| QUESTIONS:
1. How
do I purchase a Hoosier Race Tire?
2. What
is the number written on my bias race tire in yellow chalk?
3. Explain
the use of Bleeder Valves.
4. How
do I get Hoosier decals for my racecar?
5. Does
it matter which direction I mount my Hoosier Racing Tires?
6. How
do I store my Hoosier race tires at the end of the racing season?
7. I
would like to sell Hoosier tires in the US or Canada, how do I become
a Hoosier Tire Dealer?
8. What
is the (cold) inflation pressure for the new minicup tire line
including mounting guidelines?
9. Why am I
blistering my tires?
10. What
are these lines or tiny slits on my tires?
11. What
air pressure should I run in my tires?
12. Why isn’t my
tire holding air?
13. Why did my tire shrink?
14. What stagger should I
run?
1.
How do I purchase a Hoosier Race Tire?
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 number written on my bias race tire in yellow chalk?
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. 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. After that, 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). This procedure is performed the same way for
each tire to achieve consistent results.
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 all
play a role. 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. Once again, the
chalk mark is used only as a point of reference. (Top)
3.
Explain the use of Bleeder Valves.
While racing you may see that
your rear tire stagger may tend to change in an unfavorable manner
(while using bleeders). It may seem to be unpredictable and
uncontrollable. With careful bleeder valve Set Point Management, one
can effectively minimize size control problems.
Main Reason Tires May Change Size: A common
problem is to see the LR tire grow while the RR tire shrinks. This
tendency occurs because the RR tire runs hotter than the LR tire,
causing more air pressure gain, causing the RR bleeder to relieve more
pressure (volume) than the LR bleeder. Bias ply tires will change size
when the air pressure changes. The higher the pressure, the bigger the
tire. As a rule of thumb, the size change is linear with air pressure.
A 10 psi change will either make the tire 1" bigger or 1"
smaller (circumference). Each PSI is worth a .1" change in size.
Realize the use of
Bleeder Valves limits the air pressure gain, but does not keep the
pressure from lowering if the tire is allowed to cool. This is
typically what happens during a caution period. This is when many will
notice trouble with their racecar handling. Why? There is no system to
replace the lost air pressure.
Bleeder Valve Recommendations: Use Bleeder
Valves to reduce the air pressure buildup, not eliminate it. Bleeders
should not be used to maintain a constant air pressure.
You must always set the bleeder higher than the
starting cold air pressure. If your tires cool (caution period), the
inflation pressure will be reduced by the amount of pressure the
bleeder valve bled off. It is normal to see 7-8 psi of RR buildup
(without bleeders). If the bleeders kept the RR tire at a constant
pressure hot (no buildup), your car will lose .7 to .8" of
stagger if the tires are given time to cool. This is not due to RR
tire shrinkage; this is due to LOW AIR PRESSURE. You may be
compromising driver safety.
Recommended Initial Bleeder Valve Set Points:
Left Rear: + 3 psi over cold
Right Rear: + 4 to + 6 psi over cold
Left Front: bleeders generally not needed due to lack of tire heat
Right Front: + 5 psi minimum if used
The use of bleeders on
the Right Front tire is not recommended by tire manufacturer on higher
banked tracks. Reducing air pressure reduces the strength of the RF
(any) tire. Bleeders may allow the RF (or any) tire to operate below
the minimum safe recommended cold air pressure. You should never allow
this to happen. Bleeders may be used more successfully on flat tracks
to control car handling by reducing RF pressure gains.
Axle mounted Bleeder Valves need higher set
points than wheel mounted bleeders: If you had a "system"
that worked with wheel mounted valves, it may not work anymore. You
will have to modify your thinking. This is due to the fact that axle
mounted valves are more efficient at bleeding off air pressure gains.
You should start off with more air pressure cold (try +2 psi) and then
set you bleeders based off this higher starting pressure. Start with these settings and make adjustments as
needed. They will vary depending on the racetrack, driving style &
car handling.
Adjustment example: Lets say you run an initial
Bleeder Valve setup & RR comes in 1/4" smaller than it was
cold, but the LR stayed the same, in which the net loss of 1/4"
stagger is not desired.
