What To Do To My S2 Before A Track Day?!
15-11-2005, 10:34 PM
#1
What To Do To My S2 Before A Track Day?!
Im going to do my 1st track day at Beds next Feb (hopefully) But i wanna start doing a few things to the car before. Whats the best things to get sorted before a track day i.e better brakes etc
cheeRS
Rob
cheeRS
Rob
15-11-2005, 10:53 PM
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GRS will be fine at that boost, a charge cooler wouldnt tho 
Brakes : IMO you would be better with Goodridge braided hoses all round. you will need dot 5.1 or AP600 fluid in it. Std brake fluid will boil under track conditions and give you a soft pedal or feel like its fadeing. I would also change the front discs to a grooved or a groved and drilled something like Tarox or Padgid NOT EBC! but you dont need to go any bigger in size then the std RST size if you dont want to, or you could go the 2wd drive saff dront disc conversion route.
Pad wise i would fit either Mintex 1155's or Ferodo 2500 pads again NOT EBC greens!!!
rear discs will be fine
I run dot5.1 fluid, goodridge hoses and Tarox grooved and drilled discs and mintex 1144 pads, they do a great job on track, but i keep cracking the 1144 pads with too much heat. Im gonna try Ferodo 2500 pads next
Forgot to say, check you wheelbearing/hub nuts are done up properly and hammered in at the indent part so they cant come undone! mine did on the last bedford day and with very little warning i lost 90% of my braking with excess brake pedal travel, and i was lucky not to lose a wheel off the car. Track days are hard on everthing but esp brakes, suspension and wheelbearings
Brakes : IMO you would be better with Goodridge braided hoses all round. you will need dot 5.1 or AP600 fluid in it. Std brake fluid will boil under track conditions and give you a soft pedal or feel like its fadeing. I would also change the front discs to a grooved or a groved and drilled something like Tarox or Padgid NOT EBC! but you dont need to go any bigger in size then the std RST size if you dont want to, or you could go the 2wd drive saff dront disc conversion route.
Pad wise i would fit either Mintex 1155's or Ferodo 2500 pads again NOT EBC greens!!!
rear discs will be fine
I run dot5.1 fluid, goodridge hoses and Tarox grooved and drilled discs and mintex 1144 pads, they do a great job on track, but i keep cracking the 1144 pads with too much heat. Im gonna try Ferodo 2500 pads next
Forgot to say, check you wheelbearing/hub nuts are done up properly and hammered in at the indent part so they cant come undone! mine did on the last bedford day and with very little warning i lost 90% of my braking with excess brake pedal travel, and i was lucky not to lose a wheel off the car. Track days are hard on everthing but esp brakes, suspension and wheelbearings
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15-11-2005, 11:03 PM
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What gearbox and diff you running? Std? Check your gearbox oil before you go
Another tip is try not to wheelspin coming out of the corners. The RST with its harsh 3000rpm torque delivery tends to want to spin the inside wheel on the exit of corners on track (despite the LSD). It sounds like fun, but it massivly over spins the LSD to the point where it wants to go bang. Try and put the power down as smoothly as possible feathering and then increasing gently the throttle on the way out of the corner, not the usualy nail it and wait for the wheels to grip as you get straight again
15-11-2005, 11:10 PM
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Originally Posted by diamonds
yeh standard gearbox number 5 since april 2004
but i intend to get a decent one sorted b4 Feb
but i intend to get a decent one sorted b4 Feb
Also if you going to fit a new box before Feb while your at it Bin the ABS and convert the car over to run non abs, Its MUCH MUCH MUCH better without the ABS and wont give you problems on track when braking hard
16-11-2005, 01:01 AM
#18
Some good advice - but a lot of it is aimed at (or for) seasoned track day people.
As this is your first one ( I presume) you will be taking it steady, but checking over things like brakes and coolant is simple and a good start.
Re the DOT 5.1 fluid, check out the boiling points before just buying any, as there are many DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluids that far exceed the DOT 5.1 stuff. Higher DOT numbers dosn't always mean its better.
Just get out there and have good safe fun at a speed you feel comfortable with, don't be put off by others going faster (or slower).
You should aim for getting a full days sport in at a pace you feel happy with rather than just 5 blistering laps and a knackered car.
You should come away from your first one with a list of jobs you want to do to the car to make the next one even more enjoyable, not worry about the next six months paying for it... as you never know you might find its not for you and all that money spent upfront is then wasted.
Im sure you will love it - and have fun but dont go over the top just yet IMHO.
Tony
As this is your first one ( I presume) you will be taking it steady, but checking over things like brakes and coolant is simple and a good start.
