When to scuff tires ??

Mrdavid78

Member
Ok so Heres my last one (for now) on tires. I hear and see guys scuff/sanding thier tires either on a "machine" mostly and/or by hand.. So my question is when to sand them ??
 
First that is not scuffing tires that is re finishing tires, scuffing is bolt them on the kart and run them a 10 to 12 lap heat cycle, you re finish them when new, and after being raced depending on how grainy they look, might be after every race, might be every other, might be every 3 races, you also flip them on the wheels to keep even wear and the best shoulder to the inside.
 
Ok. What does 1 use ? I was told that 1 could use a 80-100grit sandpaper. By grainy u mean ??
Typically anything between 36 and 220 depending on how rough of a surface you want. I prefer 120.

Grainy is referring to the surface of the tire. A tire that needs resurfaced will be one of two things. It will either be blistered, or what some call grainy. Blisters are obvious. Typically occur when you have had the tire too soft, and will typically form on the inside edge of the tire as that is where it is "cutting" into the surface. Grainy is when a larger portion of the tire is showing slight wear from heat. It will not be as severe as blisters, but will be a rough surface that is hard to clean and not overly great for traction. Think of soft sandpaper like patterns in the rubber. When these two things happen, the tire needs sanded back to being smooth.
 
Also called buffing the tire, it will almost appear as if it looks like a crosshatch, if it is done on a machine, I always cut from the inside to outside on right sides and opposite on left sides, and if on a machine alway use a cooling agent such as water or winded works well
 
When sanding a Maxxis to re finish i like to use 400 grit followed up with 600 grit. I also do mine by hand so as not to get the tire hot, which is really easy to do if never having done a tire before, especially with grinder or polisher.
 
What Earl said on Maxxis ^ if running on higher bite tracks. I still use a belt sander to finish everything, but go over them several times with several progressively finer grits, then finish our Maxxis for most southern tracks by hand with 400g.
Low/no bite tracks you can use a courser grit and be alright.


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🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
The OP is on Burris.
Unless the track is rock hard or bites up (or syrup) I usually don't finish Burris any finer than 220g.
For soft tracks that don't build any heat, leaving them course(r) helps build some temp in the tires akin to siping a big car tire. Just plateau finish them so the rough finish doesn't just sit on top the track and take too many laps to wear in.


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Unless the track is rock hard or bites up (or syrup) I usually don't finish Burris any finer than 220g.
For soft tracks that don't build any heat, leaving them course(r) helps build some temp in the tires akin to siping a big car tire. Just plateau finish them so the rough finish doesn't just sit on top the track and take too many laps to wear in.


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
What do you mean by plateau finish? I have been using 80 grit on belt sander to put a nice cross hatch in. It doesn't appear to put a real deep groove in but definitely softens tire up from being smooth and "glazed" over. Do you then go over with the 220 to smooth it a little. I run the belt sander at about a 45 degree angle to the tire in both directions using windshield wash as a coolant, blow off with air then add a wipe of prep.
 
What do you mean by plateau finish? I have been using 80 grit on belt sander to put a nice cross hatch in. It doesn't appear to put a real deep groove in but definitely softens tire up from being smooth and "glazed" over. Do you then go over with the 220 to smooth it a little. I run the belt sander at about a 45 degree angle to the tire in both directions using windshield wash as a coolant, blow off with air then add a wipe of prep.
You're doing fine.
Yes, I use multiple grits with belt sanders. Plateau finish is a term regularly used when finishing an engine cylinder on a hone. Courser grit, followed by progressively finer grits laid at different angles to take all of the sharp edges, or high spots, off the surface. (ie "plateau" rather than "peak") This also allows the tire to have more surface area in contact with the track and reduces the "break-in" time on the track.
 

