# How long should tires last?



## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

This seems to be a hot topic right now..I'd like to know what kinda life you guys think a set of 1/8 M3 tires should have..I've always thought tires were expendable just as they are in any other motorsport I know there not cheap hell i hate buying them as much as everyone else does it's just the way it is..I say 2 weeks just running on Sat you can go longer but they aren't as good as new ones of course lol..


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## Jeremy Cupps (Oct 31, 2009)

i have raced all over the country everyone eats up tires! its just how it is! even for onroad! electric or nitro! When it warms up and the dirt is not cold their will be more grip! even when they are worn!


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## nik77356 (Jun 8, 2007)

Proline's M3 compound seems to not last nearly as long as any of the other companies soft compounds. I think there are a few things that contribute to that. The compound they use is not nearly as wear resistant as other company's. I also think part of it has to do with the foam used. I think the support that a stiffer foam gives the tire doesn't allow the carcass to flex as much, causing less side wear on the pins. 

I ran a set of R200 (Soft) compound Werks Lugs last weekend for practice, all 3 qualifiers, and the main and ithey still have probably 75% tread left on them. It was also was some of the most traction that I can remember having at Mike's. I loved those tires so much I just bought another 2 sets (I found them for $10 a pair!).


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

I miss Performance Raceway. A set of tires would last 3 months.


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

nik77356 said:


> Proline's M3 compound seems to not last nearly as long as any of the other companies soft compounds. I think there are a few things that contribute to that. The compound they use is not nearly as wear resistant as other company's. I also think part of it has to do with the foam used. I think the support that a stiffer foam gives the tire doesn't allow the carcass to flex as much, causing less side wear on the pins.
> 
> I ran a set of R200 (Soft) compound Werks Lugs last weekend for practice, all 3 qualifiers, and the main and ithey still have probably 75% tread left on them. It was also was some of the most traction that I can remember having at Mike's. I loved those tires so much I just bought another 2 sets (I found them for $10 a pair!).


 I'm going to look at those..What foams?


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## nik77356 (Jun 8, 2007)

That doesn't count Gary, they were slicks!


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

Gary said:


> I miss Performance Raceway. A set of tires would last 3 months.


Slicks don't count..:rotfl:


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## nik77356 (Jun 8, 2007)

Stock foams Phil. They're molded, but a lot stiffer than most molded foams currently on the market.


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

nik77356 said:


> Stock foams Phil. They're molded, but a lot stiffer than most molded foams currently on the market.


 Even AKA?


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## nik77356 (Jun 8, 2007)

No. Molded foams, not closed cell foams. Think stiffer versions of Proline's grey foam.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

TRACTION!


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

Gary said:


> TRACTION!


Agreed..


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## JustinK (Jan 17, 2009)

Qualifiers and the Main. Depending on the event. Anymore is a bonus. I usually will use last races "main" tire for qualifiers then switch over to new/newer tires for the mains.

I can run some pretty fast laps at Mikes with bald AKA i-beam softs but usually not as consistent. Not bashing Mikes or anything but I'm happy if I only use one set of tires there. Vertigo / River track I used the same set of tires for all qualifiers and the mains. They still looked pretty good. I usually start saving up used soft tires for Mike's.


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## Merdith (Sep 20, 2009)

*Werks*

Those ties are great. I like the w's.


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## Snowmonkey (Sep 12, 2004)

If you want your tires to last longer get M-2 or XTR compond tires. There are plenty of tires that will last longer than M-3 tires .


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

Snowmonkey said:


> If you want your tires to last longer get M-2 or XTR compond tires. There are plenty of tires that will last longer than M-3 tires .


Yea but they don't work as good..I need all the help i can get.


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## jbranham50 (Jun 16, 2009)

Phil, I can run on a set of M3 Calibers for weeks as long as they don't come un glued.

The top layer of the pin will be gone but with the style of dirt and track at Mike's the next level of pin works great and my lap times do not differ very much at all. 

At the State Series race I will run a new set for quals, if they look good then I will run them in the main, and maybe a new set for the main but this is a state championship race not a club race.

Now you can order just the tires with out foam from Pro-Line and the new Evo foam(option) if you want the foam a little stiffer which would keep the profile of the M3 longer.

Ask Mark, I gave him a set of M3 Calbier Truck tires that I wore down to the bare bottom of the bottom pin and my truck was on rails!! It was last Saturday when I was breaking in a motor and I was running 26.0 sec lap times. I told Mark to run them because I thought he would do just as good if not better then running the new set he had on his truck. I think he won big that night with wore down M3 tires.


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

jbranham50 said:


> Phil, I can run on a set of M3 Calibers for weeks as long as they don't come un glued.
> 
> The top layer of the pin will be gone but with the style of dirt and track at Mike's the next level of pin works great and my lap times do not differ very much at all.
> 
> ...


 Good post thanks for the input jason. Do you like the calbier's over the bowties at our track?


