How stiff are F1 tyres?

Here are our CFD links and discussions about aerodynamics, suspension, driver safety and tyres. Please stick to F1 on this forum.
Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

Not one ply.
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

User avatar
strad
117
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 01:57

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

I don't know for a fact, but I don't know why they would be more than 1 ply..the old Pirelli P7s had one ply sidewalls with 2 ply tread and they were for the road.
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss

Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

Some consumer tires are monoply, yes.

Almost guarantee F1 slicks are nowhere near radial with plies. As such, you need at least one other ply to balance things out.

Plus there's the need for responsiveness... load capacity.. etc etc.
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

User avatar
strad
117
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 01:57

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

P7s were radials
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss

User avatar
strad
117
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 01:57

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

I don't know,,this video would imply 5 or 6 plys,,,I seriously doubt that due to heat build up and retention,,I wonder..A quick search didn't reveal much more than the video..
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjBZejP6oTk[/youtube]
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss

Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

My guess would be two plies, two belts, overlay, maybe a sidewall insert.

Pretty standard.
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

DaveW
DaveW
239
Joined: 14 Apr 2009, 12:27

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

Most tyres I "see" on a multi-post rig (usually cold, pressurized by the team & with static + 100-160 kph of down-force) increase vertical stiffness with increasing pressure and down-force.

That is not always the case, however. Some, usually low profile & designed for high down-force vehicles, decrease vertical stiffness with increasing pressure. Suggests that the sidewalls can contain serious support.

marcush.
marcush.
159
Joined: 09 Mar 2004, 16:55

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

DaveW wrote:Most tyres I "see" on a multi-post rig (usually cold, pressurized by the team & with static + 100-160 kph of down-force) increase vertical stiffness with increasing pressure and down-force.

That is not always the case, however. Some, usually low profile & designed for high down-force vehicles, decrease vertical stiffness with increasing pressure. Suggests that the sidewalls can contain serious support.
saw this on DTM tyres .they did not respond to pressure changes really ...wich was amazing ..unfortunatelly the car was not producing any downforce worth speaking of so ...

ubrben
ubrben
29
Joined: 28 Feb 2009, 22:31

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

marcush. wrote:
DaveW wrote:Most tyres I "see" on a multi-post rig (usually cold, pressurized by the team & with static + 100-160 kph of down-force) increase vertical stiffness with increasing pressure and down-force.

That is not always the case, however. Some, usually low profile & designed for high down-force vehicles, decrease vertical stiffness with increasing pressure. Suggests that the sidewalls can contain serious support.
saw this on DTM tyres .they did not respond to pressure changes really ...wich was amazing ..unfortunatelly the car was not producing any downforce worth speaking of so ...
I wouldn't use DTM tyres as a reference - grossly undersized for the loads being asked of them...

Ben

User avatar
mep
29
Joined: 11 Oct 2003, 15:48
Location: Germany

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

I just stepped over that and think you might see it:
http://www.motorsport-total.com/videos/f1/2880
(after commercial)
Sorry that it is in German, the most interesting point they said is that pressure makes up to 70% of tire stiffness.

speedsense
speedsense
13
Joined: 31 May 2009, 19:11
Location: California, USA

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

strad wrote:
Was it on a rim and inflated with air? ...now that I would like to see...

Carbon fiber isn't stiff at all until epoxy is applied....
What ya smokin? I'm talking about the tire alone by itself..The guy could just wad it up ...one ply shìt that.
Carbon fiber is basically laid up like fiberglass
In a tire with carbon fiber cords, the carbon is not laid up with epoxy, as it's strength is in preventing elongation of the cords. The strength of the ply is some 10 to 30 times of a similar steel belt.
Fill it with air on a rim, and the strength goes way up. Though the carbon sheet the cords are made from would make a comfortable shirt to wear.IMHO
"Driving a car as fast as possible (in a race) is all about maintaining the highest possible acceleration level in the appropriate direction." Peter Wright,Techical Director, Team Lotus

User avatar
strad
117
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 01:57

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

WHat do they say? 1 pound of pressure equally a 30 pound change in the spring rate? You can see how come even a quarter of a pound is used to make a difference.
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss

speedsense
speedsense
13
Joined: 31 May 2009, 19:11
Location: California, USA

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

strad wrote:WHat do they say? 1 pound of pressure equally a 30 pound change in the spring rate? You can see how come even a quarter of a pound is used to make a difference.
Depends on tire type and construction of the tire. I've seen some tires that increase with 1PSI, 50lbs and another of the same tire with different construction with 70lbs per 1 PSI.
"Driving a car as fast as possible (in a race) is all about maintaining the highest possible acceleration level in the appropriate direction." Peter Wright,Techical Director, Team Lotus

DaveW
DaveW
239
Joined: 14 Apr 2009, 12:27

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

speedsense wrote:Depends on tire type and construction of the tire. I've seen some tires that increase with 1PSI, 50lbs and another of the same tire with different construction with 70lbs per 1 PSI.
Quite correct. It is surprising how often 50 lb/in/psi works, however, across a broad range of tyres.

A word of caution. Increase tyre pressure by 5 psi. Wait 5 mins. Decrease pressure by 5 psi. Wait 5 mins & then check. The pressure is likely to be wrong by around 1 psi.... The sign of a good truckie (still the default tyre man) is one who always checks (again) after setting pressures.

User avatar
strad
117
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 01:57

Re: how stiff are F1 tyres?

Post

You guys spend a lot of time trying to pick fly --- out of the pepper :lol:
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss