Just FYI for anyone running E-85 - later this year Rockett Brand E-85 Racing Fuel will be available. It will be a consistently blended E-85 available in 5 gal. cans.

 

FWIW, I ended up the El Toro Pro with a mangled stud. Thankfully I only noticed it after the competition was over, and I was able to torque a sacrificial lug nut onto it and get it snug for the 75 mile drive home where I could replace the stud (and nut) at my leisure. (I had spares with me if needed -- such as if I just could NOT have gotten the lug nut on there.)

Definitely the studs and lug nuts are something that you want to proactively deal with, rather than reacting to a failure at a possibly inopportune time -- which sounds like what happened to you. And always carry spares of both studs and lug nuts -- they've been going in the bottom of my autocross plastic bin for years and they always will.

 

I also carry two spare studs and lug nuts with me. I used to lose about 3 or 4 studs per season, always on the right front wheel, for some reason. But I never lost them on the track. What would happen is that due to the stress put on them, the threads would get stretched to the point where the lug nut could not be backed off. It would get stuck after half a turn, and I'd have to torque it off and break the stud to get my wheel off.

Then I finally figured out that my torque wrench was reading 6 or 7 % low. I now set it to 80 ft-lbs, and I didn't lose a stud all last season. Of course I only spent half the season on 285-width Hoosiers, so I'm keeping the spares in my bag this season!

Mike

 

Mark (and/or John)

Where do you get the sealed 5-gal cans in New England? Can I get them in MA? I know that Reid's in Whitman sells VP 109 race gas, but out of a tank, I think. There's also a place in Dorchester that sells Sunoco 104 out of 50-gal drums. That should be fresher than a tank in the ground, right?

Mike

 

Had a member's only, non-points CART event here in CT. Transfer case now whines...

 

Was the car cold?? ie not warmed up, and were you launching it?

 

Sounds like your TC is headed for Shep...

I have syncro issues. Makes shifting a whole new art form. I am trying to convince myself that I like to double clutch.

 

I was wondering if anyone running 285's has pressure setting advice or numbers they would share?

jerdeitzel (on this forum) and I were wondering since we both frequent our local racing forum..

 

It depends on your tires. Hoosiers, V710s or something else?

Also, it depends on the front-rear balance of your suspension. If you aren't set up for enough oversteer, one of the things you'll want to do is overinflate your rear tires to reduce contact patch and get them working harder.

 

A6's -- I can definately do oversteer..

I will be weighing in jerdeitzel's car this week so hopefully I can do the numbers for him as well..

 

Thanks Justin, i am very interested in finding out some tire pressures for 285 A6's. I ran the first event for our season running 39f and 37rear. These were cold numbers, Temps on the tire were way low still due to colder outside temps. I only had the tires to 105 inside, 98 middle and 98 outside temps after the runs. This was with about 30 sec's of cool down time. So not very hot. They tires felt good to me but i don't have alot of experience. Alot of people thought that was high. Seemed fine to me.

Now another thing i'd like to kno if anyone wants to divulge some info is what kinda ride height are you guys running? I'm pretty sure i'm running alitte high. I'm still not sure i want to go any lower tho becuase the car does see some hillcliimbs and there are some pretty bad spots for too low. Or are you guys changing that all the time for each track? I'm more of the set it and forget it kinda person.

Oh and don't worry this car is just for fun and not a national competing car. Alltho it is getting to the level of being able too.

 

I used 285 A6's last year, but I was on a burned-out rear diff where the limited slip had reached a limit of about zero, and a suspension that was lifting my inside rear wheel during steady state cornering, so I was essentially a front-wheel drive car when trying to steer with the throttle. Consequently I was using huge pressures in the rear (and 3/16" of toe out to try to get rotation). Also didn't have stiff enough springs (only 500 lb F and 700 lb R), so I had too much front roll and was camber challenged even with -3.5 static negative camber. So take this with a grain of salt, but I was using about 33 psi in the front tires and 41-42 psi in the rear.

Others who have their suspensions and diffs in better shape are using pressures that are closer to each other, like 34-36 front and 38 rear.

You have to be careful going below 32 psi in the front with the A6. You can cord the tire very quickly. It will have a bit more traction at that low pressure, but won't last more than about 50 runs. I know, because my co-driver liked to use 31 psi (I never did), and mine were corded after about 65 runs.

But I don't know any competitive driver who doesn't use higher pressures in the rear than the front. You simply need more traction up front, due to the weight balance.

Hope that helps.

Mike

 

As I said in my previous post, try higher pressures in the rear than the front, and a bigger differential between front and rear, unless you have a really competitive suspension.

Also, those tire temps, are they Fahrenheit or Celsius? Seriously, if you only reached 100F, then you aren't driving hard enough. The A6's like about 140-150F, so you weren't heating them up to optimal working temperature. What was the ambient temperature there?

Mike

 

pressures will be different for different setups. You're in the right ball park for sure. Don't listen to anyone that says you're pressures are too high. they're wrong. Depending on setup and conditions we run anywhere from 37 to 42 psi.

 

Well the temps were in the 50's F. It really is kinda hard to heat them up at this venue as there is alot of down time in between runs and it was a HP course last weekend. But i might still need to drive them harder.

I'm suprised you use that much difference in tire pressures. Guess i'll have to try that. The suspension is Ohlin's DFV's.

Well thanks for the info. I have alot to learn about setting my car up for auto-x.