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08-18-2022, 09:05 PM | #1 |
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Adventures tracking a mostly stock M3
Figured I'd just start a "track" journal here instead of making a new thread for each HPDE/Lapping day.
Background on the car and more mechanical stuff here: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1726535
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08-18-2022, 09:06 PM | #2 | |
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DrFerry6748.00 |
08-18-2022, 09:10 PM | #3 | |||
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DrFerry6748.00 |
08-18-2022, 09:11 PM | #4 | ||
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08-19-2022, 07:22 AM | #6 | |
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It's a great area in general because there's so much to do outside of the track.
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Cmassey3432.00 |
08-19-2022, 10:31 AM | #7 |
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haven’t been to the glen in 11 years. I’ll go again one day.
What hitch and airbags did you install on the x5. I have the same x5 and wondered about towing either the m3 or another racecar one day with it. |
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08-19-2022, 10:53 AM | #8 | |
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018O94RPM...roduct_details Curt 13077 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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rcracin1250.50 |
09-07-2022, 01:39 PM | #11 |
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Only on track. Used to run them on the street but not worth the worry and risk of no filtration.
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01-03-2023, 09:23 AM | #12 |
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My latest project was refurbing my trailer. Bought it new in 2016 and it has been incredibly useful as mostly a utility trailer but also a track day tool. The deck was rotten in one place (painted regular plywood) but the frame was salvageable despite having some rust/scale.
Back when it was new and nice: Chinesium paint oxidized quickly and turned pink. This was a bit on the heavier side for the C5, but just had to take it slow. M3 putting in work too Ok, damage report: Bye Bye deck The extent of the rust: The insides of the tires were rough. Somehow outer sidewalls weren't so bad The cost to buy/mount 2 new tires as well time to sand and repaint the old rims came out the same as brand new ones, so I picked up a set and will keep the old ones as spares. As further rust prevention I painted the rims (also change up the color a bit from boring Trailer White). Heavy wire wheel and needle scaler were essential for removing rust and scale. I also put in new hub seals and regreased the bearings since they were in good shape. Primer and Black Gloss brushed on from Tractor Supply That's as far as I am today. It has been a challenge getting the paint to dry with the very cold temps, but it's getting there when I run the heater for a bit. More to come.
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DrFerry6748.00 |
05-22-2023, 09:47 AM | #13 |
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Finally got my track season kicked off. Track prep consisted of an oil change, exhaust swap, Power Stop Track Day pads (brand new all around) and mounting up the ancient Federal 275s. I did have to install a new drop hitch as the trailer sat way nose low before. Of course it hit the bumper before it would reach the pin hole, so 20 minutes later on the drill press...
Uneventful 90 minute ride out to Toronto Motorsports Park pulling the trailer. Being a weekday, the track was nearly empty all day - there were maybe 5-6 other cars throughout the day. I spent the day mostly knocking off the rust and relearning my motions, lines, etc. Played with tire pressures at bit and found that they were happiest at around 30-31psi hot. The brakes worked well but struggled later in the day especially as I ran longer sessions. The wheels would be coated in brake dust powder and front rotors were measuring 700F+. I also tried out the free Track Addict app, which I liked. Great fun day lapping, biggest issue is being somewhat uncomfortable in the car as the stock seat and belt doesn't hold you in place. I really don't want to hack this car up as it's mainly a street car, so I might look into those QuickFit harnesses.
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DrFerry6748.00 |
05-22-2023, 12:09 PM | #14 |
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A few days after TMP, I had the opportunity to do an HPDE day at my home track, Watkins Glen, with the GVC Chapter of the BMWCCA. This was a one day event open only to Advanced/Solo participants, so traffic was very light, and the folks out there were fast and smart. The car performed really well at TMP so I didn't need to do anything other than adjust tire pressure for the trip out there. Didn't even unhook the trailer
Bringing my own fuel to the event was great, it was really nice being able to relax during the lunch hour and not worry about heading into town to refuel. I ran the tank down to about 1/4 and would just keep it around 3/8 by refilling periodically. This car doesn't seem to suffer from fuel starvation, so I figured I wouldn't put unnecessary weight in it. Ghost town in the garage Despite the weather being in the mid 70s all week, it only reached a high of 50F on the day of the event. It was cold and very windy which seemed great for power production in the morning but made for an uncomfortable time when not in the car/on track. The tires and brakes didn't seem to mind the cold and by noon the sun was peeking out a bit. Oil temp never went over 220-230ish no matter how long I stayed out or how hard I beat on it. I continued to play with tire pressures trying to sneak up on the arrow on the sidewall but went a bit low, so I ended up settling at 34psi hot which was a happy medium. These are 2017 date code tires so they're well past their useful life - just wanted to get the last bit out of them. Overall I liked the 595-RSRRs, they wore very well and despite being loud on the street were predictable in the dry. Never tried them in the rain. As I refamiliarized myself with the track I realized I