drag tires and have
noticed what appear to be "X's" appearing
across the contact portion of the
tread surface, what is this and should I be concerned?
5. Can I swap tires from side to side? (from left to right and
right to left)
6. Should I use "tubes" in slicks and DOT drag tires?
7. If my tires are "feathering or balling up" across the
tread what should I do?
8. What might cause uneven wear on the outside or middle of the
tread?
9. What is normal wear for a drag tire?
10. How do I get Hoosier decals for my race car?
11. Does
it matter which direction I mount my Hoosier RACE TIRES?
12. What
are the do's and don'ts when storing Hoosier race tires at the end of
the racing season?
13. I
would like to sell Hoosier tires, how do I become a Hoosier Tire Dealer?
ANSWERS:
1. How do I purchase a Hoosier Race Tire?
ANSWER: Hoosier Race Tires are purchased through our extensive distribution network of
distributors and dealers. Select "distribution" under any race tire category
under the Race Tire section. You will see a map of the United States, find the nearest
distributor to you and click on the star. The address and phone numbers of the distributor
will be displayed. The distributor will either be able to sell direct to you or place you
in contact with a dealer who is closer to you who will. (Top)
2. What is the proper burn out procedure for Hoosier drag tires?
ANSWER: With Hoosier's "high
traction" compounds, we have found the following burn out procedure
to work for most cars. We recommend rolling through the water box to wet
the tires. Start the burn out. Once the tires start to "haze",
start to slow the burn out down and proceed to the start line. The goal
of the burn out is to clean all debris off the tires and heat the just
the surface of the tread.
Again this procedure will work for most cars, but
fine tuning the procedure for your car may be needed. (Top)
3. What is the number written on my bias race tire in yellow chalk?
ANSWER: As a result of a tire being bias in design (as opposed to radial), it will have a
circumference that varies from tire to tire. This is not something that is unique to
Hoosier but is common to all bias tire manufacturers. However, Hoosier has went to the
expense of placing a "chalk-mark" on its bias ply tires in an attempt to assist
the consumer in making the proper selection when purchasing new tires. It is something
Hoosier does that our competition does not. Now, to understand its use, you need to
understand a little of the manufacturing process as well.
After a tire is cured, it is removed from the press and placed on a machine called a
"post-inflator". On this machine each tire has air injected into it for a set
period of time. The amount of air is determined by our engineering department and is not
the same for every type of tire Hoosier produces. After a set time period, a tire is then measured and the circumference is
recorded. Then a press operator writes the size on the side of treaded tires and on the
tread of slicks, in yellow chalk. All Hoosier bias ply tires
with a chalk-mark, follow this same process.
Now, how should the chalk mark be interpreted? It should be viewed as a reference point
or a guide on purchasing tires by size to attempt to attain a certain stagger. Say for
instance, you needed to replace your right front tire. Your car currently has 1" of
stagger (with the RF @ 28 p.s.i.) but you want to get 1 1/2" of stagger. The tire you
were replacing had an original chalk mark of 86", and had a roll out, of say,
85". Obviously, you would want to purchase a tire bigger than the 86" tire you
removed. Most likely, a tire with a chalk-mark of 86 1/2". You have to remember there
are many factors that go into what size a tire will actually measure. The ambient
temperature that day, the air pressure in the tire, whether the tire is new or old. These
are factors that no, one person, controls. You just need to be aware of their existence
and work with what you know. The chalk mark does not tell you the circumference of the
tire at running pressure, it does not tell you how big a tire will grow to, it tells you
that a tire is either going to be bigger or smaller than another one with a different
chalk mark. It's just that simple. Bias ply tires, by nature, are going to vary in size,
whether you buy a Hoosier or the competition's tire. By keeping good records, using common
sense and understanding how the chalk-mark Hoosier tires provide, you will be step ahead
in selecting the proper sized tire(s). (Top)
4. I use a Hoosier (slick) drag tires and have noticed
what appear to be "X's" appearing across the contact portion of the tread
surface, what is this and should I be concerned?
