Track Tac

QUESTION ABOUT ASSESSING BITE IN A TIRE

2

2HH8

Member
In the past, my thought process has been overly simplified to correlating bite in a tire with the durometer reading. I have used prep before but probably not to the extent of many on here but when I was younger and raced pavement we never prepped and still had success. Hence, I have come to realize there is a difference in bite in a tire and what the durometer reads.

So...my question is, how do you assess or evaluate the bite in a tire without using the durometer???
 
Pay attention to all details of not only what you did , what as many of your competitors that you know did.
Don't make same mistakes twice .
FEEL and Pray !!
 
In the past, my thought process has been overly simplified to correlating bite in a tire with the durometer reading. I have used prep before but probably not to the extent of many on here but when I was younger and raced pavement we never prepped and still had success. Hence, I have come to realize there is a difference in bite in a tire and what the durometer reads.

So...my question is, how do you assess or evaluate the bite in a tire without using the durometer???
Click to expand...

Make up a rig with a fish scale to pull the tire on the track surface in the racing line and measure the resistance to a sliding tire on the surface.

No, it's really an experience thing. Feel, seat of the pants, etc, just comes from working with a lot of tires and making lots of laps.

A durometer is a useful tool, but it is used to measure hardness of the rubber - not necessarily the bite in the rubber. While soft tires generally have a lot of bite to them, you can build bite in hard tires without softening them. For me: Proper durometer (softness) is determined by the amount of heat a tire generated by a tire which results in wear (the way that a tire cools itself.) Light wear, or graining, is appropriate with a properly working race tire, while a heavily worn, feathered, tire is being over-heated and over-worked. If a tire is feathering, it is too soft for its application. If a tire is not building any temperature, it is too hard for its application. With race tires, especially under-powered karts, it's easy to be too soft or too hard; not enough bite or too much bite, or a combination thereof. The best in the business still don't hit it right every time. I've been working with tires (professionally) all my adult life and still make wrong choices. Years of experience are certainly an advantage though in racing.


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
www.youtube.com
34 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
CarlsonMotorsports said:
Make up a rig with a fish scale to pull the tire on the track surface in the racing line and measure the resistance to a sliding tire on the surface.

No, it's really an experience thing. Feel, seat of the pants, etc, just comes from working with a lot of tires and making lots of laps.

A durometer is a useful tool, but it is used to measure hardness of the rubber - not necessarily the bite in the rubber. While soft tires generally have a lot of bite to them, you can build bite in hard tires without softening them. For me: Proper durometer (softness) is determined by the amount of heat a tire generated by a tire which results in wear (the way that a tire cools itself.) Light wear, or graining, is appropriate with a properly working race tire, while a heavily worn, feathered, tire is being over-heated and over-worked. If a tire is feathering, it is too soft for its application. If a tire is not building any temperature, it is too hard for its application. With race tires, especially under-powered karts, it's easy to be too soft or too hard; not enough bite or too much bite, or a combination thereof. The best in the business still don't hit it right every time. I've been working with tires (professionally) all my adult life and still make wrong choices. Years of experience are certainly an advantage though in racing.


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
www.youtube.com
34 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
Click to expand...
And don't forget the elusive feathering due to the tire being too hard and sliding across the track causing you to really question your sanity!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top