Ferrari Mailing List: Re: 308GTB in New Zealand update and a question (tyres pressures)

[Gavin (gavinnz]

Great!  Thats given me something to think about...

I have a dislike of the idea of understeer.   Mostly from one bad experance 
years ago as the passenger in a UK built Ford Escort Mk1 in a sharp down 
hill corner when the wheels turned and the car was heading straight ahead 
for a BIG ditch until it turned at the last minute!
Backed up by learning my driving habits from years of a 260Z Datsun as my 
dayly driver.... which is all about oversteer :)

Really I think I have nothing to worry about as I expect the limit when the 
Ferrari will understeer might well be quite a way above the point I decide 
that it's fast enough.

Thanks for the trye info. that makes a lot of sence.
I hadn't thought about which set would heat up more so that good info...
I will try 34/32 and see how it feels.

Regards
Gavin


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Liu" <bigheaddennis [at] gmail.com>
To: "'Gavin'" <gavinnz [at] xtra.co.nz>
Cc: "'The FerrariList'" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:29 AM
Subject: RE: [Ferrari] 308GTB in New Zealand update and a question


> What?  Unbelievable.  You 308 actually has cold air conditioning?  Get 
> out!
> :-)
>
> Re tire pressures - don't give too much credence to factory recommended 
> air
> pressures.  Actually, don't give ANY credence to them.
>
> 1.  Those recommendations were written for tire technology of 30 years 
> ago.
> Tire composition, design and sizing have changed dramatically over the 
> last
> 30 years.  Arguably they are the component of a car that has made the MOST
> advancements in 30 years.
>
> 2.  What the factory wants is not necessarily what YOU want.  Notoriously,
> most if not all manufacturers set up their cars, in factory spec, to have
> nice, safe, predictable understeer.  That's why on many sports cars,
> particularly mid and rear engined ones where you're most likely to suffer
> the deleterious effects of oversteer, particularly TTO, you'll see a bias 
> in
> pressures towards the rear (e.g., 28/34).
>
> Thus...  You need to consider the type of tyre, the conditions under which
> it will operate, AND what you want the car to do.
>
> For example, if you're going with modern 16" rubber, particularly if it's 
> a
> "max performance" or "ultra high performance" compound, and you're driving
> it mostly in warm temps (60F-80F ambient), and you'd like the car to be 
> more
> neutral in handling, I'd go with 34/32, front to rear (measured cold).  If
> it's hotter than that, drop a pound or two (tires will heat up more).
> Maximum stick on street tires come around 40 lbs hot, and if you drive
> aggressively on the street, it's easy enough to add 4+ pounds (10+ lbs on
> the track).  More pressure increase in the rear, particularly on a 308. 
> For
> street use, I'd like to shoot for a target temp of 36-38 lbs HOT.  The 
> ride
> will be a little stiffer, but you'll enjoy yourself more.
>
> Just my $0.02.
>
> Vty,
>
> --Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gavin [mailto:gavinnz [at] xtra.co.nz]
> Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 11:28 PM
> To: Dennis Liu
> Cc: The FerrariList
> Subject: [Ferrari] 308GTB in New Zealand update and a question
>
> Hiya,
> Well my Ferrari has bitten me in the arse big time!
> After my two days of glorious driving a couple of weeks ago I came down 
> with
> pneumonia... all I can put it down too is the hot sunny weather (hot car
> inside) and without being aware of it I had the air cond vent pointing at 
> my
> left chest for the whole trip.. so that bit of me was cold...
>
> So... I am out of hospital now and recovering...
> CAN'T wait to be able to drive the car again!!!
>
> Now a quick question... my car is fitted with 16 inch Ferrari wheels... 7
> inch front and 8 inch rear...
> What tyres pressures would be best for the car with that set up?  I expect
> it might be the factory recommendation for the QV model as they had
> something like that wheel set up didn't they?
>
> Regards
> Gavin
> '78 308 GTB
> New Zealand
>
>
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