[W126 Coupe] Tire pressures

[Robert Karl Stonjek]

> Just a thought, but don't forget all race cars in all
> race classes (NASCAR, IRL, Formula 1, etc) have a
> minimum weight requirement that they already are at
> usually.  So I don't know how you could get around
> that.
> 
> David
> 

It is not only the overall mass of a vehicle, but the distribution of that mass that also counts.  Add mass to the suspension arms, hubs etc and as you can imagine, the suspension will respond slower and so the tyre will have less traction.  The better the tyre can track the road surface the more traction you have and the better handling the vehicle will subsequently have.

The more mass on the rotating wheels the more resistance they have to changes in rotational speed.  Think of the flywheel effect - a heavy flywheel will smooth out the motor, but will slow the engine's ability to accelerate/decelerate.  All the rotating parts in the drive chain, including the wheels and tyres, contribute to this flywheel effect.

So a lower mass at the wheels and tyres will give better acceleration and better traction through a greater ability of the suspension to react to changes in the road surface, and this is true even if the weight saved is replaced elsewhere in the vehicle, say with lead weights attached to the lowest non-moving part of the car, preferably contributing to a lower centre of gravity and better balance between the front and rear mass of the vehicle.

Robert
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