Re the DOT 5.1 fluid, check out the boiling points before just buying any, as there are many DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluids that far exceed the DOT 5.1 stuff. Higher DOT numbers dosn't always mean its better.
Just get out there and have good safe fun at a speed you feel comfortable with, don't be put off by others going faster (or slower).
You should aim for getting a full days sport in at a pace you feel happy with rather than just 5 blistering laps and a knackered car.
You should come away from your first one with a list of jobs you want to do to the car to make the next one even more enjoyable, not worry about the next six months paying for it... as you never know you might find its not for you and all that money spent upfront is then wasted.
Im sure you will love it - and have fun but dont go over the top just yet IMHO.
Tony
16-11-2005, 01:47 AM
#20
If you get the oppertunity to have an instructor sit in with you for a few laps then jump at the chance. Don't feel as though this is be-littling you in any way. They wont tell you how to drive, but just tell you where to drive.
Those first few laps will make the rest of your day (and that of others around you) far more enjoyable, and you will be less nervous
Those first few laps will make the rest of your day (and that of others around you) far more enjoyable, and you will be less nervous
16-11-2005, 08:31 AM
#21
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The main thing I struggled with on my first track day was water temps...after three or 4 hard laps the temps would be in the red.
Its worth flushing the coolant system and putting in new fluids at least to try and combat this.
Its worth flushing the coolant system and putting in new fluids at least to try and combat this.
16-11-2005, 09:06 AM
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id agree with the instructor.. my first beford outing i done some laps on my own, then had my instructor for 3 laps and couldnt believe how crap id been on my own.. with just a few pointers he made me feel a lot more confident..
on my second time at bedford i even took the traction control off lol.. and then spun it
on my second time at bedford i even took the traction control off lol.. and then spun it
16-11-2005, 09:53 AM
#24
Originally Posted by NUTS RuS
Some good advice - but a lot of it is aimed at (or for) seasoned track day people.
As this is your first one ( I presume) you will be taking it steady, but checking over things like brakes and coolant is simple and a good start.
Re the DOT 5.1 fluid, check out the boiling points before just buying any, as there are many DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluids that far exceed the DOT 5.1 stuff. Higher DOT numbers dosn't always mean its better.
Just get out there and have good safe fun at a speed you feel comfortable with, don't be put off by others going faster (or slower).
You should aim for getting a full days sport in at a pace you feel happy with rather than just 5 blistering laps and a knackered car.
You should come away from your first one with a list of jobs you want to do to the car to make the next one even more enjoyable, not worry about the next six months paying for it... as you never know you might find its not for you and all that money spent upfront is then wasted.
Im sure you will love it - and have fun but dont go over the top just yet IMHO.
Tony
As this is your first one ( I presume) you will be taking it steady, but checking over things like brakes and coolant is simple and a good start.
Re the DOT 5.1 fluid, check out the boiling points before just buying any, as there are many DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluids that far exceed the DOT 5.1 stuff. Higher DOT numbers dosn't always mean its better.
Just get out there and have good safe fun at a speed you feel comfortable with, don't be put off by others going faster (or slower).
You should aim for getting a full days sport in at a pace you feel happy with rather than just 5 blistering laps and a knackered car.
You should come away from your first one with a list of jobs you want to do to the car to make the next one even more enjoyable, not worry about the next six months paying for it... as you never know you might find its not for you and all that money spent upfront is then wasted.
Im sure you will love it - and have fun but dont go over the top just yet IMHO.
Tony
Wouldn't mind asking someone to come with me, Porkie did offer but not sure if he'll mind as he might have a queue
16-11-2005, 11:53 AM
#27
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Originally Posted by Oranoco
There's going to be a few of us with Beantins at Bedford then
16-11-2005, 12:06 PM
#28
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Sounds like a plan .
Last years day was fantastic.
Best advice I can give anybody is to just enjoy themselves and drive at a steady pace. Don't worry about keeping up with other cars or pushing really hard. Just enjoy it
. Last years day was fantastic.
Best advice I can give anybody is to just enjoy themselves and drive at a steady pace. Don't worry about keeping up with other cars or pushing really hard. Just enjoy it
16-11-2005, 02:04 PM
#32
Originally Posted by AndyRST
Forgot to say, check you wheelbearing/hub nuts are done up properly and hammered in at the indent part so they cant come undone! mine did on the last bedford day and with very little warning i lost 90% of my braking with excess brake pedal travel, and i was lucky not to lose a wheel off the car. Track days are hard on everthing but esp brakes, suspension and wheelbearings
@Andy 
