High/Low Traction carpet

Hi Fellas!

When setting up my car using a setup book or sheets I often see the Term High/Low Traction carpet.... I used to think that carpet was always high traction, but clearly this isnt true.

I've only used Ardent Raceway as my circuit, I'm just wondering how would you describe the traction? High or Low?

I appreciate this can sometimes change, like when I went last week I noticed the carpet looked cleaner, but I have no real bearing on whether the carpet there is classed as high or low....

I own a TC Rubber, and 1/12th foam.

any help would be appreciated!

Ta

Dal

As Ardent is my Local club we can safley say its a high grip track or high traction

Dal,

Yes, different carpet tracks do have varying grip levels. However, the majority of carpet is also higher grip than tarmac tracks.

There are also different types of carpet used for indoor tracks. The 'standard', I believe, is PrimaFelt GT which is relatively stiff, thick and a light grey colour. There are other Primafelts that are thinner and different colours and, of course, offer different grip levels.

The exact grip level of any given carpet will depend on use, brand of carpet, age, what surface it is laid on, if it is a permanent track or laid down each week, types and quantities of additive used and even ambient temperature. It will also vary through a meeting, just to make things more interesting.

For example, the track at Littleport is very new, they have brand new PrimaFelt GT carpet that has been professionally glued to a perfectly flat concrete surface. We don't use additive there but since it is so new and flat the grip is high (for ease I will give it a score of 9/10). It also varies very little from one meeting to another (since it is permanent) but the grip will come up ever so slightly during a meeting as drivers blow any accumulated dust off it.

As a contrast, one of the clubs in Bury use a much thinner Primafelt carpet and roll it out each week. They too ban additive and laying the track fresh each week gives much lower grip (5/10) at the start of the meeting (when you roll it up at the end of one week you lift dust and dirt off the floor and deposit it inside the carpet. This is then there to welcome you the nect week). However, the grip at the end of the meeting is never as high (7/10) as at Littleport since the carpet is thinner and moves around under your car.

Additives play a big part though. If everyone uses one type (ie water based or oil based) then grip will shoot up during a meeting. Whenever I do testing at the club in Norwich I never alter any setups between round one and two because I know the grip will have altered significantly. However, if the two types are mixed on the same track a during the same meeting you often get drip going DOWN rather than up! That is a nightmare!

Basically, every track is different. It is why 'home' drivers often have an advantage at National meetings but the challenge is to find a setup that works at each track, note this down and use it again next time you visit.

Hope this helps,

James

Jimbo, Gazza thanks for the help...

I've accquired a used 1/12th (RC125.1) and im trying to get the foam tyres sorted for it, coming from TC Rubber tyres into the foam world - i'm just about getting the hang of the different types.

After reading about the various types of foam I'm trying to work out what to get for Ardent. If I'm correct then having magenta rears and fronts should get me going well, and then when the grip is good go with double pinks for the front if I need a bit more grip.

When I go to Ardent on Satudays I hardly see any 1/12 drivers, so I haven't had the chance to ask anyone on foams there.

Finally, I'm really struggling to find places that have these foams in stock, demon rc seem to be out of the ones I want, RCDisco doesnt really do the JACO tyres and ebay uk hardly has any...... who do you guys use?

Gazza wrote:As Ardent is my Local club we can safley say its a high grip track or high traction

Not especially it's old GT in the grand scheme of things it's medium grip.
There are two types of carpet in general use in the UK GT and Duo. GT is the best for racing it is the thicker of the two and harder wearing. Duo is thinner and moves around under the tyre giving more grip and causing grip roll.
In the US CRC carpet is popular and gives very good grip most large US meetings and worlds will have way more grip than Ardent, so if looking at set ups from the IIC, Cleveland, Snowbirds in the UK relativly speaking we are very low grip.

Jason

TurboGuru wrote:Jimbo, Gazza thanks for the help...

I've accquired a used 1/12th (RC125.1) and im trying to get the foam tyres sorted for it, coming from TC Rubber tyres into the foam world - i'm just about getting the hang of the different types.

After reading about the various types of foam I'm trying to work out what to get for Ardent. If I'm correct then having magenta rears and fronts should get me going well, and then when the grip is good go with double pinks for the front if I need a bit more grip.

When I go to Ardent on Satudays I hardly see any 1/12 drivers, so I haven't had the chance to ask anyone on foams there.

Finally, I'm really struggling to find places that have these foams in stock, demon rc seem to be out of the ones I want, RCDisco doesnt really do the JACO tyres and ebay uk hardly has any...... who do you guys use?

If running stock 10.5 blinky I'd suggest double pink fronts and yellow rears for mod magenta fronts and pink rears you will probably struggle with magenta rears as a newby they encougage rotation and make the cars much harder to drive but probably faster if you can hang onto it.

If you are supported/shop with RCdisco buy Mobgums they are the new UK distributor these are the same as Jaco but on a grey wheel.

There should be a few 12th guys up on Sat 12th Nov

Jason

Thanks for the reply Jason,

I had seen the mobgums but wasn't sure of their quality - I have purchased a set of Yellow Rears and double pink fronts as suggested from rc disco.

I'll be sticking with a 10.5 motor, and setting the end point for the throttle on my Exzes-x radio down a few notches to get used to the car.

I'm wondering about drag brake... now I know in the TC world virtually everyone sets it so 0, but for 1/12 would a little drag brake help considering how fast these things go?

Cheers

Dal