| BASIC TYRE SETUP | |
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Karting tyres are purpose made racing tyres that are designed with both performance and durability in mind. To get the most out of your tyres, both grip and tyre life, you need to have a good knowledge of how to setup, maintain and drive your kart. The main features include
Tyre Pressure Tyre pressure should be setup relative to tyre compound and construction, track temperature, track layout, weather conditions, length of race, class and driving style. Track layout means is there more left turns than right turns ? Are there fast long sweeping corners or tight, slow sections ? If there is more turns in one direction, you may need to stagger your pressures. Weather conditions vary your pressure settings greatly. If it is very cool, you may run a higher pressure and if it is hot, lower pressures will reduce tyre heat. Longer races may require a lower starting pressure. Pressure Growth Pressure growth refers to how much your tyre pressures increase from cold settings to hot (checked immediately after race). In general, pressures should not grow by more than 2 psi. If your pressures increase by 3 or more psi, the tyres are overheating, and steps should be taken to rectify the situation. Steps include reducing cold pressures, changing chassis settings or changing driving style. Nitrogen v's Air Nitrogen can help reduce tyre temperature build up and pressure growth. This is because Nitrogen is an inert gas and acts as a cooling agent. Also, air quality can vary, eg humidity, condensation in compressor etc where as nitrogen is supplied from a bottle and is a constant quality. Wheel Alignment In general, we have found the best settings for maximum performance and tyre life is to set your toe-in to zero, and set your camber so that the temperature across the tyre tread is fairly equal. If your front tyres are overheating, reducing caster may help. Magnesium v's Alloy The simple answer here is that magnesium dissipates heat more efficiently than alloy and therefore magnesium rims will reduce pressure growth and tyre temperature and are an advantage in hotter weather, on grippy circuits or when using open tyres. Driving Style The secret here is "Smooth", minimal steering input, controlled braking, smooth and consistent lines and technique etc. Overdrive and your tyres will deteriorate rapidly. Watch the top drivers, they are so smooth it almost looks as if they are going slow. Record Keeping Finally, keep notes on your tyre settings, chassis settings, weather and track conditions, your performance and all data such as pressure growth etc. |
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