tyre pressures for carlimits
Discussion
So off to a carlimit's day next week having been thoroughly recommended by a few other people. Standard wheels and tyre sizes on my T350t running @24psi - what's the general recommendation? pop them up to around 30psi to help preserve the sidewalls?
I haven't taken the car on track yet but I'm guessing the carlimits events are not too harsh anyway as it's not so sustained?
I haven't taken the car on track yet but I'm guessing the carlimits events are not too harsh anyway as it's not so sustained?
Are you doing a training day or an activity day?
I can’t comment on the activity days Andy does, but I have done 4 training days in the T350.
I have always kept the pressure as standard (24psi) and have had no probs with side walls or damaging a wheel.
I will say that the training days are much harder on the car than any track day, you will spend a large amount of time going sideways/backwards. Doing lots of exercises that put the tyres on their limit. Plus the surface at North Weald is quite abrasive.
The Carlimits days are great fun, Andy is top bloke, you will learn allot about the car and your driving.
Have fun
I can’t comment on the activity days Andy does, but I have done 4 training days in the T350.
I have always kept the pressure as standard (24psi) and have had no probs with side walls or damaging a wheel.
I will say that the training days are much harder on the car than any track day, you will spend a large amount of time going sideways/backwards. Doing lots of exercises that put the tyres on their limit. Plus the surface at North Weald is quite abrasive.
The Carlimits days are great fun, Andy is top bloke, you will learn allot about the car and your driving.
Have fun
Are you doing a training day or an activity day?
I can’t comment on the activity days Andy does, but I have done 4 training days in the T350.
I have always kept the pressure as standard (24psi) and have had no probs with side walls or damaging a wheel.
I will say that the training days are much harder on the car than any track day, you will spend a large amount of time going sideways/backwards. Doing lots of exercises that put the tyres on their limit. Plus the surface at North Weald is quite abrasive.
The Carlimits days are great fun, Andy is top bloke, you will learn allot about the car and your driving.
Have fun
I can’t comment on the activity days Andy does, but I have done 4 training days in the T350.
I have always kept the pressure as standard (24psi) and have had no probs with side walls or damaging a wheel.
I will say that the training days are much harder on the car than any track day, you will spend a large amount of time going sideways/backwards. Doing lots of exercises that put the tyres on their limit. Plus the surface at North Weald is quite abrasive.
The Carlimits days are great fun, Andy is top bloke, you will learn allot about the car and your driving.
Have fun
I've done a number of 4 person training days with Andy Walsh / CarLimits in my T350 and can highly recommend them! I've got credit for a day actually after not being able to attend last time due to steering rack issues 
must get booked in before the weather gets any worse!
I've always added a few PSI to the standard you'd use on the road or track just as to not scrub the sidewalls too much. Having said that it depends how good you are at car control and also on the weather (being a driving guru probably means less spinning at high speed, less agression and therefore less tyre wear, same goes with when it is damp). I take a 12v tyre inflator with me so I'm able to adjust throughout the day.I'd probably suggest keeping it standard and do a practice run or 2 and check the the tyres out then. Andy will tell you what is best. In my old FWD SEAT Leon Cupra R it was completely different and I needed to almost pump the tyres up to the max, a lot more fun in the TVR
I've actually got an old set of just legal Toyo Proxies which I intend to use next time as I'll be doing some more extreme handling techniques which would put a lot of wear on a nice new set of tyres. This isn't necessary at all though as you wouldn't do that kind of stuff ordinarily.
The day definitely puts more wear on the car than a normal track day would but it is worth it as it will make you a better driver. I've had my power steering go on the day before but that was due to a loose pump I think that didn't appreciate being thrown around.
Say Hi to Andy from me and tell him I'll be coming along soon all being well Oh and wrap up warm as it can be quite windy on the airfield.
Have fun!
must get booked in before the weather gets any worse!I've always added a few PSI to the standard you'd use on the road or track just as to not scrub the sidewalls too much. Having said that it depends how good you are at car control and also on the weather (being a driving guru probably means less spinning at high speed, less agression and therefore less tyre wear, same goes with when it is damp). I take a 12v tyre inflator with me so I'm able to adjust throughout the day.I'd probably suggest keeping it standard and do a practice run or 2 and check the the tyres out then. Andy will tell you what is best. In my old FWD SEAT Leon Cupra R it was completely different and I needed to almost pump the tyres up to the max, a lot more fun in the TVR
I've actually got an old set of just legal Toyo Proxies which I intend to use next time as I'll be doing some more extreme handling techniques which would put a lot of wear on a nice new set of tyres. This isn't necessary at all though as you wouldn't do that kind of stuff ordinarily.
The day definitely puts more wear on the car than a normal track day would but it is worth it as it will make you a better driver. I've had my power steering go on the day before but that was due to a loose pump I think that didn't appreciate being thrown around.
Say Hi to Andy from me and tell him I'll be coming along soon all being well
Oh and wrap up warm as it can be quite windy on the airfield.Have fun!
Why do a traing day to learn how the car handles and change things so that it does not handle like it will in the real world. Tyre pressures make a big difference to these cars.
Like I said heat will increase the pressures, yesterday at Spa after 3 laps my pressures which were 24psi went up to 27psi I then dropped them down to 24psi and the car handled a dream.
Like I said heat will increase the pressures, yesterday at Spa after 3 laps my pressures which were 24psi went up to 27psi I then dropped them down to 24psi and the car handled a dream.
It all depends on what you personally want to get out of the day I suppose.
Ok, you want to know what the car feels like on the limit and using the same setup as on track would be by far the best way to know that. But it you are trying to improve your driving techniques and find your limits as a driver rather than necessarily the car (learning how to recover from the back end stepping out etc.) you may find you will be going aggressively sideways, backwards and in circles on an old airfield surface which may well try and pull your tyres off of the rim. This is the only reason to put a few extra PSI into the tyres.
As you get a little better at the driving techniques used (you may already be up to this level) you will not have to worry about increasing the pressures. Us blokes tend to be too aggressive to start with and this really what causes the violent spins etc. which are when you use the sidewalls, apparently the girls who do these days are a lot better to start with.
The best bet is to speak to Andy Walsh who is the instructor who runs the days and see what he recommends as it depends on you as a driver, the car, what you will be doing on the day, what the conditions are like etc. He knows best!
Ok, you want to know what the car feels like on the limit and using the same setup as on track would be by far the best way to know that. But it you are trying to improve your driving techniques and find your limits as a driver rather than necessarily the car (learning how to recover from the back end stepping out etc.) you may find you will be going aggressively sideways, backwards and in circles on an old airfield surface which may well try and pull your tyres off of the rim. This is the only reason to put a few extra PSI into the tyres.
As you get a little better at the driving techniques used (you may already be up to this level) you will not have to worry about increasing the pressures. Us blokes tend to be too aggressive to start with and this really what causes the violent spins etc. which are when you use the sidewalls, apparently the girls who do these days are a lot better to start with.
The best bet is to speak to Andy Walsh who is the instructor who runs the days and see what he recommends as it depends on you as a driver, the car, what you will be doing on the day, what the conditions are like etc. He knows best!
Edited by NickT on Tuesday 5th October 16:56
As there was a bit of interest in the topic, I thought I'd let you know how the day went...
Off to a slightly bad start when I met my mate at the nearby BP garage. Rain pouring, open my window to speak to mate, pull out of the garage and the window won't go back up again... cue very wet arm on the 2 mile drive to North Weald... good old blackpool electrics again. Fortunately, the downpour subsided and didn't ruin my enjoyment of the day but I'll be off down to see Jason sooner than expected by the looks of it... on to the day...
Can't speak highly enough of Andy's instruction, genuinely nice guy and very patient - despite suffering from "dodgy fish" from the night before!
For those who haven't been, the day consists of a number of exercises. Andy will ride shotgun with you (or take the wheel - an experience you will not forget
) to show you the exercise and after a couple of runs, you get to practice on your own.
We started with the high speed cornering; basically accelerating down a straight to 55-70mph (or faster depending how brave you are) then feet off the pedals; learning to drive the corner smoothly without spinning (and there is plenty of that). From this, you start to push the car into either under or oversteer and start to learn how to pull it back (more spinning). The record for taking the high speed corner is apparently 105mph if you feel ambitious... I think 70 was probably my best max.
The next exercise builds on the first but upping the entry speed and applying trail braking (cue more spinning), this time you learn to control the under and oversteer using the brakes rather than the wheel. Personally, I found this quite a challenge; especially still getting used to lack of ABS and servo assistance (cue more spinning!). I also found there was a lot of "unlearning" of many years (feeding hands, getting on the throttle to early etc).
The next couple of exercise involve steering yourself from one side of the airfield to the other in circles; holding the steering at a quarter turn and just using the throttle basically power under and oversteer... (no spinning this time
The day finishes, by putting it all into practice (or trying to) on a circuit laid out around some cones. After a couple of solo efforts (and Andy showing you how it should be done - worth it in itself! ) you'll get to be a passenger with you peers (great fun!).
All in all, it was a great day. Very informative, although a lot to take in on your first attempt. Definitely felt that I progressed during the day. Hats off to Mr. Walsh.
In terms of tyre wear etc. The day started very wet - hence all the spins (For the record - I was getting wheel spin in 2nd/3rd on the straight for the high speed corner) but towards the end of the first exercise the track started to dry out. In my case there was a fair bit of side and backwards action...
