Race Car Preparation - Five Top Tips

By Author: Robert Deans
Total Articles: 246
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Do not Adjust Multiple Things At A Time

Making several adjustments to a car during the same session is a mistake frequently made by novice race drivers. It’s essential that only one modification is made at a time, in an effort to figure out how it has impacted the functionality of the car. Race drivers must also be sure to keep comprehensive records on each modification completed, in conjunction with any variations noticed in the cars performance. It is then much easier to adjust the vehicle should the alterations not work out as expected.

Adjust The Camber Properly

Camber means the tilt of the tyres. Getting the tilt right is vital for race car preparation because it ascertains how well a car will grip a road surface, and it is crucial to make sure the car can turn corners at the highest possible speed.

The camber is either going to be ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. If the tyres are directed in towards the centre of the vehicle, it's a negative camber. When they are directed outwards, this is a positive camber. You ...
... must read the tyre temperatures so as to figure out how much the camber needs to be altered. It's important to note that various races have various rules regarding how much you are entitled to alter the camber.

Ensure The Caster Is Positive

The caster refers to how the top of the tyre leans. A positive caster is when the tyre is tilted towards the back of the car. A negative caster is when the wheel leans towards the front.

A caster which is negative makes a car really hard to control and maneuver forwards. Hence ensuring that the caster is positive is a crucial component of race car preparation.

Check The Ride Height of The Chassis

A chassis which is too low might cause a vehicle to bottom out on the track, which means that this is a vital element of race car preparation. Yet, the centre of gravity and the total weight to the ground is determined by the height of the chassis. The lower the weight is the easier it is for the car to turn corners. The track must be studied and observed, in order to determine the ideal chassis height for each race.

Check The Tyre Pressure

Guaranteeing the tyre pressure is ideal will help to ensure that your car has the best possible grip to the track. The pressure simply relates to how much air is within the tyre. The problem is that when the tyres get hot they increase. The air inside comprises moisture that when hot becomes steam and increases the tyre pressure. A superb solution is to use tyres filled with nitrogen, instead of air. Nitrogen filled tyres don't expand as much because nitrogen does not contain any moisture. Because of this, most professional racers elect to use nitrogen as opposed to air.

This article was written by R. Deans on behalf of DMS Racing, experts in race car preparation. For more info on race car preparation please visit DMSRacingLTD.co.uk