Shaving tires

[sofadriver]

Anyone have any good tips or techniques?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Yes -- Either use a butcher knife borrowed from your neighbor kid's mom's kitchen -- or send 'em to Nate Jones at Cowboy Tire (in the rule book).

Seriously -- Nate shaves tires per customer requirements -- will ask your intended speeds and venues and stuff -- to get 'em done the way you want 'em.  Free delivery to SpeedWeek, too!

[Speed Limit 1000]

What type and size tire?

[jimmy six]

I do my own. Can't photo it because it's been a long time but I use a 6" belt sander on the floor of my garage moving it across the tire while I rotate the tire backwards by hand. Takes a long time. On 30' or 32" Dunlaps I concentrate on the corners. I use 80 grit or what I call "rocks on paper". I also do this to match tire diameters exactly. When done the tire/rim combination is marked specifically for the place it goes. A vacuum cleaner running is a must. Technicall I do not cut or shave the tire; I grind off the tread. If I used Nate, I would still do it to make them true to my cars axle.
I also true the rims with no tire mounted before starting. good luck

[Vinsky]

Mike,
It's pretty straight forward. Just take your time and you will do just fine.  First make sure you have a good tire carcus that will balance well with no weights. When finished, you want the final thickness to be the same all around.

[maj]

That looks better (safer) than my arrangement, hand held rotary sander with 40 grit
but it works fine on the 300mph Goodyears . And i like the finish better than the cut i was getting with a blade at a race tire specialist here in Aussie , his blade would sort of overcut as it grabbed the rubber, In the USA we had Acks guy Butch do a couple of motorcycle tires and Goodyears and they worked out better
For those wondering why i am shaving Goodyears , to get a more motorcycle shape tire ,I believe they are too flat and move your centre too much in a side wind 

[Stainless1]

Here is how we do it... 2 videos in this thread
http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,16253.0.html
 

[kiwi belly tank]

Way back in the 70's when I ran dirt track I used to groove my tires with a chain saw & a little water, makes it cut easily without the dust.
Jump forward 200yrs, I needed to roll the streamliner around & I needed four tires the size & shape of the 30" Mickey to fit in the wheel well so I needed to knock the corners off some 16" radials without borrowing the neighbor's carving knife. Now there is a great Aussie invention in a chainsaw disc to fit an angle grinder for wood carving & that works really slick for whittling tires. I didn't care how uniform they came out so I just wacked-em by hand but if you want round, just build a slide jig for the grinder. A little dish soap in some water, brush it on the tire & it cuts like warm butter.
  Sid.

[sofadriver]

I like the idea of a guide/ pattern to go by.

Stainless, what kind of abrasive are you using in those vids?

[Stainless1]

Mike, it is a carbide cutting cup... from Miller Tire, typically used to sharpen lugs on pulling tractor tires.  It will bite your finger if you let it.  The carbide is sharp and chunks of it embedded in the steel cup.  Cuts pretty well.

[sofadriver]

Thanks guys.

I'm taking that big ridge off the sides of some road racing slicks.

Last time I experimented with several different discs on a grinder and it worked fine but made the shop smell like burnt rubber for a day or two. I've been having good luck at Harbor Freight lately so I'm going to give this a shot.
 http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-carbide-cup-wheel-66613.html