Fiesta ST MK7.5 Track car
Discussion
Evil.soup said:
Yeah, it was the balance I was wondering about to be honest as you have lost a lot from the rear, really interesting stuff in a car bore kind of way lol!
The below corner weighting was done last year before any weight was taken out of the car and had 20 Kg in the drivers seat so this will need to all be re done but will have to wait until later in the year .
Back to some more weight saving on the car .
Looking at what other parts can be changes i was looking in to the headlights as i all ready have a fiberglass headlight dummy so i have then ordered a ES design drivers side blank .
The unit comes in a gloss black finish so i needed to re spray this to match the satin black of my other dummy headlight .
A few coats of primer .
And then a few coats of satin Black .
And with the cold air feed headlight blank .
OEM headlight and blank headlight .
The OEM DLR headlight has a weight of 5.5 Kg .
The headlight blank has a weight of 0.6 Kg .
That is another 9.8 Kg of weight saved and brings the total weight removed so far to 157.4 Kg .
Looking at what other parts can be changes i was looking in to the headlights as i all ready have a fiberglass headlight dummy so i have then ordered a ES design drivers side blank .
The unit comes in a gloss black finish so i needed to re spray this to match the satin black of my other dummy headlight .
A few coats of primer .
And then a few coats of satin Black .
And with the cold air feed headlight blank .
OEM headlight and blank headlight .
The OEM DLR headlight has a weight of 5.5 Kg .
The headlight blank has a weight of 0.6 Kg .
That is another 9.8 Kg of weight saved and brings the total weight removed so far to 157.4 Kg .
alex98uk said:
I'd be very interested to see intake air temps on back to back track sessions. One with the real light, one with the feed for the ITG.
Might be useful info as it's not something I've seen documented before.
Yea i might do this as i have the IAT read out gauge in my P3 gauge so could do back to back tests and after speaking to a tuner the ITG can suffer with heat soak even in its remote location so thats why people cut holes in the upper bumper to get more cold air flow to the ITG filter .Might be useful info as it's not something I've seen documented before.
Now im running the fog light cold air feed im thinking i will re direct the headlight cold air feed to the gearbox .
J4CKO said:
Is this now no longer a road car at all with the headlights replaced like that or will you swap them back in for road use ?
Could take the number plates off if it is, more weight saving !
No the headlight blanks only get put in for track and are a 2 second job to change over to the OEM lights so still fine as a road car .Could take the number plates off if it is, more weight saving !
All ready ahead of you on the number plates if you look back to the last page they will be removed for the track .
ajprice said:
I know there's a whole thing about stick on plates being legal, the sort that are used on bonnets on kit cars etc. Would stick on plates in the usual plate positions work?
This could work but it is just x 2 screws for each plate so again only a few seconds to take off and put back on .
And again some more things done to the car and my favourite topic of weight reduction .
Looking at where I could shave a few Kg from the car I started looking at all of the bracing on the car and after doing some research I have looked to remove a few of the braces on the car .
The first one I looked in to was the Summit front strut brace and as the Fiesta ST has reinforced top mounts from the factory and that they are right up against the fire wall I’m not sure that the Summit front strut brace is adding much so this has now been removed .
The Summit front strut brace has a weight of 3.5 Kg .
Next up was the DNA rear strut brace and again as I’m running a half cage the rear is already stiffened up so this has gone .
The DNA rear strut brace has a weight of 3.3 Kg .
Last up was the Ultra Racing interior brace and again the half cage is doing all the added bracing so the Ultra Racing interior brace has been removed .
The Ultra Racing interior brace has a weight of 2.0 Kg .
The total weight of the three braces removed is a useful 8.8 Kg .
All of their lower Summit sub frame and chassis braces will not me removed as they have a big impact on the car .
I’m nearly there with all of the weight reduction and it will be interesting to see the total amount removed from the car and what impact this has on how the car performs .
Looking at where I could shave a few Kg from the car I started looking at all of the bracing on the car and after doing some research I have looked to remove a few of the braces on the car .
The first one I looked in to was the Summit front strut brace and as the Fiesta ST has reinforced top mounts from the factory and that they are right up against the fire wall I’m not sure that the Summit front strut brace is adding much so this has now been removed .
The Summit front strut brace has a weight of 3.5 Kg .
Next up was the DNA rear strut brace and again as I’m running a half cage the rear is already stiffened up so this has gone .
The DNA rear strut brace has a weight of 3.3 Kg .
Last up was the Ultra Racing interior brace and again the half cage is doing all the added bracing so the Ultra Racing interior brace has been removed .
The Ultra Racing interior brace has a weight of 2.0 Kg .
The total weight of the three braces removed is a useful 8.8 Kg .
All of their lower Summit sub frame and chassis braces will not me removed as they have a big impact on the car .
I’m nearly there with all of the weight reduction and it will be interesting to see the total amount removed from the car and what impact this has on how the car performs .
Accelebrate said:
I’m expecting this to look more like an Atom than a Fiesta by the time it gets to Anglesey 
good work!
