aggie_corvette

Yes those fog light opening are perftect for 3" ducting. I personally would remove the fog lights, did all that work to get the ducting might as well use it. After 3 laps you will be very glad you did. Plus you can never have to much brake cooling air.

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

I don't entirely agree with you. It's a very long story, and this is the SHORT version. I did my first HPDE a couple weekends ago, and just finally got the car streetable again today. Now that I have replaced all 8 brake pads, both front calipers, which were almost brand new, and the caliper pins.

First, I had an absolute blast. I can't believe that we are "allowed" to drive our daily-driver street cars that fast. I noticed that by the time the weekend was over that all 4 of my rims were COVERED in brake dust. I litterally had black "powder coated" WS6 rims! My rear brakes started sqeaking shortly after I left on my 4 hour drive back home from the track! When I arrived home and checked the next day, I found ALL of the rear pad material gone!! So I recut the rear rotors and replaced the rear pads. The brakes still seemed "spongy."

After reading as much as I could, and finally breaking down and calling Sam Strano, what a great guy!!, it seems that an often overlooked piece of advice for newbies is to use synthetic brake caliper grease on the caliper pins. Therefore, I needed to pull the fronts and inspect them as I may have a stuck caliper. Well... I wish someone would have mentioned about the synthetic caliper pin grease BEFORE I raced the car as all 4 caliper pins were bone dry and binding, and one of them had welded itself into the caliper bracket!!! Also, you know those freshly rebuilt calipers I mentioned above... the dust boots were burnt right out of them. Gone. One caliper didn't have 1200 miles on it. And those PBR pads, I believe the only thing that saved them from wearing completely down to nothing was the stuck caliper pins, so I was stopping on just the rears! The new PBR's were cracked, burnt, and crumbling in my hand!!!

All this must have happened on the first day, as there was a lot of rain the second day so the only two "runs" I participated in were at much reduced speed. I only drove about 80 miles on the first day, but boy they were HARD miles.

So, when you guys are telling newbies what to do to their cars for HPDE, PLEASE mention something about installing hi-temp brake fluid, hi-perf front brake pads, possibly on brand new rotors and mention that "while you're down there" put some synthetic brake caliper grease on the pins... that might save the newbies a lot of hassle.

There was another TA in HPDE, a 1999. He didn't do any of the things I did, just went out there with completely stock, factory installed 6 years ago, brakes... and they faded by the middle of the third 25-minute run. Even after it cooled the brakes were spongy, so I suggested that he bleed his brakes, or maybe replace with DOT 4 fluid, but he declined. Probably a good thing he did not bleed the brakes because it may have revived his brakes long enough for him to do some serious damage.

On the up side, I am really impressed with how well the back brakes will stop our cars when the fronts are gone!! Hopefully, it won't come to that again!!

aggie_corvette

Well now your hooked, have you started planning your next HPDE?
Just think how much more prepared you where than the other TA.
The stuff you asked for i did mention in my first post, just like you quoted. Have you looked into routing some brake ducting? That would have saved your front rotors, calipers, pads, and wheel bearings/abs sensor (expensive!!!). The caliper piston dust boots will burn off and possibly hang the piston. I pull them out, one more step to a dedicated track car.
Now your getting into the more advanced stuff of car prep. I personally use nut/bold anti-seize and coat the caliper pins thuroughly. Also use the anti-seize on your lugs before you torque down the wheels. you do properly torque your wheels right??? next jack up the car SAFELY and "nut and bolt" the underside. Basically put a wrench, open end, cressent on EVERY nut and bolt you can see. you would be suprised what comes loose.

This is another chapter in car prep for track days. as you get more serious your list of pre-track checks will get longer.
Have fun and stay safe.

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

Yes, HPDE in September... July and August are just too hot.

Great lists... more lists. Check lists, spare parts.

Ojustracing

iTrader: (4)

You don't need big expensive calipers or rotors.
Your stock equipment will work fine, you just have to prepare it correctly and take care of it.
Basic stuff you'll need:



I think anybody that run's a Open track event should do the above parts at a MIN. You cant be expected to run WOT for 25 min session and have bone stock brakes work/last for every session and not have any wear. I will tell you that Synthetic caliper lube works. But you should of taken the caliper pins out when you installed the calipers 1200 miles ago. You would of found back then that they needed cleaning and greasing long before you got to the track. I have this style of pin's seize on many gm car and trucks.!!

At the track on a 2 day school I get 2 days out of race pads and rotors and this is with brake cooling ducts. But my back brakes have about 700 miles of track time. Everybody is different on there aproach to there first track days. Some people might not push there car or be at a track that is easy on brakes. But as you found out its not that hard to go fast lap after lap. If someone came on hear and asked what should I run for my first track day, Anybody here will be more than helpful in answering any questions. Welcome to the club. later John

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

"But you should of taken the caliper pins out when you installed the calipers 1200 miles ago. You would of found back then that they needed cleaning and greasing long before you got to the track. I have this style of pin's seize on many gm car and trucks.!!" In 25 years of owning GM's, and replacing a lot of brake pads, rotors, and calipers, I never came across a siezed pin, so I didn't know to look for a dry pin. Now I do, and I'm just passing that along to newbies. And I'll be greasing those pins every time I change the pads.

Do you also run without dust boots?

John, thanks. And an '01 Formula 6sd... there's the car I'm looking for. I'm going to put the TA up for sale and get an LS1 6spd hardtop Formula. I should have ordered one back in 1998, but I didn't know about this sport then. My loss.

Ojustracing

iTrader: (4)

Ram I will tell you I too have been fixing car for I hate to say it going on 21 yrs. Not until the last 5 or 6 yrs did I really find why there has so much of issues with brakes over the yrs. Rusted, sticking and binding caliper attaching points are key to having a good brake job and a bad one. But I see you are from FL, im from NY where we have salt spread on the roads 6 months out of the yr and it does wonders for cars.

I do run with dust boots I havent had a issue with the dust boots melting out of them. But I Do run a brand of Race pad that has a thermal barrier between the pad material and backing plate to try to keep as much heat out of the caliper as possible.

"John, thanks. And an '01 Formula 6sd... there's the car I'm looking for. I'm going to put the TA up for sale and get an LS1 6spd hardtop Formula. I should have ordered one back in 1998, but I didn't know about this sport then. My loss."
__________________
Yes I do like the car and theres not alot of them around. Arctic White too!! The funny thing is I have the original window sticker and the car only went for 24k and some change. Car only has one option and that is the Power steering cooler, but it has Pwr Windows, Locks, AC, and CD. What else can you ask for without spending way more money. I might sell it next yr. Im looking at Vette's. Will see how the winter goes. Later And enjoy your new found hobby it gets expensive. If you are not doing anything you can see some action shots here http://www.highlanddesignstudio.com/...eams/20/20.htm

Later John

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

It's not an '01, but it's a guy in my local F-body club and known to be a really nice car.

http://www.cofba.org/ubb/ultimatebb....c;f=3;t=001102

ramairbrc

iTrader: (1)

Thanks trackbird, I'll look into it.

And thanks to Ojustracing. Hope to meet you on the track someday.

Bob