Yesterday I spent 40p on some new tyre valves, & I was stunned by the noticeable difference they made.
I drove the Exige 200 yards round the block, albeit taking it very easy, in the snow, as I could spin the wheels in 6th gear. Turn in was much improved over the last time I drove the car - an hour before, when it was snowing really hard. However, it’s the increased straightline speed, which I reckon will make the expenditure worthwhile. The ride was harsher than I previously recalled it to be, but that could have been down to just driving over snow which had recently turned into blocks of ice (or perhaps the valves require the geo to be checked?)
All in all, well chuffed with spending relatively fook all, improving the car’s handling, & now can’t wait to meet up with my mates, who I know will be dying to copy the latest mod.
[quote=AndyD]I trust you got the ones with titanium caps and not the standard bling shiny chrome ones
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Of course mate… but only because they did me a special deal as they were fitting a lightwight bee sting ariel. The latter was recommended not because I have a wireless, but because it apparently works just like an “F Duct” for the air flow over the rear wing. Perhaps it was that which has improved the feel of the car, but I thought it was only supposed to have an effect at speeds over 130mph???
You need to add some heavier air to the mix. We all know light air will rise - so the heavy air will stay in the bottom of the tyres to aid grip, whilst the light air will stay in the top…although that may give the steering more “feel”.
Well that may the case with your anorexic S1, but this new lighter ‘Natural Air’ has reduced the weight of my S2 massively. I got it from a special Carbon air pump they are rolling out at Tesco’s. It’s called ‘NA rocks’.
If you want to add the heavier air you talk about, I understand Heinz are in talks with British Gas about opening air pump outlets that captures their by-products. But you will need those new valves to do this.
As you can imagine Pete I’ve been testing NA Rocks out for quite sometime. And yes it does indeed reduce the unsprung mass of the S2 but the penelty is an increase in drag. Now to over come this you’ll need more power, lots more. If you get yourself down Morrisons this Christmas they do a special kind of ownbranded Bacofoil that some of the guys over on Lotus Talk have made intercoolers out of. I hear big gains, it’s thicker and stonger than the competition with a none slip coating, seriously I’m hearing anything up to 50 or 60bhp
Of course, any real hardcore Exiger just do without tyre valves. They just add weight. I’m stripping my car right down to the essentials. I may just ditch the tyres as well.
It’s cheaper and lighter to not have tyre valves. That way you don’t have to carry any air, no matter how light it is.
If you really must have them I have some superlight ones on ebay. They are also invisible. They’re not cheap, but do have all the performance advantages previously mentioned.