You have a few options available to you, which
will fix the stagger. 1) Set LR bleeder 2 psi lower, This allows the
LR bleeder to release 2 psi more, which should make the LR tire about
1/4" smaller than before, making both rears - 1/4" hot. 2)
Leave the LR alone & Set RR bleeder 2 psi higher. This should
allow the RR tire to grow 1/4" also, keeping the stagger (and
sizes) the same. 3) Leave the LR & RR bleeders alone (+3 LR,+5
RR), but lower RR cold air pressure 2 psi, this increases the gap
between RR cold and bleeder set point to +7 psi. In this case, the RR
tire cold will be 1/4" smaller than it was before, but it will be
1/4" bigger hot than it was before. Realize that there are
several ways to fix the problem & that all we are doing is
changing the gap between the cold air pressure setting and the bleeder
valve set point. It is personal preference as to how you get there,
realizing that you are changing the car's handling when you adjust air
pressures. (Top)
4.
How do I get Hoosier decals for my racecar?
If you send us an e-mail at info@hoosiertire.com,
requesting the decals, we would be happy to send them to you free of
charge to anywhere in the United States and Canada. Remember to
include your mailing address as to where you want them sent. To help
defer the cost and avoid waste, in the e-mail please tell us whether
you want BLACK decals or WHITE decals. We appreciate your support of
Hoosier by displaying our name proudly on your racecar. (Top)
5.
Does it matter which direction I mount my Hoosier Racing Tires?
Most of the asphalt tires have
directional arrows on the sidewalls, if they have no directional
arrows circle track tires must be mounted with the serial code located
toward the infield. Every Hoosier racing tire has a four character
serial code embossed into one sidewall of the tire near the bead area.
Tires can be reversed or flipped but not until they have been run
for at least four complete heat cycles. If
this is not done the tire could be damaged and may fail.
(Top)
6.
How do I store my Hoosier race tires at the end of the racing season?
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.
-
Remove the tires from the vehicle.
- Store tires on their
side in a cool/dark/dry environment.
- Place tires in a black
plastic bag when stored during the "off-season".
- Make sure the
temperature range in the storage location is between 40-90 degrees
Fahrenheit.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Don't store tires in sub-freezing temperatures for any length of time.
(The rubber can freeze and may crack as a result.) (Top)
7.
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.
8.
What is the (cold) inflation pressure for
the new minicup tire line including mounting guidelines?
The new 15.0/7.0-8 minicup tire should be inflated to 25 psi on
the right side tires and 15 psi on the left side tires. These are
"cold" or starting pressures to be used as starting points. Hoosier
MiniCup tires are to be mounted with the painted Hoosier logo to the
outside of the car. (Top)
9.
Why am I blistering my tires?
If it is a spec or a tire that all teams are running and it’s
just one or two cars blistering the tires it is most likely a setup or
driving style issue. If it is the whole field blistering tires a
different tire compound may be needed. (Top)
10.
What are these lines or tiny slits on my tires?
Hoosier Racing Tire bias tire treads are strip wound which
means the tread is made of a ribbon of rubber about ½” wide laid
down circumferentially around the tires carcass. Sometimes these
ribbons are visible as lines on the tread. In some cases there may be
a slight gap between these ribbons that looks like a small slit. These
slits are nothing to worry about and usually scuff out and disappear
after being run. (Top)
11.
What air pressure should I run in my tires?
Contact your local Hoosier Representative for recommended air
pressures. If there is no recommended air pressure available check
with other competitors. (Top)
12.
Why isn’t my tire holding air?
Racing tires have a different construction than passenger tires
and may leak or wick air from the bead area very, very slowly, losing
pressure over time. Air loss may also be from a damaged wheel, cut
bead or tread, or from running air pressure that is too low. (Top)
13. Why
did my tire shrink?
This may be due to misuse of a bleeder valve or adjusting air
pressure too much while the tire is hot. (Top)
14.
What stagger should I run?
Your local Hoosier Representative may be able to help. Check
with experienced competitors. Stagger recommendations vary by track as
well as chassis setup. In most cases more stagger give short-term
performance advantages but shortens tire life. (Top) |
