tyre pressures for track use???

Markeyboy

Markeyboy

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im making the holy pilgrimage to the nurburgring this weekend in my 1.8T,
im currently have 18's fitted with falken 452 tyres all round, at the mo im putting 32psi in the front and 34psi in the rear

will this be ok for use on the track or is it wise to lower the pressures all round to allow for heat expansion?
 
Lower for sure my man!

Its very dependant on tyres, but on my a048's I run as low as 26psi hot, starting out at 20 and letting them warm up.

On an 18" falken I'd suggest you start out at 26psi cold then check them after a lap. Aim for no more than 30psi when hot.
Most of all, enjoy it!
 
i was hoping you would comment lol

ill give 26 a try,

really looking foward to it, just getting my car ready for the abuse, fresh oil, new brakes and fluid, plus all the crap you gota take to drive through france,
 
Just go easy and enjoy it man! Your car sounds a very similar spec to my daily when I took it there a few years back, will be VERY enjoyable around the ring, and highly capable too :)
 
yea i plan on taking it very easy, iv seen some of the bills for track repairs and that seems scarily expensive,

iv got the platnum LCR comming along too, iv set him the 8:34 target lol
 
Haha, to give you a guideline I did several 08:58's back to back in my
daily a few years ago, so your car is capable of sub 9's, don't expect that on a frat trip though unless you're the stig. I think I'd done about 30 laps at the time, so still very much a newbie!

Danny did 08:37 in the Lcr back I'm the day, but it's a little different now!
 
visually im more the stigs american cousin lol,

wow thats some good times, were there for 3 days, but im sure funds will limit the amount of laps.

anything near 10 mins n ill be well chuffed tbh
 
will do, the plan is to take it very easy,

rumor has it that part of the GP track is open while we are out there too, hopfully this is true, two birds with one stone
 
Markeyboy said:
will do, the plan is to take it very easy,

rumor has it that part of the GP track is open while we are out there too, hopfully this is true, two birds with one stone
Click to expand...
when i was there it was open for an hour a day, dependant on days. never did go on that tho. certainly looked fun. its a good track on gt5 lol
 
I had the same thing when I went 32 is far to high, I found my tyres had become over inflated when hot. You could have them nitrogen filled if you get the chance, I'm fairly sure some ats's do it and it's not very expensive either.

Be careful out there mate, a small mistake can have pretty horrific consequences financially! Make sure your car is 100%
 
Doesn't it depend on which tyres you're running? I was always advised that sidewall strength has a lot to do with what tyre pressure you should run on track. I know on the '5 I have to run much higher tyre pressure when using a Toyo (which I think are gash anyway) for instance over the old Pirelli because the sidewall is softer and the tyre folds on hard cornering...interesting too considering the Audi weighs about 500kg more than the '5..

I'm not claiming to be a knowledge on the subjct by the way, Prawn has far more track days under his belt than me, it's more just to throw that theory in the mix!
 
I wouldnt of said the pressures would need to be a lot if any different between brands, the major factors are obviously the volume of the tyre and kerb weight of the vehicle.
 
Nitrogen filling the tyres will be something to look into if I enjoy the track experience and fancy a bit more of it, don't think I'll have time to do it before hand,

Yea been playing GT5 to death mainly just the main ring, will be on there for another session tonight hopefully, just to familiarise myself with what's around each corner,

Sure it will be completely different when I'm there for real, no reset buttons,
Plan is to only drive fast on the bits that are clearly visible, never know what's waiting around the corner

Back to topic I'll start at 26psi and see how I go from there
 
sportstractor said:
I wouldnt of said the pressures would need to be a lot if any different between brands, the major factors are obviously the volume of the tyre and kerb weight of the vehicle.
Click to expand...

It makes a huge difference, some tyre brands have much harder sidewalls than others (especially run-flats) and so allow for lower tyre pressures to be run on track as they won't fold in the corners (which will destroy your tyre and make the front end feel awful).

Checking your load rating (which a lot of people don't bother with) sometimes gives an indication as to how hard the sidewall might be too.

But you're right, there are a whole host of factors to take into consideration. Prawn for instance is running a stripped out car so can also get away with running lower pressure in his tyres than say somebody driving a fully loaded A3 with a passenger.

