neverenoughhp#

I just completed my first track day in the Z06 and I'm now considering keeping the car and doing 2-5 track days per year. What are the best bang for your buck mods and/or adjustments?

09 Z06 that is completely stock right now with old Michelin Pilot Sports. Goals: true street car with light mods to help durability and speed around a road course with the ability to return it to stock or close to stock without much trouble. I am not looking to add hp or at least not much.

Local track is Putnam Park Road Course in IN. I live in Indianapolis and will need a shop to complete some of this work (I can swap brakes, brake fluid, etc easy stuff) so I'd also like suggestions on where to get the work done.

I'm sure some of you guys you could rattle off this list pretty quickly so I'd really appreciate your assistance. It would also help if you provided an option A and option B for some items. For example, I could do a cheaper suspension upgrade retaining the leaf spring architecture or go to a coil over setup.

thanks in advance to anyone that offers suggestions

neverenoughhp#

I didn't provide a budget because I haven't set an exact number yet and I may do this in phases. Yes I am willing to buy some parts used. I built another car and have been around many modified cars but I am new to the Corvette platform. With that being said, my very limited knowledge of the Z has me currently thinking about the following:

1. lighter and possibly wider wheels I could put better track tires on but still drive to the track. what size wheels and tires do you suggest? I don't want the wheel/tire package and ride height to be so extreme I have issues driving it around. This is a street car
2. lighter and more supportive race seat for at least the driver's side
3. better brake fluid but what kind? what about SS braided brake line?
4. suspension: I got a lot of back and forth rocking while racing which is pretty unsettling. Do I need to go to a coilover set or are some of the leaf spring based mods good enough? Bushings? Sway bars? Hopefully there is a full kit and recommended ride height, camber, etc settings
5. Valves - I have no reason to believe I have an issue but I am worried about it. Thoughts on just biting the bullet to have them re-done and maybe even a light port and polish while they have them off?
6. Cooling? I had no problems when I raced BUT it was 65 degrees and I drained about half of the antifreeze and replaced it with water. Will I have any issues racing it during the summer? Any cooling upgrades needed?

Any good suggestions on articles or threads to read?

http://www.lsxtv.com/tech-stories/br...vers-vs-leafs/

MUKAK

u better believe it,

valves would be 1st thing i would do

neverenoughhp#

Understood. Yes I fear it, but I'm saying I don't have an signs right now. I also know most people don't get any warning.

So in your opinion the preventative cost is worth it. What all do you suggest I get done? We have http://www.lingenfelter.com/ here in IN but I'm open to suggestions from any of the Midwest members on here.

seamus2154

Been there done that, pretty sure where your going, I will lay out a few things that are going to happen.

For peace of mind and some insurance, do the heads.
Run 15/50 for the track ( the best oil analysis I get is on 15/50 Mobile 1) alternate is 0/40
Poly bushings
ccw c10 18" Toyo R888 tires ( can still drive to track)
Coil overs LG g2's and G1 sway bars ( straight forward performance no adjusting)
Track alignment
Brey krause harness bar, g force belts
sparco evoII seat w/ marrad slider bolts right in for track days
2015 snell helmet
hans sport 30 degree
brakes w/ track pads. (many options here, go with your budget) I run ZR1 brakes but very expensive upkeep.
Driver mod….take instructors, leave your ego home. Go to spring mountain or Bondurant when you can……well worth it!
No reason to touch motor. ( I have been all stock w/ above mods and run with big boys)
catch can a must
tunnel plate
radiator
brake cooling ducts

Thats where you will find your self going even if you do it in stages. Tires, and brakes first, driver mod.

Good luck

neverenoughhp#

https://www.lgmotorsports.com/corvet...r-package.html

These GT2 coils with G1 sway bar?

The brakes felt really good on the track. My first concern is keeping them repeatable and reliable (brake fluid, and cooling ducts). What are the options to do more? Just pads? Will the rotors hold up? What about the brake lines?

