Got a track related question? I'll try to answer.

[DocWalt]

Going to assume I destroyed another set of stock rotors... Carbotech XP12s, 245/40-17 RE-71Rs (which held up surprisingly well with 4 hours of track time until I started getting impatient on the throttle and overdriving), full exhaust/tune (91 tune, so it's conservative), GT3 air brake "duct" with trimmed rotor shield.

The brakes are pulsing very badly and towards the end of the second day I honestly could barely feel the difference between ABS and the pulsing. Additionally the brakes feel like I'm rubbing really low grit sandpaper on the rotors with low-medium pedal application.

Front rotor:


Rear rotor:



I had an instructor ride along for a few sessions and he specifically recommended an upgrade to the AP Sprint kit. He also recommended a harness... Harness would be a great idea, it's awfully difficult to stay in the damn seat now, lol.

Also, I had the issue with power steering just flat out going away in a few places on track... Two places it was on the brakes, the other was in the Karussell at Shenandoah Circuit. Pretty much every lap and it was a hell of a fight to keep it from hopping out of the karussell It doesn't feel like anything is binding up or contacting, the Whiteline end links aren't hitting the struts and I kinda doubt they're binding up. Not much else to bind up in the front end

Oh, here's a snap of the right front tire which was the worst offender after overdriving a bit.

[ka-t_240]

Suggestions for front enlinks? It seems my RCE front sway bar bumps the LCA from time to time after I had my wheels off previously. Car is lowered with in specs from RCE on the T2s, but still on stock endlinks. Was thinking different/shorter enlinks would move the swaybar up a bit form the LCA.

[ka-t_240]

I currently have DTC60 pads in combo with centric blanks, is this to much pad for Re71rs?


Last season they felt amazing at Road America and at BIR. This season, my first event at Raceway Park of the Midlands I had no confidence in the brakes in the higher speed braking zones. I did a full inspection/fluid flush/etc prior to going to the track this spring. It seems I was on the brakes before the "5" sign in order to feel the car woudl be able to stop with out mowing the field.


Couple of my thoughts:
*Bumpy braking zone = funky feeling?
*Contaminated Pads from cleaning the wheels?

[Northwest86]

Oh and a word with the power steering. At certain cornering forces the power steering does turn off. To my knowledge there is no solution. You just have to muscle it around. We're running into it fairly consistently on our cars.

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by Northwest86

Oh and a word with the power steering. At certain cornering forces the power steering does turn off. To my knowledge there is no solution. You just have to muscle it around. We're running into it fairly consistently on our cars.

Yeah, pretty darn silly. As I got faster through the weekend it definitely got worse, but in the Karussell (dimensional copy of the one at the Nurburgring so you have an idea of what I'm referring to, heh) it was pretty sketchy as it would come and go throughout the corner which meant I was suddenly turning a lot further than I had intended or less.

[DocWalt]

damn it. no idea how this happened and it doesn't leak...

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by DocWalt

damn it. no idea how this happened and it doesn't leak...

Good thing it didn't leak and lose oil pressure at the track. I'd call that a lucky break! Ok bad pun...

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Good thing it didn't leak and lose oil pressure at the track. I'd call that a lucky break! Ok bad pun...

I'm an idiot, I admit seeing it Saturday afternoon and just continually checking it for leaks. It never got worse. I've ordered a new core and will actually fasten the lines together, I simply forgot to do that in a rush to get to the track last fall and then forgot all about it.

[CSG Mike]

@DocWalt do you have any pictures of the pads? How much cooldown did you do after every session? What kind of brake fluid are you currently on, and how dark is it in your reservoir?

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

@DocWalt do you have any pictures of the pads? How much cooldown did you do after every session? What kind of brake fluid are you currently on, and how dark is it in your reservoir?

I will shortly. Pulling the pads sometime this week. I do have mileage driving home on them though.

~5 minutes or so plus half lap of cooldown on track

RBF600. It's the same color as it was going in new a few weeks ago.

FWIW I never lost the pedal, but I definitely got near pad fade as I occasionally had to press harder to get the same stopping power. I was never driving flat out for a whole session, there was a ton of traffic so for all I know the little breaks following cars gave the brakes enough time to cool down.

I'll post video of a few laps tonight.

[DocWalt]

Driver's side pads. Inside pads on the bottom.


Passenger's side pads. Inside pads on the bottom again.


1mm of taper on all four front pads:




The rear pads look worse (smearing wise) than the fronts and the rear rotors look worse too.

[cjd]

Originally Posted by Northwest86

Oh and a word with the power steering. At certain cornering forces the power steering does turn off. To my knowledge there is no solution. You just have to muscle it around. We're running into it fairly consistently on our cars.

I thought I was just doing something wrong! I've only encountered this a handful of times... I assume this is what is happening, at any rate.

[wupwise]

Can I get my alignment done on stock wheels/tires and then swap to my track wheels/tires? What aspects of alignment could change in doing this? The track tire size is 225/45/17 on 8" rim.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by wupwise

Can I get my alignment done on stock wheels/tires and then swap to my track wheels/tires? What aspects of alignment could change in doing this? The track tire size is 225/45/17 on 8" rim.

The alignment doesn't change with the tire, it changes with the suspension. So once your alignment is done, it'll still be the same when you put a different set of wheels on it. However, if you change the springs or control arms, that will change your alignment and you'll need to have it redone.