I'm nearly done with the weight saving I promise ( I keep on saying this and then find more things to do ) . good work!Very excited about Angleesy but got Bedford on the 20.09.21 to survive first .
alex98uk said:
Would the Zunsport upper and lower grill be lighter than the stock plastic one? The OEM part looks pretty thick.
I saw there are a couple of new ones on sale on FB
The front upper grill has already been sanded down to get more air flow so I dont think there would be much to be gained with the Zunsport units .I saw there are a couple of new ones on sale on FB
Got my vudu alightment kit yesterday but will fit this later but it does look like a very nice part and well made .
J4CKO said:
Alan, question if I may,
I have the Powerflex bushes for the front, cant remember if you have the same ones but guessing you arent on OEM ones, the Powerflex ones have castor adjustment and I am not sure how to approach fitting them and setting them, any pointers ?
Hi there I'm running the DNA racing suspension arm kit in the link below .I have the Powerflex bushes for the front, cant remember if you have the same ones but guessing you arent on OEM ones, the Powerflex ones have castor adjustment and I am not sure how to approach fitting them and setting them, any pointers ?
https://www.dna-racing.it/en/ford-fiesta-mk7-compo...
I did look in to the powerflex units you have and if I recall you can set the maximum caster by rotating the centre ball so that the offset centre sleeve isnearer to the inside of the car and the other way for less caster .
Very small update with an oil and filter change ready for the Bedford track day on 20/09/21 .
I have used the OEM ford filter and Millers CFS 5W-40 that is a thicker oil and ( oil spec for the Fiesta ST is 5W-20 ) i used this last year and had no problems so will be running this again .
I have used the OEM ford filter and Millers CFS 5W-40 that is a thicker oil and ( oil spec for the Fiesta ST is 5W-20 ) i used this last year and had no problems so will be running this again .
MCFCNATHAN said:
hi
really enjoying the thread. i also have a spirit blue st180.
what would u suggest us the best for stiffening up the car. best bang for buck etc. currently just have whiteline springs. need to replace my rear shocks however due to some light misting
thanks
nathan
Hi there what are you using the car for as you have a few different options but will depend on if it is a road car or track car .really enjoying the thread. i also have a spirit blue st180.
what would u suggest us the best for stiffening up the car. best bang for buck etc. currently just have whiteline springs. need to replace my rear shocks however due to some light misting
thanks
nathan
As J4CKO has said they are firm with the stock suspension but with new shock and springs you can get more feel and control at the same time as a better ride .
Suspension would be first on my list tbh .
alex98uk said:
The Whiteline rear ARB/torsion bar really stiffens the rear up. My car now cocks a wheel on track.
I'd say it's a good addition. The car is pretty stiff stock.
This is very true but does add some oversteer in to the car that can be a good or bad thing depending on what you like .I'd say it's a good addition. The car is pretty stiff stock.
What year is your ST as my one is 2016 so has the ST200 stiffer rear beam and when I installed the RARB it was a bit too much but ballance out nicely with a thicker front ARB .
MCFCNATHAN said:
fast road car. im only 22 so not too bothered about comfort 
currently "stage 2" with brake upgrades too
If its going to be a fast road car then the Bilstein B12 kit fixed shocks and springs may be a good option .currently "stage 2" with brake upgrades too
I did have BC coilovers and they were ok on the road on full soft settings and TBH a better ride than the stock Ford set up .
Another new part fitted to the car in the shape of a new oil temp gauge .
I have been running the Pro Sport Evo oil temperature gauge in the car for the last year in the passenger air vent and this has been fine but I wanted a new unit that you can set temperature warnings and recall peak temp values .
I have ordered the Pro Sport Evo peak range that will cover this but it did mean re doing all the wiring that is a bit of a pain .
New Pro Sport Evo peak oil temperature gauge with all of the loom made up .
This fits in the same place as the old unit .
And below a quick vid of the functions of the new unit .
https://youtu.be/QpWrrt1Rwi4
The new unit will mean that I will not have to keep as close eye on the gauge as I can set the warning to any set oil temperature on the gauge and then recall what the peek temps were later .
I have been running the Pro Sport Evo oil temperature gauge in the car for the last year in the passenger air vent and this has been fine but I wanted a new unit that you can set temperature warnings and recall peak temp values .
I have ordered the Pro Sport Evo peak range that will cover this but it did mean re doing all the wiring that is a bit of a pain .
New Pro Sport Evo peak oil temperature gauge with all of the loom made up .
This fits in the same place as the old unit .
And below a quick vid of the functions of the new unit .
https://youtu.be/QpWrrt1Rwi4
The new unit will mean that I will not have to keep as close eye on the gauge as I can set the warning to any set oil temperature on the gauge and then recall what the peek temps were later .
Terry Tibbs said:
I have to thank you mate, 2 reasons -
Took your advice about the wheel nuts from eBay, my standard ones were knackered, the fronts were ruined. What a stupid design….. new ones on now and I don’t foresee any trouble with those.
