Originally Posted by Galen Darkmoon

This is so kool, but the one thing I have not seen addressed is wheel width.
We are running our tires on stock rims 9 inch? wider wheels may be in order.

Originally Posted by *infamous*

I just read through this thread and thought i'd offer some constructive input.
To give you an idea where I come from, I am a NASA instructor / TT driver / Race Group driver. I spend on average of half a day each track day weekend helping others setup their cars for success, whether its with Tire Pressure, suspension setup, or driving technique (DE1 students and TT drivers alike). I have enjoyed this sport for many many years and love sharing my experiences with others! So here it is, take it as you will.

Arca is on the right track though...Different vehicles will require different tire pressures and temperatures to achieve a maximum coefficient of friction. There is not one set PSI that will achieve the same result on all vehicles.

Example:
Our 2800lb RX7 FD required 34psi hot on all four corners to feel balanced and yield faster lap times.
Our 2300lb Integra requires 36psi hot in the front and 32psi hot in the rear
Our 2900lb NSX requires 32-33psi hot in the front and 30psi hot in the rear
We came to these conclusions through measuring temperature across the tire (10 degree's hotter on the inside 30% of the tire) and through roll / wear characteristics. At these pressures the tire is rolling sufficiently (using wear indicators) and achieving a even wear pattern (part of this is alignment setup obviously). We have varied from time to time off these baselines to achieve different end results, however these baselines for these cars (all using Nitto NT01) yield the best results.

My point is that all three cars are on the same tires with different weights and distribution of that weight. You'll notice the optimal pressures are not the same for any of these vehicles. Basically, no one pressure worked optimally for all three vehicles even though they use the same tire compound. So do your research, and make adjustments!

I hope the OP read through this and picked out one useful bit of information. Not a single car on the planet requires the SAME setup 100% of the time. You have to adjust for YOUR car and the conditions that are being presented to it.

Every time we take to the track, we use data from last time we were at THAT track as the setup will be different than the last track we were at. The best thing you can do is keep DATA and be sure to correspond the DATA with specific conditions and desires. Data doesn't have to be complicated either. It can be simply acknowledging a change. Example... If your car is understeering heavily, come off track ON A HOT LAP and have an assistant check tire pressures all around immediately. Lets say they were 40psi all around. Then reduce / change your pressures to say 37psi in the front HOT, and then retest. If the car stops understeering, TAKE NOTE for future reference that YOUR vehicle prefers 37psi to 40psi hot to achieve maximum grip in the front of the vehicle.

Ideally, i'd advise taking pressure information on all four corners HOT, and use a pyrometer and measure tire TEMPERATURE across the tread in 3 places (inside middle and outside). Typically speaking you want the tire about 5-10 degree's hotter on the inside edge. This will help you set your alignment. Feel free to inquire with a local specialist for more information here as it is abit more information than I care to post at this time!

Get out there and have fun! Back to the garage!

Ray
-Shift Fast Technologies