Is too much camber possible?

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

3 days and done?!

There are small wear holes on the tire. The tread goes away quick but use the holes as tread gauge. Unless you're passed those too already?!

Originally Posted by elim11

Yeah, Roastbeef's "3" track days are really more like 6 days... It's pretty much open/private track with a ton of track time.

102 laps total at big willow (2 days) and 44 laps at the streets (1 day). plus driving there and back, but that isn't a big deal.
i'm still working on my lines in a few spots, so once i smooth out a few corners i'm sure tire use will be extended a little bit.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

it's a familiar path down a different slippery slope for me... i got into offroading when i was younger. this truck used to be my daily driver until i needed... more! i'm a little older and wiser now, and i don't think i'll spend the coin and strip the M. this car is sentimental to me and i like it in stockish form, but i do want to beat on it at the track and enhance it where i can without going too over the top.
the truck is sentimental too, i still have it and still love it. i am definitely exhibiting more self control with modding the M though.

You weren't kidding when you said off-roading, that is a beast. Can you really make it through to the top in that?? Wow.

I'm in kind of in the same vein as you, I enjoy daily driving my car too much to strip it down completely and make it unusable in the street. Next year is a smog year and I might have an M4 (if I can stop spending insane amounts of money on mods and track fees) for daily driving in the fall so it might get more radical mods, we will see though.

[roastbeef]

there are two parts to that "waterfall" as we call them. i've made it before, but the landscape changes with each rainy season. this time on the second waterfall there was a sizable boulder i kept scraping my rear diff on and it was forcing my front tires off the desired line.
the front and rear differentials are lockable and the truck got in/out of this on its own power, but i didn't make it this time. the sun was going down and grilling meat over a camp fire sounded like a better idea. wheeling in the dark sucks.

my point is- tracking my car is just as satisfying as offroading. its the same challenge of self-improvement, discipline, and sense of accomplishment. just as addicting, and just as expensive, unfortunately.
sorry for the thread jack!

[Candide13]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Brake better and understeer issues will usually fix themselves.

Don't want to thread-jack but could you expand on this a little?

[okusa]

Originally Posted by Candide13

Don't want to thread-jack but could you expand on this a little?

He's basically referring to the adage "slow in, fast out". You can't come into a turn too hot pounding on your breaks and then expect sharp turn in because you are asking your front tires to do too many things at once. Those front tires are already being overburdened not only the braking but the excess weight that is being shifted forward. So, while learning breaking points, try and be a bit smoother by breaking sooner and getting back on the gas (to transfer a bit of weight off the front end) sooner.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by okusa

He's basically referring to the adage "slow in, fast out". You can't come into a turn too hot pounding on your breaks and then expect sharp turn in because you are asking your front tires to do too many things at once. Those front tires are already being overburdened not only the braking but the excess weight that is being shifted forward. So, while learning breaking points, try and be a bit smoother by breaking sooner and getting back on the gas (to transfer a bit of weight off the front end) sooner.

Exactly.

Early on, most organization will emphasize threshold braking. So that's what students do. At some point, drivers will need to learn how to balance the car under braking...not just throwing out the boat anchor at every corner.

Keep the car balanced even if you end up braking less for a slightly longer distance in some turns. The better balanced the car is, the sooner you can get back on the throttle.

Then the last piece of the puzzle is how you release the brakes. You can't really get the full benefits of trail braking unless you can keep the car balanced while braking and smoothly release...its kind of like heel toe downshifting.

The other issue will be heel toe downshifting. If you're used to blipping the throttle with the brake fully depressed...you'll need to adapt to being able to throttle blip with the brake depressed at different levels.

There's a lot of speed to gain in smoother braking and maintaining a more balanced car.