Life After Acetone?

[bscotti]

We all know the trick to remove old tires from wheels. BUT ... has anyone raced with the tires after a soak in acetone? Are they still usable? Will traction compound reverse the effects of acetone? Am I being too cheap?

I ask because I have some modern race tires that are in great condition but the foams are shot. Any of the tires I've removed from wheels have been tossed or turned into chassis stands.

[DennisM]

I can´t be of much help, but some of the more modern tires I´ve tried it on grew a little bit bigger (sat loose on the new rims)
Mine was soaked in acetone for a couple of hours.

[RC104ever]

I'm just guessing here because when I use Acetone, its to get a tire off and trash it. BUT if the tires were good and I bought new foams, I see no reason why they wouldn't work again. My guess is that the tires would be softer and stickier - and therefore wouldn't last as long - but this is all speculation based on my experience in pulling tires off and throwing them out. They seem to be very gummy but if you washed them I suppose they might be okay.

[adam lancia]

I'm just guessing here because when I use Acetone, its to get a tire off and trash it. BUT if the tires were good and I bought new foams, I see no reason why they wouldn't work again. My guess is that the tires would be softer and stickier - and therefore wouldn't last as long - but this is all speculation based on my experience in pulling tires off and throwing them out. They seem to be very gummy but if you washed them I suppose they might be okay.

When Pro-Line Fuzzies were new and only available in M2 compound, guys used to let them sit in acetone to make them softer. They would swell up a bunch then go back to normal size and be stickier for a while. They wore out really quickly though. Sounds like you're making up some qualifying run tires

[bscotti]

Sounds like it's worth a shot. I'll do some up and let you guys know the results.

Thanks!

[JK Racing]

others may chime in as well, but if the foams are shot and the tires are good, neatly slice one side of the tire all the way around (usually near the inside bead), flip the tire inside out, remove the foam, put in the new foam, flip the tire back normal and re-glue the seam.

I have acetone'd clay indoor tires and they just didnt feel right afterwards (i moved them from b4 wheels to rc10 wheels) - could be just me though

[adam lancia]

That's like to do with the clay compound I'd say. When it comes to *normal* compounds like M3 etc., they should just get really soft then go back to normal eventually.

[hugger19]

i just throw the wheels/tires in a pot of boiling water to remove glued tires.

[Coelacanth]

i just throw the wheels/tires in a pot of boiling water to remove glued tires.

Tried that myself, didn't work at all. Putting them in the freezer overnight worked better, but I still ended up with chunks of rubber stuck to various places around the rim.

[bscotti]

I've tried the boiling water method and that didn't work.

Hey JK ... are you trying to cut through the super glued wheel-tire joint or just above it in the sidewall?

[JK Racing]

In the sidewall, just up from the bead. Small slit with Xacto, then a good set of scissors to slice the rest. Slow and careful to make clean, smooth cuts.

[bscotti]

cool. I have a second set that I can try that method with.

It was odd to have a couple sets of tires that are near new but the foams have fallen apart.

[Jay Dub]

Most of the time Acetone will damage the tire It may still be useable, but the acetone leaches out the lubricants in the tire and will eventually cause it to be harder. The trick is to use just enought to soften the tire without damaging it. Usually other solvents work better. I have litterally tried 100's of solvents/lubricants in an effort to soften or provide more traction with my tires, and acetone has never worked for me -ever. -Jeff