The other thing was the Anker speaker -got mine to use in a different vehicle and it’s very impressive, no idea how much sound comes out of something so small!!
No problem and glad to be of help .Took your advice about the wheel nuts from eBay, my standard ones were knackered, the fronts were ruined. What a stupid design….. new ones on now and I don’t foresee any trouble with those.
The other thing was the Anker speaker -got mine to use in a different vehicle and it’s very impressive, no idea how much sound comes out of something so small!!
The Anker Mini is good so small but give some good noise from it .
Ok I’m getting a bit behind in keeping up with the updates so I will have to update on how the track day went at Bedford on Monday later .
So on to another update on the car and one that will tie in with other things going on the car soon .
The rear PBS Pro race brake pads after last year’s season were getting a little low so needed replacing for this year .
I did not have any problem with the PBS Pro race pads but I did start looking and thinking on what to get next .
As the rear brakes don’t do the lion’s share of the braking and never get that hot and I started thinking that the PBS Pro pads are not getting in to the optimal temperature window as there is never enough heat to have them working at their best .
This led me to look in to pads with a lower optimal temperature window and in the end I went for some EBC Yellow rear pads .
I have used them in the past and as a track pad at the front on another track car ( MR2 Roadster ) they are ok but do suffer with hi temperatures and there performance fades but using them at the rear they should not have any problems and should be in a better operating window with the lower temperatures the rear brakes work at .
Old and worn PBS Pro race pads .
New EBC Yellow pads .
As i was changing the pads I thought I would install a new set of Focus RS rear discs .
Old Mtec disc .
New EBC disc .
Old and new disc .
And all installed .
So on to another update on the car and one that will tie in with other things going on the car soon .
The rear PBS Pro race brake pads after last year’s season were getting a little low so needed replacing for this year .
I did not have any problem with the PBS Pro race pads but I did start looking and thinking on what to get next .
As the rear brakes don’t do the lion’s share of the braking and never get that hot and I started thinking that the PBS Pro pads are not getting in to the optimal temperature window as there is never enough heat to have them working at their best .
This led me to look in to pads with a lower optimal temperature window and in the end I went for some EBC Yellow rear pads .
I have used them in the past and as a track pad at the front on another track car ( MR2 Roadster ) they are ok but do suffer with hi temperatures and there performance fades but using them at the rear they should not have any problems and should be in a better operating window with the lower temperatures the rear brakes work at .
Old and worn PBS Pro race pads .
New EBC Yellow pads .
As i was changing the pads I thought I would install a new set of Focus RS rear discs .
Old Mtec disc .
New EBC disc .
Old and new disc .
And all installed .
The Bearded Tit said:
Awesome thread, loving the weight reduction crusade. Bit late to the party, but those headlight blanks; isn't one of them for a pre-facelift?
Many thanks and i think im nearly done with the weight reduction .Good Spot on the drivers headlight blank and i have had to go down another route as this did not fit so i got an OEM headlight and gutted it .
Going on from changing the rear brakes I have also changed the front brake set up as well .
I have been running the big brake set up of AP racing 4 pot callipers , 330 mm two part floating discs and Pagid RLS29 pads and this set up has been amazing but I want to fit some different wheels and this kit will not fit with them so I have looked to order the EBC racing big brake kit that has 4 pot callipers and 300 mm two part floating discs that will fit with the new wheels .
The new kit has the same size disc face and thickness but is just 30 mm smaller .
New EBC big brake kit .
New EBC racing 4 pot front callipers .
New EBC 300 mm two part floating disc .
New EBC braded lines .
New mounting brackets .
New vs old calliper .
New vs old brake disc .
And a quick weight check on the discs .
330 mm disc is 9.3 Kg .
300 mm disc is 6.4 Kg .
Another 5.8 Kg removed from the car in un sprung / rotational weight .
The pads that come with the kit are EBC yellow unit that I will look to replace and keep them as back up pads .
Old and new pads .
New discs installed .
New calliper and pads installed .
And all installed .
I have been running the big brake set up of AP racing 4 pot callipers , 330 mm two part floating discs and Pagid RLS29 pads and this set up has been amazing but I want to fit some different wheels and this kit will not fit with them so I have looked to order the EBC racing big brake kit that has 4 pot callipers and 300 mm two part floating discs that will fit with the new wheels .
The new kit has the same size disc face and thickness but is just 30 mm smaller .
New EBC big brake kit .
New EBC racing 4 pot front callipers .
New EBC 300 mm two part floating disc .
New EBC braded lines .
New mounting brackets .
New vs old calliper .
New vs old brake disc .
And a quick weight check on the discs .
330 mm disc is 9.3 Kg .
300 mm disc is 6.4 Kg .
Another 5.8 Kg removed from the car in un sprung / rotational weight .
The pads that come with the kit are EBC yellow unit that I will look to replace and keep them as back up pads .
Old and new pads .
New discs installed .
New calliper and pads installed .
And all installed .
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff