tire transport options

[michael lang]

Last season was the first season that I had a set of dedicated track tires for my car. Albeit they are only R888, I still only had them on the car when I was using it on the track or driving it the 40 mins from my house to SPR and back home again. I really didn't think I would be burning up my tires but this season I will be getting alot more in the way of track time and I will be visiting other tracks as well and don't want to use up my track tires getting to & from VIR, NJ or Pocono. The other thing is I really don't have the storage facility to house a trailer and my HOA hammers people with letters and various other forms of harrasment who park trailers in their driveway.

So I'm left with really only one option, putting my tires in or on top of my car during transport. In won't work because there just isn't the space so it will have to be on top of. What type of roof rack system should I be looking for that will be strong enough for a set of tires and not damage to body of my car? I have seen the basket type mounted to 911's but never thought at the time to look into it. Thanks for any suggestion you can offer.

 

[Terry]

I did this for 3 or so years with my 1988 Carrera. Those cars had real rain gutters and regular Thule racks, properly affixed, worked great. I used two horizontal stacks but others used four vertical tires. I always thought my method was more stable and easier to strap down securely. The only real downsides were (1) lots of lifting tires onto and off of your roof, (2) decreased fuel mileage, and (3) increased oil temps because the airflow was affected. Neither (2) nor (3) was a real issue.

[michael lang]

Terry, any chance you have a pic of what you had set up?

[LouZ]

I have seen guys add a hitch to the back and hook up a tire trailer. If I recall, we had a member with one (about 6 or 7 years ago).

Google "porsche tire trailer" for some pix of the setup.

[Trevor McNeill]

Mike,
I have done the small tire trailer routine for a couple of years now with my 993. The hitch itself can be purchased from a rather odd fellow in CA named Will Wood. A google search under Will Wood Trailer Hitch will bring him up.
Bought a very lightweight, angle iron trailer from Tractor Supply, along with an aluminum box which I mounted to the center. Whole set up was only a few hundred dollars.
I can haul two sets of track tires, one in front of the box and one in back, with the box filled with other track goo. You can barely feel the trailer back there except for when you hit the bumpy stuff as the hitch can be a little rattly.
Only draw back to consider is what happens to the trailer if your car breaks down at the track (Thanks Steve Schueren!)
Trevor

[Terry]

michael lang wrote:

Terry, any chance you have a pic of what you had set up?

I wish I did but can't seem to find one. It looked pretty cool.

[betegh9]

Michael,

I have been using the R888's since they have come out.  Even though they eventually heat cycle, I have the tires on year round.  I basically drive to and from the events with no wear or heat cycle. Straight on the highway does not build up much heat for a heat cycle.  This way I have gotten an average of 17 track days, 4 to 5 heat cycles per day from a set (one set a year) till they heat cycleled out with little tread left.

If I were you, I would dedicate a set of tires per year, and don't worry about changing tires at the track.  I go to the track prepared, car in tip top shape, so the only thing I do at the track is check tire pressures.  No jacking up, no getting dirty and greasy.......Just relax and enjoy the track and socializing. 

[LouZ]

betegh9 wrote:

If I were you, I would dedicate a set of tires per year, and don't worry about changing tires at the track. I go to the track prepared, car in tip top shape, so the only thing I do at the track is check tire pressures. No jacking up, no getting dirty and greasy.......Just relax and enjoy the track and socializing.

I used to do that...until, I spent 3 days at Jeff/Shen/Summit. Then I TRIED to drive back in the rain (heavy). I got a 3 1/2 hour clinic on Skid Pad driving!

A new set of tires and quickly thereafter, a trailer, followed.

[michael lang]

Thanks for the input Nick. I don't want to make this more complicated than it needs to be and I'm not driving a dedicated track car so a full sized trailer would be a waste of money to me now anyway. Up until the last event of the season I went thirteen events without opening the toolbag. I had no choice in October, but I knew the brake pads were getting thin I just thought I would make a whole day on the pads not just one session. So it is a relatively easy thing to do in the paddock and missed no track time.
To be completely honest, I never understood why guys will go to the track and then spend all weekend working on their sleds instead of hanging out, shooting the %$*# with the guys and getting away from the daily grind.
Getting back to topic, I may just go another season with my current set-up and see how it goes by going to the track in the sme manner as I have been just adding in the extra traveling distance.
I also looked into a tire trailer, very tempting to go that way. Easy to hide from the HOA Nazi's, cheap enough to build/buy and the hitch from Will Wood looks like it bolts on/off easily so it would be a snap in the beginning and a piece of cake at the end of the event as far as removal and reinstallation.

[JoeP]

Make sure you add some time to your schedule to register a small trailer in PA if you build your own from a kit.  It took a friend several weeks to get his legal which messed up his plans for a Glen DE.  He told me to look for one that is already built on CraigsList if I needed one quickly.  He tugs a 4'x4' trailer with a 944.