I had an instructor through the 10/10ths group at Putnam Park. I'll definitely do that again in the Spring, then do a few track days by myself, then back to an instructor, and so on.

thanks for your help.

Bill Dearborn

Based on the OPs limit on the number of track days (2 to 5 per year) I would modify the list to some degree. The car is pretty much ready to go the way it is.

Driver mod….take instructors, leave your ego home. Go to spring mountain or Bondurant when you can……well worth it!
Even if an instructor signs you off have them ride with you. You are paying for the coaching and might as well take advantage of it. There is more than one way to skin a cat and having multiple instructors ride with you will show you different ways to approach turns, braking, etc.

This is the first thing you need to do.

Run 15/50 for the track ( the best oil analysis I get is on 15/50 Mobile 1) alternate is 0/40

This is the second thing you need to do.
brake cooling ducts

I replaced the stock ducts with LG units which have a 3 inch metal tube on the outlet and then used the Quantum Spindle duct kit. LG makes a spindle duct kit as well but theirs requires removing the wheel bearing and replacing the wheel speed sensor mounting plate between the wheel hub and the knuckle. The Quantum kit requires cutting the sensor mounting plate off and the install is a little easier. The LGs may work a little better since their spindle duct probably forces more air into the rotor just due to the way it is mounted.

This is the third thing you need to do.

With the number of days per year mentioned the stock brakes are probably up to the task. However, if you approach 10 days per year (Usually 5 events as most events are 2 days) the consumable costs of running the stock brakes can start to add up and that is when you need to consider an aftermarket big brake system. At the minimum you need to consider brakes w/ track pads. A novice or low level intermediate level driver can get by with Hawk HP Plus pads. I used them as an instructor and was able to over heat the pads toward the middle to the end of a 20 minute session but they were low cost and held up much better than the stock pads.

This is the fourth thing you need to do.

For peace of mind and some insurance, do the heads.

If you spend the money on this you do not want to waste it on the standard $2500 head job that most people do. The object is reliability and the best valves for the track are going to be Ti/Mo intake and exhaust valves along with the appropriate bronze guides. The valves alone will run you close to $3K but you have a light weight valve train with a solid exhaust valve. I suffered an exhaust valve drop while on track at speed and GM replaced the engine. 4 years and 12K miles (and a lot of track miles) later I had the heads removed and checked. The findings were that all exhaust guides were well within spec as were all but two of the intake guides which were .0002 outside the service spec. I finally decided to follow Katech's and my engine builder's recommendations to go with the Ti/Mo valves due to the way I use the car. Otherwise, I would have just gone with the new set of GM heads which GMPP was providing.

Poly bushings
At the OPs driving level I don't think this is necessary. I haven't even done it on my 08 which I have been tracking since 09. The OP wants a street car and Poly's have a notorious loud squeaking history on street cars.

ccw c10 18" Toyo R888 tires ( can still drive to track)

Track alignment
This may be more of a compromise for the OP. R888s require a lot of negative camber (-3 deg). If he is running real street tires then he probably wants to keep the front negative camber in the -1.3 range with rear negative camber in the -.9 to -1 range.

Brey krause harness bar, g force belts
sparco evoII seat w/ marrad slider bolts right in for track days

Shark bar should also be considered. However, whatever you do you need to figure on two times the cost on seats and belts since you need equal equipment on both sides. Fixed mount seat brackets are safer than sliders and can get the seats lower if you have head room issues.

For a beginner using the stock seat belt adjusted properly in Cinch Mode along with a set of Angel Wings will keep him in place. I upgraded my stock seats to sport seats so have the inflatable side bolsters and with them inflated to the max I get some lateral restraint on my upper body and a set of angel wings would probably help me keep my legs in place so I wasn't breaking the door spealer grill. I didn't go with the angel wings since I already have two Ultrashield Aluminum Race seats I install for track events.