ANSWER: This is the "shadowing" effect of the splices within
the slick drag tire. All our tires have splices, this is where two ends of the tire cord
material is joined together to complete an entire body ply or belt. This area where
the two ends are spliced together is obviously stronger along the splices and as a result
deflects differently than areas with no splices and the result is this
"shadowing" effect. You see this more on drag tires than other tires due to the
softer compounds being used and the fact that the tread is a smooth surface.
(Top)
5. Can I swap tires from side to side? (from left to
right and right to left)
ANSWER: Hoosier does suggest, depending on the number of runs,
swapping tires on a regular basis. The main reason for swapping tires is to help smooth
out or even the tread wear. By swapping tires, it causes the tire to be run backwards,
thus causing the tire to wear differently, which cleans up the tire tread. Watch for
improper wear patterns on the tread, such as rolling or feathering. The tread surface
should have a fine grain or velvet look to the surface. (Top)
6. Should I use "tubes" in slicks and DOT drag
tires?
ANSWER: The decision to run tubes is ultimately up to the racer.
Hoosier drag tires are capable of safely running without tubes at the
race track. Race tires are inherently susceptible to air leakage due to being
built of very light gauge material needed to perform in various racing applications. A
decision to use a tube should be based on your application and needs. (Top)
7. If my tires are "feathering or balling up"
across the tread what should I do?
ANSWER: Rotate tires from side to side to help the tread wear.
Irregular wear should dissipate after a couple of runs. Make sure you are using the proper
compound for your application. (Top)
8. What might cause uneven wear on the outside or middle
of the tread?
ANSWER: You may have had too much air pressure which caused the
tire to crown and wear the center of the tread faster than the rest of the tread surface.
Having too little air pressure may cause the reverse to occur (excessive wear to the
outside of the tread). (Top)
9. What is normal wear for a drag tire?
ANSWER: There is no set degree of "normal" wear. If you feel
you are getting to much wear, look to shorten the burnout time in the water box. Too much
burnout will shorten the tread life of the tires. The softer the compound the more wear
you would see given the same amount of burnout time. Most wear to the tread life of
a drag tire comes from too much time in the burnout procedure. (Top)
10. How do I get Hoosier decals for my race
car?
If you send us an e-mail at info@hoosiertire.com
requesting the decals, we would be happy to send them to any of our
customers free of charge to anywhere in the United States or Canada. Remember to include your mailing
address where you want the decals sent. To help defer the cost and avoid
waste please tell us in the e-mail whether you want BLACK,
WHITE or PURPLE decals. You may also want to include the type of racing
you are involved in which will help us determine the proper decals to
send you. We appreciate your Hoosier support by displaying our
name proudly on your race car. (Top)
11. Does
it matter which direction I mount my Hoosier RACE TIRES? 12.
What are the do's and don'ts when storing Hoosier race tires at the
end of the racing season?
TIRE STORAGE
The useful life of a tire, whether mounted or dismounted, is directly
affected by storage conditions. Tires should always be stored indoors in
a dark, cool, dry room.
DO
1 Remove the tires from the vehicle.
2. Remove the air from the tires and store them on their side in a cool/dark/dry
environment.
3. Place tires in a black plastic bag when stored during
the "off-season".
4. Make sure the temperature range in the storage
location is between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
DON'T
1. Don't store tires in direct sunlight or near electric
motors. (Electric motors emit small amounts of ozone.) Tires need to be
protected from light, especially sunlight. Light causes ultraviolet
damage by breaking down the rubber compounds. The storeroom should not
contain electrical welding or any other equipment that could produce
ozone.
2. Don't apply any chemical treatments to Hoosier tires.
(It's not necessary and may actually damage the integrity of the tire by
breaking down the rubber properties of the tire.) Tires must not be
allowed to come in contact with oils, greases, solvents, or other
petroleum products that cause rubber to soften or deteriorate.
3. Don't store tires in sub-freezing temperatures for
any length of time. (The rubber can freeze and may crack as a result.) (Top) 13.
I would like to sell Hoosier tires in the US or Canada, how do I
become a Hoosier Tire Dealer? Hoosier has an
established network of independent Hoosier Distributors. They, in
turn, establish their own network of Hoosier Dealers. You will need to
contact the Hoosier Distributor in your area who handles the
particular tire line you are interested in carrying. You will ask the
Distributor whether they have a need for a dealer in your particular
location. |
