With tyre flex increasing with softer compounds this backs your observations that Shore A 20 was not only better for traction than Shore A 30 but also Shore A 10 due to the flex and bounce.
Put aside the bounce for the moment, when you consider that the frictional force is independant of contact area then the softer compound would be better as the contact compound.
Trying to draw understandable pictures or models is not easy. I've been thinking in terms of brush brissels, elastic bands even a series of flexable rulers running radial out from a hub. Where you are looking at the stored energy from the deformation and how that springs free when the limiting factors are reached (frictional forces to loading the tyre vs weight and spring like load building in the tyre).
What we are wanting to do is reduce the spring load that can be enduced in the tyre such that it does not release to give us the bounce. It might be effected by the depth of soft contact compound as well as the base material but the control of compound mixing becomes a large factor too. Oh, and not forgetting the control mechanism and smoothness of drive may also factor as a release trigger for these forces!
As you've said, you've had some fantastic results but there seems to be a practical limit to what you can repeat. Hmmm, that sounds like I'm knocking the investigation - I don't mean too.... just some may find it easier than others.
It all leads back to other ideas - think smart, it might bridge a technical short fall. As per other posts, we may do our best and still fail head to head but win if we get a different attack angle.
Now, just how is the fastest, stongest, smartest....
regards,
Colin
