Date:	Thu, 4 Jan 1996 08:59:57 -1000
From:	jtavo@aol.com (JTavo)
Message-Id: <4ch83d$sjn@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Subject: Buggy tire questions.

In my never ending quest to find the best Buggy tire, I call upon all you
buggy nuts to help me. 

Last year I replaced the standard tires with Heavy Duty  Goodyear tires
for  a masons whellbarrow. The tires are 4 ply, very  sturdy with a square
design, as opposed to the rounded design of the regular tires.

My extreme scientific testing proved that the regular tires are faster
than my new tires. I buggy most on hard sand and the new tires with the
square design started to slip before the rounder tires.
here is my question. Has anyone tried different tires and with what
results?
Will a tire with big knobbies help.
(I was eyeing up the tires on a snowblower with giant knobs, in the same
size)
Will oversize tires for ATV's help on the hard sand?
Remember this is for hard sand. My new tires are great on grass and
tarmac. I'm looking mostly for good side bite in the sand.

Will Dean Jordan beat me in the desert?? (HAH!)

Thanks for any help! 
The fast one, John.


 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


Date:	Fri, 5 Jan 1996 05:42:53 -1000
From:	KITEJAG@MOTHER.COM (John A. Gabby Jr.)
Message-Id: <4cji13$qjn@pa.mother.com>
Organization: Mother.COM
Subject: Re: Buggy tire questions.

jtavo@aol.com (JTavo) wrote:

>In my never ending quest to find the best Buggy tire, I call upon all you
>buggy nuts to help me. 

>Last year I replaced the standard tires with Heavy Duty  Goodyear tires
>for  a masons whellbarrow. The tires are 4 ply, very  sturdy with a square
>design, as opposed to the rounded design of the regular tires.

>My extreme scientific testing proved that the regular tires are faster
>than my new tires. I buggy most on hard sand and the new tires with the
>square design started to slip before the rounder tires.
>here is my question. Has anyone tried different tires and with what
>results?
>Will a tire with big knobbies help.
>(I was eyeing up the tires on a snowblower with giant knobs, in the same
>size)
>Will oversize tires for ATV's help on the hard sand?
>Remember this is for hard sand. My new tires are great on grass and
>tarmac. I'm looking mostly for good side bite in the sand.

While I'm not an expert on buggy tires (you sold me my buggy a couple
of years ago and I'm still using the same tires) I do have some
experience and theoretical knowledge from my son's go-kart racing
career.  

Theoretically knobbys would have les rubber contact with whatever
surface they come in contact with IF there is not good penetration by
the knob itself into the surface (in this case hard sand).  The result
would be the buggy would start to slide sooner than a normal "slick"
design tire.  What penetration there is is on hard sand is probably
insignificant except in the area of adding drag, and therefore less
speed.

I suspect the best tire for hard sand would be something very similar
to what most of us are using.  Perhaps the tire profile could be a bit
wider to offer a little more tire to surface area, but wider tires
have the drag draw back.  Really, I think adjusting tire pressure in
the current "fat" buggy tire is the way to go in sand.  Conventional
wisdom would be to inflate the tire to make it as hard as possible
until the side slide is unacceptable then back off a few pounds
(within the limits of the pressure rating of the tire).  This should
offer miximum speed on hard sand

On turf, the tires you descripe are probably ideal.  John Lipold (Bay
Area Sundowners member and buggier extrodinaire) has done some
experiments with the knobbys on grasss and he is absolutely sold on
the knobby design!!  

Hope this helps a little.

>Will Dean Jordan beat me in the desert?? (HAH!)

oooh...a challenge...and for all of you who are looking for someone to
be faster than, I'll volunteer!





Think Kindly Thoughts.



 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =