Track days, pads and fluid
03-29-2004, 02:31 AM
#2
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Dunno about the others, but I'm still running totally standard pads, fluid and discs when I thrash my beastie around the Nurburgring - and that's arguably much harder on a car than a normal track day.
I do make sure that I do a cool down lap every time and never park in the pits with the hardbrake on, to allow the brakes to cool sufficiently.
HTH
Ben
I do make sure that I do a cool down lap every time and never park in the pits with the hardbrake on, to allow the brakes to cool sufficiently.
HTH
Ben
03-29-2004, 03:01 AM
#3
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I have Porterfield R4S pads, troutman braided lines and uprated fluid. Got the pads installed but not the fluid and lines yet.
Not specifically for track use, but improves the braking all round
Not specifically for track use, but improves the braking all round
03-29-2004, 03:27 AM
#4
I've done a few driver training days and a track day at Donington and I've never suffered substantial brake fade. However, they were all in wet conditions when perhaps I was not going at it 110%. I'd certainly get a track day under your belt (if you haven't already) before deciding whether to upgrade various braking components (although Aquilaeagle's pads produce far less carbon dust IIRC which is an attraction purely for reduced-cleaning reasons!)
03-29-2004, 04:07 AM
#5
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Haven't (well, more correctly can't - company car and all....) upgraded anything to do with the braking on the car, but if I were to go down the upgrade route, better fade resistance would be the first change I'd make.
If you do a trackday on the std. setup then keep the sessions short and do a cool down lap or two trying to keep off the brakes as much as possible - 15 mins of full on braking and the middle pedal becomes quite mushy, so the best bet is to do a few laps full on, then a few slower laps, then a few more full on, then a couple of cool down laps.
It really does depend on how hard you use the brakes though, the problem I find is that for a road car the brakes are very good, encouraging you to brake later and later which heats them up quicker.
If you do change anything, start with fluid. Then the pads but be careful to get 'fast road' pads, not racing pads. Racing ones might seem the more attractive option and will give better fade resistance and probably better stopping power when hot, but on the road they can be lethal, since they will most likely be cold when you need them and be far worse at stopping than the stock pads.
If you do a trackday on the std. setup then keep the sessions short and do a cool down lap or two trying to keep off the brakes as much as possible - 15 mins of full on braking and the middle pedal becomes quite mushy, so the best bet is to do a few laps full on, then a few slower laps, then a few more full on, then a couple of cool down laps.
It really does depend on how hard you use the brakes though, the problem I find is that for a road car the brakes are very good, encouraging you to brake later and later which heats them up quicker.
If you do change anything, start with fluid. Then the pads but be careful to get 'fast road' pads, not racing pads. Racing ones might seem the more attractive option and will give better fade resistance and probably better stopping power when hot, but on the road they can be lethal, since they will most likely be cold when you need them and be far worse at stopping than the stock pads.
03-29-2004, 04:12 AM
#6
there are some fancy compound pads around nowadays that give excellent braking hot or cold and are by far the most effective upgrade you can make to the braking system. they are not full race pads and work well from cold but are expensive at around
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03-29-2004, 02:37 PM
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The brakes on the S are amongst the best you can get on a road car. Don't go upgrading them without good reason. They'll cope well with hard usage over a short track session.
Spend a lap cooling the car down before going in to the pits and you won't get the brake fluid boiling while the car is sitting still.
Spend a lap cooling the car down before going in to the pits and you won't get the brake fluid boiling while the car is sitting still.
03-30-2004, 03:05 AM
#10
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The only thing I would add is that the stock fluid starts to go off after a few heat cycles. If you are doing lots of track days it can be worth changing it a bit more often than for a road only car.