I was told to use some carb cleaner to soften up some used falken azenis someone gave me. Has anyone tried this? Any other ways to help out some tired rubber for just a few uses? This coming Sunday will be my first try on some bald racing tires.

 

either works but be very very carefull. or go to a hobby shop and buy a few bottles of tire compound and let the tires soak in that stuff coverd so it doesnt evap.

 

yeah, I was told to pour it on, cover with paper towels, then saran wrap it, and let it sit at least over night. I don't think we have a hobby shop that would carry tire compound around here, if we even have any hobby shops.

 

Ive heard of people using dishwashing detergent.

 

i thought carb cleaner dried out rubber

 

when i was racing shifter karts, we put the tire in a plastic bag.

then we sprayed the tire with a healthy dose of brake cleaner. then let it sit over night.

the tire got very sticky. but usually only good for a hard launch. that usually gave me the extra "mojo" i needed for a good position. then the soft rubber-layer was gone.

i wouldn't do it anymore. what you do is basicly disolving/decomposing the rubber. you weaken it.

especially when racing a heavy street car (every car is heavy compared to a go-kart ), this risk isn't worth it in my book.

 

[quote name='Baldy' date='Jul 21 2005, 12:49 PM']yeah, I was told to pour it on, cover with paper towels, then saran wrap it, and let it sit at least over night. I don't think we have a hobby shop that would carry tire compound around here, if we even have any hobby shops.


[/quote]

There's a Hobby Town USA at 3111 Mahan, they would carry some stuff called Paragon tire compound or at least could order it for you. If you got three or four bottles of Paragon and mixed it with a gallon of water then spread it evenly on the tires, it would have the affect you're looking for, but it wouldn't last that long. You might get a day's worth of cone dodging before they felt old again. And don't do it inside the garage unless you like the smell of wintergreen a lot.



Then you would also need to check with the group presenting the autocross about their tire compound restrictions.

 

Go to a local speed shop. They've sold stuff to soften up slicks for a long time.





http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/Pro...817&prmenbr=361



http://www.stockcarproducts.com/acc19a.htm

 

Along the same lines as Tyson. You can get LMT (Last Minute Treatment) at local race shops; obviously it is a compound softener.

 

that's the problem, we don't really have any local race shops here.