AndrewM (azdaspeed3)

im going on a two day track event, and i need some insight into tire pressures.

i ran the same track, grattan raceway in grand rapids, michigan, last year but i was running bridgestone potenza re730s that time. this time, i will be on pirelli p-zero neros (225/50 16s on my sport suspension 99.5 A4 1.8T).

with the potenzas, i ran all 4 tires at about 38 psi all weekend. i dont know if it was my pressure choice, driving style (probably the culprit), or crappy tires, but i ended up with tread blocks chunking off on the edges of the front tires.

my objective is to find a good pressure for MAXIMUM TREAD PROTECTION, rather than maximum grip. these are my summer tires, so im much more concerned with preserving them (to a reasonable extent, of course) than i am eaking out an extra 1/10 of a g of lateral grip.

does anybody have any experience that they can lend me? is there a good pressure to use thatll balance tread protection and decent handling? a certain pressure that might make the car a bit more responsive, or oversteery?

tia.

Legato

I've been to Grattan myself, and the best advice I could give if you're looking for a bit of oversteer would be to simply add a couple of pounds of pressure to your rear tires over what you'll be putting in the fronts. Something like 38psi in front, and 40 in the rear. But keep in mind that the most tirewear occurs upon turnin on the sidewalls as the weight of the entire car is hugely transferred to the front left tire for example on turn 1. On average, a stock 1.8t will do around 105-110mph depending on the exit speed of that fast 3rd gear left hander turn 10 I think it is. And above all, dont forget about thermal expansion. You'll gain about 10 psi of pressure fresh off the track after only a few laps. So dont over do it. And remember, it's just practice.<ul><li><a href="http://www.cruisecam.com">http://www.cruisecam.com</a</li></ul>