Tire shaving

p m

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has anyone tried tire shaving to eliminate the flat spots?

I wonder if any of the tire chain stores do it. Specifically, looking for it in San Diego.
 
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agro1

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Peter - it depends...Flat spots from sitting for too long, or flats spots from locking them up ? Sitting for too long should be ok after driven for a while. Flat spots from locking them up can't be corrected. In that scenario, one area of the tire has less coupound material. Shaving will remove equal amounts from the entire circumference of the tire. So, you will have to "level" the flat spot down and that all depends on how much it is flat spotted.
If it just sat too long it may seem out of round and you'll get some vibe. Like I said, driving it will more often than not, make the tire conform back to it's original shape. If it doesn't then it will most likely need replacement.
 

p m

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Luke,

it's from locking up the wheels. The tires are Michelin LTX, E-load rated, with pretty stiff sidewalls and deep threads - the thump from the flat spots is very noticeable, and turns into loud rumble at highway speeds. I could sacrifice the extra material on the circumference of the tires, they are very long-lived tires to begin with. Otherwise, I will have to toss away two nearly new tires.

Andrew -

why is it wrong from liability standpoint? Shaving doesn't touch the sidewalls, and, as long as your thread is deeper than (whatever a penny test shows), you're golden. Running bald tires on $70k SUVs seem to be almost a norm :)
 
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agro1

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Then you should be ok. BUT, finding someone that even has a shaving machine might be tough. I just called one of the local race shops that deals with Porsches (Mind over Motorsports) and they are actually looking at buying one...$9000. There has to be someone that has one around here. Check with someone at Cajon Speedway, that might be a good place to start.

http://www.strcars.com/home.htm

Also, give Scotts Automotive a call in Encinitas on Coast highway. They race out there a bunch. They are usually assholes, but they do all their race prep and fab there so they may very well have a shaving machine. Or, know of someone that does. But like I said, they are a bunch of hack jerkoffs...
Last, and most important. Depending on the size of your tire, being an offroad tire, it may be too large for any shaving machine.

You could always get some soapy water and do a bunch of burnouts. :D
 

p m

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agro1 said:
You could always get some soapy water and do a bunch of burnouts. :D
damn... given with one set of Michelin XW4s lasting me for 118kmi, it might be cheaper to buy two new tires than gas for burnouts :)
 
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agro1

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One other thing - how the hell did you lock'em up ?? THAT must have been hairy...
 
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agro1

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speaking of Cajon Speedway - look at where this rocket scientist mounted his fuel cell:

pony.jpg
 
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mikemeyer0

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agro1 said:
speaking of Cajon Speedway - look at where this rocket scientist mounted his fuel cell:
plastic fuel tank in metal fuel cell. Mini stock class, Where i race (not mini stock) you have to have a seprated (firewall) compartment between driver and fuel cell area. Although what he has in pic is actually safe.
 

p m

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agro1 said:
One other thing - how the hell did you lock'em up ?? THAT must have been hairy...
LOL, I don't think I can lock up the wheels in any of my rides. Got the tires together with some wheels, nearly brand new - but with a quirk.
 
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agro1

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ahhhhhh - if you find someone locally that shaves tires, let me know...
 

Greg Davis

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Peter, I had my XZL's shaved last year to get rid of some cupping. I found a local tire store that services semi-trucks. They sent them out to a shop that does retreads. They have machines that sand down the tread surface, prepping for the new tread. They threw them on that machine for me and took them down to an even tread. Worked wonderfully, and was only $10 per tire. However, the tires had to be dismounted from the wheels, so that added to the cost. It was very effective.
 
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agro1

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Interesting info, Greg...thx.
Nice find Peter, lemme know how it works out. Check with also to see if they heat cycle tires. Good luck man, hope they can get it sorted out for ya.
 

p m

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Luke and others:

I've taken the Disco with a set of 245/75 Michelin LTXs to TrueLine in San Diego; they did find deep flat spots on two of them. Shaved a bit from two "good" ones, and a lot off the bad ones - I guess I lost about 40-50% of useable thread. Still, better than losing two tires completely. Cost - $105 per four tires, including balancing outsourced to close-by Discount Tires (figure of reference: Discount Tires take about $20 per wheel for mounting & balancing).
I was pleased to see the little balance weights that replaced the old ones covering nearly 120 degrees of the wheel's arch. There's still a bit of vibration past 70mph, nothing out of ordinary. The tires are very quiet, and, with whatever thread they have left, seemed to do well in light sand and decomposed granite. Better than stock XPCs, and with absolutely no XPC "feature" whine on pavement.