Tire Pressure

A tyre pressure gauge is the basic set-up tool for any car used on track, because pressure changes grip, steering response and tyre wear. This section holds hand-held tyre pressure gauges, including a version with an extension for reaching valves that sit deep in the wheel.

Tyres heat up on track, and the pressure of the air inside rises with them, so hot readings sit well above the cold figure. Set-ups are therefore judged on hot pressures, taken the moment the car comes in, before the tyres cool. Front-to-rear and side-to-side differences then show how evenly each tyre is working.

Small changes matter. A few tenths of a bar alter the contact patch and how the tyre builds temperature. A gauge that repeats the same reading every time is therefore worth more than one with a large dial.

Choose by how you work:

• Standard gauge: for regular checks at home and in the paddock.
• Gauge with extension: reaches valves in deep wheels or close to large calipers without the gauge body fouling the rim.
• Consistency: use the same gauge for every reading, as two gauges rarely agree exactly.

Check the gauge now and then against a reference, and keep it in a case, because a dropped gauge can lose accuracy. Record cold and hot pressures with the air and track temperatures, so each session builds a baseline. Refit valve caps after checking, as they keep dirt out of the valve core.