Id probably start with road pressures for a good few laps to give the tyres a chance to warm up and see how it feels, then reduce or increase the pressure from there.
 
You're right Nick, tyre brand does indeed make a big difference, some are soft, some are solid!

My info in this case was relating to falken 452's in the same size as the OP on a near identical car (my daily A3 in full weight road trim when I took it a few years back) so the info is taillored :p

I can run my yoko track tyres down as low as 24psi without issue, but the federals in the same size start to squirm below about 28psi.

You'll know if your tyres are overheating on the Ring though, as you'll start to feel traction go off around brunchen 1/2, then by the time you're at PF3 it'll be like you're on an Ice rink! You'll squirm around Galenkopf with no grip at all, then breath a huge sigh of relief as you see the Gantry.

Remember to set hot pressures ASAP after coming off a lap, then check after each lap on that first night.

When you're happy you've got them stable, leave them low over night, and check in the morning to see what cold pressure you want to use in future to achieve your required hot pressures :)
 
another thing to remember, is that hot fast you drive will effect how you need to set your cold pressures!

Someone who's slow and doesn't push hard, won't cause the tyre temps (and pressures) to rise anywhere near as much as someone who's REALLY on it.

You might find that the place terrifies you, and trundle around at 50mph the whole way and your pressures won't rise more than 1-2 psi.

You might find as you say, that you're the Stigs american cousin and the pressures could rise by 10psi per corner!

One lap I did last year, on our first evening of a trip, I foolishly didn't check pressures after the garage fitted the tyres the night before, came off track and checked them to find they were at 50psi after a lap! Cold pressure the next day turned out to be 38psi, so 12psi pressure rise after 13 miles of track work, and a pretty horrific loss of grip half way round, felt like a round of the BDC.

Another thing you could do, depending on how keen you are, is get yourself a yellow crayon.

Draw a /\ going from the sidewall onto the tread on each tyre, then monitor after a lap how much of the top of the /\ is worn off. That way you can see if you're using too much or too little tyre, and adjust accordingly.
 
Although the track itself is great fun you also want to try and soak up as much of the local motorsport heritage as possible. Visit the museum and you can get a on track tour of the F1 track for around 20 euros too. The local restaurants and bars have a great atmosphere and it's just a nice place to be all round. I also recommend visiting the castle if you get time, possibly the best view of the surrounding towns of the Ring.
 
thanks for all the advice guys, ill do the /\ thing and see how much the tyres are earing

my first few laps will just be touring laps so ill try the tyres at 28 and see what they are at the end of a lap and go from there

hoping to take in as much of the local heritage as possiable, the ring is open only on the evenings on monday and tuesday so hopfully we will have time to get about and see quite a bit, and sample some german beer :beerchug:


prawn, how did you go about filming your lap, was it one of their cameras? iv made a camera mount but iv heard that they are very strict about not letting guys use their own


thanks again for all your inputs :icon_thumright:
 
its going to be down to the tyres as well.. Road tyres and track/road tyres I ran at 32psi hot..... which could mean varying different cold pressures.

Start @ what you are used to and after 1 lap check em on return and judge from there imho
 
audi upgrades
Iv made myself a make shift mount that I can velcrow my phone to quite easily when on the move,

Just want 1 lap just as a little memento of my trip, maby it is best to use their cameras
 
I used my iphone 4 for my data overlaid vids. Use a windscreen mount and position it so that the phone is pressing down against the top of the dash and it won't vibrate at all.

I installed Harrys Lap timer, a GPS data logging app that starts and stops itself, so no user input at all. you just set it up in the carpark and let it do it's thing!

As for getting caught, I had the mount in the windscreen with no phone in it, they did ask me once what it was, and I told them truthfully it was my phone holder, and the phone was in my pocket.

Once through the barriers stick the phone in the mount, and off you go!

Timing laps is a bad idea as Karl said, but if you must know how fast you went, it's much more preferable to film a lap, then time it off the footage. that way you don't end up chasing times and going for that deadly 'one last lap'
 
just donloaded harrys laptimer, looks like a great little app,

i understand the dangers of chasing a time so will just keep it as a reference insted of a target

tomorrows the big day, 4:45 start, really excited,

thanks again guys
 
Successfully completed my first lap of "the green hell", I'm hooked,
Took it really easy, spent most of the time with my indicator on and over on the right,

But wow, it was amazing

Totally forgot to check tyre pressures before I went on, kinda the whole reason for this thread, sorry guys.
After my rears were at 36 both sides, lowered these to 31 when hot,
One front was at 35 and the other at 38, have now lowered these to 30 when hot,

Will do a bit of trial and error on them

Have also gains a braking vibration but only when the brakes get hot through use, no fade tho, any ideas?
Checked and retightened the wheel nuts as a precaution,

Also does not vibrate when cold???

