[Fot] Racing tire pressure

[Terry Stetler]

Typically what a manufacturer is doing with a tire pressure setup like that in
a stock vehicle is giving the vehicle more straight line stability.  Remember
that most drivers confuse "stability" with "handling".  Hence a car that is
very stable in a straight line is a "good handling car".

Now one of the things you are trying to achieve with higher front pressures is
a crisper turn in, in addition to helping to balance a typically front heavy
car.  Those higher pressures in the front will make the car more responsive to
steering input.  Very important in a low speed, relatively tight autocross
situation.  Back in the day I actively campaigned my '88 Honda CRX in our SCCA
regional autocross series.  Because of the very understeery nature of front
wheel drive I typically ran a 10 pound differential front to rear in autocross
mode.  However when I took the same car to Mid Ohio to run Porsche Club or
Track Time schools I backed it down to around a 6 pound delta, because of the
much higher speeds involved on the track, and FWD's interesting little
characteristic of violent trailing throttle oversteer...

But that's another story...


Terry Stetler