Noob Q about Tire Temp

[251am]

 Accu-Gauge from Aerostich.com  It's a dial gauge with a pressure release button. Set your pressures cold as advised by your tire vendor. Say, in the morning, BEFORE you put the warmers on. Do not fiddle with the pressures with the warmers on, or after you've come off the track, or before you go out for a session. It takes some time after a session or race for the tires to cool enough to re-set the pressures correctly. I went through this with Tom Mason, a great Michelin vendor, as I had been adjusting pressures with the warmers on just before racing- a no-no. Check your gauge, on the tires, right at Tom's vending area after he mounts and balances your fresh rubber. Also, do not assume that slipping and sliding is indicative of improper tire pressures.

  There are a couple spots at Gingerman and one particular spot at MAM where the surface is well polished and will produce great results, as far as slides are concerned, if you're heavy on the throttle and drifting off the line. Then, there's the suspension possibilities to adjust for better gription....      It's a never ending tail chasing...   Notes in a designated book are a great thing.         

[catman]

HEY 251- WOW thats good - changing air pressure while its warm is prolly where my questions/problems arose! That and all your posts have helped so much and i will look up gauges based on these recomondations- K3's mention that lithium uses a certain brand(s) steers me that way,i will start there- BIG thanks to you all! John

[HAWK]

Chris, you are correct that improper usage will result in improper readings, this is however true of analog gauges also. When I adjust pressure I get the tire where I want it then take 2 more readings. When I can consistently get the same reading then I am satisfied, I do this with dial gauges also as they contain bearings (several) and gears which all add stiction to the mechanism.

Again the important point is to ALWAYS use the SAME gauge.


Oh and about that bathroom scale thing, most of the less expensive digital ones use a dial, like the number dial on an analog scale, that has a series of lines on it that are read and counted by an optical sensor so you are using an analog scale with a digital readout.  A true digital scale uses strain gauges (at least 2 sometimes 4) that are summed to the microprocessor to get a reading, these are almost completely unaffected by the angle that you stand at.