Sleeper_08

Last season I started with a new set of Nitto NT01s and ran about 10 track days. The tires still have about 1/3 of the thread but are worn more on the outside than the inside.

Can these tires be flipped on the rim, i.e. put the outside to the inside?

After flipping them is it necessary to do more than a regular balance?

Thanks.

Argonaut

Yes, flip them. No issue, I've done it many times. Pesonally I don't even worry about balancing track tires. Try an experiment - after you have flipped them (before you use them for the first time) mark the tires on the rim (put a paint mark an the rim and matching on the tire). Then go run a couple sessions. You will be shocked how much the tires move on the rim, its pretty amazing. After seeing this first hand I had to laugh at all my time spent balancing tires, it would be better to balance the rims w/o the tires.

Import_Slaya

Instead of flipping the tire on the same rim, swap sides when you remount to keep the directional pattern of the tread correct (if you have any tread left...).

Sleeper_08

Do the two longitudinal grooves count as tread

Thanks - I'll flip them before the season starts.

Argonaut

I understand your point, but you are still "flipping" them, i.e. you need to move the current inside of the tire to the outside of the rim, regardless of which side of the car you run the tire on. Its a moot point anyway - the NT-01 is not a directional tire.

Red06

Sleeper,

Just a heads up. The tires will have a bit of a taper to them so be prepared for them to be a bit slippery for the first run or two until the taper wears off. After that they'll be fine.

I've flipped my last two sets of NT01s and got a copule more days out of them. I was running the narrower 245 width tires so you may not have as much outside edge wear as I was getting. Check them often because the cords can show up pretty quickly (on the inside edge). That was my experience, YMMV :-)

Sleeper_08

Red06

Thanks for the warning.

I was planning to use them first at Toronto Motoorsportds Park (TMP) which is nice and safe with very little to hit;

http://www.youtube.com/user/frederic.../0/rhyOKkh6B0c

before taking them to Mosport which is a little higher risk but a lot more fun

http://www.youtube.com/user/frederic.../3/EEdhtu1-Vow

After that I will probably need a new set!

PS - also looking at upgrading this year to a GoPro video camera.