Formula V Tire Conditioner, Does it really work? Options

[nine14cats]

I'm involved in a thread over at Pelican about tire conditioners. Specifically, I want to know if they actually keep a tire sticky without compromising safety. I've got my camber dialed in pretty good, I've got even temps and wear across my tires. But they are heat cycling out long before wearing out. I want to get another day or two out of them without having to baby them around the track because the grip is gone.

Anyone have experience with Formula V or something of similar nature?

I thought Nathan had a thread on this a while back, but I couldn't find it.

Thanks,

Bill P.

[Randal]

I'm involved in a thread over at Pelican about tire conditioners. Specifically, I want to know if they actually keep a tire sticky without compromising safety. I've got my camber dialed in pretty good, I've got even temps and wear across my tires. But they are heat cycling out long before wearing out. I want to get another day or two out of them without having to baby them around the track because the grip is gone.

Anyone have experience with Formula V or something of similar nature?

I thought Nathan had a thread on this a while back, but I couldn't find it.

Thanks,

Bill P.

It has been used, but I don't think people want to talk about it as it wasn't allowed.

[Joe Ricard]

If you don't get caught is it still cheating?
DE's shouldn't matter as just regular flogging during a lapping test day.
But for any competition that involves money get new tires.
save the tiar splooge for practice.
Yea it helps but does not bring them to new. however too much will soften the surface to eraser like softness and will get you slipping and sliding like you were riding on SNOT.

[nine14cats]

Yeah...I'm looking at this stuff for my practice tires. Believe me...I like new tires for the timed events, but for practice days...I want more stick out of my heat cycled tires.

Bill P.

[john rogers]

Grassroots magazine did a test several years ago and it actually brought tires back to just about new traction levels in their tests. It was a blind test and the drivers did not know which tires were which and were nationally rated solo/pro-solo drivers and ran the course with new tires at the same time as the treated tires.

[porsha916]

I have used tire conditioners at a circle track where they are also not allowed but you can buy them at the track. They make the tires grip better and last longer, use of them is trial and error. I only used them after the track disallowed the use of the tires I was using to slow me down!!! You can buy them at a stock car supplies website. Take Care Bill

[drew365]

Where is this magic elixir available?

[URY914]

Where is this magic elixir available?

Summit Racing or any of the online racing suppliers would carry it.

I have a couple of circle track racer friends that use it. It works.

[john rogers]

At several San Diego reigon auto-x's back in the late 90's there was a guy that would wipe his tires down with gasoline soaked rags just before the timed runs and the tires would last for one or maybe two runs and disentegrate but he was usually TTOD. He was finally stopped for safety reasons.

[URY914]

Safety reasons.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[theol00]

My experience goes back about 10 years with some magic sticky tire potion, It worked great for about 2 laps at Laguna Seca - in the 3. lap it let go and it was not pretty - so it might be ok for an AX - I would be careful in time trials

[nine14cats]

My experience goes back about 10 years with some magic sticky tire potion, It worked great for about 2 laps at Laguna Seca - in the 3. lap it let go and it was not pretty - so it might be ok for an AX - I would be careful in time trials

On the Pelican thread one race shop is saying that the stuff works, but there is a steep degradation in performance, much like you are saying. One of the guys on the bird board is going to try the Formula V and report back. I'll let him do the testing and see where it goes.

Thanks,

Bill P.

[john rogers]

Damm Paul, that looks like the burnouts when they used bleach in the burnout box??!!

[AndrewBlyholder]

I've used TrackClaw in the past to make old tires more bearable autocrossing. Seemed to work ok, but of course autocrossing, with a different course each time, you never really know. The guys running paved permanant tracks will give you the best advice as they can track lap times. Grassroots Mag. does a pretty good job on maintaining good objective methods in their tire and performance tests, so I'd give their opinion the most weight.

Andrew B.

[nine14cats]

Hi Andrew,

Did you notice a gradual degradation after the treatment or did the performance fall off drastically? I'm more concerned about the tires going away in a hurry on the big tracks.

Thanks,

Bill P.

[AndrewBlyholder]

Hi Andrew,

Did you notice a gradual degradation after the treatment or did the performance fall off drastically? I'm more concerned about the tires going away in a hurry on the big tracks.

Thanks,

Bill P.

Autocrossing, it's hard to say. I certainly didn't notice any dramatic drop off.

[jhadler]

Formula V is the real thing. Folks here are talking about a variety of tire "treatments" and most of them are bunk.

Formula V (and other similar restorative compounds) will not make a Kelly Rockmaster 2000 stick like a Hoosier. But it will bring an old Hoosier back to nearly new grip levels. I've used it, and found it to work quite well. I know many folks who have used it. The prevailing wisdom is that it's better for slicks, than for DOT R tires.

Varn rubber restorer is nearly the same thing as Formula V, but a good bit cheaper. It's a treatment for rubber rollers on printing presses. But that's a YMMV kindof thing. I tried the Varn a couple times, seemed to work sortof okay, but the effect was short lived. The Formula V (if applied properly) has a more prolonged effect. Enough to get a good tire down to cord.

As for the gasoline wipe down? I can't immagine how that would improve the performance of a tire. Chlorox is often used for burnout competitions though, makes the tire surface super greasy for easy wheelspin.

-Josh2

[nine14cats]

Hi Josh,

What has been your experience on road racing circuits with the Formula V as far a tire feel and the tires suddenly going away? I am thinking of using this stuff on my heat cycled bias ply slicks for lapping days. I keep a newer set of slicks for timed runs.

Do they get greasy as they go away? Some folks on the bird board make it sound like the tires go off big time from lap to lap on their degradation curve.

Thanks for chiming in!

Bill P.

[jhadler]

Hi Josh,

What has been your experience on road racing circuits with the Formula V as far a tire feel and the tires suddenly going away? I am thinking of using this stuff on my heat cycled bias ply slicks for lapping days. I keep a newer set of slicks for timed runs.

Do they get greasy as they go away? Some folks on the bird board make it sound like the tires go off big time from lap to lap on their degradation curve.

Thanks for chiming in!

Bill P.

My only direct experience with Formula V'd tires is in Autox, so no sustained lapping. But I've never felt them spontaneously go off. It also depends on how it's applied. The tires need to re-cure after application of the Formula V. Slapping the stuff on the night before and expecting brand-new tires the next morning isn't the way it works...

The stuff has to be applied in regular coats at least a few days before use. And it needs to dry and properly cure for a couple days after application of the treatment.

I found the treatment good for old tires that I wanted to wring a few more runs out of. It's not the same a new tires, but then again, what is?

-Josh2

[nebreitling]

gasoline wipe down absolutely works -- an old circle track trick not used for obviously flammable reasons.

i clean my tires when i get back from the track with a bit of gasoline on a rag, then treat them with formula V. FV does not make tires stickier than new, but it helps them in their old age somewhat.