2015 snell helmet
hans sport 30 degree

If you go with a race seat and race harness

If you stay with the 3 point belt system (works pretty well when in Cinch Mode) there is no safe way to use a head restraint system, the R3 isn't that good and is a waste of money.

No reason to touch motor. ( I have been all stock w/ above mods and run with big boys)

My motor is stock (except for the valves and the bronze guides) right down to the air cleaner element and I can keep up with almost every other Z06 from a power standpoint.

catch can a must
Some people run these and some don't. I haven't run one in 23 years of doing track events including 18 years of running C5s and C6s. Have never noticed a problem due to not running it. My first LS7 blew after 4K track miles and seven cylinders and the associated valves were in good shape even though the engine used the normal quart of oil per day.

tunnel plate

Not sure about the improvement in handling claims on the C6 since GM made them thicker than the C5 stock plates but there may be some reduction in heat coming up through the tunnel. Once you melt a remote while it is in the center console you will know what I mean by heat.

radiator
Not really necessary as the stock Z06 cooling system is very good especially for the track where you will be driving. I have on 08 with probably a better oil cooler than you have and my on track oil temp runs 260 at places like the Glen and about 10 degrees less at VIR or CMP. I don't really monitor coolant temp. I have oil temp displayed on the DIC and I do pay attention to it. As long as it doesn't go over 280 I don't get too concerned. On my 03 Z I saw 319 degrees one hot August day at the Glen and that did concern me.

Bill

neverenoughhp#

Thanks Bill

I am considering having a second set of wheels/tires but even if I do you are right I won't want to mess with the camber before and after each track day. If I stick with one set of wheels are the Pilot Super Sports a good all around tire? Same tire size? If I decide to go with an extra set; should I consider wider wheels and or tires? What is a good bang for your buck wheel that weighs less than the stock chromed wheels?

I do not see any mention of shocks or coilovers in your list. Putnam Park has a lot of elevation change and bumps so I was getting a lot of awkward movement from the car. Is a suspension upgrade worth it for an occasional weekend track visit?

KNSBrakes

The stock brakes will hold up well especially on street tires as long as you watch a few things.

-The pad pins can strip/seize/fall out. They are a weak point of the brakes. Remove the calipers to change pads and loctite/leave the pins in. One piece pads have a bit more material and won't fall out.

-Blank rotors crack less.

-Fluid will eventually boil. Use a good track fluid and bleed frequently.

-Insulate the tie rod ends and ball joints from the brake heat or the rubber boots will eventually crack.

-Check the brakes often.

-Brakes like to get hot/stay hot/cool evenly and uniformly - like your engine.

-Select the proper compound for your driving skill and car prep level.

LFZ

I have just the recipe you want on my own Z.

2008 Z06-stock LS7 w/stock tune & heads

Halltech CF102 intake with beehive (for those cooler IATs)
Akrapovic catback exhaust (for the sound and looks mostly)
Full CF aero: splitter, skirts, and GM rear spoiler
LG G2 coilovers
LG G1 sway bars with heavy duty end links
OEM Speedline 18/19 wheels powdercoated black
Toyo R888s in stock OE sizes 325/30-19 & 275/35-18
Brake pads...switch between Carbotech 10/8s, Stoptech street pads, and OE pads depending on track.
Motul 600 fluid in brakes
M1 0w40 oil
Of course having a trusted alignment guy will do wonders...I usually visit mine before every track day.

I can easily convert everything back to stock...and I am just a weekend DE guy doing about 5-10 days a year. Driver mod is going to be most important of course, but these little advantages help here and there especially with confidence. I also run stock, untouched valvetrain.

philpacs

Great advise so far. Since your doing only a few days a year my opinion is much of that is overkill especially since the car is much faster than you as is, unless you have lots of prior track time. If you have all that disposable income sure but it will only take you longer to grow into the extra higher limits of the car thus you learn less. I'd follow Bills advise and get good seat time with instruction..besides doing the heads which are more to cover yourself regardless of how you use the car. I've tracked Putnam many times and stock brakes will be fine. Put track pads, high temp fluids and I'd even leave street tires until they start to show abuse. I'd upgrade as you go but doing all that listed will only slow your skill building. I'd keep pads at 50% or preferably more as the stock brakes transfer heat too quickly with low pads.

