[Fot] cantilever slicks

Wed Sep 18 16:58:59 MDT 2013

Never really heard that, but consider this: Kerosene is flammable. Formula V is "combustible," a technical (and legal) distinction that puts it in the same category as the cardboard box it's shipped in, which is a distinction that allows it even to be shipped via UPS or FedEx or even mailed. Despite some cars' fender decorations, you aren't looking for flame, just softness.

--Rocky
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: sherry robyn 
  To: Rocky Entriken 
  Cc: 'Friends of Triumph' Triumph 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 5:24 PM
  Subject: Re: [Fot] cantilever slicks

  Rocky, I had heard somewhere that kerosene did about the same thing to tires as Formula V.  Is there anything to that?  Jim

  From: Rocky Entriken <rocky at spitfire4.com>
  To: sherry robyn <sherryjimmy6116 at att.net> 
  Cc: 'Friends of Triumph' Triumph <fot at autox.team.net> 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 3:16 PM
  Subject: Re: [Fot] cantilever slicks

  I'd paint 'em until they just would not take any more.

  First time I used it I brought back a set of 2-year-old slicks that had gone rock hard but still had half the tread depth left, took about 2/3 of the bottle. That was the first set of tires I ever ran to cord.

  3 to 4 coats a day for 3 days, or 12 coats starting about 9 am and going to 9 pm -- about the same. 3-4 coats a day kinda assumes a weekend racer working in the evenings, not a professional race team crew member. It also works better if the tires are scuffed and not glazed. Need to let one coat soak in (tires aren't shiny wet any more) before the next one. When they're "done", even if the tire isn't shiny wet it just runs off and onto the ground (or your catch bucket). They may still feel "greasy" for a day or so, which is why the 2-day wait (I won't even put the car on the ground/trailer for 2 days). It's also why you can give them one coat at the track overnight after it's been run that day, but no more (you're also working with freshly scrubbed tires, which allows the FVTT to soak in more easily). That's a tip I got from the FVTT guy, it's not one he advertises because it's too easy to misuse it.

  Once you've got the tires done the first time, it needs just 3-4 coats between events and shortly before next event -- assuming "between" means 2-4 weeks and not next year.

  I'd tell people it's not a softener, it's a restorer. It won't make your street rocks into racing gumballs, but it'll bring any tire back to it's original durometer specs.

  I peddled the stuff about 25 years and I believe in it. When I retired I passed my franchise to Solo Performance Specialties (Dave Whitworth, who's a friend). 

  --Rocky
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: sherry robyn 
    To: Rocky Entriken 
    Cc: 'Friends of Triumph' Triumph 
    Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 4:33 PM
    Subject: Re: [Fot] cantilever slicks

    Rocky, how many coats did you put on before a weekend?  Formula V directions say to put 3 to 4 coats for 3 days.  Did you do more than this?  I've put on lots of coats with limited success but maybe I stopped short.  The Formula V directions also say to wait 48 hours before racing so I have not done subsequent coats for a two day event.  When you say one coat to refresh them, I could see that this might work.  The directions had me not going there.  Jim

    From: Rocky Entriken <rocky at spitfire4.com>
    To: Robert M. Lang <lang at isis.mit.edu>; Scott Janzen <Janzen at REcatalyst.com> 
    Cc: 'Friends of Triumph' Triumph <fot at autox.team.net> 
    Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 1:49 PM
    Subject: Re: [Fot] cantilever slicks

    Formula V -- I used to sell the stuff for many years (retired now) and still use it. My experience is people who said the tires went off didn't do it enough. My analogy is the tire is like a hard dried sponge, infuse it with enough of the right liquid and it's soft again. I'd juice mine until the stuff ran off and it just would not soak in any more (paint on a treatment, wait an hour, repeat). For multi-day events, one coat (and ONLY one) in the paddock overnight to refresh them. Almost always used my tires until the cord showed up.

    --Rocky Entriken

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert M. Lang" <lang at isis.mit.edu>
    To: "Scott Janzen" <Janzen at REcatalyst.com>
    Cc: "'Friends of Triumph' Triumph" <fot at autox.team.net>
    Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 9:01 AM
    Subject: Re: [Fot] cantilever slicks

    > On Tue, 17 Sep 2013, Scott Janzen wrote:
    > 
    >> so, I'm planning on breaking out the ex-Schneider-Bond-Wheeler TR4 for a couple of runs this fall - debating whether I need new tires.  There's plenty of rubber left on the Goodyear Eagles (23x9x15), but as you might know, Goodyear doesn't make these anymore and haven't for a few years, so I think they are 4-5 years old, minimum (no date codes). Should I soften them up with Formula V (tire softener), or spring for a new set of Hoosiers?  Not going vintage at this point - with the suspension setup, the fiberglass flares, etc, I'm going to keep the car as it is.
    >> 
    >> I don't have any experience with tires like this . . . can I milk them for a bit longer or have they aged out?
    > 
    > You can get away with traction compound, but you def. won't get optimal performance from the tires. The other problem is that after you "juice" the tires, you get only a few laps before they start going off. Or at least that's my experience.
    > 
    > If you want tires on a budget, try using some cast-off Hoosier R45 compound 23x9.5x15's. The used tires guys usually have some.
    > 
    > regards,
    > rml
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    > Bob Lang              Triumph TR6!!            |  This space for rent
    > Former NER Solo Chair                          |
    > Voice:617-253-7438                            |  Cell: 339-927-4489
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