Indy tyre device

Seen on a car running during testing at homestead: A small silver coloured cylinder mounted between two small spokes on an OZ wheel. A pressure transducer or a temp sensor, methinks.

The cylinders that you saw may be pressure relief valves. V8 supercars and super tourers here in Australia used to run " blow off " valves. These valves were designed to blow (via a preloaded spring) off excess pressure to help maintain the correct pressures as the tyre heated up. They were banned here by the controlling body CAMS due to the failure of some, the cost of them $450 to $600 a set plus the cost of maintenace and to add an extra dimension to the drivers and teams ability to correctly calculate the pressure rise for different circuits and weather conditions. Obviously the aim is to optimumise pressures for maximum performance and the tyres do not do this they have some heat. This means that drivers have to drive accordingly.

If you were looking at a ChampCar, the devices were pressure sensor/transmitters - they all have them.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bobdrummond:
Seen on a car running during testing at homestead: A small silver coloured cylinder mounted between two small spokes on an OZ wheel. A pressure transducer or a temp sensor, methinks.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>



[This message has been edited by Sherburne (edited 22 April 2000).]