Trackday tyre management

Crazylegs

Advanced Member
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5,224
Hi all,

Can anyone advise of the best way to manage one's tyres during a trackday?

I've never done one before and I've not long spunked £300 on some RE070's all round and ideally if I can get away without having to purchase at least some new tyres for the fronts that would be great.

Many thanks
 

Reggie91

Advanced Member
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1,280
You might be alright depending on the thread left if you‘re worried about ruining them.

My advise is keep checking the tyre pressures each time you bring the car back to the pits. You‘ll find you mind have to left some air out when they get hot.
 

Crazylegs

Advanced Member
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5,224
Reggie91 said:
You might be alright depending on the thread left if you‘re worried about ruining them.

My advise is keep checking the tyre pressures each time you bring the car back to the pits. You‘ll find you mind have to left some air out when they get hot.
They're a pretty much as new tyre so I'm hoping they'll see out the day and beyond.

Regarding tyre pressure, is there a device one can buy to take with you such as a gauge and something to pump them back up with if required?
 

ste01

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918
There are plenty of guages available, really cheap too. Same with pumps, loads of 12v ones available cheaply
 

Reggie91

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1,280
If they‘re new they‘ll be fine. I‘ve done 3 track days on my ad08r‘s and done 2k road miles and they‘re fine. Still plenty left.

Yeah you can buy a gauge online for really cheap and there tends to be a pump in the garages (double check). I wouldn‘t bother getting a bulky pump from Halfords etc you‘ll have that to carry about all day.

One guy I did a track day with last year bought valve caps with pressure sensors. You download an app and it tells you the tyre pressures.
 

carl hammond

Advanced Member
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3,737
If your on an open pit session and it‘s a hot day go out with cold pressures around 23-27psi and do a few hard laps after the sighting ones, come in and check them and try and run them around 28-30psi for a car weighing between 1000 and 1400kgs.

I have a digital pressure gauge and a 12v pump. The digital gauge was from amazon (about £8-£12) and the pumpnive had years, has pressure also but the gauge is quicker.

If a cold day and the tyres don‘t get up to temp quickly just go out and come in as and when to keep an eye on them and remember in the garage / pits don‘t put he hand brake on between sessions, leave it in gear or if it‘s flat out something either side of the wheels to stop it moving mate
 

carl hammond

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3,737
Also the things Reggie mentioned (digital TPS sensors) are really good, but I lost my caps years ago so need to buy a new setup, there‘s one on amazon (new version of my old one) for about £50 and I‘d recommend it, just not got round to buying it, the caps send the pressures to a digital readout that plugs into the 12v socket so real time and is within 2-3psi mate
 

ollieh17

Advanced Member
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307
i always aim for around 28 psi warm. Always found youll only need to set the pressures once and theyll hang around the same PSI all day. Maybe check after a long lunch break
 

Crazylegs

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5,224
ollieh17 said:
i always aim for around 28 psi warm. Always found youll only need to set the pressures once and theyll hang around the same PSI all day. Maybe check after a long lunch break
Great advice again Ollie, really appreciate it buddy!
 

bxlheathsupra

Advanced Member
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384
I ran my re070s at 24psi cold.. they went to 30psi fron and rear.. have done 1 half day and one taster session with plenty of tread left

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk
 

Johngreen537

Advanced Member
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1,470
I just do a few laps, then check pressure, to around 30psi.

Rather than inflating first as the weather and track temp plays a part, so easier to deflate than add more cold air.

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Crazylegs

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How do the AD08R fare on track, will they hold up better than the RE070's? Also how many laps do people get on them before they start tailing off? This will be the first trackday I've done on the Yokohama's.
 

carl hammond

Advanced Member
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3,737
How do the AD08R fare on track, will they hold up better than the RE070's? Also how many laps do people get on them before they start tailing off? This will be the first trackday I've done on the Yokohama's.
Initially I was running 23-27psi (cold), do a few hard laps after the sighting ones, come in and check them and try and run them around 28-30psi which is recommended for a car weighing between 1000 and 1400kgs.

For my last session I ran 26-28psi (cold) and ran 30-32psi (Hot) which Yoko recommend and they felt better tbh. I have never had an issue and have done a few 30-35 min sessions without any problems and consistently do 20 min sessions. I then come in check the pressures and let it all cool down before another outing.

You will find them getting better and stickier after 2-3 hard laps but they will pickup quite a bit of additional tyre from the track that will slowly peel off over time.
 

Crazylegs

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Thanks Carl, I'll probably go with 25psi cold intitally and see how I get on.

Can I ask, why do you advise doing a few hard laps from the start - shouldn't you go easy initially then push a bit harder?

The RE070's felt terrible when I had them so I'm hoping these will feel better, I couldn't get more than 5/6 laps out of the RE070's before the handling deteriorated.

The car felt terrible last time. I was watching cars at Anglesey yesterday, it was a lovely warm day but the drivers were really pushing hard. Although I've done Anglesey once before, I did have concerns yesterday whether I will be quick enough on the day. I just don't want to be holding people up on track.

The circuit was a nightmare yesterday, huge field of cars and some really bloody quick motors - it was quite unerving to watch actually.
 

carl hammond

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3,737
Crazylegs said:
Thanks Carl, I'll probably go with 25psi cold intitally and see how I get on.

Can I ask, why do you advise doing a few hard laps from the start - shouldn't you go easy initially then push a bit harder?

The RE070's felt terrible when I had them so I'm hoping these will feel better, I couldn't get more than 5/6 laps out of the RE070's before the handling deteriorated.

The car felt terrible last time. I was watching cars at Anglesey yesterday, it was a lovely warm day but the drivers were really pushing hard. Although I've done Anglesey once before, I did have concerns yesterday whether I will be quick enough on the day. I just don't want to be holding people up on track.

The circuit was a nightmare yesterday, huge field of cars and some really bloody quick motors - it was quite unerving to watch actually.
No I meant do the sighting laps, swerve as much as poss to get some heat in then do a few laps progressing the speed etc and then go for it.

Then come in check and go straight back out, or just go out for a session 10 or so mins progressing, come in and check to give you an idea of the increases you get and based on that stay out or come in for longer depending on how you feel.

I have hammered it from cold a couple of times and never had them let go on me though :)
 

Crazylegs

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5,224
Ahhhh I get you now, I think the key is to get some heat in them and try and stay out of the crap this time. I want to be a bit quicker than I was last time but that was mainly because of experience and driving through all the crap rubber on the slower parts of the track when pulling over to let quicker cars go past. So as a trackday tyre, are the AD08R any good or will they lose grip fairly quickly as they're not a dedicated track tyre so to speak? I might go for some Dunlop DZ03G next time the tyres need changing.
 

carl hammond

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3,737
Crazylegs said:
Ahhhh I get you now, I think the key is to get some heat in them and try and stay out of the crap this time. I want to be a bit quicker than I was last time but that was mainly because of experience and driving through all the crap rubber on the slower parts of the track when pulling over to let quicker cars go past. So as a trackday tyre, are the AD08R any good or will they lose grip fairly quickly as they're not a dedicated track tyre so to speak? I might go for some Dunlop DZ03G next time the tyres need changing.
I‘ve never lost grip with them and I‘ve hammered mine for the past two years, you‘ll be fine mate. They are a very good tyre imo
 

bxlheathsupra

Advanced Member
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384
I done another full day at lydden hill on the weekend anx the re070 held out really well. Ran them cold about 24psi and about 29 psi hot

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