weird contact patch
#1
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Old Dominion
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
weird contact patch
After lunch yesterday, I did a couple aggressive starts in the V, followed by some aggressive braking (trying to set another best 0-60mph time, which I would have but the phone messed up).
Anyway, this cleaned the tires up, and probably warmed them up a bit too. When I drove back into the parking garage, I noticed an odd pattern on all four tires from where the parking garage dust was picked up on them
Any ideas what is up with this? Tire pressures are around 35 front/33 rear.
Anyway, this cleaned the tires up, and probably warmed them up a bit too. When I drove back into the parking garage, I noticed an odd pattern on all four tires from where the parking garage dust was picked up on them
Any ideas what is up with this? Tire pressures are around 35 front/33 rear.
#3
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Old Dominion
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I listed pressures in the OP. ~35psi front/33 rear. I like to have a few pounds extra because the weather temps change so much this time of year, though I could probably drop a pound or two out at this point.
I also like to run a little more pressure in the fronts since they carry more weight.
I would think if they were overinflated that there would be dust on the center of the tire, not two stripes in the middle of it. It's pretty weird. And it looked perfectly like that on all four tires.
The tires are used, got them with a set of wheels. And I had them mounted inside-out from how the previous owner had them. I figured this might wear longer if they had any tapered wear from aggressive camber, etc. Though honestly I think it just made them really twitchy. They felt really twitchy on steering transitions. I think it's either reduced or I've gotten used to it at this point.
I also like to run a little more pressure in the fronts since they carry more weight.
I would think if they were overinflated that there would be dust on the center of the tire, not two stripes in the middle of it. It's pretty weird. And it looked perfectly like that on all four tires.
The tires are used, got them with a set of wheels. And I had them mounted inside-out from how the previous owner had them. I figured this might wear longer if they had any tapered wear from aggressive camber, etc. Though honestly I think it just made them really twitchy. They felt really twitchy on steering transitions. I think it's either reduced or I've gotten used to it at this point.
#7
If you did a burnout, I'd would say the center expanded outward from overspinning.
Above mentioned was not my case. My front and rear Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires wore down only the center blocks of tread to the point it looked like a dual tire. I had never experienced or seen anything like this before. There was plenty of thread remaining to the immediate right and to the left of the center blocks. The immediate left and right row of tread didn't even have a taper towards the center of the worn down tread. In other words, it looked like a lathe had precisely trimmed off the center row of tread. Many other owners of that tire complained about the same problem. Michelin replaced under warranty with Pilot Sport A/S Plus since they no longer made the "non-Plus" models. Go figure. So far the "Pluses" are wearing even across the tire as normal.
Above mentioned was not my case. My front and rear Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires wore down only the center blocks of tread to the point it looked like a dual tire. I had never experienced or seen anything like this before. There was plenty of thread remaining to the immediate right and to the left of the center blocks. The immediate left and right row of tread didn't even have a taper towards the center of the worn down tread. In other words, it looked like a lathe had precisely trimmed off the center row of tread. Many other owners of that tire complained about the same problem. Michelin replaced under warranty with Pilot Sport A/S Plus since they no longer made the "non-Plus" models. Go figure. So far the "Pluses" are wearing even across the tire as normal.
Trending Topics
#8
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Old Dominion
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nope, no burnout, just a decent non-hoppy launch. That's interesting about the A/S's. These don't look to be worn funny, other than the way that dust got picked up. I'll run my hands over 'em and see if they feel uneven.
What kind of pressures do you guys run in non-runflats? As I said, now that the weather is consistently warmer, I'll probably take them down to like 33/31 psi. And yes, all pressures I mentioned are cold pressures.
What kind of pressures do you guys run in non-runflats? As I said, now that the weather is consistently warmer, I'll probably take them down to like 33/31 psi. And yes, all pressures I mentioned are cold pressures.
#9
I think there could be some sort of internal reinforcement running the circumferance of the tire that could have retained heat making the tread stickier along its path. It's waaay too perfect to be an inflation issue.
Cut the tire in half for me and see if there are some steel belts running along those perfect little strips...
Cut the tire in half for me and see if there are some steel belts running along those perfect little strips...
#10
Nothing wrong with your tires. BFG kdw 2..Have them on my V, they look the same. Buddy of mine had em on his M3, same thing...for whatever reason these tires just do that.
#11
TECH Addict
iTrader: (19)
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Where the Navy tells me to go
Posts: 2,404
Received 106 Likes
on
88 Posts
That's exactly what I was thinking. Over or under inflation wouldn't create two perfect high ridges around the circumference of the tires. And 35/33 isn't even remotely over inflated.
#12
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Old Dominion
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the feedback guys, the tires don't feel uneven, and yeah those stripes are bizarrely perfect. Glad to hear it is normal, but I wonder what causes it?
Sort of on topic, I am kinda liking these tires. They are pretty grippy and have been fine in the rain. Plus they look cool. The howl at ~37mph is the only downside.
#13
As for your contact patch, I wonder if the rim is pulling the tire up on each side and the slight under inflation is what you see in the center.
Because of hard cornering, a tire will where more on the sides than the center, even when inflation is proper.
A different brand tire/tread would yield different results.
Interesting, though.