Rain Tire Questions

ATTS

ATTS

Well-known member
It looks like it is going to rain for Sundays race so I will be using wets for the first time. I have a couple questions below if anyone wants to chime in.

1 - Warmers or no warmers? I have read different views on this such as wanting to heat the tire since the ground will be cooler you want to ensure the tire is up to temp, also read not to as the tire will not retain any heat once it hits the cold puddles so there is no point and how the tire is designed for the cooler temps since it's a rain:confused:.

2 - Any difference in running warmers with different brands of rubber? Some yes, some no?

3 - What temps for the warmers (if run)? Set them at the same temps for dry or set them to warm but not quite hot?

4 - How long for the warmers? Same as a dry or a shorter time period?

5 - PSI? The common number that I have read is 2psi higher, what's everyone here doing?

I will be chatting with the tire rep on the weekend but thought I would throw this up here also to discuss. As mentioned I have read articles, threads, info that answers each of the above items with different answers.
 
All of those questions are definitely for the tire rep. I can tell you my experience with Dunlop rains. I asked Sandy at Pro6 and he said 34psi cold, no warmers, give them a few laps to warm up. I would say you generally want to do that anyway to feel the track conditions.
 
doozerdave said:
All of those questions are definitely for the tire rep. I can tell you my experience with Dunlop rains. I asked Sandy at Pro6 and he said 34psi cold, no warmers, give them a few laps to warm up. I would say you generally want to do that anyway to feel the track conditions.
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Its a race. cant wait a few laps for warm up.

I dont run warmers when I run rains....mostly because I have dual temp warmers. If I had digital I would find out the exact temp they should be at and set it there. You can usually run fast right away. I have been on dunlop and Bridgestone.
 
doozerdave said:
You have a sighting lap and a warm up lap don't you?
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Just a sighting lap.

No warmers on rains. The goal is to keep them cool anyway
 
doozerdave said:
All of those questions are definitely for the tire rep. I can tell you my experience with Dunlop rains. I asked Sandy at Pro6 and he said 34psi cold, no warmers, give them a few laps to warm up. I would say you generally want to do that anyway to feel the track conditions.
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Can't exactly "give them a few laps to warm up" when you are racing so that might be solid advice for track days but definitely you need the warmers on before a race.

IMO

Never seen a Motogp bike on the grid without warmers for wet races
 
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ZX600 said:
Can't exactly "give them a few laps to warm up" when you are racing so that might be solid advice for track days but definitely you need the warmers on before a race.

IMO

Never seen a Motogp bike on the grid without warmers for wet races
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Yes but they dont heat to 80. They heat to a specific temp. not sure what but it is much lower
 
ZX600 said:
Can't exactly "give them a few laps to warm up" when you are racing so that might be solid advice for track days but definitely you need the warmers on before a race.

IMO

Never seen a Motogp bike on the grid without warmers for wet races
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True, but you also don't see MotoGP guys knee down on lap 1 in the rain. On lap 20 they are. They've figured out the traction by then and the tires are operating at the proper temp.
 
kellen said:
No warmers on rains. The goal is to keep them cool anyway
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I understand that you don't want them hot and tear apart but what is your definition of "cool"? I assumed that you would want heat in them but not to overheat them? Wouldn't they not grip as well if you were trying to keep them cool?

ZX600 said:
Can't exactly "give them a few laps to warm up" when you are racing so that might be solid advice for track days but definitely you need the warmers on before a race.
IMO
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Have you run warmers and rains before or just speaking from personal thoughts?

Snipes20 said:
Yes but they dont heat to 80. They heat to a specific temp. not sure what but it is much lower
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I have digital and can set the temp. That was another thing I was reading was about not full temp but set them for a specific number. That will be another one of my questions when speaking with the tire rep this weekend.
 
ATTS said:
I understand that you don't want them hot and tear apart but what is your definition of "cool"? I assumed that you would want heat in them but not to overheat them? Wouldn't they not grip as well if you were trying to keep them cool?


Have you run warmers and rains before or just speaking from personal thoughts?


I have digital and can set the temp. That was another thing I was reading was about not full temp but set them for a specific number. That will be another one of my questions when speaking with the tire rep this weekend.
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I have ran Warmers with rains before an endurance race, unfortunately they weren't on for very long since it started raining after the race started and we had to change into rains.

Snipes, I am sure they know exactly at what temperature to put them, me not so much.

Guys this is just what I would do, if I run rains I would put them in warmers - However this is not to be considered advice as i am in no way a tire expert, as a matter of fact I am a tire Non-Expert and I just do what the guy on the wheel chair tells me to do
 
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why would anyone run warmers with rains ?
you want to keep them cool, not hot, and the second there on the track going through puddles there cold. warmers are totally useless with rains
 
carboncat said:
why would anyone run warmers with rains ?
you want to keep them cool, not hot, and the second there on the track going through puddles there cold. warmers are totally useless with rains
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This



I will have a set of the old style Bridgestone rains for sale at this round if anyone wants em.
 
How can you guys say that when Machine called Pirelli and they said to use warmers and Sandy told me to let them "get up to temp"? We're not lying. I guess that means Sandy and Kevin are wrong. ?
 
carboncat said:
why would anyone run warmers with rains ?
you want to keep them cool, not hot, and the second there on the track going through puddles there cold. warmers are totally useless with rains
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Question: Despite the rain, the tire would still be a few degrees warmer (after 2 laps) running through rain soaked corners/straights than a spare sitting in the pit, correct or false? Or would it be identical despite all the deformation of the carcass during cornering/acceleration/braking due to running through water? Where's that thermal gun of mine..
 
I can tell you that when I came in from a session in the rain the tire was warm enough that it started drying off in the pits... I can't imagine that nobody else has witnessed such a thing.
 
doozerdave said:
I can tell you that when I came in from a session in the rain the tire was warm enough that it started drying off in the pits... I can't imagine that nobody else has witnessed such a thing.
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of course they will be hotter but he asked for advice. I said that you need a specific temp if u want to run warmers. Last thing you want is for them to be to hot. its destroys rains. your advice was right in the first place. Ask the tire rep. They know whats best for the tires. I will continue to run no warmers because the tires are better to cold than too hot in my opinion.
 
MSRP said:
Question: Despite the rain, the tire would still be a few degrees warmer (after 2 laps) running through rain soaked corners/straights than a spare sitting in the pit, correct or false? Or would it be identical despite all the deformation of the carcass during cornering/acceleration/braking due to running through water? Where's that thermal gun of mine..
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I am pretty interested in this and will try to get before and after IRT surface tire temperatures if we have any wet sessions this weekend. I won't be using warmers with rains because my gut tells me that it is pointless. Besides I only have single temperature warmers. My biggest concern is whether or not I can swap two wheels and safety wire 10 fasteners between the time I decide to run rains and the time I need to be on the mock grid. Sounds stressful. My pit crew is a 9-year-old girl unless my brother sticks around for the Sunday.

Edited: because someone above offered better info
 
I haven't given any other opinions since my first post, and even had the caveat that "I can tell you my experience...". I really need to stop doing that on this forum. haha...

I'll also continue to not use warmers on rains, until a tire rep tells me how to do it right.
 
Bstone rep (dave b) told me not to use warmers with the rains the first year I raced, I never have...been on the podium several times on those cold rains too. Ymmv
 
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