Ok so I've got four brand new Hoosier A3S03 tires mounted on my second set of stock rims. What should I do to get them broken in before my next autocross? Should I really go to the course with brand new tires or should I put them on and drive them around a bit first.

Any suggestions for how to get these new shoes ready for my next event on the 11th?

 

Hmm...I would find a smooth surfaced parking lot and drive on them for a bit.

 

well, they do need to be broken in before they're "ripe", so to speak. so, depending on what you're going to be using them for will determine what preparation is required...

that is, if you need to win on your first 3 laps of the day, dont show up on brand new tires. if you're just running for practice, or for fun, then I'd say dont worry about it. Just show up and take it easy for the first few laps. The A3S03s need 3 or 4 runs from new to be "perfect". Just running them around on the street for a bit is *not* going to do it... and I highly reccomend AGAINST running them on the street for any length of time. The Hoosiers have an amazing ablility to get messed up from road debris.

there is some conventional wisdom that says that the tires need to be heat cycled and left to properly cure when they're brand new. I'm going to tell you that its been my experience that this is actually not the case for the A3S03s... neither from a performance or longevity point of view. I'm not the only one who feels this way about the A3S03s. In other words, dont worry about it.

cheers.
-jason

 

Here are some recomendations:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/hoosier/hoosier_tips.htm