Tire Warmer Usage

[ipscer]

I have read a lot on the subject of tire warmers: The pro-cons on high wattage warmers versus low wattage warmers (thanks tyresox), how high quality warmers have great insulation and more consistant heaters to prevent burning the tire, etc.

I also understand that digital tire warmers let you set the temperature to match the tire and effectively limit tire cycles.

However, I have the following questions.

1) Assuming, 170 degrees is the performance temperature, is it really bad to keep a tire heated to 170 degrees for a long time versus keeping them at 130 or so. That is, why is it a problem to keep the tire at its performance temperature between races or practice sessions.

2) If I have a single temp set warmer. Should I put them on between races/sessions but not plug them in. Why?

Thanks for the responses.

Greg

[catman]

Hey i believe its better ifyou can lower the temp to 130 if youre not on track for an extended period maybe 4 -5 races - cooking the hell out of things reminds me of my cooking(they dont let me in the kitchen anymore) if you can afford to get the variable digi bakers - and plan on goin through a few sets of tires, it probably pays off soon enough- Peace! john

[mq105]

My suggestion is to talk with the tire reps about warmers first.

[catman]

good point- just always wonder which co makes a tire that enjoys full oven all day- never hurts at the start to chat with them tire guys, prolly have the most important info youll need  :boink:regularly-Peace-john

[kvanengen]

Every one you talk to will give you a different answer. So I will put in my 2 cents.
1st. When it comes to the digital temp gauge warmers. If you are at a regional level, I find them to be a waste of time and money. What temp are there measuring? The air, the outer tire or the carcass, and witch one of those should be at 170 deg.. That's the first thing you have to find out. But really who cares what exact number your tires are at when you leave the pit. The reason I say that is because how many times have you used tire warmers and got the temp at the right spot just in time to wait on the grid. So you have now warmed your tire up in the pit, cooled your tire down a little on the way to the track, warmed them up again on the warm up lap, just for them to loose a couple of deg. Waiting for the flag to drop. That seams like a lot of run around.
2nd. Witch tire warmers cover and heat the best. If you look at the edge of a chine's made warmer like Chicken Hawks ect.... They have no consistent heating pattern all the way around the edge of the tire. The coils are in a v shape witch at first will give you hot then cold spots. If you look at a set of Tyresox, the heater cords cover every spot of the tire so you get a good consistent hot spot pattern. They have one setting, just plug them in and let them warm for 45 min. There are pros and cons to every tire warmer out there. Warmers like chicken hawks and BRG are great warmers. They are very easy to use, just unplug them and pull them off and go. The Tyresox are a little more finicky. When you take them off you have to hang them so that they will not burn together.
I Have raced with and with out tire warmers, and have used both Tyresox and Chicken Hawks. The reality is who really needs them at our level. Now I am not speaking for the Brian Halls, Andy F or the Tommy G. out there. Ect..., I am speaking as the weekend worrier like myself who knows they have no plan/chance going for the #1 board.

No matter what traditional tire warmer you have (for the exception to the fast heating warmers), this is what you do (in my opinion).
Racing. Plug them in at the recommended time that they say from the factory  before the race. When you are done racing, put the warmers back on but do not plug them in unless you have another race coming right up. You want to rap them so that the tire does not go from hot to cold in such a short amount of time. By rapping them they will lose heat at a slower pace and you should get better tire life.

If for some reason you think you need Tire warmers for track days: Most track days go 20 min on 40 min off. (3 groups) Plug them in 45 Min. (or factory recommended time) before your first session. When you get off the track put the warmers on but do not plug them in for the first 20 min. Then the next 20min. before your next session plug them back in. The reason for that is, you don't want to have your tires baking for 7 to 8 hours straight. By having you warmers on but not plugged in gives your tires a break from the heat yet won't let them cool all the way off and go through a entire heat cycle.

Now every tire warmer is different and every ones situation is different so that may not apply for you. But I hope it gives you a better idea of what to look for or do.   

[Jeff]

Have a cold tire crash and then say "who needs tire warmers?"  Really, it only takes 1 cold tire crash to exceed the cost of a set of warmers...

[kvanengen]

That's good Jeff. Pick out the one thing you don't like and make your point. I believe I said that it was my opinion on the subject, that's all.... From your comment I see you have had a cold tire crash. Think back now, can you blame the tire, maybe a foreign object on the track or were you trying to win the race on your first lap, maybe that was it.
Again my opinion on the thread, that's all. I do still love it when the site moderator makes comments against guys who are simply trying to help someone out. Way to go Jeff,  job well done.

[Sobottka]

i think the evidence for tire warmers "at our level" is overwhelming...

Think back now, can you blame the tire, maybe a foreign object on the track or were you trying to win the race on your first lap, maybe that was it.
Way to go Jeff,  job well done.

