Front tire life?

[Eric Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Gmirza

How many runs should a pair of from tires last? I just wore out a set of Hoosiers in less than 100 runs. Last pair of Toyo’s lasted hundreds of runs.
Front end is tight, alignment is good, minimal toe change, car goes and brakes nice and straight.

George I have found that Hoosiers on the front look great, but just aren't as long lived as say some others, I know you are not doing Scotty style man dumps every run with yours, so here is my experiences with the fleet:

Dragpak has the hoosiers 28's, I think they are very light, but compared to the Morroso's 7.10's I have on the dakota, the dart and the challenger, which are run till their bald, the hoosiers maybe have a thinner side wall? They are fine, but just don't have that hearty look. The Gremlin runs the small Moroso 24's D-2's and they will need to be replaced 6 or so seasons(but I may scrub a tenth at the 60 foot mark from time to time), rear slicks, hmm thats every 8 years or so. The Nova also has hoosier fronts, and I think they will last forever, I wonder if its a total front weight thing. Depending upon what rollout you need, you could try another brand. Pressure may be impacting your life as well, I run 40 in most everything. Eric

[Gmirza]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was wondering what kind of tire life other racers are getting with the Hoosiers. I’m going to go with a set of MT’s and rotate them every 25 runs and see how they hold up.
Keep the replies coming!

[The Hawk]

For me, I run the 24-5/15 tires on my Super Pro/Street Firebird. I picked up a new set of front wheels with a deeper offset and that seemed to shorten the life a bit. Got 2 years out of my last set but I really like them. It's a pretty front heavy car as well.

The M/T's I run on the Skyhawk I'll get years out of before I need to buy new.

I know someone who ran M/T front runners for years, finally told me the pressure he was running them at....80 pounds....he couldn't believe how flabbergasted I was he didn't blow one out!!!

[Rory McNeil]

I put a new set of Hoosier 26" front tires on my car over the winter, the tread grooves are very shallow compared to the old style Moroso Drag Specials or M&H fronts that I was using earlier. Not sure how long the shallow Hoosiers will last, but really doubt they will get even close to the Morosos. I had the same set of Moroso 71.0 Drag Specials on my car for over 10 years, and they still had plenty of tread showing. The Morosos also held air better than any other tire that I have ever tried. The car could sit in the garage all winter, and lost less than 5 psi in 5 months. My previous MT and current Hoosiers would go flat in a couple of weeks. The only downside to the Moroso Drag Specials, is that they are only made in 3 sizes, with about 2 inches between each size. Never tried the Moroso DS2s.

[FED 387]

buy a new set every spring run them the entire season leave them on over the off season so you can roll the car around and put the new tires on in the spring-- part of the cost of racing--if you are not doing 130 MPH brake jams they should last a while like anything else you abuse them they will wear out FAST--FED 387

[Tom O]

Hey George, your thread got me thinking, I put on a new set of 28's in Jan of 2020 before I left Taxachusetts. Currently have 157 runs on them, one is just about done & the other isn't far behind. I'll shoot for 200, but probably sooner. I'm guilty of cornering too fast. lol.

[Jim Caughlin]

So far, no one has mentioned that front end alignment is a big factor in tire wear. I can tell you that I regularly have race cars in my shop that make a significant scrapping noise when being pushed across the concrete floor which indicates they certainly are not in alignment. I also regularly see 'peeling' on front tires which is another indication of improper alignment. Lastly, lots of cars have bump steer issues which are causing premature wear. I wouldn't be so quick to blame the manufacturers. Quite honestly, I usually am changing front tires because of their age long before the tread wears down.

[curtis reed]

Is it the weight or the alignment that causes you guys to wear out tires so fast? Or I guess the two together? I have 261 passes on my fronts and don't look to be anywhere near worn out. I am really light but I do have a lot of caster in mine and 3/16" toe in.

[Adger Smith]

I'm wondering about front tire "Age"
I parked my SS/ Gen 3 Camaro in 2010
The M/T's were bought in 2002
They are in the car and the car is on jack stands
in a "no window" race car shop that is climate controlled.
There is a set of Goodyear "26" in fronts that are stacked flat & on rims in the corner of the shop. They were bought new in 1998 and have never been used.
Neither set of tires are showing sidewall cracks or any distress.
Is a Race car tires life similar to trailer tire life?
Should I pitch them and start over or air them up and go...??

[Gmirza]

Adger that is a very good question. I’m sure the tire manufacturers would tell you their junk. I would think if they’re not dry rotted and held air ok they should be fine. I don’t think comparing them to a trailer tire is a fair comparison. Trailer tires are subject to all kinds of forces on the sidewalls.
I just receive my new MT 27.5’s. The tread depth is .090”-.100”, appears to be more than the Hoosiers, but I never have measured them.