Got some of the last sets of 205/50x15" Hoosier A3S04s this past week. They are on 15x7" wheels.

I put the Hoosiers on the front of the car, and I drove up and down the neighborhood for about 5 miles. Came back put the other 2 on the fronts and did the same. I let them sit overnight.

Do I have to just do a constant radius circle? I peeled off the stickers but there is still some left over that didn't come off after my drive.

 

the ideal way is probably doing it on the track for the first session on a weekend and let it sit for at least 24 hrs. Might be a bad idea to do it on the street cuz it might pick up contaminants. I usually order tires heat-cycled from the seller...so some others might have better tips.

 

According to hoosier for best life and performance you want to get them up to operating temperature, then take them off the car (still hot) and store them for 24 hours, at least.

 

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Safir &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">According to hoosier for best life and performance you want to get them up to operating temperature, then take them off the car (still hot) and store them for 24 hours, at least.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Unfortunately you did not properly heat cycle the tires driving around town. The only way to properly heat cycle Hoosier's is the method described on their web site. The tires need to be brought up to operating temperature slowly, with the tires being subjected to high speed cornering as they reach the proper temperature. The process requires increased lap speed, until your maximum lap speed is achieved. After about 10-15 minutes of total of total track time, the process is complete. The tires then need to be removed from the vehicle ASAP. The tires should sit for a week at least after heat cycling if possible.

On the positive side, your tires will be fine. Quite a few people run Hoosier's without heat cycling them. "They don't feel quite as good as a properly heat cycled Hoosier, but will last about as long" (This is a quote from one of the Hoosier track-side reps. supplying tires during the last Porsche Club of America event at the LVMS road course I ran in last weekend). I'm not sure what he meant by "feel" as I always heat cycle my tires on a road course. Also, the heat cycling process offered by some tire distributors is useless. Just buy non-heat cycled tires if this is option you were considering.


1998 ITR #504

 

Ive always just driven them around town for about 20 mins...not doing anything silly, but driving corners a bit faster than normally, which still isn't terribly fast.

 

I didn't know there was any net benefit from heat cycling autocross compound Hoosiers...

 

The one set I have done, I simply brought my almost done set of tires along with the new set. I put the new set on first go out one 15 minute session starting really slow and building. Come in pit put the old tires back on and continue the day.

There is still a issue with this given the track I use (gingerman) is always harder on the left than the right.

I've heard the best is circles in a parking lot tell you puke.

If you didn't cycle them right which you didn't I wouldn't worry. The difference will be minimal. heat cycle is a edge that really in my book doesn't come into play until your in competition and really pushing for that tenth of a second.

 

Well I went out tonight and just ran circles There was actually tire smoke coming from them after my 7th circle

 

if the A's are anything like the R's, you will heat cycle them out long before the tread actually is gone.

I have gotten about 18 heat cycles out of my R04's and at that point they are probably 2 seconds a lap slower than a new set, but still have lots of tread on them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fsp31 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I didn't know there was any net benefit from heat cycling autocross compound Hoosiers...</TD></TR></TABLE>


You're absolutely right. I didn't notice the letter "A".

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Scot &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if the A's are anything like the R's, you will heat cycle them out long before the tread actually is gone.

I have gotten about 18 heat cycles out of my R04's and at that point they are probably 2 seconds a lap slower than a new set, but still have lots of tread on them.

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Hmm, not for me. I cord them before they're heat cycled out.

 

I spoke to hoosier and found out that the a3so4 break in is different from the r3s04's. The papers i recieved with my tires pertained more to r3so4's which require track laps and immediate removal to cure. Hoosier suggested to scuff them up in a parking lot doing figure 8's or circles if possible before your first run. I drove down the road from the event since they normally frown on tire warming then ran my 6 auto-x runs a half and hour later. They felt good all day, hoosier says the second time you use the tires you will notice even better grip so i am looking forward to this weekend, good luck.

 

Well I did something right. I got FTD (by about 1-1.5 seconds) at a Corvette event Fun day with sticky tires (stickier than Azenis).

In the open class was:
an FM car
2002 BMW M3
Dodge Viper
2002 WRX
2002 Celica GTS
Protege
3 Mustangs (one supercharged)
Suzuki Swift GT
Porsche 914
Volvo S60R &lt;-sweet in person!