You can have fun this season and learn more this way then next season maybe start to slowly upgrade starting with belts, tires, extra cooling kits but only if your reaching the limits and the car warrants it. Upgrading is a never ending project and snowballs so enjoy the learning.

neverenoughhp#

Thanks Philap and I agree. Getting faster (with mods) is secondary to reliability and safety. I've raced several cars and my only concern (other than the valves) is the awkward suspension. It has loads of grip but doesn't inspire much confidence in certain situations. The back end was bouncing from left to right going down the straight-away and skipping over small bumps a bit. I was thinking about the suspension more for safety and confidence than lap times. I do not want to hide my errors and handicap my progress but I also want to be safe while pushing the car more and more. I'd like to modify as little as possible to be honest. I was glad to hear that stock blank rotors and the cooling system are adequate.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

1: DOT 4 brake fluid.

2: are you willing to swap pads between street and track?

Here is a proven combo.

Carbotech XP10 front XP8 rear. This is based off you are using a street tire and not R comp. The Carbotech have plenty of initial bite and great modulation while being rotor friendly. Carbotech also has a street pad the 1521 compound which you can swap to for street use and since all Carbotech compounds are compatible with each other all you need to do is swap pads on track days and go no re-bedding or changing rotors nothing put them on and go and yes the XP series can be driven on the street so, yes you can drive them to and from the track with out issue except for noise and dust.

If interested please let me know and I will be happy to set you up. Pricing is below.

XP10 $326 XP8 $279 Less 5%.

1521 Front $290 1521 Rear $246 Less 5%.

Carbotech™ XP10™

When Carbotech™ unleashed the XP10™ to the general public it immediately gathered multiple regional, divisional, and national championships. The XP10™ has a very strong initial bite with a coefficient of friction and rotor friendliness unmatched in the industry. Fade resistance is in excess of 1475°F (801°C). XP10™ still maintains the highly praised release, excellent modulation and rotor friendliness that have made all Carbotech™ compounds so successful. Carbotech™ XP10™ is not recommended as a daily-driven street pad due to possible elevated levels of dust and noise.

Carbotech™ XP8™

A high torque brake compound with a wide operating temperature range of 200°F-1250°F+ (93°C to 676°C+). Carbotech™ XP8™ is the first of our racing compounds. Good initial bite at race temperatures, high coefficient of friction, excellent modulation and release characteristics. Extremely high fade resistance and very rotor friendly. Perfect for track day use with any tire and can still be driven safely to and from the track. Carbotech™ does NOT recommended XP8™ as a daily driven street pad due to elevated levels of dust and noise. Carbotech™ XP8™ is a great compound on the front & rear of most open wheel and sports racers.

Carbotech™ Bobcat 1521™ The Carbotech Bobcat 1521™ is our high performance street compound that is our most successful compound. The Bobcat compound is known for its awesome release and modulation, along with unmatched rotor friendliness. Like our AX™ & XP™ line of compounds, Bobcat 1521™ is a Ceramic based friction material offering minimal rotor damage and non-corrosive dust. Bobcat 1521™ offers outstanding performance, even when cold, low dusting and low noise with an excellent initial bite. This compound’s virtually perfect linear torque production provides incredible braking force without ABS intervention. Bobcat 1521™ operating range starts out at ambient and goes up to 900°F. Bobcat 1521™ is suitable for ALL street cars, perfect for your tow vehicle, police cruiser. The Bobcat 1521™ compound has been found to last two-three times longer than OE pads you can purchase at a dealership or national retailer. That’s one of the beauties of Carbotech Ceramic brake compounds. Bobcat 1521™ is NOT recommended for any track use.

rsalco

Alignment, including caster. Before any suspension [or even tire] mods. THEN, and only then, consider hard parts. Re. nervous back-end, check your shocks; one or more may be worn. Also, check rear end-links for wear. They are supposed to be greased, but few know about or do it. FYI, GM offers a complete T1 track suspension package that is engineered as an integrated, balanced system. You can't do better at any price point.

