who's Atom 3 in Portland?

**bolus** · August 18, 2012, 10:48 AM

On The Dyno: Ariel Atom 3 | HorsepowerFreaks Official Blog
(HPF is in Portland)

**rijowysock** · August 18, 2012, 03:27 PM

rear tires are on backwards

**Positron** · August 18, 2012, 06:49 PM

That's so when you loop it..

**McFred** · August 20, 2012, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by rijowysock

rear tires are on backwards

After talking with several unidirectional tire makers the direction is for wet road traction/anti hydroplaning only. A valid concern in Portland, no doubt, but the wet traction I've experience with standard 'summer' tires here in the desert has been bad enough that I would have done better steering with a rudder and some oars. The front end just glides over water since there's no weight up there.

I have to admit I got really annoyed with everyone pointing out that my R888s were "backwards" when we get more than 300 days of sunshine every year and I'm pretty good about not having to drive the Atom in the rain. Now that I'm on Hoosiers it's not an issue anymore.

**Terry Kennedy** · August 20, 2012, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by McFred

... the wet traction I've experience with standard 'summer' tires here in the desert has been bad enough that I would have done better steering with a rudder and some oars. The front end just glides over water since there's no weight up there.

I was pleasantly surprised (and very relieved) at how well the A048's did in the rain. Driving home from the WCA2 in 2010, I got caught in a sudden rainstorm outside Winona, AZ:

That video shows "throwing out the anchor" and going from 70-ish to 5 with lots of standing water and debris in the road.

I have to admit I got really annoyed with everyone pointing out that my R888s were "backwards" when we get more than 300 days of sunshine every year and I'm pretty good about not having to drive the Atom in the rain. Now that I'm on Hoosiers it's not an issue anymore.

Being able to swap the wheels L/R without dismounting and remounting the tires would definitely get some extra lifetime out of the tires, given the wear patterns on the Atom.

However, you never know when you're going to encounter a wet spot. At the first AtomFest, I loaned my Atom to one of the track people for a hot lap and it blew a coolant line, dumping all of the DexCool onto the track. [Brammo had mis-installed a hose clamp while they had my engine out a couple months earlier.]