Brake cool down length?
05-27-2008, 05:30 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Brake cool down length?
I was wondering if there is an optimal time for a cool down lap. Also is there an optimal speed? Is 40 MPH OK or is 60 MPH better? Would rotors last longer with a long cool down time, for example leaving the track and putting on a few highway miles?
05-27-2008, 05:56 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jul 2004
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St. Jude Donor '10-'11
Well ... I'm a novice at this, just going into my 5th year ... but I try not to hit my brakes on the cool down lap on a HPDE, and if I've been using them really hard I continue driving around the pits at pit speed for a few minutes before parking ... then after parking I roll the car a foot every couple minutes for about 10 minutes. I've never cracked a rotor.
05-27-2008, 06:41 PM
#3
Team Owner
60 will bring more air than 40. You can drive around the pits a bit to keep air moving if cool down lap is short which many are. They do half laps when they flag end of session at two postions to save time at HPDE.
05-27-2008, 08:22 PM
#4
Race Director
I'm fine with a slow cool-down in the paddock. Just shut er' down and don't touch the brakes until their ambiant. However, as above, 60mph moves more air than 40mph, but then you are on track less time so the cooling probably works out about the same.
05-27-2008, 08:27 PM
#5
Race Director
Thread Starter
Running past the finish line at Road America leaves very little for a cool down lap exit at turn 5. The amount of braking is the same to head out on the highway as to go back to the pits. A run to Plymouth or Elkhart lake is several miles at 55 MPH. I am starting to think I will do that after running rather then returning to the pits.
Is it OK to hijack instructors?
There is a lot of elevation changes on the RA grounds, I use the brakes a lot if I drive around the track lanes.
Is it OK to hijack instructors?
There is a lot of elevation changes on the RA grounds, I use the brakes a lot if I drive around the track lanes.
05-27-2008, 09:36 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
05-27-2008, 09:43 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
You might consider an inline fan if you have brake ducts, or aseparate duct for the fan. This would allow you to continue cooling the brakes as long as you want with air moving at a good speed and volume.
05-27-2008, 09:56 PM
#9
Race Director
Thread Starter
I have wondered about that. What do people use? I am loathe to add extra weight at the same time.
05-28-2008, 12:02 AM
#10
Drifting
You should drive as fast as you can without using any braking and then do the above also if they are really hot. Also move the car a few feet in the pits after it sits for a few minutes so that the rotors cool off evenly. the calipers will hold the heat and keep the rotors from cooling down evenly.
05-28-2008, 09:52 AM
#11
Burning Brakes
The link below shows an example of the type of fan I am talking about. Although this particular one is intended for driver cooling, others just like it are available for other purposes.
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...asp?RecId=5752
Ed
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...asp?RecId=5752
Ed
05-28-2008, 10:01 AM
#12
Drifting
I also do the fast as you can without braking technique on the last lap. I have spindle ducts that work pretty well at getting air to the rotors so I want the air blasting them as much as possible. I try to keep the engine cool by being up in 4th or 5th for that lap too.
Dog
Dog
05-28-2008, 08:48 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
05-28-2008, 09:07 PM
#15
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Thread Starter
05-29-2008, 10:18 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
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When it comes to cooling down your rotors wouldn't you want to do it as gradually as possible? The reason rotors crack is due to thermal shock going from hot to cold or cold to hot too quickly, so one would think the best way to cool the brakes would be gradually and evenly. If you are out on track beating your brakes the rotor temps can easily reach 900 to 1000 degrees, if you have cooling all the way to the spindle ducts then you are blasting a lot of air onto very hot rotors. I would think that doing your cooldown closer to 40 mph rather than 60 mph would be better because you are not ramming the air in as fast and cooling slowly.
Andrew, there is plently of places to keep driving at RA (when you come in off the track and head up to the pits take a right by the bathroom complex and meeting building, take a stroll past the Corvette Corral and then go to your pit stall). The hard part is to not have the outer face of the rotor cool down too quickly in the 40 degree weather we have at the early spring and late fall events, if you really are worried about cooling rotors evenly I would throw something over your wheels once you stop to keep the outside face from cooling down too fast. Keeping the heat in but also keeping it even.
Just some thoughts.
Andrew, there is plently of places to keep driving at RA (when you come in off the track and head up to the pits take a right by the bathroom complex and meeting building, take a stroll past the Corvette Corral and then go to your pit stall). The hard part is to not have the outer face of the rotor cool down too quickly in the 40 degree weather we have at the early spring and late fall events, if you really are worried about cooling rotors evenly I would throw something over your wheels once you stop to keep the outside face from cooling down too fast. Keeping the heat in but also keeping it even.
Just some thoughts.