Simple upgrades for the track
Discussion
Just back from my first track day with my 1990 318is. I had it serviced a couple of weeks before and had it checked over in terms of general wear & tear. The only upgrade was to fit Pagid fast road pads. They performed really well- we did c. 100 laps of Brand Indy yesterday and they felt fantastic. They just inspired extra confidence, and in a light car they make a massive difference. As said above removing all the cr@p from the boot (spare/jack etc.) is a must.
I was sceptical about getting tuition, but it really is worth it. The instructors will know the circuit better than you and they will give you the confidence to push harder, brake later etc.
Having done this first one , I might consider some suspension tweaks but not much more at the moment. I reckon that most of the fun is really pushing a car to 99% of what you and it can do.
Interestingly the only people who had offs yesterday were in M3s. And the chap in the beautifully prepped £40k M3CSL obviously found out the hard way that his car was more capable than he was- right rear 3/4 properly buckled (oops!)
Have fun, be safe-I had a fantastic time and can't wait for the next one.
I was sceptical about getting tuition, but it really is worth it. The instructors will know the circuit better than you and they will give you the confidence to push harder, brake later etc.
Having done this first one , I might consider some suspension tweaks but not much more at the moment. I reckon that most of the fun is really pushing a car to 99% of what you and it can do.
Interestingly the only people who had offs yesterday were in M3s. And the chap in the beautifully prepped £40k M3CSL obviously found out the hard way that his car was more capable than he was- right rear 3/4 properly buckled (oops!)
Have fun, be safe-I had a fantastic time and can't wait for the next one.
for fast road and track combined then you want ferrodo ds2500 not 2000. ALsao pagid blur's are the ones you want, but are very expensive. Mintex are the ones I used, but can squeel. For dedicated track cars, you go even more extreme like mintex 1155s (on my track 205) and ferrodo ds3000's
Sean
Sean
Some good advice so far. I'd echo:-
Brakes: DO THIS BEFORE YOU GO ON TRACK! Pads - Mintex 1144 or Ferodo DS2500 are both very good, if very dusty. I've heard good things about Tarox, but never used. Discs - should be fine if they're currently in good nick. Hoses - Goodridge will do a braided hose kit, very useful, and not that pricey. Fluid - definitely change your brake fluid, Super-DOT4 or DOT5.1, either will do. NOT DOT5 though.
Engine - oil and filter change for definite. Take a top-up bottle with you to the track, and check all your fluids between sessions. On road-spec suspension and tyres the engine SHOULD be safe enough from oil-surge, but once you start changing those two the cornering forces go up and you should start looking at baffled sumps...the better brands generally are worth the money there.
Suspension - a Rallye will roll quite a lot on track, and you'll wear the dampers quicker, but if you're only doing 4-5 a year, stock suspension will be fine for a while. You may decide you want to change to adjustable after a year of trackdays, once you're both more experienced and confident.
Body/interior - there are some who will never go on-track without a roll-cage. I never bothered about that in my 'teg, but it is a small risk. Certainly once you start stiffening suspension and going for track tyres/slicks, then the cornering forces increase and the chances of getting it wrong and rolling go from very-very-slim to not-inconcievable. But then the car really becomes a track-day toy not an everyday car (or even a weekend car). Have a look around - there are half-cages (rear-only, leaves the front half of the cabin unmolested) for some marques, but by no means all.
4-point harnesses also become very confidence-inspiring when you're starting to mod the car significantly. As do oil pressure and temp gauges...can really see what's happening in the engine then. But this all then becomes a lot of $$$.
Lastly...
Drivers - Get some instruction on-track - for 20quid a session (or 15-20mins) it's very very valuable, most cost-effective investment. Make sure you've got decent helmets, and comfortable, thinnish-soled shoes (not driving boots necessarily, but some old comfy trainers where you can feel every bit of gravel through the soles). Start sensibly, and build up - you don't want to have to stop the session because you've ended up in the kitty-litter.
So have fun - that's what you're there for, don't worry about being the fastest, or about holding people up - drive, keep your eyes open around you, and enjoy yourselves!
Brakes: DO THIS BEFORE YOU GO ON TRACK! Pads - Mintex 1144 or Ferodo DS2500 are both very good, if very dusty. I've heard good things about Tarox, but never used. Discs - should be fine if they're currently in good nick. Hoses - Goodridge will do a braided hose kit, very useful, and not that pricey. Fluid - definitely change your brake fluid, Super-DOT4 or DOT5.1, either will do. NOT DOT5 though.
Engine - oil and filter change for definite. Take a top-up bottle with you to the track, and check all your fluids between sessions. On road-spec suspension and tyres the engine SHOULD be safe enough from oil-surge, but once you start changing those two the cornering forces go up and you should start looking at baffled sumps...the better brands generally are worth the money there.
Suspension - a Rallye will roll quite a lot on track, and you'll wear the dampers quicker, but if you're only doing 4-5 a year, stock suspension will be fine for a while. You may decide you want to change to adjustable after a year of trackdays, once you're both more experienced and confident.
Body/interior - there are some who will never go on-track without a roll-cage. I never bothered about that in my 'teg, but it is a small risk. Certainly once you start stiffening suspension and going for track tyres/slicks, then the cornering forces increase and the chances of getting it wrong and rolling go from very-very-slim to not-inconcievable. But then the car really becomes a track-day toy not an everyday car (or even a weekend car). Have a look around - there are half-cages (rear-only, leaves the front half of the cabin unmolested) for some marques, but by no means all.
4-point harnesses also become very confidence-inspiring when you're starting to mod the car significantly. As do oil pressure and temp gauges...can really see what's happening in the engine then. But this all then becomes a lot of $$$.
Lastly...
Drivers - Get some instruction on-track - for 20quid a session (or 15-20mins) it's very very valuable, most cost-effective investment. Make sure you've got decent helmets, and comfortable, thinnish-soled shoes (not driving boots necessarily, but some old comfy trainers where you can feel every bit of gravel through the soles). Start sensibly, and build up - you don't want to have to stop the session because you've ended up in the kitty-litter.
So have fun - that's what you're there for, don't worry about being the fastest, or about holding people up - drive, keep your eyes open around you, and enjoy yourselves!
havoc said:
Lots of good stuff
Thanks for all the info, really useful stuff. I've done a couple of track days and a lot of what you've said would echo what I've found out so far.
I'm not that keen on turning the car into a full caged track car (yet!) but the info about the brakes seems to be a good idea. Can't wait to get back out on the track.
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff