racinnut15xm
Member
Anyone tried to make one out of an old brake lathe? Just want to square up and take some tread off not trying to shape so much
Tire cutter
- Thread starter racinnut15xm
- Start date
XXX#40
2A supporter
When we first started cutting we used a lathe, so a brake lathe should work
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
I don't know about a brake lathe, but we used to cut tires on our engine lathe (20 years ago or so.)
We have the cutting bits you need when you want to try it.
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Thanks and God bless,Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
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Any info on if or how anyone may have made this work? Dad is a mechanic and got a old brake lathe to turn rotors for cheap and we had this idea as well. Was just curious on how or if this worked out for anyone else? Or any other cheaper alternative to cutting tires other than the old school Bondo file on the tire sander.
TGRRacing32
Member
I like the bondo file you can feel the variation in the tire that the lathe can’t.
I currently do the Bondo file method, was just curious if anyone made the brake lathe idea work. Honestly don't know how important it is for the tire to be round as compared to just making sure you take enough rubber off.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
A lathe will make the tire exactly the same as the next. The shoulder will be cut exactly the same from one tire to the next so there are no variations when you change sets. It also helps keep both shoulders the same so when you flip a tire on the wheel it will be the same.
Repeatability is the key with a lathe that you cannot get with a bondo file. For simply removing rubber, a bondo file will work fine.
With an engine lathe or brake lathe, you will have no template to use unless you fabricate something for the tool holder to follow. You'll be able to flat cut easily, but working the shoulders will take some thought. Take a look at how the VPR/SBC tire cutters were made with a small benchtop chinese lathe and work from that idea for a template and spring loaded tool holder. Without some sort of template, I don't see the lathe being much better than a bondo file for cutting the shoulders of the tires. Flat cutting, sure -- it'll do that great.
Repeatability is the key with a lathe that you cannot get with a bondo file. For simply removing rubber, a bondo file will work fine.
With an engine lathe or brake lathe, you will have no template to use unless you fabricate something for the tool holder to follow. You'll be able to flat cut easily, but working the shoulders will take some thought. Take a look at how the VPR/SBC tire cutters were made with a small benchtop chinese lathe and work from that idea for a template and spring loaded tool holder. Without some sort of template, I don't see the lathe being much better than a bondo file for cutting the shoulders of the tires. Flat cutting, sure -- it'll do that great.
I run maxxis so cutting the shoulders around here is few and far between. Most times we are just removing rubber across the surface. I just figured the brake lathe would be better for trueness and making the tire round better than the bondo file. Just didn't know if it made that much of a difference.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
Although balancing has little to nothing to do with the roundness of the tire as it sits on the track. The balance we're concerned about is spinning, and it definitely makes a difference, especially on big tracks and higher speeds where that "squat" of the tire is only momentary - like 1/10 of a second.
Keep in mind that car and truck tires "squat" when weight is placed on them, but balance is important on them just the same.
Lawn & garden tires don't need balanced since their rotation is so slow.
The faster the tire spins, the more the balance is necessary.
But you are correct, few tire guys take the time to balance anything....I suspect that's because they don't know if internal prep will be used by the customer. For MOST Burris, they'll get balanced before they leave our shop. Anything (Maxxis, Vegas, Hoosier, 55s, etc.) that we internally prep here will get balanced, but unprepped tires that I know the customer will be prepping internally, will not get balanced here.