What are you guys using for grip on your floorboards?

I got a sheet of grip material from HRPworld.com and its tar/asphalt based. NOT what I want directly under my legs. (im a little peeved they would even sell this as a race item)

Anyone know of any grip material that is not tar based or not flammable?

Its looking like a fresh coat of paint with the metal grip flakes/sand in it would be the best option, but Id rather do an adhesive sheet material if one exists


Modified by Evan55 at 3:24 PM 2/15/2006

 

http://www.ompracing.it/detail.../1873

 

I *think* the sheets of grip tape you put on a skateboard are just paper with the abrasives embedded in something that resembles latex. I don't know if it's flammable or not, but if there's a skateboard shop near you, I'm willing to bet they'd let you have a few strips to try and light. They throw away quite a bit cutting it to fit the boards.

 

skateboard grip tape?

 

Like they said above. Everyone I know of uses skateboard grip tape. It is not anymore flammable than your dashboard is and it is pretty damn cheap.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chjkingme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I *think* the sheets of grip tape you put on a skateboard are just paper with the abrasives embedded in something that resembles latex.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Mine's more like sandpaper (sand, glsss, or whatever) rather than latex. If latex was that rough, I don't think it would be used as birth control

 

I apologize.

When I said "embedded in," I meant " sitting on top like the sprinkles on a donut."

Jeff, who wonders if you could use a donut for...ehhh, nevermind.

 

just so everyone knows, the area he's going to put this gets hotter than hot. we're talking about people who gets burns through their race shoes hot.

 

Well I'm intrigued now.

Look out, I'm goin 'sperimenting!

&lt;--ditches homework; goes off to find idle stoner friends and steal some tape

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Evan55 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What are you guys using for grip on your floorboards?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Light aircraft wingwalk compound:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/...k.php

"Black Wing Walk Compound is a special grit mixed into a tough black enamel material. Used to form non-slip surfaces on airplane wing walks. Apply with a coarse brush directly over regular finish after thoroughly cleaning the surface, and breaking the glaze if the surface is old. Thin with toluene as required. Conforms to MIL-W-5044."

 

The stuff I have is the same as skateboard grip tape. I cut a strip off (good way to ruin a pair of scissors btw) and after examining it much more closely, I still think it is a tar or asphalt base. Shiny and black, and definately not latex, as it doesnt stretch at all. Does anyone know any skateboard tape that is for sure not a tar base? I have a feeling that they are all have very questionable fire properties

 

I have never had any problems but mine is not attached directly to the floor. I have a sheet of carbon fiber that is pop riveted to the floor so I have a flat surface for my feet. (I made the CF plate for free at school. bling, bling) Then the grip tape is applied to that. I figure if the carbon fiber start melting I have serious problems. Kind of off topic but that bumpy unibody floor sucks. You could probably do the same thing I did and that should solve the heat problem and give you a flat floor.

 

I did some messing around, and the only skateboard tape I could find was tar based. It burns [understatement]easily enough[/understatement] that I definitely wouldn't want it under my feet without some kind of insulation like chris's cf thing as a backing material.

It's been 5-10 years since I played on skateboards, but I'm still under the impression that there are other types out there. So, that's what I know.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chjkingme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It burns [understatement]easily enough[/understatement] </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would bet it burns a lot slower when stuck to sheetmetal.

Are you worried about spontaneous combustion, or of a *real* fire breaking out and catching the floor on fire?

-Chris, who sat in a 1st gen RX7 for a ride and melted his shoe!!

 

I was planning on doing some tests with a hotplate in order to find some kind of actual number, but it lit up so quickly with a Bic lighter that I lost interest.

Maybe I'll mess around with that tomorrow. Mmmmm, fire.

 

Too bad you can't buy an insulator plate made of NASA's 'aerogel' 'stuff is rather awesome.

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/tech/aerogel.html

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Are you worried about spontaneous combustion, or of a *real* fire breaking out and catching the floor on fire?

-Chris, who sat in a 1st gen RX7 for a ride and melted his shoe!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

it wouldn't surprise me if it did actually just decide to start on fire. at the very least, anything tar based is going to become a nasty goey mess down there [insert bad joke here].

 

I would try bolting some steel mesh to the floor. Similar to what you would use as grill screen. It would definitely provide grip, allow air under your feet to keep the heat slightly down, and not burn up. Might not score you show points, but garunteed to work!

 

here's my opinion, which may be wrong.

in reality what you should do is heat wrap that exhaust, and so should i.

it's my understanding that heat wrap keeps the air from the outside affecting the air on the inside of whatever is wrapped. wrap your intake, it isn't affected by the hot engine bay and the air stays colder, providing more power. wrap your headers or exhaust and the gas isn't cooled by the air around it; hot air moves quicker and makes your exhaust more effecient.

it would also keep the interior of your car cooler, reducing driver fatigue and improving YOUR performance. i should really listen to my own advice in this instance.

i might consider using the stuff that truck beds are sprayed with.

 

do what tnord said, and then get a can of paint, add sand as needed to get your required "rough-ness".

 

paint melts off of the surface as is....just fyi.

 

this stuff works really well for 30 bux @ autozone. Been using it for 3 months now

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tnord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">paint melts off of the surface as is....just fyi.</TD></TR></TABLE>

high temp BBQ paint even?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slammed_93_hatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

high temp BBQ paint even?</TD></TR></TABLE>

dunno about that.

 

Why not some aluminum diamond plate? Available from your local metal supply store or even on ebay.