Setting up a car for low vs. high traction tracks
 

I wanted to bounce something off you guys. I currently have a Schumacher Mi4, and just bought a T4 2017 currently in the build stage. I'm trying to determine whether to set up the T4 for low or high traction. My local hobby shop (RC Excitement) has carpet with low-medium grip with rubber tires, but I have the option of running foam which can bring up traction substantially. I don't race, so it's really up to my buddy and me which tires we run and we switch back and forth depending on moods. My thinking is set the car up for high traction assuming I'm running foams and understand it will be a little more loose when running rubber. My buddy argues it's always better to set up for low traction because it's easier to adapt to high traction if needed. I don't know how that would be the case since you're changing springs, shock and diff oil and flex whichever way you go. Either way, I don't want to have to change back and forth.

What I really want is the best compromise setup ... split it down the middle and set it up for medium traction or go low or high? Thoughts?

For me, the above does it for me. I just wouldn't run foams if you don't want to change back and forth. Foam tires will wear and change ride height and then you're changing your pre-loads and perhaps even roll centers etc ...

I would stick with running rubber tires to try keep everything consistent.

Why not try all three that you mentioned? Setting up the car one time for each and driving each tire will let you decide which you prefer. After you decide which is best for you, set up the car in whichever setup your liked best and don't change it.

If you don't want to do that, if it were me I would go with a bit of a compromise setup. The car will not be really dialed for each tire, but you shouldn't be to too held back by setup on each tire either.

I feel the car has a little too much flex to run foam tires. I would set up kit setup and run rubber tires and use sweep tires if traction is low

Thanks guys for all of the great thoughts. I'll start with kit setup or maybe low/medium traction setup and go from there.

Another random aside - shop owner suggested that Losi 1/14 scale cars run pin tires on 12mm hexes and wheel and tire size should fit. That would be an interesting alternative to foams.

yeah, ...there isn't really a perfect way to set the car up w/o actually trying it out on the surface you plan on running it on. ...I divide my time between three different tracks and although all are asphalt my car handles differently on each ..so I make tiny adjustments wherever I race it.

I dont know everything about touring car tuning, but from what I have been able to test and see a setup that runs well on high grip will be decent on low grip, and if you use stiff swaybars on high grip removing them for the low grip surface will get you 90% of the way to a good setup.

The set ups between foam and rubber tire are so different. Impossible to use any set up remotely close to each other. Just use rubber tires. And try different set ups with the same tires to learn set up changes

That is correct.... I always endup changing most of my bench setups once I get to the track, and it will take a few race days to get close to optimum setup...