Tire Details on race day

Captain Moai · #1 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 08:51 AM

okay... out of curiosity, does anybody have a tire pyrometer?
i've finally accepted the fact that it's going to be at least summer until i can afford to stick anything over 245 on the MR2, so i'm going to make-do with what i've got, which means making sure i'm getting the best out of my current setup.

didnt know if anybody has a digital pyrometer for reading tire temps so i can see if the ridiculous price i paid Toyota to align the car is actually worth it or not.

also, another question - maybe Steve can answer this one - I need some feedback on hub-mounted camber/caster gauges. Thinking of picking one up in the future and it'd be REAL nice to be able to adjust those values with some degree of accuracy.

nysulli · #2 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 09:24 AM

you can get a laser one at radioshack for like 20 bucks that works pretty well

mikecentola · #3 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 09:37 AM

I think a tire pyrometer will be useless on a non-r compound tire.

Captain Moai · #4 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 09:57 AM

no it'll work on any tire really. It's just something i'd like to play with now, and also something that'd be nice to have experience with when i get serious rubber later on

mikecentola · #5 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 10:22 AM

i should get one to see how well the camber is working for me when i pull into the convention centers and stuff....lol

skyphix · #6 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 09:29 PM

No matter what it is, the closer the temp of the tire is to the temp of the track, the better its gonna stick.

Steve J. · #7 (**permalink**) 04-22-2004, 02:59 AM

Get a Long Acre economy pyrometer, its $95.

You CANNOT use an IR temp guage, its just going to take the surface temp and not give you any useful info. IR is usually used for the ground and brakes, and even brakes have thier own probes.

Unless you plan on changing your camber at the parking lot and do a full alignment at the same time (with the camber/caster guages and toe strings), then its not worth it.

Best thing you can do is pickup the long acre $95 econ pyrometer and have someone standing at the end of the course to take the temps IMMEDIATELY when you cross the finish line. By the time you drive back, park, get out, take the temps... it'll be too late and they would have changed.

You can use temps to 1) Set pressure, 2) Set camber.

Usually its used to set camber, but if you have serious pressure problems it can be a good indicator.

In case anyone did not know, you want the temps flat across. If the center is hot, the pressure is too high, if the inside of the tire is getting too hot you need less camber.