Tyre Pressures for track work

Bim135AUS · 06-01-2009, 02:55 AM

Guys,

What pressures do you recommend for track work

I've ditched the runflats and am running Pirelli P Zero Rosso
225/40/18 F and 255/35/18 R

Currently running 39psi in front and 37 psi in thr rear for street work and they are excellent.

Do I need higher pressures for track work though??

WAY · 06-01-2009, 03:09 AM

When are you doing a track day? Good to see John! I think those pressure are on the high side if you are doing track days where you are out there for 5-6 laps at a time. I am assuming you are talking about 39/37 cold? I would go for some 5psi lower. Ask Taka, he is the expert on tyre temperature and pressure etc. I just drive. :P

Breville · 06-01-2009, 05:45 AM

I'm running the same sizes as you and run no more than 32 front and back (hot), but that can change depending on the track. Eastern Creek is very hard on the right front, so I'll sometime have that one tyre at a different temp in an atempt to spare it.
Do a run a 5 PSI less to start with and take a guage with you.

WAY · 06-01-2009, 06:14 AM

32 hot on road tyres? Isn't that a bit low???

takahashi · 06-01-2009, 07:31 AM

On the track, even it is winter. I think I will start at 36 cold.

I am more sophisticated now since I have the temperature gauge. If I had a new compound I had to measure the temp of each tyre and judge accordingly.

Remember, cold tyre need less air and too hot need more air. But there are of course exceptions.

Anyhow, after a session park into the garage and get your gauge out. You will want to know the warm tyre pressure. I will aim around 38-39 warm tyre temp.

You see you love the car when it is 39 front and 37 cold. Since you are on the street you are not generating much heat like the track, even if you are crazy like Wayne driving on the road... why don't you aim the same warm tyre psi on the track and see how you like it?

It is more like a trail and error thing. Good luck.

takahashi · 06-01-2009, 07:35 AM

Breville,

It is very hard to know what tyre pressure to really prescribe. I have not driven a pirelli and not sure what the optium tyre temp is. I can tell you RE55 and Dunlops semis are good around 50-60. And A048 is a touch cooler. When I was still tracking with road tyres I like them a bit lower still. That is why I have tyre pressure slightly higher generally.

Wayne I had our tyres at 35 warm for a reason

. However, you still manage to fuck it up at Lang Lang haha

Bim135AUS · 06-01-2009, 08:36 AM

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Wayne, I'm planning to go to Sandown on 21st June, guests of Andrew and Jimmy. Hope to see you there too.

The reason that I ask about pressures is that I'm told that if they are too low on the track, the outside of the tyres can feather pretty badly and in a worst case scenario, can actually come of the rim due to a lack of support. EEk! Not something that I'd want.....

I was always under the impression that you can reduce the outside feathering by having more air in them.

But then again, you're right. The 39/37 combination works well on the the road but they are obviously going to get a lot hotter on the track.

Hard to know what's best really. I"m thinking maybe 36 front and rear on a cold tryre might be a compromise.

Do I assume though, that I should be looking at around 39-40 when hot on the track as an objective, as that would seem to call for a 32-34 cold tyre objective given that they could easily warm up 6-8 psi on the track?

takahashi · 06-01-2009, 10:01 AM

If you are going to Sandown, the outside wear and tear is nothing to do with tyre pressure.

Where is my pic of the left wheel lifting off the ground?

But you get the idea, the 1st turn is off camber left at 100kmh. Your right front will suffer anyhow.

Good luck and stay off the barrier.

~sarah~ · 06-01-2009, 04:44 PM

AHHh, come and do one of our track days. I want all the 1ers to come along. Plus i haven't seen a coral red one at one of our days before. hehehe

I get really excited when we get 1ers come along. lol

WAY · 06-01-2009, 05:41 PM

Sarah, so far I am the only 1er who you see, so I agree we need more!

Btw guys, Sarah, Kevin and I drifted my 1er with semi-slicks a week ago. Bloody hard work! Only Kevin was doing it successfully (of course) but Sarah wasn't too bad at it!

Breville · 06-01-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WAY

32 hot on road tyres? Isn't that a bit low???

32 was what I've been running at EC with no worries. I went to those pressures after advice from Michelin and it worked out OK. Just my 0.5.

WAY · 06-02-2009, 01:09 AM

Hmm, I am wondering if Michelin people meant 32 cold? 32 hot is what you would be running on semi-slicks with hard side walls, but for road tyres I would have thought that at 32 hot you run risk of rolling the tyre over. Anyway, I am no expert at road tyres so listen to the experts!

