Track forum general chit chat.

[hayes180]

Originally Posted by chamba002

I track mine all day

[IMG]Untitled by Chamba, on Flickr[/IMG]

haha yup my TESl's have seen some good days at the track and some bad ones. But no issues with them so far. VOLKS FTW!

[ayao]

Originally Posted by andrewmega

Ordered StopTech ST60/40 kits over the weekend, planning to swap them in probably after one more track day on the stock setup.
Hope you all don't mind me rehashing, and I know this has been discussed a lot around the internet, but I'm curious to see what your current/recent opinions are on fluid and pads.

Castrol SRF still seems like the easy option. It's about double the price of RBF600 (per volume) but if I can get away with one less flush, the extra cost is more than made up. Endless RF650 is supposed to be even better than SRF but I feel like SRF is more than enough for me already? Any other options I should be considering?

As for pads, I know there are a ton of different preferences. I've never used 'race' or 'track' pads, but let's say I want to try something more aggressive -- what would you recommend to someone wanting to make that step?

Any advice is appreciated! I had a few problems with the stock brakes last year which I could probably resolve with better fluid and pads, but I have the opportunity to swap to StopTech BBK and I don't think I'll regret it. Planning to fit in more track days going forward too.

Castrol SRF seems really expensive up front but as you point out, the value equation improves substantially if it saves you a single flush -- then it has paid for itself. Having run both SRF and RBF600, I can't say I've been able to tell a difference on either the stock setup or my current AP/Essex front BBK.

Over on 1addicts there was some discussion about the recovery characteristics of SRF and how pedal feel changes once the fluid is cooked. These were guys running time attack events and what not -- driving at a level that I'm unlikely to ever see. http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...php?p=10494908

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by ayao

Castrol SRF seems really expensive up front but as you point out, the value equation improves substantially if it saves you a single flush -- then it has paid for itself. Having run both SRF and RBF600, I can't say I've been able to tell a difference on either the stock setup or my current AP/Essex front BBK.

Over on 1addicts there was some discussion about the recovery characteristics of SRF and how pedal feel changes once the fluid is cooked. These were guys running time attack events and what not -- driving at a level that I'm unlikely to ever see. http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...php?p=10494908

Berk ftw. He's an old friend then got tired of interwebs lol

Can still get sweet deals on certain tires though. I got 4 rs3 as a wedding gift a few years ago.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by ayao

Castrol SRF seems really expensive up front but as you point out, the value equation improves substantially if it saves you a single flush -- then it has paid for itself. Having run both SRF and RBF600, I can't say I've been able to tell a difference on either the stock setup or my current AP/Essex front BBK.

Over on 1addicts there was some discussion about the recovery characteristics of SRF and how pedal feel changes once the fluid is cooked. These were guys running time attack events and what not -- driving at a level that I'm unlikely to ever see. http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...php?p=10494908

They also appear to have been using a ... sub-optimal brake kit too, FWIW. I'm not a clever man, so I don't want to be dicking around bleeding my brakes after a session. Castrol SRF has let me do 25 track days back to back without bleeding or fade.

I'm not the fastest person by any means, but I like to do mini LeMans events where I do 15+ hot laps in a row, and with the right brake pad + kit it holds up well.

[admranger]

SRF is nice, but doesn't have the best pedal feel (to me anyway). Torque 700 has a rock hard pedal feel (at least on my old E46M3 it did). Best I've ever experienced.

That being said, I'm sticking with SRF for now, especially after moving to DC with its humidity.

[hayes180]

Originally Posted by redpriest

They also appear to have been using a ... sub-optimal brake kit too, FWIW. I'm not a clever man, so I don't want to be dicking around bleeding my brakes after a session. Castrol SRF has let me do 25 track days back to back without bleeding or fade.

I'm not the fastest person by any means, but I like to do mini LeMans events where I do 15+ hot laps in a row, and with the right brake pad + kit it holds up well.

I did t see who wrote this but knew it was you when you said mini lemans haha

[roastbeef]

anyone going to laguna seca on 04/15? i haven't booked my room or registered yet, but i'm 99% sure this is happening.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by admranger

SRF is nice, but doesn't have the best pedal feel (to me anyway). Torque 700 has a rock hard pedal feel (at least on my old E46M3 it did). Best I've ever experienced.

That being said, I'm sticking with SRF for now, especially after moving to DC with its humidity.

What does that have to do with it? Asking why? Anything wrong with T700?

[admranger]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

What does that have to do with it? Asking why? Anything wrong with T700?

T700 is fine. SRF, iirc, has the better wet boiling temp but I could be mistaken. Oh, and I have a liter of SRF on the shelf waiting to be moved to VA (it'll travel in the X5 when we drive that out). My memory is in the ditch awaiting a tow. Too many distractions with the move. I keep forgetting things left and right. It's super annoying...lol

And, [rant on] WTF Virginia? More cops patrolling in the first 100 miles in Virginia than the sum total of my trip from Vegas to the VA state line. Time for a funding cut. We're talking multiples of 5x more (than my whole trip) in VA once I got to Alexandria. That's just f'n insane. [/rant]

[hayes180]

Picked up my first bell helmet today (Vader size 58/59 with light blue tint) and this OMP head rest. The head rest is actually pretty comfortable and just straps on.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by admranger

T700 is fine. SRF, iirc, has the better wet boiling temp but I could be mistaken. Oh, and I have a liter of SRF on the shelf waiting to be moved to VA (it'll travel in the X5 when we drive that out). My memory is in the ditch awaiting a tow. Too many distractions with the move. I keep forgetting things left and right. It's super annoying...lol

And, [rant on] WTF Virginia? More cops patrolling in the first 100 miles in Virginia than the sum total of my trip from Vegas to the VA state line. Time for a funding cut. We're talking multiples of 5x more (than my whole trip) in VA once I got to Alexandria. That's just f'n insane. [/rant]

Take it from me, you do not want to get caught in the VA traffic dragnet. That place, along with New Jersey, has the most draconian penalties for traffic violations. Mandatory court appearance for traffic ticket - I have spent many days in the good old traffic court for my sailors (when I was in).

[hayes180]

If anyone thought sound at MRLS at 90db was bad, Limerock in Connecticut is 86dB on a good day. Lol.

[roastbeef]

so basically, you better be stock. do they have a sound check at a specific area, or is it throughout the track?
laguna has a sound booth and they "say" that they check it though a few parts of the track, but i think its a scare tactic.

[M3 Number 86]

You can get gps based muffler systems like porsche guys. Too much time on their hands lol

[hayes180]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

so basically, you better be stock. do they have a sound check at a specific area, or is it throughout the track?
laguna has a sound booth and they "say" that they check it though a few parts of the track, but i think its a scare tactic.

honestly no idea.. I'm moving to the east coast in Sep/Oct so i wanted to do Limerock and maybe 2 others before i garaged the car for the winter... i would imagine a bone stock M3 (exhaust/engine wise) should pass).

[hayes180]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

You can get gps based muffler systems like porsche guys. Too much time on their hands lol

lol i guess thats an option..

[admranger]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

so basically, you better be stock. do they have a sound check at a specific area, or is it throughout the track?
laguna has a sound booth and they "say" that they check it though a few parts of the track, but i think its a scare tactic.

They have the sound shack between 5-6 on the outside of the track. However, they also have a roving sound check at events. It's not a scare tactic.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by admranger

They have the sound shack between 5-6 on the outside of the track. However, they also have a roving sound check at events. It's not a scare tactic.

at laguna, right? and by events, you're talking about hpde days? i just wanted to clarify that. i have heard of such a thing, but have never seen it. i know, it doesn't mean it isn't happening, but i figured someone would catch on and point it out or something.
how do people get away with "laguna pipes" then? are they simply on the cusp of a violation and its just enough to get them by?

[redpriest]

Bought a new seat today and Schroth Profi II 6-point harness! Have to wait for the base to arrive but I have everything else needed

[roastbeef]

that actually looks pretty comfy. do the halos come off? looks like they are detachable.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

that actually looks pretty comfy. do the halos come off? looks like they are detachable.

Yes, they're detachable - they're held in place by a pretty beefy bolt + nut combo. The shop I went to (Wine Country motorsports in Sonoma) has a pretty good selection and I tried a bunch of seats. The OMP seats were also really good too.

One thing to keep in mind, which I didn't realize until nholmes told me about it, is that you want the shoulder strap holes in the seat to be above your shoulders or in an accident, you could get a compressed spine/paralysis/death. I noticed when I sat in them it was a little low, but didn't think much of it until I got home. I just checked it a little while ago and thankfully they sit about a half inch above the top of my shoulders - so it's just perfect.

Since you're tall AF you would need to check this to make sure it will fit.

My car is still street driven (even if just to the track and back) so I need the detachable halos for now. Once I get the towing vehicle + trailer (near the end of this year) I can go full ham on other stuff.

[roastbeef]

Right. That's the biggest problem I have in this car. I can't get into an optimal track seating position without my head hitting the A pillar. My shoulders are a couple inches above the oem seats.
And if I'm doing seats- they are going to be as light as possible.

Side note on a tow vehicle- I saw a dodge commercial that they are leasing the base ram trucks for like $129 a month. I forget the down. Maybe low mileage or something.