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You're doing fine.
Yes, I use multiple grits with belt sanders. Plateau finish is a term regularly used when finishing an engine cylinder on a hone. Courser grit, followed by progressively finer grits laid at different angles to take all of the sharp edges, or high spots, off the surface. (ie "plateau" rather than "peak") This also allows the tire to have more surface area in contact with the track and reduces the "break-in" time on the track.
So I have three sets of tires on order from you when inventory gets in.🤞 Do you recommend your customers do this same type of sanding with your tires on a regular basis? Is that each week after a race night or do you recommend something different? I know I read a post at one time from you that you were looking at the possibility of doing a video series on tire cutting or prep. Is this still in the works? Thanks again for all the info!!
 
In 30 years of active racing and pittingg, I don't recall anybody ever doing all this stuff to their tires. Not in Sprint racing. All this prep might be good for the first few laps, but by the time you get to the heats and the main none of this prep is going to do you any good. Maybe if you're doiing in the pits between the heats? It might bee helpful for the first lap or 2. I should even say this stuff, what do I know.
 
In 30 years of active racing and pittingg, I don't recall anybody ever doing all this stuff to their tires. Not in Sprint racing. All this prep might be good for the first few laps, but by the time you get to the heats and the main none of this prep is going to do you any good. Maybe if you're doiing in the pits between the heats? It might bee helpful for the first lap or 2. I should even say this stuff, what do I know.
With Burris, you're often on a different set every time you hit the track. They aren't just sanded. They're often also cut on a machine with different profiles depending on the type of surface and available bite for that day.
 
In 30 years of active racing and pittingg, I don't recall anybody ever doing all this stuff to their tires. Not in Sprint racing. All this prep might be good for the first few laps, but by the time you get to the heats and the main none of this prep is going to do you any good. Maybe if you're doiing in the pits between the heats? It might bee helpful for the first lap or 2. I should even say this stuff, what do I know.
You'd be shocked at the differences of a cut tire vs uncut and prepped vs unprepped. Very rarely do I see an uncut unprepped tire faster than a cut with prep but they do have their place and under the perfect circumstances can be faster.
 
You'd be shocked at the differences of a cut tire vs uncut and prepped vs unprepped. Very rarely do I see an uncut unprepped tire faster than a cut with prep but they do have their place and under the perfect circumstances can be faster.
I didn't hear any mention of cut tires. with quarter midgets, which I've spent some timme with, making them around aand flat was a real necessity. So you're right no argument.
 
In 30 years of active racing and pittingg, I don't recall anybody ever doing all this stuff to their tires. Not in Sprint racing. All this prep might be good for the first few laps, but by the time you get to the heats and the main none of this prep is going to do you any good. Maybe if you're doiing in the pits between the heats? It might bee helpful for the first lap or 2. I should even say this stuff, what do I know.
You're right Al. 30 years ago, no one prepped. Life was much simpler for sure.
If we scuffed in a set on a paved parking lot was really leading edge back then.
Things have changed for sure. Not all for the better either. Don't think for a second that none of this prep is going to do you any good...there's a reason that some sanctioning bodies have made it illegal. WKA even tried it's best to stop it via issuing and impounding tires at it's biggest dirt race of the year -- and it drove WKA out of dirt racing and almost out of karting.
Most preps alter the rubber at the molecular level and last throughout the life of that rubber. Some (pre-race wipes) intentions are to only last a lap or two to get the tire to "fire." There are base preps that are driven down into the tire (heat, needling, several coats during the week) that last throughout a race, and there are internal preps that pull through the rubber as the race goes on, or even through several heat cycles.
Some preps soften the rubber, some add more bite to the tire.
There is an entire forum on this site dedicated to tires, with tons of additional information found there.
Choosing which set of tires and which amount of which preps is a challenge for sure, but very necessary for the dirt racer today. The tire program has to be in concert with the track, HP/engine application, driver style, and chassis tuning.
Then again, tuning is tough. :)
 
So I have three sets of tires on order from you when inventory gets in.🤞 Do you recommend your customers do this same type of sanding with your tires on a regular basis? Is that each week after a race night or do you recommend something different? I know I read a post at one time from you that you were looking at the possibility of doing a video series on tire cutting or prep. Is this still in the works? Thanks again for all the info!!
Usually with Burris, you refinish them after each race day.
Lightly sand them using Windex non-ammoniated window cleaner to keep the rubber cool.
 
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