Sorry if this was covered already, but search sucks. What is the best way to remove rubber pickup off the tires after a fun day at a track? I was hopping it was going to eventually fall of as I drive it off the track for few weeks. Apparently that is not the case. I was thinking to heat it up with a torch and scrape it or use a blade to cut it off. Any better method for this? Thanks!
propane torch and putty knife is how the NASCAR teams do it
‘98 Z3 2.8 roadster, Montrealblau/tan 5sp, M50 manifold, AFE intake, SuperSprint catback, Bilsteins, BAVAuto sport springs, Style 42 BBS
Try WD-40 on it__I've removed some really sticky stuff with that (like gel-filled 75-pair communication cable tenacious gunk from hands and tools).
Stay on-line on the cool down laps so you stay out of the marbles and weaving a little during the cool down will remove some of it. Heat gun (not a hair dryer) and a putty knife works well if you get a heavy buildup. I never tried this but it makes sense it will scrub a tire.
Get a 5 gallon bucket of water and pour it in a circle slightly larger than the minimum turning radius of your car, Somewhere on a flat space in the paddock will do. Next drive the car slowly around in the circle of water in first gear. No need to get up any kind of speed. Something like 1500,2000 rpm will do. Circle around 10x clockwise and 10x counter clockwise and you are done.
Last edited by Adker; 08-07-2019 at 07:18 PM.
Thanks. I will give heat gun and putty knife a try.
Randy, I used WD40 and special spray for gunk removal (don’t recall name) on the body parts and it worked like a charm.
This was the spray. Mothers 09224 R3 Racing Rubber...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005R5WGCS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Last edited by DimrBimmer; 08-07-2019 at 05:21 PM.
DO NOT USE a torch or oils on your tire.
I think OP is referring to the pickup on the tire itself.
WD40 is fine to remove rubber scuffs on paint if you wash off with soap.
Tire pickup will wear off fairly quick. If the pickup is enough to cause vibration and you want to scrub off, a fairly spirited drive will do the trick.
Or do as you see on TV. The weaving back and forth is not to heat up a tire. It is to scrub junk off the tire. You heat a tire by dragging the brake and heating all the metal components, including the wheel, that act as a giant heat sink.
And as others have said the last lap is most important to stay online if you are intending to use the tire after an event so as to minimize pickup. Though it is hard not to in the pits.
DO NOT USE a torch or oils on your tire. That just asking for problems.
Last edited by PbFut; 08-08-2019 at 02:43 PM.
Dan "PbFut" Rose
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