was leaving a lot of time on the table by overbraking, especially on the front and back straights. I would find myself braking firmly but overslowing, then releasing the brakes slowly (but not fully) as I realized I could have gone faster. Each session I got more comfortable braking later and also much more firmly - definitely engaging ABS hard, and not lingering on the brakes during turn in as much. Lap times came way down, but the front brakes were starting to struggle as a result... The brakes would be great at first (hard bite initially) but after 4-5 laps definitely felt softer and more inconsistent in deceleration rate despite a firm pedal and consistent pressure applied by me. Front: Rear: Front rotors starting to form grooves and cracking around the cross drilled holes. The rotors ended up looking way worse by the end of the event. The fronts were just puking brake dust powder (not the residue that forms a coating on wheels, but actual black metallic powder) and a quick inspection showed that I was down to about 3/16" material. I pulled the pads just to get a better idea of their condition and found that the friction material was separating from the backing plate. While pulling one of the front wheels off, I also found this... Wouldn't come out no matter how hard I yanked with pliers, my guess is one of the steel belts inside broke after hundreds of track miles and slamming over curbing. Between this and the pads, I took it as a sign to call it a day, so I slapped the OEM pads back in and installed the 220Ms for the ride back home. Despite the day being cut a bit short I was overall happy with my progression. Last year on the same tires and brakes, in 80F weather, I got myself down to a 2:21 and was ecstatic about it. Now with more worn tires and way more seat time, PR was a 2:15.504 Fun fact - Once I got home and pulled everything apart to put the street pads back in and assess rotor damage, I found that the OEM rotors and pads are exactly that....OEM. As in, original to the car from September 2008. I'd say I got my money's worth. I need to remind myself to take a pic of the front rotors in their current state... Plan going forward: New OEM rotors and DTC-60 pads through FCP lifetime program More fresh RBF660 Porsche GT3 brake cooling scoops on the control arms up front Bimmerworld stainless lines 6x Mount new 595 RS-RR's that are sitting in my shed
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DrFerry6748.00 |
07-24-2023, 02:31 PM | #16 |
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Aftermath of TMP and WGI 1 day events. I'm almost positive these rotors were original to the car. Pour one out for these bad boys
New SS lines and fresh annual fluid New pads up front for street use only to replace the OEMs. These are awesome, there is little to no dust output. Big beefy Hawd DTC-70s for track use. Got them through FCP and will be utilizing the Lifetime replacement to ease costs. Quite thick
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07-24-2023, 02:52 PM | #17 |
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The next step in extending pad and rotor life was getting some cooling into the front brakes. For whatever reason there is absolutely no ducting to the brakes on the M3...even my lowly 2001 540i had ducts that shot some ambient air in the general direction of the hub.
I picked up some aluminum backing plates that use a 2" inlet. They needed minor massaging to bolt up, but protect the tie rod ends from heat fairly well. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...2usa4itemAdapt I adapted the 2" inlet to 2.5" hose with an off the shelf exhaust adapter and bolted it all up. For the fresh air inlet, I cut holes in the face of the undertray and bolted up 3D printed ducts made by a member on the E9X Track and Race Discussion FB group. Clearance is good, it's very close at full lock with 275/35/18s by the subframe but I used a few extra zip ties to suck in the duct and oval it where it was close to the tire. Fresh rubber - love these tires for their endurance, durability, and price point. Turbo LS Jag waits patiently for its turn in the garage.
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07-25-2023, 10:17 AM | #18 |
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I ended up with Girodisc rotors and then bending/cutting the heatshields into scoops for the stock "vents" in the 1 series bumper. We'll have to compare notes on the two different approaches.
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07-26-2023, 06:53 AM | #19 |
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Sounds good Adam. My approach has been to check the rotor with an IR gun right after getting back from a hard session with 1 cool down lap using minimal braking. Hoping to bring the fronts down to 600-700F and increase pad life longer than 2 days. With the pad brand change it's not apples to apples - the new compound will probably stand up to heat better than the Powerstop.
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12-05-2023, 07:23 AM | #20 |
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I'm trying to get more into the Youtube thing. Spent some time making a video about my recent lapping adventures this past fall. If you're bored, check it out and consider subscribing. Always open to commentary and suggestions.
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03-22-2024, 10:28 AM | #22 |
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I realized I never wrapped up my notes on the 2023 HPDE season.
Around mid-summer 2023 the car threw its first CEL in my ownership, for a Thermostat code. I hooked up my OBD dongle and monitored coolant temps to find that it was hovering around 165F when "warmed up", so obviously the thermostat was stuck open. Although the car already had the water pump replaced early in its life, I figured it was cheap insurance to do while I was in there. Surprised to find a plastic impeller, but pleased to be replacing it with a metal one. I also replaced union o-rings and hoses as a precaution. FCP Euro includes a nice kit for all this. Of course I broke this little bugger (radiator drain plug) before I realized it was a one time use and had to pay a ridiculous fee for a new one. I also replaced a noisy belt idler pulley/bearing.
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