by chrisguyw » Wed Dec 12, 2018 1:27 pm
When the "air ride" wheels first were introduced it quickly became common (mostly in Europe) to........1/ Glue both beads of the tire to the wheel...2/True and treat the tire,.....and 3/ Use a syringe to lightly inflate the center portion of the tire. This supported the center section of the tire, creating a flat contact patch, but much more importantly, tended to "soften" the tire, allowing it to compress more readily and progressively (more akin to a sponge tire). This let the outside rear tire compress and load more effectively, improving grip, and, lessened chatter. (There are many other critical elements in the causes of chatter, but, tires are certainly a factor ).
(I should also add that any of the processes outlined here apply mainly to treated rubber tires used on a wood track.)
The issue with this process was that the tires only held air for a heat or two, so racers were running around with syringes between heats, and syringes were to be seen on most slot boxes/counter tops................this was not the optic most shop owners were looking to project, and this practice was largely banned 4/5 years ago.
Alternatives were sought, and the practice of using old bits of 1/24 and 1/32 sponge tires to fill the gap between the flanges became more popular....(several on this forum are solid proponents of this, and have been for some time). It has clearly been common enough, that now a few of the plastic car manufacturers are offering sponge fillers for this specific purpose.
My personal observation is that the sponge is not as effective as the "inflated" tire, but, I do consider it worthwhile, I have been using it for a couple of years, and will continue to do so. (Sponge does have one advantage over the "inflated" tire process.......it lasts,.....so no issues with multi event proxies).
I have tried this process with several Silicone, Urethane, and untreated rubber tires, and while I have not been disappointed, I have not found the results to be of the magnitude found when using treated rubber tires.........neither Silicone, Urethane, or untreated rubber will compress as readily as a treated rubber tire, so the effects are negated.
Cheers
Chris Walker