Traction Testing Device (1 Viewer)

Bullet

Nitro Member
Does anyone have any information on the traction testing devices that I have seen a few teams using? They look like some type of suction cup device with a gauge attached.

After a little information on how they work.

Cheers,

Paul
 
It's a rubber pad that turns, and when you twist it there is a gauge that tells you how much pressure it took to break it free from the track surface.
 
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Does anyone have any information on the traction testing devices that I have seen a few teams using? They look like some type of suction cup device with a gauge attached.

It's a rubber pad that turns, and when you twist it there is a gauge that tells you how much pressure it took to break it free from the track surface.

Thats funny, when I was in Pomona it sounds like a suction cup to me too from the grandstands, then I seen one of Antron's guys holding it in the pits and asked him about it and basicly got the same answer that Paul gave.
 
Thats funny, when I was in Pomona it sounds like a suction cup to me too from the grandstands, then I seen one of Antron's guys holding it in the pits and asked him about it and basicly got the same answer that Paul gave.

That's only because of the VHT on the track. Ever walked on a national even prepped track? It's like walking on glue...

The device is pretty simple, a piece of rubber attached to a torque wrench tester. Tells you how much torque it took to turn the rubber on the track. Not very useful in the absolute, but very useful to compare relative to other measurements.
 
I've seen (somebody whom I will not state for the record here) actually TASTE the rubber. :eek:

NOT KIDDING!

The shoe works good for me too MM! Although if I am REALLY getting technical, I use the track temp gun....

i've seen a person taste said rubber as well ;)......and i only use the temp gun if it has batteries in it.....we run a real high tech operation
 
It's amazing how some ideas take off and some don't. Dester Cambron was the first person I ever saw to use a tester and that was back in the late 1990's. He and I had talked about the concept a few times but he actually had the skills and time to build one and use it.

As I remember, his was more of a drag attached to a strain gauge. I never got a chance to find out what kind of data he got from it.
 
It's amazing how some ideas take off and some don't. Dester Cambron was the first person I ever saw to use a tester and that was back in the late 1990's. He and I had talked about the concept a few times but he actually had the skills and time to build one and use it.

As I remember, his was more of a drag attached to a strain gauge. I never got a chance to find out what kind of data he got from it.

I seem to remember one that was a pad of rubber, with a weight on it, and it would get pulled across the track, and they had a fishing scale (I think?) going to the handle that they would look at and see how many pounds it took to drag it. It might have been Larry Meyer.
 
I seem to remember one that was a pad of rubber, with a weight on it, and it would get pulled across the track, and they had a fishing scale (I think?) going to the handle that they would look at and see how many pounds it took to drag it. It might have been Larry Meyer.

Paul, that pretty much describes the one I saw. I have no idea who had it first but Larry Meyer never got the credit he deserved for being one of the better minds in the class.
 
That concept of dragging and recording the amount of pull to develop a coefficient of friction was used as early as Dan mentioned. Was a great idea, however this concept is much better as it actually tries to twist the rubber on the surface effectively trying to simulate the tire trying to tear at the surface.
 
That concept of dragging and recording the amount of pull to develop a coefficient of friction was used as early as Dan mentioned. Was a great idea, however this concept is much better as it actually tries to twist the rubber on the surface effectively trying to simulate the tire trying to tear at the surface.

Bob,

Good point. That's an important distinction.
 
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