[Rich S]

Well after much thinking this past week. I went and picked up some grinding stones for my die grinder at home and started in on my daughters Geckos. She doesn't use those tires and I wasn't putting them on E-bay any time soon.

So last night I took the stone to the tire and took out the first notch. WOW, for only being a 2ply tire the rubber on top of the cords was about a full 1/4" thick. Once I'm done cutting this tire down to the cords all the way around (except for the paddle area and sidewalls).... it should be significantly lighter.

I'm going to probably do the same thing to my sand stars if I can find a rougher stone than this pink one I'm using to do the job quicker.


Thoughts?

 

[SandJunkie]

Is there a snow storm and your trapped inside? That would be MY first thought... :lol:

I would be interested to know the before and after weights...then hear how they performed

 

[eldog]

I'd like to see some pics. I have a couple of friends with geckos that cant stand them....

 

[OKTRX450R]

You might look into a tire groover...can not remember the model/make of the one I have but it has different blades you put in for depth of cut...this will allow you to make a uniform cut across the entire tire. The method you are currently using could result in taking too much off in one spot and not enough in other spots...make sense?

 

[Rich S]

You might look into a tire groover...can not remember the model/make of the one I have but it has different blades you put in for depth of cut...this will allow you to make a uniform cut across the entire tire. The method you are currently using could result in taking too much off in one spot and not enough in other spots...make sense?
[/b]

Yeah I agree on keeping it ballenced, but those cost more than I want to invest.

Plus if I remember correctly Joe said they use a stone untill they see the cords to tell when its enough material removed. After looking at a few pics of comp cut brats on planet sand they all seem to be done by hand and eye and are not exactly uniform.

Oh yeah and its eather try this and have fun with some tires I really am not satisfied with or give them to someone for way less than I paid for them

I'm only going to cut one of the geckos down for now and I'll compare it to the uncut one for weight differences.

This is taking way longer than I wanted it to. I'll try and pick up a coarse stone tomorrow.

 

[OKTRX450R]

Really? I remember a few months ago one of the 4X4 mags had a section on the groovers and some were as cheap as $40. I think ours was in the $200 range back when we were grooving our Super Swampers and Boggers...

When I look at my brats they do not look like it was done with a stone but if they are that dude has a steady hand!!!

Man it's been lonely here without a fellow Okie!!! Glad your home...

 

[Rich S]

Really? I remember a few months ago one of the 4X4 mags had a section on the groovers and some were as cheap as $40. I think ours was in the $200 range back when we were grooving our Super Swampers and Boggers...

When I look at my brats they do not look like it was done with a stone but if they are that dude has a steady hand!!!

Man it's been lonely here without a fellow Okie!!! Glad your home...
[/b]

ha ha ha well I'm glad to be back too. Yeah after 1hr's worth of work today and only about a 2"x4" piece cut out, I'm gonna look for a cheap groover. Thanks Rob!

See good thing I started on the geckos.

One thing for sure, the cleared area is much softer now that the material is removed.

 

[preston]

ha ha ha well I'm glad to be back too. Yeah after 1hr's worth of work today and only about a 2"x4" piece cut out, I'm gonna look for a cheap groover. Thanks Rob!

See good thing I started on the geckos.

One thing for sure, the cleared area is much softer now that the material is removed.
[/b]

I worked at a tire shop for several years and we used buffers, you might look into that option.

 

[Rich S]

I worked at a tire shop for several years and we used buffers, you might look into that option.
[/b]

as in the huge tire buffing machines? I'm not sure thats in my budget if the large ones are what you are talking about.

 

[madmatt]

Go down to your local livestock supply house ( I know there has to be several in OK) and pick up a big pair of horse hoof cliping pliers like farriers use. There like bige side cutters w/ the cutting blades out on the end. Or find a wide bladed chiesel w/ a long handle, put on some heavy gloves, heat up the blade and slice'em off. I also laid out and marked all the knobs to come off before I got started w/ a paint marker.

 

[SandJunkie]

Good lord...you guys really need a hobby

 

[Rich S]

Good lord...you guys really need a hobby
[/b]

ha ha ha I've got too many...... at this same time, I'm slowly working on repainting my car, building a new stainless turbo manifold for a big daddy T-04 (gunning for low 11's high 10's) setup. I've also got two intake tubes welded up for the LTR. One in mild steel and the other in Aluminum. But since my TIG class is over..... I'm stacking up the side jobs to buy me an AC/DC Tig to finish all the projects...... the tire thing was just something on my mind.

I might end up talking to some roundy round race shops locally and see if anyone out there can just do the job for me at a resonable cost. its taking way too long to be worth it for a cheap set of tires.

 

[fatv]

I cut the extra paddle off of my sand stars. The seemed to work just as crappy as they did before. They did turn better though. I took all of the little cups i cut off an put them in a pile. I should have wieghed the pile. I was ALOT of rubber. I would cut all of the small cups off. Then cut about 1/3 off of the top of each full paddle. Then the will have less drag and work better i bet.


FUELATV

 

[CernicsRacing.com]

Im not sure what the tires look like, but I saw this from my house, I bet it was you, hard at work!

 

[SandJunkie]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: