Performance Pack track essentials
 

Hey guys,

Long time no post! I picked up a 2017 BRZ Performance Pack after selling my 911 last summer. Couldn't afford to track the 911 which sort of defeated the purpose of owning it, so I decided to go back to the BRZ.

This isn't my first rodeo with track days so I have all the gear to go but I'm mostly looking for input on what are some vital changes that need to be made to make the car consistent on track. My local track (Palmer Motorsports Park) features several 50min lapping sessions depending on the group putting on the event and my friend who runs his BRZ says it can be rather abusive on consumables. I will be doing events there and a couple at other nearby tracks like Lime Rock Park and Thompson Speedway.

Really the only significant difference between the Performance Pack and the standard model are the brakes (yes it has different dampers and slightly wider wheels, too) so this question sort of pertains to those with the Performance Pack but everything else should translate to all models FR-S/86/BRZ. My questions are:

Brake pads: are the OE pads sufficient for track use or should I get a different set and swap them in and out when I get to the track? If so, recommendations on pads for extended weekend use?

Fluid: should I leave the OE fluid in for my first weekend or flush with something like RBF600 right off the bat?

Hoses: standard OK or stainless braided a must?

Engine oil: I probably should've searched on this one, but to be honest, 0W20 scares the crap out of me. It looks like water when it's at room temperature; does it really protect the engine when it gets hot? Does anyone use a higher viscosity like 5W30? I'm coming from German cars which all use 0W40/5W40 so perhaps I'm just paranoid. I plan to change my oil after each lapping weekend; any reason not to?

Oil cooler: I've read elsewhere it's a must. So unless anyone tells me otherwise I'll probably be getting one. Is it possible to move the temp sensor somewhere before the cooler to get a more accurate temperature reading?

Tires: I've elected to go with Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R in the standard size. I work for Bridgestone and get a 50% employee discount so there is no better cost option other than the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 which is marginally cheaper at a 35% discount to me. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to go to a 225/45R17 instead of a 215, however?

Wheels: I will use my stock Perf Pack wheels and might consider getting a second set of wheels to bring in case I wipe out a set of tires during a weekend or get a puncture. Enkei RPF1 seems like the best cost-to-weight ratio out there. Would it be worthwhile to get a wider wheel like 17x8" instead of 17x7"? I guess that may depend on whether I go with a 215 or 225 section tire, no?

Suspension: I'm trying to keep the car as close to stock as possible and focus on driver mod until I literally cannot go faster on the current setup, but are there any must-do's like camber bolts or something that would be inexpensive and improve the car's on-track character before I get comfortable with the stock setup? I was thinking of waiting until next year to do springs, sway bars/endlinks, camber bolts, and wheel spacers.

Safety: I had planned to get a fire extinguisher and mount it in front of the passenger seat. Any other basic safety equipment I should consider for the car?


Anything else I might be missing? Thanks everyone! :cheers:

Brake Pads: Absolutely switch to a Track Pad, Track pad for the Track, Street pad for the Street.

Brake Fluid: Yes, switch to a quality fluid, Endless, Project Mu, or Brembo.

Hoses: Standard are fine, no need to upgrade.

Oil: I've been tracking on 0W20 with a JR Oil Cooler for a year now. It's been fine and my oil temps have been under 250. Run 5W30 if you see your oil temps too high with oi l cooler or you choose not to run an oil cooler.

Oil Cooler: Great investment if you plan to keep tracking.

Tires: RE71R are very sticky but fall off after a few laps, very good AutoX tire, not so much HPDE as you will not learn anything because your tires are more grippy than anything else on the track most likely. I would get the Firehawks, they're good as learning tires if you get such a discount. I would not go wider than 225/45 on the stock wheels.

Wheels: Stock Performance Pack wheels are fine. If you want to get a second set of wheels, I don't believe most 17x7 clear the Brembos. I would go with 17x8 or 17x9 on a 225/45 or a 245/40 respectively. There is a lot of data already on which wheels fit the BBK so do some research. 225/45 would be good if you want to upgrade wheels later.

Suspension: Camber Bolts are pretty cheap, $20 and install in 15 min. I got -2 degrees with stock 2017 (Non-Performance Pack) suspension. I used SPC in the bottom hole and the OEM bottom hole bolt in the top hole.

Safety: You do not need a fire extinguisher, it's good for piece of mind but not necessary as most tracks have safety crew on standby with fire extinguishers. I would invest the money in a quality helmet if you do not have one already.

Do not buy the Jackson Racing oil cooler, it does not fit on the 2017 PP cars because of the changed air box. But yes an oil cooler is a good investment.
I run Palmer also, 4 times last year and also have a 2017, Kordless's post is accurate.

My changes are camber bolts
17x8 Advan RG3 wheels with 235/40 Toyo R888R's which I really like. I drive to and from the track on them and just carry 2 of the OE wheels in case I blow a tire etc.
Have oil cooler (Not hooked up yet, still waiting on JR to send fix, 5 months later)
I run 5W-30 oil

Brake Pads: Upgrade to a track pad ie: Winmax W6, Project Mu 999, etc

Brake Fluid: Definitely upgrade. Don't forget to change out the clutch fluid too! It's the same thing ie: Motul RBF660, Project Mu G-Four, Castrol SRF, etc

Brake Lines: OEM are fine

Engine Oil:High quality 0w20 is fine ie: Motul 300v 0w20

Oil Cooler: Necessary for engine longevity if you're going to track. You can install your own temp sensor if you want to but the stock reading should be fine unless you have a datalogger to keep track ie: Perrin oil cooler, Jackson Racing oil cooler, etc Contact Jackson Racing/CounterSpace Garage about getting the updated sandwich plate for 2017+ models

Tires: I'm jealous of your discount! 225/45/17 on the 17x7.5" PP wheels work well.

Wheels: Don't forget about brake clearance! If you get RPF1s 17x8 +45 should clear your Brembo BBK okay. I don't think you'll find any 17x7 wheels that clear your Brembos without some serious spacers

Suspension: OEM suspension is quite capable! A lot of track guys like to get camber bolts for the front. If you get the 14 mm SPC camber bolts and put it in the bottom strut hole & take the OEM bottom bolt and put it in the upper strut hole (so it's kinda like a slotted hole) you can maximize your camber with just camber bolts.

Safety: Depending on your budget something like the Simpson Hybrid S is fantastic as it'll provide you with the safety of a HANS but it works with OEM 3 point seatbelts.

Have a look at my thread; all the mods you need.

You don't need all those mods to track lol.

You're lucky with Palmer near you. It looks to be a beautiful track!

A lot has been mentioned already so I won't belabor the points.

Brake pads: Beyond what's written, a cheap mod is the 911 GT3 front brake ducts that could be had for $30 from Suncoast (who knew it was possible to get a GT part that cheap!!!??!). Just slap it on with a few meaty zip ties and you're good to go. Not sure if that's absolutely needed for a PP with Brembos, but when I saw 50 minute sessions I think you're putting quite a bit of abuse in to the system, and for $30 bucks you can't go wrong.

Fluid: get the best possible one possible for 50 minute sessions. Most people swear by Castrol SRF or Endless. I've had no issues using Castrol for the season (8ish track days)

Tires: I'll second the notion that the 71Rs can get slippery after a few hot laps. For 50 minutes on track they may not be the best option honestly.

Wheels: Don't need to upgrade but if you do I'd go with 17x9. I made the mistake of doing 17x8 and now i regret it. Buy it once and be done with it.

Suspension: you'll want as much camber as you can up front. with 2.7 camber I was still getting uneven tire wear in the front. Camber bolts are cheap (in fact you can do two sets of camber bolts - one for the top and one for the bottom) and i got up to 2.7 in the front with two sets. Other cheap mods that you may want to consider are the bushings. The perrin steering lockdown is super easy to install and providers better turn in / feedback. The whiteline/perrin shifter bushings are nice as well. The whiteline rear subframe bushings helped a lot.

You didn't mention this but it's wise to switch your transmission and diff gear oil before the track. I use Motul 300 75w90 and you'll need a little less than 4L.

Best of luck and have fun!

They have released an updated version with new sandwich plate that is supposed to work with the kouki. Are you saying that doesn't work or basing it on the old one?


Here it is included with their rad/oil cooler combo, but I don't see why you couldn't get it with their independent oil cooler as well.


https://jacksonracing.com/jackson-ra...8-fr-s-86-brz/

I have a 2017 BRZ with Performance Pack. Here's my 2 cents.

Pads: I went with Ferodo DS2500 because Winmax W5 were out of stock. The Ferodos squealed quite a bit during daily driving for the first few weeks. Now they are fine for mostly street with occasional track day use.

Fluid: Yes. Change the fluid. I went with Project Mu.

Oil and Oil Cooler: Track temps with a Perrin oil cooler have been 235º or less for me during 20 minute lapping sessions. I use OW-20. For daily driving, the handy temp gauge on the dash is a great way to how long the oil takes to come up to temperature.

Tip: You can also hold in the right center steering wheel button when on the temperature screen to get more accurate degree measurements on the coolant temp side.

Note: To run the Perrin oil cooler, I had to use a 2013-2016 air box. Using the new Jackson Racing setup that routes the hoses up, or the Blitz oil cooler will allow you to leave the stock 2017 air box alone.

Brakes: Recommend a proper track pad. Many don't realize that a good brake pad actually does reduce consumption rate of this part. The higher end you go, the lower the future run cost. For an initial setup, we have track specific compounds available for order. Add a good brake fluid and it'll be proper. RBF600 is minimum, but since you have track experience, we recommend something better. Again, the type of brake compound can also dictate what you need to survive as well. Brake lines are not necessary. Factory units are fiber reinforced units already.

Engine: Oil cooler. Jackson Racing released the updated radiator oil cooler unit that we currently sell now. It fits on 2017+ vehicles.

Wheels: Stock is fine. Your RE71R deal is awesome. Great for laying down that one lap wonder of dropping off significant pace can lead to consistent lap times.

Suspension: Stay stock unless absolutely necessary changes are required. Getting camber is a good thing, but we recommend running a Subaru crash bolt in the front for a little extra camber.

For any other questions, I believe we have significant experience on the 2017+ platform and have many serviced many customers who track on the PP edition as well. Thank you!

Oil Cooler update - just got a message from Jackson Racing that they will also be releasing a new version of their standalone oil cooler with the new sandwich plate that fits the 2017+ air box. Timeline = "very soon."

Since Palmer is a track where even in a fully-prepped car the fast line is a line with significant understeer in a number of the corners, you'll want camber correction sooner or later.

Braking-wise...yes, track pads, despite its being only a moderately brake-intensive track.

How the hell does a line understeer exactly? :iono:

Race pads + upgraded brake fluid

engine oil cooler

good fluids

Camber mods