Thick vs thin tires

bomber315

Member
Ok this is probably another stupid question but I have to ask. I see people selling "yellow Vegas thick" and "yellow Vegas thin". What is the thick and thin all about? Does thin just mean they have been used/ cut more? Or are they different tires to start with? While we are at it what is reached used for and how can I tell the difference by looking at them. Thanks
 
You can buy Thick tread or Thin tread right sides. I think most of the fast guys buying the thicks are cutting them to the profile that they want anyway, which takes off some of the tread depth. Not sure how you would determine which one you are looking at, unless of course it is a thick that hasn't worn down very much yet.
 
You can buy Thick tread or Thin tread right sides. I think most of the fast guys buying the thicks are cutting them to the profile that they want anyway, which takes off some of the tread depth. Not sure how you would determine which one you are looking at, unless of course it is a thick that hasn't worn down very much yet.

This is exactly what we do with them.

Thicks are only available in right sides.
All left sides are thins.

Thin right sides start life @ ~.060" rubber, thicks are .090" if I remember correctly.


Thicks work better on dirt (low bite) where you want a stiff sidewall but plenty of tread depth to build heat and hold prep.
Thins work better on pavement, or hard bite up tracks that build tire temps.
Cutting thicks to be thinner rubber is somewhat the best of both worlds.

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I disagree with that, at least over here in the east.
Maybe you just aren't working them correctly. ;) J/K

It's not an east/west thing. It's due to the track temperature amount of available grip (porosity of the surface, sealers, size of track, configuration/radius of turns, etc) that determine which tire works best on pavement.
 
Maybe you just aren't working them correctly. ;) J/K

It's not an east/west thing. It's due to the track temperature amount of available grip (porosity of the surface, sealers, size of track, configuration/radius of turns, etc) that determine which tire works best on pavement.

So now your saying each has its own place on pavement, after you said "thins" work better.
Your confusing me, but not like Al does :giggle:
 
Meant to read that thins work better on pavement (than on dirt.)
Read the rest of my post -- cut thicks are the best of both worlds.
If you cut a "thick", isn't it a "thin" with the contact patch and shoulders the way you want it? ;)
 
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I think it's meant in general thins work better on pavement than dirt. As we all know there's very few always that applies to karting.
 
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Brian, I don’t know, I don’t cut my Vegas on asphalt or dirt.
But I guess it would depend on how much you cut off. I wasn’t trying to be difficult, just saying thins have never been faster at our asphalt track. I’ve tried them, heck years ago I tried them plastic sprockets they came out with lol.
 
How much time difference are we talking? Is this karting voodoo or proved science? Same track, same conditions, .090 vs .060 vs. cut of each... I can see why the cut treads are quicker...
 
How much time difference are we talking? Is this karting voodoo or proved science? Same track, same conditions, .090 vs .060 vs. cut of each... I can see why the cut treads are quicker...

Again, it depends on the amount of bite in the track and how quick it builds heat in the tires.
Thins will build heat quickly, but they will also dissipate heat quicker.
Thicks retain more heat and don't cool off as quickly -- they also hold more prep (which is why the dirt guys like them.)
The shoulder and sidewall stiffness is different, especially if you cut them.
Bigger tracks show the advantage of cut tires more than small bullring tracks -- (although the advantage is still there.)

Like Ken said, there are LOTS of "generalizations" and very few "absolutes" in racing (including tires.)

I've been at the track with our own customers, running our preps and tire program with similar set-ups, yet one required a little more bite and rubber thickness than the other. Could it have been his driving style, something different in the chassis, a combination of both? I don't know (or particularly care) as long as it's fast you keep doing what you're doing. :)
 
In my experience, the thicks are faster on pavement. The thins never produced the speed the thicks did. Even when we camber cut, or straight cut thicks down to 050-060, they were quicker.
 
In my experience, the thicks are faster on pavement. The thins never produced the speed the thicks did. Even when we camber cut, or straight cut thicks down to 050-060, they were quicker.
Does anyone know what causes this? How is the manufacturing process different between the thick & thin tread tires? Does the sidewall end up stiffer on a thick tread tire by chance, or is it because you can cut the tire in such a way that you change the effective stiffness of the sidewall?
 
Does anyone know what causes this? How is the manufacturing process different between the thick & thin tread tires? Does the sidewall end up stiffer on a thick tread tire by chance, or is it because you can cut the tire in such a way that you change the effective stiffness of the sidewall?

The below is strictly "theory" on my part, and my experience.

The two main reasons, is I believe the sidewall deflection is different between the 2 types. To me, the thins roll over more.

The other, as you mentioned, I can cut and profile the thick as I see fit.
 
Too carify this thick , thin or cut thicks .
Your saying ; cut thicks are faster then. thins ?
Not ; Thicks are faster then thins ?
 
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