Nissan 370Z Forum - What kind of longevity are you getting with your Bridgestone RE050As?

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- - What kind of longevity are you getting with your Bridgestone RE050As? (http://www.the370z.com/wheels-tires/10434-what-kind-longevity-you-getting-your-bridgestone-re050as.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK370Z (Post 250489)

I'm hoping to change mine right before the summer of 2011. Winter rims will be used during winter. I think I can drive them fine next summer with the treads on them now.

I'm on target just as you are. One more summer and then new rubber at the start of the following summer. Boy-racer...LOL. I'm 29 and perhaps was a bit energetic when I got the car. Never smoked the tires or purposely spun them...just enjoyed some acceleration every now and then. Two track days including today :).

Quote:

Originally Posted by racerxj17 (Post 248176)

ehh....even on a slick, well prepped dry track, near bald tires will not have anywhere close to the grip of the tires new. its not the tread that affects the grip, its the amount of heat cycles. as you cycle the heat through them, they get harder and harder and grip less....

I'm assuming you're referring to new tires that have some break-in time, since new tires are SLICK when brand new.

As a biker, new tires are like riding on slightly oily tires for the first 50-100 miles - gotta take it easy on the turns and stuff...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul (Post 251182)

I've read this very fact you state above. However, as a rebuttal:

My buddy has a Mazda Speed 6 with AWD and we did our final track day of the season yesterday. The morning was bitterly cold with rain and the track was more of an ice-skating rink (slippery, not icy). I was struggling to accelerate out of corners and kept losing the back end if I was too energetic. My buddy in the AWD Speed 6 had brand spanking new tires and was driving away from everyone on the track. Coming out of a turn, he could put all the power down without much slip at all. Vettes were hitting guard-rails and he was laughing as he lapped Mustang GTs. Now granted there is a big AWD factor here, but if the tires were truly oily and slick when new, I'd think he'd have had bigger issues up front.

I guess if I had new tires too, I'd have seen how much of a problem new tires really were :).

All tires brand new are slick but after about 50 miles they are good to go. Did ur buddy drive to the track? If so there is ur 50 miles. The reason they are slick is that the manufacturers apply a special coating over the tires for transportation and to keep them from degrading while on the shelf in a warehouse ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullitt5897 (Post 251443)

Actually, I think it is mould-release compound. When the tread is formed in a mould, they spray a compound into the mould first that helps them separate the tire from the mould after the tread is formed. The compound stays on the tread until it wears off 50-70 miles of driving. There may also be a preservative used, but I think it is the mould release that is slippery at first -- especially if you drive new tires on wet roads.

Just my $.02