Durometer readings....when is it bad?

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

RodneyWright wrote:

Ah, so good to see you guys educated in the classics! Glad I'm not the only Python addict in the group.

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

shawnwhipple · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:28 pm **Posts:** 603

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:11 pm

Nnnnit!

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:22 am

not impressed...

Charlie Guthrie · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:14 pm **Posts:** 832

I just had to resurrect this thread...just wish that I could resurrect these tires. Pete and I ran the SCCA event at Cherry Point and had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the pack. (I did win DSP, but the competition wasn't fierce). Today I decided to check the tire durometer and found them to be a little on the hard side. My trailer tires read 70-75, my Z3 tires with a tread wear rating of 420 read 70, and the tires on the "race car" read 80-85. So, in answer to the title question, I believe that I can say with confidence that a tire that reads 80 on the Shore A scale is "bad", and is not going to be competitive. The Cherry Point site has really grippy pavement, but our car felt like we were rally-crossing. It was great fun though; we both smiled a lot.
Charlie G

George Bright · **Posted:** Sat May 25, 2013 8:52 am

Charlie Guthrie wrote:

I just had to resurrect this thread...just wish that I could resurrect these tires. Pete and I ran the SCCA event at Cherry Point and had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the pack. (I did win DSP, but the competition wasn't fierce). Today I decided to check the tire durometer and found them to be a little on the hard side. My trailer tires read 70-75, my Z3 tires with a tread wear rating of 420 read 70, and the tires on the "race car" read 80-85. So, in answer to the title question, I believe that I can say with confidence that a tire that reads 80 on the Shore A scale is "bad", and is not going to be competitive. The Cherry Point site has really grippy pavement, but our car felt like we were rally-crossing. It was great fun though; we both smiled a lot.
Charlie G

Time to run on the trailer tires.

Pete Guthrie · **Posted:** Sat May 25, 2013 12:56 pm

our durometer went way wild, when we tested our ten year old tires. they are harder then my fathers treadwear 420 street tires.

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Sat Jun 08, 2013 5:47 pm

new data points:

Pair C now has 5/32 of tread and 120+ total runs, including 5k street miles. Durometer reads 72
Pair D are 255/40/17 Z1* bought 11/2012, with 7/32 tread, 2k miles and 60 runs (plus 30 minutes of hooning at the BMW Street Survival)...Durometer reads 66, similar to the Pair B 245s in the first post.

New BFG Rival 255/40/17s at full tread and 100 miles ("good right out of the box" according to the Nats drivers who reviewed them) read 68. These are supposed to wear very well, more likely from rubber compound than overall softness, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I will have to remember to check softness when at events on hot pavement.

Temps were similar on all days (72*, inside my basement-level garage)

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Durometer readings....when is it bad?

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