Bridgestone and Michelin both talk about different grades of tire (soft or hard). Just how soft are the soft tires? Would they be the equivalent to the eraser on a pencil? I take it that the "hard" compound tires would be much softer than the "all-season" radial tire. Would a hard tire be comparable to a winter tire?
How soft is a soft tire?
Started by
keithb
, May 29 2003 14:45
6 replies to this topic
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#2
random
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Posted 29 May 2003 - 15:13
I've heard it said that the Monaco tires are so soft they would grain after only a few corners on most F1 tracks.
Monaco requires such soft tires because the surface is so smooth, almost glass-like. This isn't unusual for heavily traveled city streets. Road cars drip a lot of oil and petrol, these fluids tend to melt tarmac road surfaces. Combined with the heavy traffic, most of the abrasiveness the road had when first laid down quickly goes away.
I've not looked at F1 tires in quite a few years, but racing tires in general are quite soft, softer than winter tires. I suspect one could pick off bits of Monaco compound tires with one's fingernails. Especially the tires Ferrari were running today.
It's being claimed by other team principles that Bridgestone brought some super-soft, 1 lap qualifying tires just for Ferrari's Thursday session, I wouldn't be surprised if BAR were using them as well. Since the teams don't have to make their final tire decision until Saturday, it's perfectly legal. If true, I guess super-soft Q tires are back.
Monaco requires such soft tires because the surface is so smooth, almost glass-like. This isn't unusual for heavily traveled city streets. Road cars drip a lot of oil and petrol, these fluids tend to melt tarmac road surfaces. Combined with the heavy traffic, most of the abrasiveness the road had when first laid down quickly goes away.
I've not looked at F1 tires in quite a few years, but racing tires in general are quite soft, softer than winter tires. I suspect one could pick off bits of Monaco compound tires with one's fingernails. Especially the tires Ferrari were running today.
It's being claimed by other team principles that Bridgestone brought some super-soft, 1 lap qualifying tires just for Ferrari's Thursday session, I wouldn't be surprised if BAR were using them as well. Since the teams don't have to make their final tire decision until Saturday, it's perfectly legal. If true, I guess super-soft Q tires are back.
#3
marion5drsn
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Posted 04 June 2003 - 00:01
I thought that someome else would answer this question. # 1 Rubber hardness is tested with a device called "Durometer'. It is a small hand held instrument. I have not used one much but one was shown on Speed channel several days ago.
I'd go to search and write in Durometer and you'll see pictures and the scales for them.
The man using it was using a scraper and a torch to heat the rubber and then scraped off a thin layer after this to test the rubber for Durometer inspection. He sure seemed to know what he was doing as he was very quick about it, but failed to call out the hardness. Which I would like to have heard. These are very standard instruments, but a little on the delicate side or at least I always thought so. Did anyone else see this? Yours M.L. Anderson
I'd go to search and write in Durometer and you'll see pictures and the scales for them.
The man using it was using a scraper and a torch to heat the rubber and then scraped off a thin layer after this to test the rubber for Durometer inspection. He sure seemed to know what he was doing as he was very quick about it, but failed to call out the hardness. Which I would like to have heard. These are very standard instruments, but a little on the delicate side or at least I always thought so. Did anyone else see this? Yours M.L. Anderson
#4
Greg Locock
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Posted 04 June 2003 - 08:24
Got one in my desk at work. The one I have is pretty crude, a spring loaded pin slides through a hole in the base. The harder you push the more the pin gets pushed in and the lever moves round the dial., until the whole of the base is in contact with the rubber. You can diddle the reading by 5 Shure or so, with a bit of practice, and if you are lucky you get an accuracy of about 2 Shure at best. You need flat thick sheets of rubber to test for best results.
So: 1) Why would he heat the rubber? that would change its hardness.
2) A thin layer wouldn't be much help, it would measure as very hard, due tot he support of whatever surface you are resting on.
Interesting.
So: 1) Why would he heat the rubber? that would change its hardness.
2) A thin layer wouldn't be much help, it would measure as very hard, due tot he support of whatever surface you are resting on.
Interesting.
#5
Viss1
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Posted 04 June 2003 - 12:49
I read somewhere (not very scientific, I know) that you can easily twist a soft-compound tire in your hands.
#6
Pioneer
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Posted 05 June 2003 - 06:32
You have to scrape the marbles off to get a flat surface for a clean test.
#7
Sir Frank
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Posted 05 June 2003 - 08:23
Quite an old experience, but after the 1993 Hungarian GP I got close to the cars as they were pushed back to scrutineering. Schumacher has already retired around lap 30-35 so his tyres were only heated by the sun after that, still they were warm, I think they must have been around 40-50C warm on the surface, but they were clearly warmer than my hands. I got a chunk out of it easily, I was very surprised, I didnt have to pull hard at all. I was 12 at the time.
OT: Two years later I found myself next to Coulthards Williams as they were bringing it back to the pits, the car was has been crashed into the barriers and the bodywork was damaged, there was a piece of honeycomb composite carbon fibre hanging from it on a very narrow connection. I thought that I could tear it off easily with one hand, 10 seconds later I was still pulling it whit two hands as a Williams mechanic was running towards me, he didnt have too nice manners.. In the last moment I could get hold of the piece and dissapeared into oblivion
OT: Two years later I found myself next to Coulthards Williams as they were bringing it back to the pits, the car was has been crashed into the barriers and the bodywork was damaged, there was a piece of honeycomb composite carbon fibre hanging from it on a very narrow connection. I thought that I could tear it off easily with one hand, 10 seconds later I was still pulling it whit two hands as a Williams mechanic was running towards me, he didnt have too nice manners.. In the last moment I could get hold of the piece and dissapeared into oblivion
