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Warren Hansen
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forum user since
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While we're on a roll, slalom-wise, how about some attention to rule no 12, which says, "Drivers should be told to inflate front tires 10 psi higher than what is normal for their vehicle."
First of all, this should not be a rule or a tech guideline, IMO. And at the Tech Inspection is not the time to give drivers this advice. Every car reacts differently to changes in tire pressures, and once into the sport serious competitors will experiment with tire pressures to find out what works for them and their car. Those who arrive with their tires at normal road pressures will not find it very easy to change at the site, anyway.
It is good advice to have the tires inflated to the maximum inflation recommended in the owner's manual. (For my X300, for example, 28 psi front and rear is for normal driving and maximum ride comfort, while 32 psi front and 34 psi rear is recommended for more aggressive situations.)
In my judgment, we should recommend that new participants make sure that their tires are correctly inflated before telling them to add pressure. And when they do add, it should be done incrementaly so they can get used to the changes in their car. The first time I entered a Slalom I was told by an experienced driver to add 5 psi cold to each tire. I did this and drove to the event (about 25 miles) and felt like I had changed my Michelins to cast iron! It was pretty spooky!
I think we should reduce the 13 points of Tech Inspection to a Lucky 12 by removing the tire inflation rule. This advice should be covered in a more general way elsewhere in the Slalom materials.
Anyone else got any hot air to add? ;-)
Warren
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