[jimmyboost]

No matter what traditional tire warmer you have (for the exception to the fast heating warmers), this is what you do (in my opinion).
Racing. Plug them in at the recommended time that they say from the factory  before the race. When you are done racing, put the warmers back on but do not plug them in unless you have another race coming right up. You want to rap them so that the tire does not go from hot to cold in such a short amount of time. By rapping them they will lose heat at a slower pace and you should get better tire life.

If for some reason you think you need Tire warmers for track days: Most track days go 20 min on 40 min off. (3 groups) Plug them in 45 Min. (or factory recommended time) before your first session. When you get off the track put the warmers on but do not plug them in for the first 20 min. Then the next 20min. before your next session plug them back in. The reason for that is, you don’t want to have your tires baking for 7 to 8 hours straight. By having you warmers on but not plugged in gives your tires a break from the heat yet won’t let them cool all the way off and go through a entire heat cycle.

Now every tire warmer is different and every ones situation is different so that may not apply for you. But I hope it gives you a better idea of what to look for or do.   

Even if some people don't like all of his opinions, that last part is pretty good advice ipscer. 

[tstruyk]

That's good Jeff. Pick out the one thing you don't like and make your point. I believe I said that it was my opinion on the subject, that's all.... From your comment I see you have had a cold tire crash. Think back now, can you blame the tire, maybe a foreign object on the track or were you trying to win the race on your first lap, maybe that was it.
Again my opinion on the thread, that's all. I do still love it when the site moderator makes comments against guys who are simply trying to help someone out. Way to go Jeff,  job well done.

I'll agree that a cold tire crash can be prevented with warmers.  Now dont blow me up, I'm not a moderator... isnt this a discussion? 

My one and only crash last year was the ONLY time I went out on cold tires (rushed to get them changed for qualifying), no time to warm and still get my time in... so I went out slow... VERY SLOW!!!

Talking outload the whole time... coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires, coldtires

ask my pitmates...

I went down the front straight at MAM to the far right, hard on the gas.  then hard on the brakes (making sure of course there was noone behind me, hand up except for under braking) just trying to generate some heat.  Tiptoed through one fine, scrubbed off some speed into 2 and tipped it in gingerly... and just kept on going all the way to my ass.  I was running on a scale of 1-10...about a 4

Fairing stay $70
Clip on bar $10
Wind screen $65

not to mention the big ass dent in the tank and the cost to freshen up the paint (would not have been necessary if not for the crash). 

$100 for paint and prep work (assuming the minimal damage I had)
$100 tank (its an 06R6, tanks tend to grind through and leak, its a precaution)

No debris, foriegn objects, fluid, dirt, grass, dust... just cold tires.

Yes you could get by without replacing all of that, but to get it back to the way it was would cost you a decent set of warmers.

Yes some guys can get by without them, yes your risk of a cold tire crash increases. 

the rest of the info is great stuff!  My opinion is that (for me) tire warmers arent optional.  If I ever have to race without em I'd rather be on pilot powers... thats just me.

[Court Jester]

i've wrecked one time on the first lap. i wasn't using tire warmers and the front end just wouldn't hold the track. tire warmers aren't always a 100% cure, but they are better than nothing.

[Super Dave]

First, "tire warmers" do more than warm tires.

Ever do hot laps and check hot pressure of a tire?  It changes because the tire transfers heat to the air, the rim, even the rotors.  There was a time just before tire warmers where I used to really use an excessive amount of brake front and rear to put heat into the rotors and then the rim as that was very effective.

Similarly, when a tire warmer goes on, it heats the air in the tire, the rim, the rotor.  Yeah, on a cold day, it's harder to get that heat in as it gets transfered into the outside air a little quicker through the rims and all.

When you have a nice warm tire, with the air and the rim being warm, and you wait on the grid, the outside rubber might cool down a bit, but the rim and the air inside that is a little more insulated keep that heat in the tire.

Don't need it at club races?  Fine, guys like Robbie Jensen make more money at club races compared to AMA races, so I guess it's a difference of opinion.

Temperatures.  Long term temperatures can do things to the tire.  Some warmers don't regulate temperature very well.  So, the tire can be brought above it's proper temperature.  This can cause the tire to go through a heat cycle, which can generally be though of as bad but can be an advantage...depending upon the tire, or it can just be warmed above the tire's operating temperature.  Take a tire that has been heated to 180 when it's supposed to be 140, and the tire can feel greasy for about two laps, during which it cools down to operating temperature.

After a practice or race, yeah, I like to put the warmers over the tires minimally to slow down the temperature crash.  Will make it faster to get up to temperature for what ever you have coming up.

Thoughts for someone needing help.