Anyone have any recommendations on how to silicone foam tires for dirt or clay oval racing? I've got some worn out foams that I'd like to apply a cap of silicon on but don't have any idea of how to do it and get a uniform coat. I've wondered about squirting the silicone into a small bowl or plate and roll the tire through it. I remember the treatment was started way back in the heydays of oval racing before caps or radials were developed. Anybody old enough to make a suggestion? Of course if this works, I'll start a chain reaction at the raceway! If it don't I'll laugh it off as a test and go put on some more tires and try to catch up! Thanks, TGB
Silicone Foams? How-To!
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I asked this on dirtoval.com and got this in an email hope it helps.
best silicone was from GE it was clear I used a drill press chucked up an old rc 10 rear axel and then put a wheel with foam on it run the drill press on a slow speed put a little on tire at a time smoothing out with a wet finger let it dry and repeat has to dry over night I made a thing to hold tires and wheels so that they didn't thouch anything while the silicone was wet. Put as many coats on as you want and when you start seeing holes in them do it all again. tires really stick on a hard packed clay track when its watered properly
best silicone was from GE it was clear I used a drill press chucked up an old rc 10 rear axel and then put a wheel with foam on it run the drill press on a slow speed put a little on tire at a time smoothing out with a wet finger let it dry and repeat has to dry over night I made a thing to hold tires and wheels so that they didn't thouch anything while the silicone was wet. Put as many coats on as you want and when you start seeing holes in them do it all again. tires really stick on a hard packed clay track when its watered properly
found my notes on the making of Silcone tires
my machine was a motor geared down real slowe with a peice of all thread and it was long enought to make 8 tires on it.
Steps from my notes
1. True foams down to desired size.
2. Place tires on machine
3. Put a small amount of GEw54 silicone
4. use a playing card to smooth the silicone evenly over the foam from rim to rim
5. let the machine run overnight. this was the key to keep the tires nicve and round. the silicone will not sag or run to the bottom.
If you want my machine give me a e-mail
my machine was a motor geared down real slowe with a peice of all thread and it was long enought to make 8 tires on it.
Steps from my notes
1. True foams down to desired size.
2. Place tires on machine
3. Put a small amount of GEw54 silicone
4. use a playing card to smooth the silicone evenly over the foam from rim to rim
5. let the machine run overnight. this was the key to keep the tires nicve and round. the silicone will not sag or run to the bottom.
If you want my machine give me a e-mail
Prepair to steer like your on carpet with a pan car.
I've done hundreds of tires and agree that the GE flowable silicone was my favorite. I used 3 coats, the first will soak in, then it'll start to build. You will have to find a way to keep the silicone from setteling to the bottom, I rotated them every 5 minutes for a 1/2 hour.
I also used a variable speed drill with an axel attached. I just used my finger to distribute it evenly while running the drill very slow. Make sure you get silicone all the way to the rim, and on the rim edge or it may peel off during a run.
As for other silicones I had good luck with Elmers too. It's not flowable so it takes a different method, and one coat usually does fine. This stuff can be smoothed out with a credit card. It's kinda fun to watch it shape up, almost like molding clay, just watch the edges, it's easy to remove almost all the silicone.
Have fun, I LOVED silicone racing.
Later, Bret
I've done hundreds of tires and agree that the GE flowable silicone was my favorite. I used 3 coats, the first will soak in, then it'll start to build. You will have to find a way to keep the silicone from setteling to the bottom, I rotated them every 5 minutes for a 1/2 hour.
I also used a variable speed drill with an axel attached. I just used my finger to distribute it evenly while running the drill very slow. Make sure you get silicone all the way to the rim, and on the rim edge or it may peel off during a run.
As for other silicones I had good luck with Elmers too. It's not flowable so it takes a different method, and one coat usually does fine. This stuff can be smoothed out with a credit card. It's kinda fun to watch it shape up, almost like molding clay, just watch the edges, it's easy to remove almost all the silicone.
Have fun, I LOVED silicone racing.
Later, Bret
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Where do you get this GE w54 and the GE flowable silicone? Is it available at places like Home Depot and Lowes?
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That's what I used but wasn't sure if it was the right kind. I made me a set of front and rear's and used them saturday. I practiced with them before the races started and they didn't work that well. Too much loose stuf on the track. I put them on in the 3rd heat (by then the sun had gone down and the track had a little moisture in it) and as long as you were in the groove it was stuck to the track. I was able to get top qualifier in that 3rd heat. Fastest lap times were 6.6 seconds. That was .4 second faster than the 2nd fastest driver. I didn't win the main though. Couldn't get through lap traffic as good as Scott did. I bet they'll be a few other cars and trucks with capped foams the next dirt oval race.
Mike
Mike
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best silicone application method
Come up with an axle and hub that will allow you to mount a wheel and tire to. the nicest way is a setup that allows you to have something to hang on to on each side of the tire. Apply a bead of silicone to a piece of glass, apply a bead of silicone to the glass roll your tire assembly in the bead of glue..back and forth to apply it equally to the surface of the tire. if you put different beads of silicone on the glass that have different textures you can get the silicone to have different treads. To anyone that cares silicone capped foam tires.. stick great to a hardwood floor such as a gymnasium. we raced on one of these flors YEARS ago.. and discovered silicone to stik well. any questions give me a yell...
mikejhs82 on yahoo messenger
i will be watching this thread. :thumbsup:
Come up with an axle and hub that will allow you to mount a wheel and tire to. the nicest way is a setup that allows you to have something to hang on to on each side of the tire. Apply a bead of silicone to a piece of glass, apply a bead of silicone to the glass roll your tire assembly in the bead of glue..back and forth to apply it equally to the surface of the tire. if you put different beads of silicone on the glass that have different textures you can get the silicone to have different treads. To anyone that cares silicone capped foam tires.. stick great to a hardwood floor such as a gymnasium. we raced on one of these flors YEARS ago.. and discovered silicone to stik well. any questions give me a yell...
mikejhs82 on yahoo messenger
i will be watching this thread. :thumbsup:
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We also used the silicone capped foams on a smooth as glass polished concrete track. Great traction. From what i understand GE stopped making the W54 compound several years ago. Most other silicones were not as good for us. We did find one that worked as well as GE W54. Inland Innerbond 1420 clear (0760 not sure if this number is part of the product code) Industrial RTV Silicone Adhesive/Sealant. Inland Inc. or Inland Packaging Inc. (the box and tube have slightly different company names) Elizabethtown, KY 42071 (502) 737-6757. Thats all the info on the tube. I don't know where the track owner got it from and the shop has changed hands so they do not know.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
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