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Re: Slip angle of a tricyle

Posted: 21 Jun 2012, 11:51
by cheapracer
MadMatt wrote: I am more interested in the tire drag than the slip angle
I suggest you find Greg Locock on the net and chat with him, Greg was team leader for some years of the Ford Solar Challenge team and has some quite surprising info about the tires they used. Bad news for you is they found the right tires the hard way, practical rolling resistance testing that went aganst all the theory.

Google "Greg Locock tires suspension" etc, you'll find him, nice guy.

Re: Slip angle of a tricyle

Posted: 21 Jun 2012, 18:22
by Jersey Tom
cheapracer wrote:Bad news for you is they found the right tires the hard way, practical rolling resistance testing that went aganst all the theory.
I'd say that's contingent upon whether or not you're using the right theory to begin with.

Re: Tire drag of a tricyle

Posted: 30 Jun 2012, 08:05
by Greg Locock
What cheapy meant was "conventional wisdom of solar car racers at the time"

They had a Crr of 0.0027, roughly 3 times better than a good car tire even now, and perhaps half of the usual choice at the time, which were bicycle tires. My ex boss, Clive Humphris, specced out the ideal solar car tire in 1987, and asked Michelin to make them. They demurred, but in 96 came through with the goods, a high pressure radial with low hysteresis. Even now they are the tire of choice where legal.

Re: Slip angle of a tricyle

Posted: 04 Jul 2012, 07:20
by cheapracer
Jersey Tom wrote:
I'd say that's contingent upon whether or not you're using the right theory to begin with.
That's why it's called "theory", if we knew for sure it was right we would call it "fact" :wink:

Hi Greg :-)

Re: Tire drag of a tricyle

Posted: 04 Jul 2012, 07:38
by Greg Locock
Hallo trouble, how's the thing going?

Re: Tire drag of a tricyle

Posted: 06 Jul 2012, 04:36
by cheapracer
Greg Locock wrote:Hallo trouble, how's the thing going?
The "Things" (notice the plural) are going very well thanks, finally laying steel to jigs now :wink: