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Spec Studded Tire Order


Mike

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Hey all, important message for those who are interested in running in the studded class for ice racing this winter - I want to pull the trigger on our proposed tire/hardware order. For those that did not receive a direct email on this please contact me with confirmation of the number of tires you require and the size of tires (13", 14", etc). As well, please make your pre-order payment as soon as possible by sending the required amount via eTransfer or any other suitable payment arrangement to me.

  • payments can be sent to either my phone (204-471-4126) or email (mikedemchenko@yahoo.com) or if you prefer other payment options please reach out to me to make arrangements. Thanks.

  • costs: $150 per tire & hardware or $200 per completed studded tire

We anticipate over 10 cars are committing to run in this new spec tire class. Those choosing to continue running black rockets can do so in the studded class with the bolted tires. I have talked to the Alberta group who have been running this spec bolted tire for a couple years and their feedback is that the BRs are very close in performance to the spec tire performance, however the way they are building the bolted tires most racers are getting well over a year lifespan from them.

The recommended process for building them is using only new tires, mounting them on a rim in order to shave them, shaving them to within 3mm of the core (completely remove tread), unmount them, drill lots of holes and install lots of bolts with a dab of urethane sealant between the washers, torque the locknut, mount the tire, and race!

We are currently building a tire shaving machine for the club and for this year we will shave the tires for everyone prior to distributing them with the hardware. More info will be provided with the tires/hardware on how to complete the construction however here is a link that describes the process fairly well:
https://youtu.be/ZQjHRp1XxnE

At this stage we are still optimistic that we are going to be racing assuming the current level red covid restrictions are no longer in place in January/February. All we can do is hope for the best and adjust accordingly. If you want cheap studded tires....please do not delay and respond to this email as soon as possible!

If you have any questions, contact me at ice@wscc.mb.ca or at mikedemchenko@yahoo.com

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The tire building process has begun and the clock is ticking...it is hard to say if the clock will actually run out on Jan 9th as planned but we must proceed as if it is going to!

After some creative fabrication done to mount a router to Al's old tire balancer it was time for it to shave its first tire.

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Immediately it was clear that some re-engineering was required. The small motor in the tire machine just didn't have the torque and the router bit was grinding much more than cutting. Steve donated a larger motor and a different carbide bit was found.

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Second attempt proved much more successful however was still somewhat disappointing. The time going back and forth taking minimal rubber off each pass was pretty painful. The result however was a bit promising and several tires were shaved!

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Ultimately some re-engineering is still required to improve the shaving machine and its capabilities. Stay tuned for an update....

 

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A few tweaks and modifications and we are in business. We are spitting out consistent shaved tires now every 25 minutes. Stay tuned for an update on how the planned drilling, bolting and sealing process develops.

 

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It's incredible the effort you guys are putting into this project.  Good to hear that you've got the bugs worked out on the tire shaving process.

Sounds like you might need a work party to get the drilling, bolting, and sealing done.  Where do we sign-up?

I've only been with the Club a few years, but some of the things I've witnessed or experienced in that short period of time is nothing short of amazing. There appears to be many people willing to give up their personal time to help others and the Club overall.  I think that's why we have such a strong Club.

 

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Thanks all. I was so looking forward to hosting a couple tire building work parties mixed with an assortment of Christmas cocktails for lubrication. Unfortunately I believe Covid has rained somewhat on that parade and I feel we need to put everyone’s health in front of a desired social gathering at this time. If this changes in the near future I will welcome having people in my garage again! 
cheers. 
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is a taste of the first couple studded tires that are rolling off the assembly line. For those that were planning on building their own or assisting with the building stay tuned for a planned work party in early/mid January pending lifting of restrictions....

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WOW. Those are pretty nuts. Pardon the pun. 

Curious though, why does all the tread have to be shaved off, is that just so they seat flat when they're put on? You would think a little bit of tread would be better than just nothing out on the ice.

 

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Shaving the tread flat provides a more stable base for the bolts which removes the flex which often causes the inner core to deteriorate and cause leaks or the bolts to tear out. The other advantage is it creates a consistent width of rubber so once the bolts are tightened they are the correct length sticking out which eliminates an ugly step of grinding down each bolt to the correct length. 
On ice the tread holds little grip anyways however the disadvantage of this process is the shaved tires will be a bit slippery in the snow. Something we will all need to be aware of...however it will be the same for everyone so becomes part of the racing. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm happy to say that all the tires are now shaved and the WSCC tire shaving machine has been put away till next winter. The production line for bolting the tires is in operation however is still operating at a covid reduced capacity. lol

Here's hoping things improve in Feb/March and we will be able to put these babies to use!

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