Hotel is amazing, it's in adenau looking over the track

I can see how people get hooked on this
 
Awesome news!!!!

Nothing can prepare you for the cambers and gradients, it's just unlike anywhere else in the world!

Social is pretty awesome too :) plenty of Bit Burger!

If you get a chance, go to pistenklause at the bottom
of the hill below the castle, they do the famous steak on a stone!
 
My stomach has taken a pounding, but I'm loving it, we had the GP track to play with today and tomorrow
Can't wait to get bk out there

Just had a steak on a stone, really good food, beer is great and freely flowing

Westy, we are in the nordschleife hotel in one of the first floor apartments this is our view from the room

c45480f2.jpg


Really good location plus staff are fantastic, love it here
 
Markeyboy said:
My stomach has taken a pounding, but I'm loving it, we had the GP track to play with today and tomorrow
Can't wait to get bk out there

Just had a steak on a stone, really good food, beer is great and freely flowing

Westy, we are in the nordschleife hotel in one of the first floor apartments this is our view from the room

c45480f2.jpg


Really good location plus staff are fantastic, love it here
Click to expand...

Good stuff mate I've stayed in that hotel many times before. The view of the track used to be a lot better until they put up higher walls around the adenau bridge.

Have a good time mate and take it easy :thumbsup:
 
27 fronts and 28 rears seemed to work really well for me on the ring,

Car seemed to go real well, no mechanical faults other than the brake vibration,

I even broke the 10min barrier, which I'm chuffed to bits with

Here's a lil pic of one of the laps

b781c2bf.jpg
 
Nice shot man, just dropping out of Wehrseifen, could almost have been taken from your hotel room with a long range lense! haha.

Car looks good too :)

Seeing as you obviously timed it, it can't hurt to ask now, what lap time did you do? Timing BTG I assume?
 
Iv got to check all my vids out, but one was 9:52, think that was my fastest,
Once I was happy with that quickest I was happy to go round at I took the last two quite casually, taking it all in and trying to be as smooth as poss and finding good lines,

Weather was fantastic, very cold but stayed dry the whole time with only a slight flurry of snow,

The track was soo quiet, one of my laps I didn't even see another car.


Only just got home, will sort out my pics n vids later as I'm off to work in a mo.
 
So jealous right now!

Well done for keeping it on the black stuff matey, really glad you enjoyed it!
 
really loved it, i want to go back already, and its also become apparent that i need to sort out suspension for the car,
rolled around nearly as much as the ferry did on the way home lol

best time was 9:50 BTG but that was by no means anywhere near the limit, always had it in the back of my head that the a3 had to get me home, to work later that night and i really didnt want a barrier repair bill either lol

i will sort out pics soon,
 
Westy said:
Very sensible head you have on your shoulders mate.

Where are the pics and vids?
Click to expand...

it was hard not to go balls out, took alot of restraint.

got a coupple of vids uploading on youtube now, there still 380 mins away from being ready though, one of my fastest lap and another of the ring with part of the GP track too,

heres a pic of us after our very first lap,

Untitled.jpg


nothing can really describe that feeling, excitement, nerviousness, terror and relief of the first lap,


this is my fav pic of me on track so far, taken by a lady that got chatting to us in the car park

6938129830_f27c515407_o-1.jpg


and another at the castle,

0b333bd1-1.jpg


the top of the castle is possiably the coldest place in the world, i always thought it was southend seafront, this place smashes it lol


ill be collecting the photos from the other guys tomorrow and will put them in my progression thread along with my vids
 
we went up there, but it was really misty so we couldnt see that much unfortunatly, we went to "ring work" that was really good, but we didnt get chance to go onto the f1 track

heres my best lap vid, camera was a bit high so you can see quite a bit of sky
nurburgring 9.50BTG in audi A3 1.8T - YouTube

my other vid is still uploading :sob:
 
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