Tire rejuvination / home made traction sauce

I have a set of hoosiers I plan to use for the 2010 Challenge. They are about 1.5 years old. While I can still stick my nail in them I want to get the most out of them. I have looked at VHT and a few others for the magic sauce that makes them softer, but was wondering if anyone had a home brew recipe

Thanks!

I have no answer for this question but... you just provided me the name I've been looking for.

My home-made BBQ recipe is now "Walter's Traction Sauce".

Thank you.

I made some a couple of years ago at the challenge, and it worked really well! IIRC, it was Simple Green, Toluene, and ATF. It was 2am and I was drunk when I mixed it, so I couldn't tell you the ratios. I mixed it in a bucket, spread it on with a paint brush, and put the wheels/tires in trash bags to sit over night. They were 5 y/o Kumhos, and they stuck like new at the auto-x the next day.

I've used WD-40 on some old Hoosiers with pretty good sucess. I think anything petrolium based with a thin viscosity will probably work for what you're trying to accomplish.

16vCorey wrote: I made some a couple of years ago at the challenge, and it worked really well! IIRC, it was Simple Green, Toluene, and ATF. It was 2am and I was drunk when I mixed it, so I couldn't tell you the ratios. I mixed it in a bucket, spread it on with a paint brush, and put the wheels/tires in trash bags to sit over night. They were 5 y/o Kumhos, and they stuck like new at the auto-x the next day.

The added traction exactly made up for the time lost due to having a hangover... The final recipe probably included a few inadvertant splashes of Jack or Vodka.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have no answer for this question but... you just provided me the name I've been looking for. My home-made BBQ recipe is now "Walter's Traction Sauce". Thank you.

Depends how hot and/or sweet you make it, that may answer both questions.

hrdlydangerous wrote: I've used WD-40 on some old Hoosiers with pretty good sucess. I think anything petrolium based with a thin viscosity will probably work for what you're trying to accomplish.

does it need to sit (bagged) for a while (overnight) ... and how long do the effects last

I assume I can't drive the tires to the event (figure 100 - 150 mi) and still gain any benefit ..?

16vCorey wrote: I made some a couple of years ago at the challenge, and it worked really well! IIRC, it was Simple Green, Toluene, and ATF. It was 2am and I was drunk when I mixed it, so I couldn't tell you the ratios. I mixed it in a bucket, spread it on with a paint brush, and put the wheels/tires in trash bags to sit over night. They were 5 y/o Kumhos, and they stuck like new at the auto-x the next day.

i'm surporised the concoction didnt eat through the bag! i used some adhesive that used toulene as the solvent to hold down a roof membrane and it disolved the plastic cup i was using to scoop it out of the bucket. that stuff is serously strong!

Corey, I think you told me you threw in some brake fluid too. Not sure it matters but what if it was the magic ingredient? 8)

Also, The directions on my bottle of formulaV suggested applying 1 coating per day over the few days leading up to an event.

A guy that I worked with used to work for a major tire manufacturer. He told me they used high flash Naphtha to keep the rubber soft.

This thread is relevant to my interests, I recently picked up a set of used R6s at the track fo' free.

In reply to wbjones: I never put them in bags. I just did a few coats and let them sit overnight. I doubt the effects would last through 150 miles of driving although the driving itself may serve to soften up the rubber.

low-odor mineral spirits, applied with a 4" wide foam roller.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have no answer for this question but... you just provided me the name I've been looking for. My home-made BBQ recipe is now "Walter's Traction Sauce". Thank you.

ROFL! One of my old cornerworker buddies homebrewed beer. He called his recipe "Blue Flag Brew"...and guaranteed that it would make you "check your mirrors" all the way home.

Formula V isn't that expensive...why bother? Or is that a stupid question for this board?

I've been using the 'real' stuff to keep some old slicks sticking:

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3340

What kind of magic can this stuff work?

I have six year old set of R compound tires that I've used for about eight track days. They have a lot of tread left, but are probably due for replacement due to their age. Can I squeeze a couple more track days out of them with Formula V?

Per Schroeder wrote: Formula V isn't that expensive...why bother? Or is that a stupid question for this board? I've been using the 'real' stuff to keep some old slicks sticking: http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3340

You call $40 a gallon not all that expensive? Boy are you on the wrong forum.

carguy123 wrote:

Per Schroeder wrote: Formula V isn't that expensive...why bother? Or is that a stupid question for this board? I've been using the 'real' stuff to keep some old slicks sticking: http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3340

You call $40 a gallon not all that expensive? Boy are you on the wrong forum.

He sorta invented this forum. Hard to call him on that.

carguy123 wrote:

Per Schroeder wrote: Formula V isn't that expensive...why bother? Or is that a stupid question for this board? I've been using the 'real' stuff to keep some old slicks sticking: http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3340

You call $40 a gallon not all that expensive? Boy are you on the wrong forum.

Yeah..he kind of works here.

Per has a point. If the proven product isn't that expensive why go all Mad Scientist on some tires?

Mike, you're right, I did toss a shot of brake fluid in there for the hell of it. I think my drunk logic was that I once heard that brake fluid made rubber swell, and softened it, and I had also heard that it did the same for clutch packs in auto transmissions, so it must soften tires, right? I think it ended up costing me about $10 for close to a gallon, which I spilled the bucket that contained what was left over all over the bed of my truck the next day. That made the bedliner nice and slick, but at least it smelled nice!

Oh, and Tom, I dig the new avatar!

16vCorey wrote: Mike, you're right, I did toss a shot of brake fluid in there for the hell of it. I think my drunk logic was that I once heard that brake fluid made rubber swell, and softened it, and I had also heard that it did the same for clutch packs in auto transmissions, so it must soften tires, right? I think it ended up costing me about $10 for close to a gallon, which I spilled the bucket that contained what was left over all over the bed of my truck the next day. That made the bedliner nice and slick, but at least it smelled nice!

Maybe it's not as funny for those who don't know you personally, but the video of that scene playing in my head just made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself.

And yeah, if I'm going to spend $40 a gallon on something, it had better be charcoal filtered, aged at least nine years, preferably in a single barrell, and make me go "Ooooh mamma, daddy's gonna have a good night."

I'm with angry on the mineral spirits. I know it works on R/C car tires...which are also made of rubber.

EDIT: Could make for a GREAT GRM article that your "core" audience would enjoy.

Meh, I priced it out. Probably about $20/gallon of ingredients with no idea of whether it'll work or not...vs $40 and I know it does.

Face-baby-batter is free. So's a stolen jug of Mineral spirits. I'm just thinkin' out loud here.

I have used WD40 to very good effect. In trying to duplicate Formula V, WD40 smells almost exactly like it, and it definitely has an oily smell to it.

Don't buy the spray cans of WD40, go get the gallon can and a sprayer (or you can brush it on).

To be honest, I still have some Formula V, so I use one coat of that just in case, but the WD definitely preserves tires very well if nothing else (spray them before you store them).

The disadvantage of WD40 is that it will make the tire a bit oily, so they will leave a trail in the driveway. Some sort of solvent "kicker" would probably help that.