setting up a skidpad... soap and water?

eric budai · eric budai's Garage

Hello everyone. We are setting up a skidpad at our local airfield in a few weeks, we will be using a water trailer to wet the area. Any suggestions on adding Ivory liquid , liquid Tide or whatever to make it more slippery? we cannot use diesel fuel or WD-40 , they'd shoot us for that. thanks Eric

Mahler9th · 01-27-2010, 08:05 PM

I might check with local law enforcement training folks. Like highway patrol or sheriffs. They may have a suggestion.

krystar · 01-27-2010, 08:26 PM

yer using an active airfield? how is that even allowed? one of my friends lived a fly-in community where the airstrip was meant only for little prop planes. even so, the runway was FAA jurisdiction and u can't go on there w/o a FAA license.

are u making Top Gear USA???? hehe

eric budai · eric budai's Garage

It has de-commissioned for many years now.

HarryD · 01-27-2010, 08:55 PM

Sounds like fun. Can I come and play?

Check with the local community. Many municipalities frown on anything more than plain water.

FWIW, I instruct at the (Street Survival - Teaching Your Teen Driver to Survive From Behind the Wheel). As part of the class we do a wet skid pad and water is plenty slick to get the rear to step out on an asphalt surface.

krystar · 01-27-2010, 08:56 PM

yea where is it? sounds fun hehe.

924RACR · 01-28-2010, 06:57 AM

For work (car testing - vehicle dynamics), we typically use only water - much easier to fill the water truck up with!

When we need slipperier, we use "jennite" - which basically seems to be asphalt with sealer on it, which gets pretty slippery when wet, about equivalent to snow, maybe 0.4 mue. Of course, it doesn't really behave like snow, since it's not deformable, but that's probably far more information than you need.

So see if they have an area of the ramp which has sealer on it, and hose that down.

HTH...

eric budai · eric budai's Garage

The location must remain super secret, but it's in California. It is an asphalt / tarmac surface.

No , it's not for Top Gear.... they really do not like Porsche anyways.

Head416 · Head416's Garage

I think skidpad is my new addiction... how do I get in on this?!

Cory M · 01-28-2010, 10:35 AM

Ky

jhynesrockmtn · 01-30-2010, 07:18 AM

I think at the skidpad our local PCA chapter uses for drivers school they put some of the stuff down that drag racers use at the starting line to produce more tire slip. I think it's called VCT? Then they spray that down with water.

krystar · 01-30-2010, 08:48 AM

VHT....it makes the pavement REALLY sticky. not what u want for tire slip.

175K911 · 01-30-2010, 08:53 AM

We do this twice a year as part of a Audi Club Teen Driving clinic. Using part of a decommissioned air base. We're fortunate to have access to their high pressure water supply. We've never had a problem with just water, and getting the kids into controllable skids.

One fact to consider- many detergents could be illegal since the runoff will end up in the storm sewers and flow into the local aquifers, as opposed to the way your household detergents drain into the sewer system where the liquid then runs through a treatment plant. Not sure about where you are, but here it's illegal to drain most detergents into the storm sewer system.

Oh, and be sure to have the ability to refill your water truck. The first time we ran one of these clinics we went through 4 tanker truck loads of water in one day.

jhynesrockmtn · 01-30-2010, 09:21 AM

Quote:

VHT....it makes the pavement REALLY sticky. not what u want for tire slip.

Yep, VHT. I got the drag racing application backwards. It's hydrophobic. When it is set up and dried it beads water like nobody's business and is really slick. We use it on the skidpad to allow for different levels of traction and to really feel the throttle steer. It probably shouldn't be used in an area that's not dedicated for this purpose.

Evan Fullerton · 12:18 AM

Eric I think water will be fine, are you renting the same water trailer as last year? I think the more water the better as the asphalt is kinda loose and I believe that makes the water less effective. Someone should bring an air tank and just crank everybody's rear tire pressure way up. 50psi aught to do it but as a minimum the tire pressures should be checked to make sure they are within spec as if our DDs were any indication when I checked them all this past weekend, under inflation is very common, and not all that noticeable with today's stiff low profile sidewalls. It is also not conducive to power sliding.

For people that don't know the air field are talking about a hint is it is the same air field Ken Block used in his infamous youtube video and not the one from Top Gear. Yes, we are spoiled as far as venue.