06-01-2009, 02:55 AM	#1
Bim135AUS Private First Class 8 Rep 129 Posts Drives: BMW 135I Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Melbourne iTrader: (0)	Tyre Pressures for track work Guys, What pressures do you recommend for track work I've ditched the runflats and am running Pirelli P Zero Rosso 225/40/18 F and 255/35/18 R Currently running 39psi in front and 37 psi in thr rear for street work and they are excellent. Do I need higher pressures for track work though?? __________________ BMW 135I manual AW, red Coral, Procede processor, CDV, SprintBooster, H&R Front & Rear Sway Bars, Yokohama AO50's, SouthernBM camber plates, BMW Performance Rotors, Dinan Cold Air Intake, Dinan Exhaust, Dinan Oil Cooler, HPF Intercooler, Koni Front Sport Yellows, M3 rear subframe bushes
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06-01-2009, 03:09 AM	#2
WAY Brigadier General 458 Rep 4,822 Posts Drives: Fast ones Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	When are you doing a track day? Good to see John! I think those pressure are on the high side if you are doing track days where you are out there for 5-6 laps at a time. I am assuming you are talking about 39/37 cold? I would go for some 5psi lower. Ask Taka, he is the expert on tyre temperature and pressure etc. I just drive. :P
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06-01-2009, 05:45 AM	#3
Breville Scum in the sun 30 Rep 938 Posts Drives: 135i Coupe TiAg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Syndey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 135i Coupe [0.00]	I'm running the same sizes as you and run no more than 32 front and back (hot), but that can change depending on the track. Eastern Creek is very hard on the right front, so I'll sometime have that one tyre at a different temp in an atempt to spare it. Do a run a 5 PSI less to start with and take a guage with you. __________________ One should love animals. They are so tasty.
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06-01-2009, 06:14 AM	#4
WAY Brigadier General 458 Rep 4,822 Posts Drives: Fast ones Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	32 hot on road tyres? Isn't that a bit low???
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06-01-2009, 07:31 AM	#5
takahashi Retired trackie 36 Rep 1,527 Posts Drives: 1///M Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	On the track, even it is winter. I think I will start at 36 cold. I am more sophisticated now since I have the temperature gauge. If I had a new compound I had to measure the temp of each tyre and judge accordingly. Remember, cold tyre need less air and too hot need more air. But there are of course exceptions. Anyhow, after a session park into the garage and get your gauge out. You will want to know the warm tyre pressure. I will aim around 38-39 warm tyre temp. You see you love the car when it is 39 front and 37 cold. Since you are on the street you are not generating much heat like the track, even if you are crazy like Wayne driving on the road... why don't you aim the same warm tyre psi on the track and see how you like it? It is more like a trail and error thing. Good luck. __________________ TAKA 一仔BLOGブログ: BMW 1 series M 2011! Delivered 18/11/11.
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06-01-2009, 07:35 AM	#6
takahashi Retired trackie 36 Rep 1,527 Posts Drives: 1///M Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	Breville, It is very hard to know what tyre pressure to really prescribe. I have not driven a pirelli and not sure what the optium tyre temp is. I can tell you RE55 and Dunlops semis are good around 50-60. And A048 is a touch cooler. When I was still tracking with road tyres I like them a bit lower still. That is why I have tyre pressure slightly higher generally. Wayne I had our tyres at 35 warm for a reason . However, you still manage to fuck it up at Lang Lang haha __________________ TAKA 一仔BLOGブログ: BMW 1 series M 2011! Delivered 18/11/11.
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06-01-2009, 08:36 AM	#7
Bim135AUS Private First Class 8 Rep 129 Posts Drives: BMW 135I Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Melbourne iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the feedback, guys. Wayne, I'm planning to go to Sandown on 21st June, guests of Andrew and Jimmy. Hope to see you there too. The reason that I ask about pressures is that I'm told that if they are too low on the track, the outside of the tyres can feather pretty badly and in a worst case scenario, can actually come of the rim due to a lack of support. EEk! Not something that I'd want..... I was always under the impression that you can reduce the outside feathering by having more air in them. But then again, you're right. The 39/37 combination works well on the the road but they are obviously going to get a lot hotter on the track. Hard to know what's best really. I"m thinking maybe 36 front and rear on a cold tryre might be a compromise. Do I assume though, that I should be looking at around 39-40 when hot on the track as an objective, as that would seem to call for a 32-34 cold tyre objective given that they could easily warm up 6-8 psi on the track? __________________ BMW 135I manual AW, red Coral, Procede processor, CDV, SprintBooster, H&R Front & Rear Sway Bars, Yokohama AO50's, SouthernBM camber plates, BMW Performance Rotors, Dinan Cold Air Intake, Dinan Exhaust, Dinan Oil Cooler, HPF Intercooler, Koni Front Sport Yellows, M3 rear subframe bushes
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06-01-2009, 10:01 AM	#8
takahashi Retired trackie 36 Rep 1,527 Posts Drives: 1///M Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	If you are going to Sandown, the outside wear and tear is nothing to do with tyre pressure. Where is my pic of the left wheel lifting off the ground? But you get the idea, the 1st turn is off camber left at 100kmh. Your right front will suffer anyhow. Good luck and stay off the barrier. __________________ TAKA 一仔BLOGブログ: BMW 1 series M 2011! Delivered 18/11/11.
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06-01-2009, 04:44 PM	#9
~sarah~ Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 208 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 135 [10.00]	AHHh, come and do one of our track days. I want all the 1ers to come along. Plus i haven't seen a coral red one at one of our days before. hehehe I get really excited when we get 1ers come along. lol __________________ www.driverdynamics.com
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06-01-2009, 05:41 PM	#10
WAY Brigadier General 458 Rep 4,822 Posts Drives: Fast ones Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	Sarah, so far I am the only 1er who you see, so I agree we need more! Btw guys, Sarah, Kevin and I drifted my 1er with semi-slicks a week ago. Bloody hard work! Only Kevin was doing it successfully (of course) but Sarah wasn't too bad at it!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-02-2009, 01:09 AM	#12
WAY Brigadier General 458 Rep 4,822 Posts Drives: Fast ones Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia iTrader: (0)	Hmm, I am wondering if Michelin people meant 32 cold? 32 hot is what you would be running on semi-slicks with hard side walls, but for road tyres I would have thought that at 32 hot you run risk of rolling the tyre over. Anyway, I am no expert at road tyres so listen to the experts!
	Appreciate 0 Quote