Overall, I'd have to say it was pretty hard on the tyres - probably a combination of the asphalt, which is quite abrasive and the spins. My mate didn't spin so much (3 series) but also suffered - probably due to a heavier car. I ran my tyres at the stock 24psi but Andy recommended that I may have been better putting a couple more PSI in. Unlike a track day, you're not running sustained enough to get sufficient heat build up. If you're lucky enough to have a spare set, take them. If you're on an old set, be prepared that you won't be legal driving home and if you've got brand new rubber be wary unless you don't mind scrubbing them in!
Brakes any everything else were fine... well apart from my damn driver's window.
I'll post some pics and video shortly.
Off to a slightly bad start when I met my mate at the nearby BP garage. Rain pouring, open my window to speak to mate, pull out of the garage and the window won't go back up again... cue very wet arm on the 2 mile drive to North Weald... good old blackpool electrics again. Fortunately, the downpour subsided and didn't ruin my enjoyment of the day but I'll be off down to see Jason sooner than expected by the looks of it... on to the day...
Can't speak highly enough of Andy's instruction, genuinely nice guy and very patient - despite suffering from "dodgy fish" from the night before!
For those who haven't been, the day consists of a number of exercises. Andy will ride shotgun with you (or take the wheel - an experience you will not forget
) to show you the exercise and after a couple of runs, you get to practice on your own.We started with the high speed cornering; basically accelerating down a straight to 55-70mph (or faster depending how brave you are) then feet off the pedals; learning to drive the corner smoothly without spinning (and there is plenty of that). From this, you start to push the car into either under or oversteer and start to learn how to pull it back (more spinning). The record for taking the high speed corner is apparently 105mph if you feel ambitious... I think 70 was probably my best max.
The next exercise builds on the first but upping the entry speed and applying trail braking (cue more spinning), this time you learn to control the under and oversteer using the brakes rather than the wheel. Personally, I found this quite a challenge; especially still getting used to lack of ABS and servo assistance (cue more spinning!). I also found there was a lot of "unlearning" of many years (feeding hands, getting on the throttle to early etc).
The next couple of exercise involve steering yourself from one side of the airfield to the other in circles; holding the steering at a quarter turn and just using the throttle basically power under and oversteer... (no spinning this time
The day finishes, by putting it all into practice (or trying to) on a circuit laid out around some cones. After a couple of solo efforts (and Andy showing you how it should be done - worth it in itself!
) you'll get to be a passenger with you peers (great fun!).All in all, it was a great day. Very informative, although a lot to take in on your first attempt. Definitely felt that I progressed during the day. Hats off to Mr. Walsh.
In terms of tyre wear etc. The day started very wet - hence all the spins (For the record - I was getting wheel spin in 2nd/3rd on the straight for the high speed corner) but towards the end of the first exercise the track started to dry out. In my case there was a fair bit of side and backwards action...
Overall, I'd have to say it was pretty hard on the tyres - probably a combination of the asphalt, which is quite abrasive and the spins. My mate didn't spin so much (3 series) but also suffered - probably due to a heavier car. I ran my tyres at the stock 24psi but Andy recommended that I may have been better putting a couple more PSI in. Unlike a track day, you're not running sustained enough to get sufficient heat build up. If you're lucky enough to have a spare set, take them. If you're on an old set, be prepared that you won't be legal driving home and if you've got brand new rubber be wary unless you don't mind scrubbing them in!
Brakes any everything else were fine... well apart from my damn driver's window.
I'll post some pics and video shortly.
Glad you had a good day! As you build up experience Andy will move on to other skills as well. I really got on well with left foot braking on the day but when trying combine it with everything else it is all a little overwhelming, still not got the hang of it. If you watch his DVD you'll see Andy's fancy footwork, left foot braking at the same time as heel and toe is pretty impresive.
Glad you enjoyed your day, I think spending half the day with wet conditions is beneficial in gaining a better understanding how the car will react in the wet. I was very impressed with my car when I did a very wet at North Weald.
My last day at North Weald was pleasantly interrupted by Andy having to do some other work, this arrived at the airfield http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/229740/caterham_...
Andy is associated with the company; I think he is the development/test driver. He compensated the disruption to our training by giving pax rides! Now given it was pouring down with rain, at least 1/2" of surface water. Andy was giving it mega, high speed corner at 90mph! Being driven round that airfield by Andy in that car is a memory I won’t forget, mental car control.
My last day at North Weald was pleasantly interrupted by Andy having to do some other work, this arrived at the airfield http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/229740/caterham_...
Andy is associated with the company; I think he is the development/test driver. He compensated the disruption to our training by giving pax rides! Now given it was pouring down with rain, at least 1/2" of surface water. Andy was giving it mega, high speed corner at 90mph! Being driven round that airfield by Andy in that car is a memory I won’t forget, mental car control.
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