Bill Dearborn

What do you mean when you say awkward movement? C6Zs will give you some issues accelerating off the apex of bumpy corners. I sort of think the rear spring may be a little too stiff for that type of condition. The DRM shocks will help a little and maybe coil overs would resolve the situation. However, the most cost effective method is to just wait until the rear wheels come off the bumps and then roll onto the throttle. Sure you won't rocket down the next straight quite as fast but you save a couple thousand dollars and helps teach you throttle control.

Other issues might be resolved by adjusting the alignment. If your toe settings are off you could get some unusual behavior when lifting off or getting on the throttle.

A loose hub or loose tie rod end could also give you some weird results.

Bill

neverenoughhp#

First, my tires are bad and I know it. I have Pilot Sports (not PSS), and they are old (I can see some dry rot). However, I can somewhat differentiate the tires from the suspension.

Drag Strip / Highway Pull: The worst I ever felt was at the drag strip. Just about all the way through 3rd gear the back end was bouncing left to right so bad I seriously thought about lifting. I stayed in it thinking it would calm down but it end up doing it never did. I've felt this on highway pulls in 3rd and 4th as well.

RoadCourse:
>Straightaway - same issue as above plus another issue, the straight away is bumpy plus has elevation change. I could feel the rear tires skipping over the bumps, slipping then regaining traction is one issue but then that upset the car and I started getting some of that back and forth movement.
>Corners - Yes I could wait a little to roll on and/or roll on throttle softer. This is more of a budget vs desire decision here.

New and better tires should make the whole experience better so I might try that first along with a full inspection and potential alignment of the suspension. I'll definitely do the brake and motor fluids and I'll look into the brake cooling and perhaps even getting some blanks and better pads.

The head job is really hard to swallow. That is a lot of money to spend for no performance benefit. I know this is old news to you guys but man this really makes owning this car far less enjoyable. I absolutely love it but that risk really hangs over your head.

All other suggestions are welcome and I really appreciate the help so far. I think I have some options so I just need to do some research and make a decision.

philpacs

You have a good plan. If you are in warranty you can wait on the heads. If not that would be the first thing I would do. Replacing a new engine would be harder to swallow plus you'd have more peace of mind. You can also do performance upgrades while in the engine and save some labor cost. There are multiple threads of options that would be less $ than tearing into the motor again later.

KP-C6Z

I'm in the process of trying to get mine track ready, also. So this is a super helpful thread.

I'm building my car for autox and the road course, but I want to keep it enjoyable to drive on the streets. Brakes are my number one concern right now.

This past weekend at an autocross event setup on the East course of NCM Motorsports Park, my brakes went into ICE mode after transitioning hard onto the brakes to get through a cone box. I ended up having to drive right through it. Wasn't a big deal in that situation, but it freaks me out thinking about it happening after the big straight on the full course. So anything I can do to minimize that happening again is a huge bonus.

I'll be running at least R888's on the track if not A6/A7s with LG G2 coilovers. I don't mind swapping brakes out for different events. Do you recommend I get a different pad setup for autox due to the much lower operating temps? What rotors do you recommend for the price?

KNSBrakes

AX and track pads have separate requirements

AX wants instant cold bite and good feel versus track needing high torque and temperature resistance (especially if you go with slicks).. Cold race pads at an AX are not helping.

I would suggest separate pads for sure.

For the price KNS blank rotors are hard to beat.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

With the tires you are using for track I would definitely swap pads for the AUTO X. It would be helpful if you could tell me what tires you are using for Auto X? For the price I would just use some Centric premium blank rotors.