GPL - Tyre temperatures

Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures after only half a dozen laps are LF: about 225 RF: about 240 LR: about 177 RR: about 175 It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that the fronts are way too hot. Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing *why* the temperatures at the front are too hot. Any ideas?

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (GD) writes:

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>Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise >the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures >after only half a dozen laps are >LF: about 225 RF: about 240 >LR: about 177 RR: about 175 > >It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that >the fronts are way too hot. >Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download >a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing >*why* the temperatures at the front are too hot.

First off, that's not really too hot. I find that when turning truly fast laps, all tires will be pushing 240. You're obviously using the fronts more than the rears. This could be a setup designed to understeer, or it could be your driving style. You might try softening the front bar or stiffening the rear to make it slide more. You may also find that as you go faster, you will learn to throw the car around more, and the rears will come up in temperature. Two inches is a major change in ride height, you might want to rethink that. Don McCorkle

Woodie 83 wrote:

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> > In article <[email hidden]>, > [email hidden] (GD) writes: > > >Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise > >the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures > >after only half a dozen laps are > >LF: about 225 RF: about 240 > >LR: about 177 RR: about 175 > > > >It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that > >the fronts are way too hot. > >Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download > >a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing > >*why* the temperatures at the front are too hot. > > First off, that's not really too hot. I find that when turning truly fast > laps, all tires will be pushing 240. You're obviously using the fronts more > than the rears. This could be a setup designed to understeer, or it could be > your driving style. You might try softening the front bar or stiffening the > rear to make it slide more. You may also find that as you go faster, you will > learn to throw the car around more, and the rears will come up in temperature. > Two inches is a major change in ride height, you might want to rethink that.

If you're interested in starting working on setups, playing with oval setups is a good step. Trying to keep all your tyres under 320 and eke-ing out those hundredths is a good learning experience in both car setups, and how driving style affects temperatures, while not having too many variables due to track & driving skill get in the way. -Si

GD wrote:

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> > Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise > the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures > after only half a dozen laps are > LF: about 225 RF: about 240 > LR: about 177 RR: about 175 > > It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that > the fronts are way too hot. > Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download > a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing > *why* the temperatures at the front are too hot.

Sounds to me like the ride height change has given you a good healthy push. Stiffen the rear/soften the front to balance it out. Preferably stiffen the rear, higher temps there should help with grip some. -- Fester

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

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> > >GD wrote: >> >> Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise >> the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures >> after only half a dozen laps are >> LF: about 225 RF: about 240 >> LR: about 177 RR: about 175 >> >> It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that >> the fronts are way too hot. >> Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download >> a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing >> *why* the temperatures at the front are too hot. > > >Sounds to me like the ride height change has given you a good healthy >push. Stiffen the rear/soften the front to balance it out. Preferably >stiffen the rear, higher temps there should help with grip some.

Since the generally accepted advice seems to be that I've got too much understeer, I'll merely mention that as a newbie to the game (only had it about 2 or 3 weeks) its probably the only thing keeping my Lotus on the road. Yeah, I know I deliberatly chose the most difficult handling car but I dont seem to be having more difficulties than would be expected from someone new to the game. Is 1:34's at Monza an acceptably good time after this amount of practise? I guess after a few more weeks of confidence building I'll be wanting the tail to hang out a bit more, so until then I'll just accept the temperatures as a result of beginner requirements. cheers... P.S. Very educational game this. It's increased my vocabulary by one more word - 'yclept' (in the description of Silverstone)

GD wrote:

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> > Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise > the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures > after only half a dozen laps are > LF: about 225 RF: about 240 > LR: about 177 RR: about 175 > > It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that > the fronts are way too hot. > Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download > a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing > *why* the temperatures at the front are too hot. > > Any ideas?

To see if it's your driving style, try increasing the steering ratio which should decrease your steering demands if they may be too large. -Gregor

What? Did I get something wrong? Is that the only 6-bit word you didn't know? What *does* 'yclept' mean, anyway? --Lugubrious GD <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says... > > > > > >GD wrote: > >> > >> Using the default Lotus setup with the only change being to raise > >> the front and rear by 2 inches, I'm finding that the temperatures > >> after only half a dozen laps are > >> LF: about 225 RF: about 240 > >> LR: about 177 RR: about 175 > >> > >> It's my understanding that the rears are about right, but that > >> the fronts are way too hot. > >> Now of course the obvious suggestion is to just go and download > >> a setup off the net somewhere, but I'm more interested in knowing > >> *why* the temperatures at the front are too hot. > > > > > >Sounds to me like the ride height change has given you a good healthy > >push. Stiffen the rear/soften the front to balance it out. Preferably > >stiffen the rear, higher temps there should help with grip some. > > > Since the generally accepted advice seems to be that I've got too > much understeer, I'll merely mention that as a newbie to the game (only > had it about 2 or 3 weeks) its probably the only thing keeping my Lotus > on the road. > Yeah, I know I deliberatly chose the most difficult handling car but I > dont seem to be having more difficulties than would be expected from > someone new to the game. > Is 1:34's at Monza an acceptably good time after this amount of practise? > > I guess after a few more weeks of confidence building I'll be wanting the > tail to hang out a bit more, so until then I'll just accept the

temperatures

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> as a result of beginner requirements. > > cheers... > > P.S. Very educational game this. It's increased my vocabulary by > one more word - 'yclept' (in the description of Silverstone) >