I'm watching Craigslist constantly and see drag slicks of all kinds of ages. I'm aware of all the issues with autocross tires and storing them properly, but how old is too old for tires like Mickey Thompson slicks, and the like? This would be for use at the Challenge.
If you can't leave an imprint with your fingernail in the tire surface, it's probable too old and hard. There are some liquids that are supposed to restore the tire, but an old, hard slick makes a nice coffee table, not a nice drag tire.
Slicks make awful coffee tables. They'd make so-so beanbags though.
In reply to maj75:
Track Tac prep has great products to use on old slicks.
I've seen people put down 60's on REALLY old slicks that would be flat impossible on street tires. So uhh, they're better than street tires right up to the point where they put you into the wall, i guess. I have heard that older ones need more heat to stick well.
Given the specialty of them, I personally wouldn't use anything over 5 yrs old. Realistically, I'd just buy new. The technology and materials are just that much better.
i used 15 year old M&H racemasters for a weekend once. after a good long burnout they worked fine.
You're asking for a black-and-white answer to a 50-shades-of-gray question. The answer is that the older they are, the slower you'll go. How can anyone possibly know how important 0.1 seconds - or whatever - is to you?
Reminds me of those what-color-should-I-paint-my-car threads... ugh.
Maybe I had a bit too much coffee...
I was thinking there might be a few people who ran older slicks at the Challenge and would have some idea of how quick they might be vs. street or autocross tires on the strip. This whole thing is all about staying under budget if I choose to have more than 4 tires for use in Gainesville.
In reply to kb58:
How did we get from talking about drag slicks to talking about S&M?? 
In reply to DeadSkunk:
I've used old drag slicks at the Challenge.
I'm less concerned about how sticky they are then how well they will hold together at 100+ mph.
If you are running a 1.6L Miata the risk is much lower than if you have 500 ci at your disposal.
How fast do you expect to go? 80 mph? Sure. 100 mph? Maybe. 130 mph? No way.
SVreX wrote: In reply to DeadSkunk: I've used old drag slicks at the Challenge. I'm less concerned about how sticky they are then how well they will hold together at 100+ mph. If you are running a 1.6L Miata the risk is much lower than if you have 500 ci at your disposal. How fast do you expect to go? 80 mph? Sure. 100 mph? Maybe. 130 mph? No way.
Thank you! I came here to post that I found humor in the fact that people were worried about whether or not they'd be fast. Given that we've had discussions regarding street tires where people would swear that any tire older than seven years would spontaneously combust, where's the concern about old slicks holding together on the big end of the strip?
kb58 wrote: Reminds me of those what-color-should-I-paint-my-car threads... ugh.
It sounds like you're hanging around some pretty bad people, and you should disassociate from them.
Stick with us, where you'll never find a thread about which color lug nut paint really defines you as a person, but you will find threads about just about everything else, from dog farts to how to weld in a way that doesn't suck.
Most the latter, not so much the dag fart thing.
Ill admit to a couple of color threads.....
Old drag slicks: we decided not to. Have a set, but just dont get a warm and fuzzy feeling running 300hp plus nitrous through them. 100+ mph trap speed and blowout would be fugly.
I have heard of quite a few 12 second quarter cars running doped circle track slicks. Thats our plan. Same ones we are autocrossing on.
Circle track slicks can be used for drag racing. I've used several.
As far as older ones go - I"ve used those also. Are there any cracks in the sidewalls or tread? If so, then I would not use them. Also, make the sure the area of the slick that is going to mount on the rim is OK.
Getting the tread clean first on old ones is a priority. The tread often has "stuff" stuck to it after getting them sticky, making a pass, and driving around the pits - in and out of the garage-etc. Using a heat gun to clean them off first before treating the tread can work OK - or a good smokey burnout works OK first too. Whichever is more convenient.
Were the tires stored indoors?
In reply to TIGMOTORSPORTS:
They are nice and clean on the tread face, were stored in a large garage that I doubt was heated all the time, no sign of cracking or dry rot, beads look fine, lots of rubber left by looking at the tread wear indicator holes. They're about 8 years old, the seller thinks, and he claims he only used them at the strip twice. For 50 bucks I think I'll take them and clean them up and maybe try a homebrew softening concoction a few days before the Challenge.
Mine are unknown but probably 10 years. Tubes are newer. It hooks hard enough to break things and traps over 120mph. I keep an eye on them, nothing looks suspicious
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