wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Agreed
Some possible alignment options also to get more out of the car.
You also need to go to http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php? & register there.
Lots of good reading to do there.
You'd be suprised what can be done with a live axle F-body.

SVTconfused

lower your starting pressure some more so you can come into prime pressure at the last 1/3 of the track where the turns start to lead you into longer straigh aways and you will be able to plant that power down a lil better... i always remember slow(er) in-fast out...

vatechguy3

iTrader: (4)

17x9 wheels with 275/40/17s
17x11 wheels with 315/30/17s
either way, you'll get more grip.

also, as was said earlier, fill with nitrogen for consistent pressures.

i think my konis are set about the same as yours.

what are you alignment speccs?

tony

Carlos01SS

iTrader: (4)

Great read, I'm sooooo jealous!
better tires and more aggressive brake pads will definitely lower your times big time!

Phoenix64

iTrader: (3)

Thanks again for all the complements.
Afghanistan is just a dusty and hot as I remembered. But at least there is internet..... it costs 90$ a month for dial-up speed. I bought a few days.
So whats the consensus on brakes?
I already have the c5 conversion brackets.
So......
Stock with race pads and rotors?
C5 kit?
C6 z06 kit?
CTS-V conversion?

Don't get me wrong about the strano spring shock sway bar package. The car is a blast to drive, and it is relatively easy for someone like me to catch when it gets a little out of hand, I'm sure it would be completely different on stickier tires.

I'm still seriously considering leaving the car just as is(but with new tires) and focusing on my driving abilities.

I think tires on it might have one more track day in them till they'll be down to the wear bars. I'll try to get an on board camera for their final laps of the ring.

We have nitrogen tanks at the hangar for servicing the struts on the helicopters, but I don't tink the valve stems are the same. I wouldn't know where else to get it. Maybe a Nissan dealer? They have to be able to service a GTR right?

Drokkers

iTrader: (2)

awesome story. I felt like i was riding in the passenger seat. sam strano and the man to ask about setups for the f-bodies. The above posts have some good suggestions as well. the c5 brake kit would work well, the cts-v would be awesome and would be my choice but from what i understand theyre hard to find in stock. New tires first. They are the only thing that makes contact to the road, so there for they are the most important thing to have. Keep us posted on what you do and any other runs you make at the RING!!!

roy

Phoenix sounds like you have not too many laps done at Nuerburgring. You should take your advice by leaving the car just as is(but with new tires) and focusing on your driving abilities.
More laps equates to better memorization of the track.
If you haven't got the ring map from auto sport that shows you the ideal lines to drive, then you can download it here. Right click and save as- Ideallinie Nordschleife
This is compliments of www.Fbodyeurope.org

bene

iTrader: (16)

Very nice story. My inexperience of the track and my all season tires also hindered of me pushing the car to it's potential however it still handled like it was on rails on the corners even when the tires were screeching. I did had a lot of fun doing it though.

I used DBA slotted rotors/hawks metallic pads/Motul DOT 4/C6 BBK/SS brake lines (still using them) at the ring. I'm amazed how this set just stopped the car QUICKLY.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

This is some awesome stuff. Nurburgring is some pretty intense driving! This is where you would be better off getting advice at frrax.com. That's where all the drivers with lots of road race and autocross experience have their discussions.

Phoenix64

iTrader: (3)

I have tried to register at Frrax.com for about a month now, I can't get past the confirmation step.

So the question now is....... 16in wheels with 255 semi slick tires on all 4 corners, or 275 front 315 rear on 17in wheels?

Still thinking about going back to my corvette brake setup.... if I go with 17's.......

What are the lightest wheels that I can get in those sizes?

Can anybody post this this to frrax for me since I can get registered?

Thanks.

Rodinator1234

I would be afraid a stager front to rear would make the car push/understear real bad.

Phoenix64

iTrader: (3)

Thats the idea, it already over-steers pretty badly under throttle or brakes, I would be able to trail brake a lot more. It even over-steers on throttle lift-off.

If it does push I could soften up the front shocks until it gets lose again.

Driver_10

This is some pretty square advice. Some 17x9.5 or 11 would help out greatly. The watts link will keep the rear-end a LOT more stable since the rear end will no longer track out of the wheel wells.

If you consider spending the cash to get a set of good 18 x 9.5 (about as big as you can fit under these cars) You will be able to upgrade to set of eradi-speed, Z51, 2-piece rotors for the C6 corvette and upgrading to CTS-V 4-piston rotors. Light weight and reduced brake-fade.

Im taking the extreme route myself, Im using C5, vette, magnesium 18 x 9.5 rims, 14 inch 2-piece rotor and 6-piston CTS-V calipers up front. (Still need to buy the calipers) Im also using modified UMI tubular upper and lower control arms for further "un-sprung" weight reductions.

Im also doing a 96 C4 dana44 IRS conversion with Z51 brakes in the rear with a "Mr Parker" e-brake conversion. (Still got a long way to go with this)

Ill probably never see the "ring" in my lifetime, but I think that I will do well at a couple of local Texas tracks.

BTW... You've missed your calling as a writer. Great story.

Driver_10

C5 17 x 8.5 mags are probably the lightest that will fit an F-body. I want to say that they are around 17-18 lbs.

Phoenix64

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the complement, I'll be sure to finish the story when I go back.

Can I mount 315's on the front? I had to cut my front fenders to fit 275/40 r 18's.

I swapped back to the 16's because they weigh 44lbs with tire, when the 18in 275/40's weighed 61lbs per corner. Removing that plus the weight of the C5 corvette rotors made a BIG difference in how the car tracks/steers.

I'm having a hard time convincing myself to go back to a bigger(heavier) setup.

I thought the hot setup for 18's was camaro/ctsv 4-piston calipers, with c6 Z06 style rotors?

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

I got 315/35/17s on all 4 corners. Frrax.com has a guide to setting your car up for this size.. not sure why you can't get into it.. I'm not sure if trackbird still grants access to it but maybe you could try to PM him on here. Although I'm not sure of the last time he checked in here.

Basically this is what I did.

Fronts 17x11 50mm wheel, with a 3/8 inch spacer from blainefab, ground off the small nub on the spindle which gets in the way of the inside edge of the rim, and then hammered a small metal lip upward directly 12 o clock above the tire in the wheel well.

Rears 17x11 50mm wheel, with a 3/16 inch spacer from blainefab, BFH the inner fender until rubbing stopped, rod ended PHB, rolled the outer fender lips, stock bumpstops are still intact.

All 4 hubs I replaced the stock wheel studs with ARP 2.5 inch studs and use open ended lug nuts.

Driver_10

You can also use the 6-piston calipers for the greatest results. The only set-back is that the 6-piston calipers are 3x the price of the 4-piston units.

And honestly, I wouldnt use stock Z51 rotors. GM decided to use the same front rotor on both sides resulting in the left side rotor getting cracks since the air vanes on that side are in the wrong direction.

I cant remember, but there is a company that makes correct "left and right" sided vaned z51 rotors. I going to use the Eradi-speed 2-piece rotors since they are lighter.

Ironhead

They actually fit the front easier / better than they do in the back.

315s all around is pretty much the class standard set up in E Street Prepared (SCCA autocross) for these cars, even the 3rd gens. We can't legally hammer the inner fenders or grind on the spindle yet we are all able fit the tires.

Fitting them on my car required....

1) Getting the backspacing right either through wheel spacers or by building custom wheels (have done both).

2) Rolling the rear fender lips.

3) Offsetting the axle ~3/8 inch to the driver's side when I still had the panhard bar (think of how a panhard located axle moves in compression).
*Note* This was no longer necessary when I went to the Watts

4) Longer (and stronger) ARP studs.



That's it. That's all I did.

Cape T/A

Excelent story! Id do 18" RT-S wheels, so you could fit some CTS-V brakes on there, keep the weight down, and then focus on suspension and steering.

lees02WS6

iTrader: (5)

You could get the ZR1 brakes, with the ceramic brake rotors -- if you've got lots of money burning a hole in your wallet.