15 replies to this topic

[Dave_12]

Which Wonder Rubber is recommended for racing on spray glue ?
I used to use Alpha medium wonder rubber but that is not made now so what is the best  now?

[Hot Slots]

You need an assortment, it really depends on how the track prep is. The stickier the track, the harder the wonder you can use.

[MSwiss]

Not trying to be mean, but I don't understand questions like these.

 

Asking strangers who have never been and probably never will be on the track you're racing on.

 

The bottom line is you have to ask your raceway owner or raceway manager.

 

If for some reason they are clueless, you have to ask a local racer, preferrably a successful one.

[Bill Seitz]

I also used to use Alpha medium wonder. However, I find tracks are becoming generally more "stuck" all the time as owners/managers clean less frequently and allow more rubber buildup on the track. "Spray glue" can differ widely as well. While I still have some Alpha medium left, it's become less and less usable because it has too much grip.

 

Another factor is the wide range of hub sizes available which also effect the grip. It really becomes a matter of trying a variety of hub sizes and rubber hardness until you find what works for you and your cars. What others are using can narrow the field, but I caution that just because 10 people use rubber "X" does not mean rubber "X" will be best for you. Finding the right rubber and hub size requires experimenting.

 

Now beyond that, where my "go-to" rubber used to be Alpha, I now most frequently use Koford and some Mid-America.

[Dominator]

So mich of it depends on the type of track and track conditions.

Easy answer is to ask the raceway and some of the top racers there what is a good tire to start with. Also see what other options they suggest trying.

What may work for one racer may not work for everyone.

[bbr]

typically the season "pro" has a suitcase of tires 

[Dave_12]

Thanks for everyone's reply  so  what would be good to know is what is a equal replacement for Alpha Medium Wonder Rubber ?

[Dominator]

Dave, what classes are running?

[JerseyJohn]

Easy answer. JB Medium W, Mid America Medium W, JK Medium W. would be a good start .Try 450 to 470 rims. as a start.

Thanks for everyone's reply  so  what would be good to know is what is a equal replacement for Alpha Medium Wonder Rubber ?

[Bill Seitz]

Digging in the Alpha catalog, I found that Alpha medium was declared to be ~28 durometer hardness. Most medium tires today are harder than this - mid 30's. 28 would be a "soft" in Mid-America, for example. Just because some other brands call theirs "medium" don't expect them to be the same. Depending on the hub type, Alpha wonder was usually on something like a .485 diameter "big" hub. I don't think anyone currently makes a hub that size, so .470 or .500.

 

I'm not a fan of JK wonder rubber, so I haven't used any in a long time. JK had only one type of wonder, and it was harder and had less grip than Alpha. I've never used anything JB. I have used some Mid-America wonder on .550 "carbon" hubs, and their medium is probably just a bit less grip than the Alpha, and the soft a bit more. The problem in my making a precise recommendation is that the cars I would now use a tire like this on are different from what I ran the Alpha tires on due to changing track conditions.

[JBProducts]

Hi Bill, 

My Soft wonder reads around 24-26 while my Medium Wonder reads 27+

Grip is quite good on my Wonder Rubber all around. 

 

I currently have a .500 Full hub and a .465 Medium hub. 

[Dave_12]

Dominator -    G27  and maybe some G12 

[rmjlmartin]

Thanks for everyone's reply  so  what would be good to know is what is a equal replacement for Alpha Medium Wonder Rubber ?

I used Alpha medium tires on flexis for lower-downforce cars, and Alpha hard for higher-downforce cars. I don't know exactly how the durometer readings compare, but since the supply of Alpha tires ran out, I've been running Koford .500" hub WH tires in place of both. They work well for me at my local track on the King or Hillclimb, but whether or not that translates well to your track conditions is something you'll have to try for yourself.

[Dominator]

Dominator -    G27  and maybe some G12 

Im not a wing car guy but I would check with PJ raceway. Talk to Chubby or Doug. They have some tires and will be able to give you the best tire options. I think most of the tires used at the Barn Burner were J&S tires. Also Koford makes a XX and XXX wonder rubber for wings (.650"hub?).

[chaparrAL]

I wonder why they call em that?

[mdiv]

Hey Al, I'd be more worried if they called them NC-17s!