Tire age???

[2012Boss302]

I have a set of 2 1/2 year old Michelin PSS on my car now. I put them on new.

Do tires have a shelf life?? I'd say they have a good 5/32-6/32 tread depth left....

Just wondering

 

[302BOB]

They say to replace your tires after 5 to 6 yrs, no matter how much tread you have left. I've run tires longer than that but many variables come into play after that.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

No worries if only 2-3 years old!

 

[Norm Peterson]

If you've tracked them in the past and intend to continue doing so, they've probably lost a tenth or two off their original on-track peak-lateral-g capability. Otherwise they should be fine.

My "track set" is similarly worn (MPSS, a year or so older than those tires of yours), and I have a couple of street-only MPSS that are about 3 years old (and have probably lost a little off their peak as well). My garage where my off-season tires get stored is unheated, which probably isn't helping any.


Norm

 

[2012Boss302]

If you've tracked them in the past and intend to continue doing so, they've probably lost a tenth or two off their original on-track peak-lateral-g capability.

Thanks, at this point in my HPDE career I am just happy to be on track, lap times are just a byproduct......

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Great attitude to have, as track time learning proper technique and focusing on areas you need to work on, will generate more speed in time, than all the HP products, tires, etc. Few have the ego to acknowledge they need to practice and learn the necessary skills, but those that do, I have found over the years, end up being the fastest folks on the track in time. Use up the rubber and then decide on the next step you want to make?

 

[Grant 302]

I'd add to check the outer tread block for any cracking or delamination, especially if exposed to cold temps at all.

I stopped using my PSS on the street after ~5 years. Probably still usable on the street, but was no longer comfortable keeping them as my rain day track tires.

 

[2012Boss302]

I'd add to check the outer tread block for any cracking or delamination, especially if exposed to cold temps at all.

Thanks, tires look good all across the tread.....

 

[dabossinnne]

Ran in a local Porsche Club DE at RPM this past weekend, and two of my R7s corded in the first session. Fortunately I had a spare set of wheels/tires with me. Unfortunately, it was the stock wheels shod w/ the original (now 6 year old) Pirellis. But, they're still in fine shape - no cracking, lots of tread left. So what the heck...on they went. First time I'd tracked with them on my Boss and have to say, I was pretty impressed. They hung in there quite well for the next 3 sessions. It was a cool day in the low 60s, so high track temps were not an issue. Started @ 35 psi cold and they went up to 40-41 psi hot after a 20 min track session. I'm running Brembo Pro calipers and 2-piece floating rotors up front along w/ an FPP ABS controller, so things got a tad squirrelly in the braking zone at the end of the long front straight going into turn 1. But even after 3 track sessions they still look okay. I'll get some "new" scrub R7s for the next track day, along w/ a spare set, but as a backup for this event the stock Pirellis at least kept me "on track."

 

[blacksheep-1]

I'm definitely against mixing brands and compounds, but the Pirellis will stick pretty well, but when they go, they really go..like 3 seconds a lap. The Hoosiers are far more consistent. Think about what you've just "discovered" here by putting a stickier tire on the front of the car...did it handle better, less push? If so maybe you need a softer bar on the front or a lower spring rate, or for that matter stiffer rears.
just for fun..what were the front vs rear pressures? because those are totally different worlds from Hoosiers to Pirellis

 

[Grant 302]

Yeah, mixing brands or compounds definitely isn't a good idea. He was using the stock 6 year old P Zeros for backup, not DH/slicks with the R7s. I would have done the same to use the seat time already paid for. 41 hot is exactly what I'd shoot for with those.

 

[dabossinnne]

To clarify...I did not mix the stock Pirellis and R7s. I pulled off all four R7s and put on all four Pirellis. I'm pretty dumb, but not that dumb (I hope)!

The Hoosiers I bought as scrubs a few years ago with supposedly 2 heat cycles on them. I put an addition 10 heat cycles on them, so about 12 or 13 heat cycles before two of them corded. I'd rotated them front to back, too, to try and extend tread life a little and I mark the sidewalls to keep track. The two others I'm guessing have another heat cycle or two left. Really need to get my MM camber plates installed to take care of the lack of sufficient camber adjustment.

I actually have two more whole sets of wheels with R7s (again, low-heat cycle scrubs) mounted on them, but they're at a storage place and I didn't have time before this DE to retrieve them. Otherwise I would have swapped those for the corded set. Oh well...

Tire temps on the Pirellis were w/in 1 psi hot on all four corners when I checked after each session. By the mid-afternoon it had warmed up a little to mid-60s, but still cloudy and maybe one or two tires got up to 42 psi hot in the last session I ran. Being 6 year old street tires I deliberately didn't push 'em all that hard.

Even so I thought they performed okay for what they are. As Grant says, I wasn't about to let my already paid for track time go bye-bye after only one run group!