Advises for some trackday accessories/tooling choices

[churchx]

Asking best & brightest for advises/suggestions on what and why should i choose for things like:
- tire pyrometer
- tire pressure meter
- jack
- pump/compressor

My wishes/priorities would be good price/performance, compactness/lightweightness, as trunk might be full enough with tires/fuel cans/other stuff, having main features most often needed.
Problem being - i don't know which features are "main" and "must have". Blindly buying something top-of-the-line with all-possible-bells-and-whistles (including ones rarely/never used for just occasional enthusiast) included for quadrupled costs seems unwise, when that very money could be used on fuel/wearable parts/track driving itself.

For example - pyrometer. One to stick in tire or contactless one? Should it have some readings memory or simpler just write right down on paper/not pay for lots of buttons & shiny smart thingies?

Tire pressure meter - more comfortable to use small/compact one or with longer air tube, digital or analog, is feature of auto-drain-till-preset-pressure worth it, or should just use whatever meter that comes with compressor and standalone/compact meter not needed?

Jack - even if i know weight of this car or needed jack height/clearance, but maybe it's something that often outlives cars, thus maybe should be bought more universal/capable/sturdy "to buy once"? Which are compact/light yet capable enough while not redundantly overkill?

Pump/compressor - so far i got by with overinflating before track day and then letting out excess according to how i wished to experiment with grip bias or with tire pressures itself or depending on how much tires heated up during driving, as it's always simpler to drain air then to pump it back, so am still not sure if it's needed at all. But if at all .. then should it be pump OR compressor, what kind of pump, what kind of compressor, heard that ones powered from lighter-plug are weak, but do i need "real stuff" for just myself and not big-tire offroad SUV, as so far need to pump back hadn't rised that often. Maybe even compressor from stock tire repair kit is sufficient for occasional use? It sure is light & compact and "for free".

The more i read found threads on these, the further answers seem from me, rather loads of new questions rise.
And which features are "must have", which "not worth paying for". And which are popular/safe choices for these accessories/tools? Which are known good brands/models? My skills seem suck on finding clear enough non contradicting answers to narrow enough choice. Often case seems of someone buying any of these, keep using it, no experience with alternatives. Seems rather bad cases of something of bad quality that are reported/complained about, instead of if something just works "as expected".

[cjd]

You want a probe type pyrometer. I went the paper recording route.

I have a 3ton Arcan aluminium Jack, longer reach than the smaller (and popular) 2ton. I also carry 1.5" boards, the STI lip still is a thing but in the way, but would prevent use of the front center spot without.

Get a a quality dial type pressure gauge you won't cry over it someone runs over it. Consistency is what matters most, accuracy helps.

And... Air tank.

[churchx]

Hmm, Air tank? Seems i have more things to google about. Hadn't considered precompressed air, but it really should be more compact and lessen any requirements on portability/power of compressor.

[cjd]

Originally Posted by churchx

Hmm, Air tank? Seems i have more things to google about. Hadn't considered precompressed air, but it really should be more compact and lessen any requirements on portability/power of compressor.

An air tank is typically bigger but is also usually less hassle. And faster.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by churchx

Asking best & brightest for advises/suggestions on what and why should i choose for things like:
- tire pyrometer
- tire pressure meter
- jack
- pump/compressor

- Longacre, probe type (tires), with attachment for laser (brakes). ALWAYS keep it in its case when not in use
- Cheap mechanical one
- Lightweight aluminum jack. 1.5ton is plenty for this car.
- Digital with auto-stop for the pressure you want.

[strat61caster]

I like the digital pyrometer that stores the temperatures, it means you can get more consistent measurements, also because we share it between cars and autocross runs are quick I just take a picture of the data on my cell phone and clear it for the next run. I log it later after the event, that is much less important if you have lots of time between sessions though and wouldn't complain about a simpler pyrometer.

I've seen people use this for a compressor a few times and it seems to work well, we will likely pick one up in the near future.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[cjd]

Whoops. I only have the 2 ton Arcan jack. 1.5ton is definitely plenty, I just wanted the extra reach.

Another note on the air tank (this is what I have, got it years ago...) - it makes for fast work. That may be pointless for track days (I have autocross on the mind), in which case a decent powered pump would be the way to go. I typically also carry a powered pump (same battery as the impact I use...) in my track bin and have cheap one tucked in my tool-box too. I never want to find myself without air if I need it.