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## Courtney Vaughan (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm on the same page as Justin..........I just pony up a set of tires everytime I race at Mike's. 

To cut down, I have been using the AKA soft tires.......can NEARLY get two full race days out of them and have NEARLY the traction of an M3 tire. I don't necessarily care for how wide they are though...makes the car a little pushy. If I had my way, I'd run M3 Hole-Shots at Mike's all the time, I can't afford it! I have a set of M2 Hole-shots I'm going to try and we'll see how close in traction they are to the M3's. I like the way the car reacts a little better with a narrower proline tire vs. the AKA.

I've also been expirimenting with excersizing a little softer squeezing on the trigger to keep the wheel spin down, but it only helps to a degree. The tire seems to last MAYBE 15-20% longer........still not near enough to get an extra day out of them.


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## jbranham50 (Jun 16, 2009)

Phil, Yes I do. On a new Caliber the car may feel a little slimy for a little until they break in a little but I've noticed when the first layer of pins start wearing then the tire gets really good.


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## jbranham50 (Jun 16, 2009)

At a big race I would agree with Courtney and run Hole Shots but I just don't think they are economical for club racing.


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## Guffinator (Aug 27, 2005)

I run M2's. Sure they my not give me perfect lap times but I've yet to wear out a set..although I'm at the point where I need a new pair after several weekends of running.


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## Big Phil (Apr 27, 2007)

jbranham50 said:


> Phil, Yes I do. On a new Caliber the car may feel a little slimy for a little until they break in a little but I've noticed when the first layer of pins start wearing then the tire gets really good.


That's good to hear..So i just need to run mine in a bit..:dance:


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

When I was running Touring Car at Performance Raceway, we had a ROAR sanctioned Texas winter championship race. Some of the guys ran a new set of tires, every single run at $40 a pop. Ouch!


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## Guffinator (Aug 27, 2005)

Gary said:


> When I was running Touring Car at Performance Raceway, we had a ROAR sanctioned Texas winter championship race. Some of the guys ran a new set of tires, every single run at $40 a pop. Ouch!


Yup, days of the 'tire wars'. I think it was huge detriment to our hobby.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Guffinator said:


> Yup, days of the 'tire wars'. I think it was huge detriment to our hobby.


That, and the battery wars.


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## sfleuriet (Nov 12, 2008)

Has anyone tried JConcepts Bar Codes at Mike's?


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## Jeremy Cupps (Oct 31, 2009)

David Joor has ran Bar codes at our track! They are good!


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## Smiley (Feb 2, 2005)

Hey Jeremy, Check your PM's! Sent ya one.

On the tires, I run the Hot Bodies Khaos (looks just like a Bowtie) in Red Compound (Thats their Soft Compound). I can get 2 weekends of racing @ Mikes out of them. The majority of tracks accorss the country are Hard Packed Tracks. You just have to deal with tire wear. Not this past weekend, but the following weekend when the Austin guys came down, I an a work out set of the HB Khaos tires. Brian Martim and several others cam over to my pit and said "You are going to run those worn out tires in the A"? I said yep, Work just fine worn out. In the main, Sure enough did several 27.0-27.5's in the main, Suprise! Just because your tires are worn, They will still work just fine @ Mikes.


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## mmorrow (Jan 18, 2009)

stay in the groove

+1 to what JB said about the calibers. I have always tried a new set until he gave me the worn out set. After that I tried them on my buggy and ran more consistent laps in one of my qualifiers. I tried my usual bowfighter combo and I had to much traction in one of my later qualifiers.


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## Tol Thomas (Feb 18, 2005)

Tire wear also depends on driving style, a more aggressive style will wear tires out faster than a less aggressive driving style. Throttle control makes a huge differencein tire wear. The less you spin the longer the tires will last. I can get a set of tires to last a month at mikes and only be .5-1 second a lap slower than if I pushed hard and chew my ties up in two runs just for that 1 second a lap. It is not just compound, because the same tire in two different compounds can slow your times down by way more than just being a little conservative on the trigger finger.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Tol Thomas said:


> Tire wear also depends on driving style, a more aggressive style will wear tires out faster than a less aggressive driving style. Throttle control makes a huge differencein tire wear. The less you spin the longer the tires will last. I can get a set of tires to last a month at mikes and only be .5-1 second a lap slower than if I pushed hard and chew my ties up in two runs just for that 1 second a lap. It is not just compound, because the same tire in two different compounds can slow your times down by way more than just being a little conservative on the trigger finger.


Throttle control. Jimmy Babcock once said, "Slow is Fast".


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## 4merstatechamp (Jan 9, 2010)

Agree with Tol, If half you guys get the lead out of your trigger finger you might go faster and your tires would last longer. Also it depends on tire selection, I see most guys running M3 Bow-ties(or copies) 2 weekends at most, but have had great success with M3 Revolvers(3 weekends of racing) and still going.


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