I was just out at Sebring and really struggled with lap times. I was 2-3 seconds slower than usual. It was a hot weekend (33*C, 92*F ambient), and I spun in a place that is normally easily flat for me. The whole day was a study in loss of confidence -- the rear kept stepping out.
Late in the day, a buddy (running a new Revolution 500) noticed that my new Hankooks were on backwards. I had put them on the wrong side.
Does that matter? Can that cause loss of grip? And, have I ruined them? I've got 5 heat cycles in them.
John
Hi John. According to my driving coach and Hankook, after the first heat cycle, it is fine to run the slicks in reverse rotation. I swap my dry tires left to right after 3 or 4 cycles to keep the wear even, and I have never had a problem doing that. I don't know why the first heat cycle should be in the correct rotation, but I will ask some engineers and Hankook on Thursday (radical cup Barber). I would suggest sending Danny Van Dongen an email or call him to ask your question -- he probably has the best information on this tire. info@hankookmotorsports.com.
@davidf David, thanks very much. I've sent an email to Donny (it's hard to admit to doing something so idiotic, but anyway...).
I talked to the Hankook tire engineer today who said that the reason you should run your slicks in the correct direction for the first heat cycle is because there are structural elements that run diagonal across the tire. On the first heat cycle only, this structure can cause your tires to split or splice along those internal structures during hard braking. He said if the tire was not damaged on the first heat cycle, then there is no issue and no accelerated performance degradation or reduced life or anything negative.
@davidf Wow, that's great information. Many thanks! A thorough inspection shows no splits or splices, though there is a loose body in one of the front tires. I'll have that tire dismounted and inspected to make sure all is well.
