V710's, Heat cycled from Tirerack or not?

[Highlander]

What's the consensus on paying Tirerack $60 to heatcycle a set of V710's? Do these tires need to be heatcycled? Will they turn into bricks after 1 Ax if I don't?
Having taken a year off and then running on street tires last year, I'm a little out of touch with the latest in race tire technology.

TIA,
Graeme

[pcharles]

I've heard from most that it isn't necessary with the 710's.

At nationals in 2004, when the V710 had just come back on the market and everybody was switching, in SS at least, to the tire, people were buying them right off the Kumho truck in Topeka. Several competitors claimed their best run was their first run, on brand new (non-heat-cycled) V710's.

I didn't pick up a pair until later, but had the same experience... except for the fact that I never drive that well on my first run... or second run... or :o; they were great on subsequent runs, though! And the tire life is excellent compared to Hoosiers. Still have some runs left in the set purchased at the end of the '04 season.

[00 SS]

I've had several sets now and I haven't heat cycled any of them. Your first event will do that nicely for you. You might not want to have 2 drivers in your car at the first event on them. I think it's only important for road racing with this tire.

[Donnie]

save your money they are fine not heat cycled we ran 2 sets of the big ones last season and didnt heat cycle either set and got over 100 runs per set with 4 drivers on them in one day also was the first day they were on the car 335-35-17 and 315-35-18 on a BSP vette

we also cooled them off between runs on the hot days for us they seemed to be better when they werent cooking

Donnie

[Highlander]

Thanks all. I can't wait to get back on *real* rubber again :D
Graeme

[Van]

I'm sure your competition won't be feeling the same way. Have fun.

BTW, when we got our V710's, we just scrubbed em in a day or two before the event.

[Built-By-Bones]

The only set of V710's that gave us trouble last year, was the set that was poorly heat cycled.

We used 8 sets :eek: of V710's last year, 7 sets were heat cycled by tire rack, one set was heat cycled by me in Topeka. That set ironically had two tires that blistered at Topeka - and they were hardly blisters caused by heat. They blistered on a wet, but drying, course with air temps in the 60's.

Same batch number as another set, so that was not the cause. While I cannot blame the lack of proper heat cycling as the only cause of the blisters, too many other variables, I strongly suspect it was the main cause.

The benefits of heat cycling are well known, just read any of Paul Haney's articles, or watch the proracers. It is very difficult to heat cycle tires properly in a parking lot doing figure eights - you tend to overheat the outside edges on the fronts- or driving down the 25 with the brakes applied - gets the heat going but the 75mph wind takes that heat away pretty quickly.

I think the $15/tire is well spent, the tires are heat cycled when you order them, and they get to cure (rubber molecules rebonding) while they are being shipped to you, so they are good to go the first event you take them to.

I also experienced approx 30% longer life from V700's that were cycled compared to those that were not cycled. Have not been able to make that comparison in V710's yet.

All this of course just IMHO