Just curious I'm waiting on a set of Toyo Proxies RA1s and I ordered them unshaven.... since they are competition style tires I was wondering if the break-in procedures would be different from say regular street tires?? Would anyone like to chime in on their opinions on this?

 

Usually the break-in procedure is to get them quite warm, then let them sit for at least 2 days.

 

I actually just went into a parking lot and did figure 8s for a bit, and then indulged in some cloverleafs... it got the tires nice and hot and turned them a bit bluish. I then put the car on jackstands and let the tires cure overnight.

 

drive around, make sure the tires are up to temperature, and then go do figure 8s in a parking lot for about 15 minutes. let cool for a few days and for compound to restructure.

any reason you're keeping them unshaveD? wet use?

 

This article on the RA1 says that they don't need to be heat cycled at all (but that they should be shaved).

http://features.evolutionm.net/article/evomfeatures/46

Good article. I am planning on runing RA1s soon.

 

I would do nothing to them but scrub them in. Like put them on and go get coffee or gas, just to get the greasy **** off of them. I gave up on heat cycling tires a long time ago. I honestly think its a myth, with no scientific evidence to back that claim up.

 

I'm not so sure I agree that shaved tires last longer. I've had to replace a blown out RA-1 and I had it shaved to half depth to match my other tires. It wore out at the same time as the other 3.
I will agree that they have a lot of tread squirm when they're new and they do chunk up, but the freeway drive home usually smooths them out nicely for the next day. It takes about 3 lapping days to get a full tread toyo nice and sticky. Shaving basically takes the first 3 days away.
Vilven told me that you don't need to heat cycle them.