Tape - can we get some sticky stuff please?

The Doctor · #1 20-01-2013

Guys, since we started racing after Christmas, the tape has been coming up every evening at various points round the track. Last Friday this happened in 3 of my 4 races, which is pretty poor for a club such as ours, and caused at least 2 people to pull out of their races in my heat during the evening. It's just becoming a lottery whose race will be disrupted next.

I understand that it's a bit cheaper than the "good" stuff, but at the end of the day surely it's the quality of racing that should take priority?

Can I ask the Committee to consider getting rid of the cheap tape and reverting back to the original sticky stuff so that we can all enjoy quality racing again?

Anyone else feel the same, or is it just me?

wes j. · #2 20-01-2013

Stop racing this on road rubbish and get back to the lovely high ground clearance of off road

.

Barry Williams · #3 20-01-2013

Have to agree with the tape issue here, on Saturday Natalie was on for a great run in her final, lying a clear 4th place with just over a minute to go some tape came up, caught around her car which made it spin out stopping her from driving straight. By the time a marshal could untangle it she had lost a lap & ended up 9th, a real shame this happened due to a bit of tape. So not just on road this can happen to.
Still a great event though, well done to all involved, looking forward to the next round

Barry

Dave Dodd · #4 21-01-2013

I do see us going back to the other tape but i think some of this weekend was due to a car on friday eve with very low ground clearance and a screw head not fully tightened.
I noticed on some straight sections that there was some perfectly sliced tape in the direction off the track.

ride height:

Off road: not really applicable but 5mm+
Outlaw: 5mm+ except pan cars 4mm+
GT12: 3mm+ (4mm+ prefared)
Mini: 5mm+

all screw heads must not protrude from chassis.

Robbiejuk · #5 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

Off road: not really applicable but 5mm+
Outlaw: 5mm+ except pan cars 4mm+
GT12: 4mm+
Mini: 5mm+

Ermm is that minimum ride height for gt12?

Dave Dodd · #6 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbiejuk

Ermm is that minimum ride height for gt12?

just checked the brca website and its actually 3mm but our carpet isnt really flat enough

i run mine between 4 and 5mm

reg · #7 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

just checked the brca website and its actually 3mm but our carpet isnt really flat enough

i run mine between 4 and 5mm

Glad i bought a nice shiny new ride hight tool

trouble is it only goes up to 3.1mm

Robbiejuk · #8 21-01-2013

Yeah i'm running 3.5 until the tyres wear out

Dave Dodd · #9 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by reg

Glad i bought a nice shiny new ride hight tool

trouble is it only goes up to 3.1mm

wouldnt that be down to 3.1mm

reg · #10 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

wouldnt that be down to 3.1mm

no coz then i would be able to set it higher

The Doctor · #11 21-01-2013

So are we actually scrutineering the GT12 cars for a 3mm min ride height then? Didn't notice that on Friday evening...

I'm not trying to stir things up here guys, I just think that for the sake of a few quid we should just be done with it and get some decent tape - please? It's a shame to let some cheap crappy tape detract from the racing.

Wes - I'm enjoying the "old skool" touring car too much at the moment, sorry mate. You'll have to have my off-road trophy for now.

Dave Dodd · #12 21-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Doctor

So are we actually scrutineering the GT12 cars for a 3mm min ride height then? Didn't notice that on Friday evening...

I'm not trying to stir things up here guys, I just think that for the sake of a few quid we should just be done with it and get some decent tape - please? It's a shame to let some cheap crappy tape detract from the racing.

Wes - I'm enjoying the "old skool" touring car too much at the moment, sorry mate. You'll have to have my off-road trophy for now.

ive not checked any gt12 for the ride height as i doubt they would work very well being 3mm.

I know your not stirring it up

just thought make it aware that there is a ride height that should be checked.

The Doctor · #13 22-01-2013

Jolly good, looking forward to the tape staying where it's supposed to this week then.

Robbiejuk · #14 23-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Doctor

So are we actually scrutineering the GT12 cars for a 3mm min ride height then? Didn't notice that on Friday evening...

I'm not trying to stir things up here guys, I just think that for the sake of a few quid we should just be done with it and get some decent tape - please? It's a shame to let some cheap crappy tape detract from the racing.

Wes - I'm enjoying the "old skool" touring car too much at the moment, sorry mate. You'll have to have my off-road trophy for now.

Problem is you don't actually know what you are buying until you have got it. We have had batches that are absolutley spot on, and then you go and buy the next batch from the same place for the same price and it's useless. It's like a tape lottery.

If we have a minimum ride height we need to be checking them though, it's not just the GT12s that are running close to the ground these days either, plenty in the outlaw class to.

Think I am going to have to mount my wishbones on the chassis rather than the front plate, unless I can get hold of some larger diameter contacts for the front.

Dave Dodd · #15 23-01-2013

a lot of the time i think its the shell being mounted too low that causes most of the problems.
ive set my shell so that if i fully compress the front suspension its the chassis that touches first.

Rich D · #16 23-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbiejuk

Problem is you don't actually know what you are buying until you have got it. We have had batches that are absolutley spot on, and then you go and buy the next batch from the same place for the same price and it's useless. It's like a tape lottery.

If we have a minimum ride height we need to be checking them though, it's not just the GT12s that are running close to the ground these days either, plenty in the outlaw class to.

Think I am going to have to mount my wishbones on the chassis rather than the front plate, unless I can get hold of some larger diameter contacts for the front.

Anything manufacturered by 3M will be decent tape Rob. Probably pricey but worth a look

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...be1BKNW57CHHgl

Robbiejuk · #17 23-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich D

Anything manufacturered by 3M will be decent tape Rob. Probably pricey but worth a look

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...be1BKNW57CHHgl

We used 3m masking tape and that was good. Buggies and mini-pins eat through masking tape though, hence we use the gaffa tape.

I believe we will be using some unibond extra double strength stuff at grantham tonight, will report back and tell what it's like.

Rich D · #18 23-01-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbiejuk

We used 3m masking tape and that was good. Buggies and mini-pins eat through masking tape though, hence we use the gaffa tape.

I believe we will be using some unibond extra double strength stuff at grantham tonight, will report back and tell what it's like.

I've never used anything that's poor with a 3M badge on it. The link I posted shows their range of duct cloth tapes if the unibond stuff isn't right.

chris brown · #19 23-01-2013

I read the lottery mentioned a couple of times.
Well, I like the odds so Ill have a go.
How much are you doing the tickets for?
Do we get them from race control or the tuck shop?

chuckie stella · #20 23-01-2013

Rob, I've PM'd you my contact. This stuff is very reasonable in bulk and didn't need replacing at the bottom of jumps (bad place) for over 9000 laps at the last round of our winter series.