Rosso tires after one day at track

I can't answer your questions about how many turns equals how many degrees, and I'm not sure what needs help. Help what?

I'd say for a set of soft street tires, these look pretty good. I see some light graining and a little bit of rubber reversion (caused by overheating, possibly as a result of some rear tire spin) both of which are quite normal. I don't see any thing that I'd call "chunking".

Personally, I would never take my Ferrari to a track day. Here's why. Back in the day I did quite a bit of amateur racing, mostly in relatively inexpensive street based, but race modified cars. It was a lot of fun when really pushing the limit, which means that I occasionally went over that limit. That results, if you're lucky, in a spin, but once in a while you bend some tin, sometimes seriously. All this is quite normal and expected but was factored into my racing budget.

I used to use track days as testing and set-up days for my race cars since I was too low on the food chain to rent the track myself. I've seen people (not in a Ferrari) completely kill a set of street tires as well as wear a set of new street style brake pads down to the backers in one track day. I've also seen rich guys crash pretty hard in their much fancier street cars.

Driving on a race track at seven tenths isn't my idea of fun. Someone once advised me, "Wack 'er open every chance you get and romp them brakes only after you're sure you're gonna' die."; I think that's when the fun starts. Although I can afford my Ferrari, unfortunately I'm not rich enough that I can afford to wreck it and that's why I don't go to track days in my Ferrari. But that's just me.

 

On the front of my 360 I removed the 3.9 mm spacer and replaced with a 1.7mm and obtained approx 0.25 degrees of additional camber. The same change (2.2mm) would have a greater effect on camber if done on the bottom mounts.

Sorry, I can't offer information on the lowering.

What pressures were you running? Your fronts appear to have overheated quite considerably compared to the rears.


p.s. - Oh! And DO track your Ferrari! It's the only way to use the car properly and so what if you bend it?

 

abused front tires (understeer), lack of negative camber on all corners.

I doubt those are PZero Rosso tires, they look identical to the Corsa System.

Lowering a car 10mm at all corners does not change rake, but it changes toe and camber, by a variable degree (depending on suspension design, current ride height, many factors). Lowering a car requires a new alignment.

Trofeo R require a lot of camber, -3.0 degrees at all corners minimum. I would not track a 360/F430 with less than -2.5 degrees of camber at all corners.

Buy a quality camber gauge, set camber at a flat surface away from the alignment rack, to save on shop's time (setting camber takes hours of UCA and LCA loosening, tightening, shims, measurements, more shims, less shims). Car is no square, neither two bushings are identical, there are 16 attachment point defining changes on camber, and 18 points defining changes on toe, so very likely the number of shims is not identical per axle to obtain the intended number.

As always, the most critical alignment setting is toe, this is the one that when off, causes road accidents, or racetrack wall stamping.

 

No, I meant that removing 2.2mm at top made a difference of 0.25 degrees of camber on my car but I know that adding 2.2mm to the bottom would have made a greater difference.

From my records, on the 360, I assess that the following are the results of adding 1mm of additional shim to the lower arms.......

Front + 1 mm shim = additional 0.20~0.25 degrees of camber
Rear + 1 mm shim = additional 0.30~0.40 degrees of camber

I'd recommend getting a good dose of 1 and 2 mm camber shims. You can double, triple them up to give whatever total you need.

Your pressure seems to me to have been fine so as GT has already advised, it's probably down to a lack of camber causing understeer.

Best of luck with your mods, it's enjoyable to reap the results of a little effort on the alignment.

 

The camber gauge I use, great product, reliable.

Longacre Racing - Online Catalog: Electronic Wheel Scales, Gauges, Pyrometers, Chassis Setup and More!

On the assumption that you know what you're doing (mechanically trained, using the factory workshop manual guidance, and experienced)... buy a mother load of shims in multiple thickness. I use the front shims type (double attachment) at all corners. They only go in the LCA. At least (16) 1mm, (16) 1.5mm, (8) 2mm, (8) 3mm. Shims are super cheap.

Remove the UCA washers at all corners, drop the car 4 turns down on each corner spring perches, then set the LCA shims to intended camber. If you set the car on the lift and the lift is balanced, you can change the shims with the wheels installed and measure camber as you make progress. The UCA washers need wheels removed. I inverted the rear studs on the LCA to allow camber changes without removing the diffuser.

I'm assuming the car has been corner weighed, if not (the factory does not do it), then have a shop do the alignment and corner weights. Corner weight the car with 1/2 a fuel tank and your weight with track gear on the passenger seat.

Your car is killing the front tires, that's normal for the Scuderia and F430, they have too much understeer built into the settings (too narrow front wheels and tires, too much front toe-in, little front camber, and e-diff).

 

looks like tires were over pressured. you have to bleed air pressure and monitor that when tracking.

i don't see alignment issue with these actually.

 

Notice how the factory alignment was royally messed up.

This is the reality for 99.99% of the brand new cars, and used cars on public roads, but the consequences are only perceptible when driving near the limits.

Your front toe-out at -0.08 per side is fine.

Next time shoot for -2.5 camber square, 0 toe front (or a little toe-in like 0.05 degrees per corner), and 0.25 degrees rear toe-in per corner (0.50 total).

You'll notice the car is easier to drive on your next track day.

Trofeo run very low hot pressures, 29psi at all corner (Hot). I start them at 22 psi cold, and monitor from there.

 

Take those front washers and put them in the LCA, you should get -2.3 camber. Toe will be off, so reset it (to a little toe-in). You should be fine while you get more shims.

 

My first set of shims were Home Depot stainless steel washers, my 2nd set was GM (Corvette) shims, months later my factory set of shims (I have a large kit of them) showed up.

 

You don't hang about, do you?

Looking very nice.