theplatinumog

Like the title states. What all are you guys doing to your c7's while at the track waiting for your groups turn?

Checking fuel level seems obvious, but if my first coach didn't say something I would have ran out for sure.

I have high temp brake fluid but my brakes were getting pretty smelly the first day. (Turns out engaging abs every chance I got is not actually the fastest way to slow the car down.) They didn't smell the 2nd day. I noticed no difference in performance, but maybe a slight difference in the release characteristics. It felt like it wasn't pushing back as hard when I let go. Is there need to bleed the brakes between sessions?

-Check oil seems obvious, but I guess I forgot. I started .5 quarts over and ended right in the middle of the 2 dots.

-Is there any reason to check lug nuts every time?

What else am I forgetting? Now that I am addicted to road racing I feel like I need an auto shop refresher course. It has probably been 10 years since I have even thought of changing my own oil. I used to be kind of into that stuff.

spearfish25

No need to check lug nuts every time. Do it once when everything is cold at the start of the day. No need to bleed brakes unless you boil the fluid and/or get a mushy pedal.

Here's what I do:
1) Refuel if necessary
2) Check tire pressures the moment I'm coming off track from a session (or a session ends and cool down starts under checker). Adjust as needed while hot.
3) check oil level, brake fluid level, and general engine bay inspection for issues.
4) inspect brake rotors and calipers for leaking fluid, pad thickness, and rotor cracks
5) inspect tire tread for uneven wear and tread depth if they're old.
6) hydrate

This all takes about 10 minutes and most can be done while waiting the 5-10 minutes mandatory time for the dry sump oil check.

Then I go relax or watch friends while leaving the hood open which lets heat escape the engine bay better. Don't pull into the paddock and immediately shut down the car unless your engine coolant and oil temps are back to a typical street driving range. If they're still high, first go for a cruise around the paddock or go refuel off site (saves money and allows cooling during cruising).

Bill Dearborn

^^^ I change this order around a little bit. The first item on the list should be hydrate, take care of yourself first. Maybe if you are riding a horse you would take care of it first but you come first not the car.

If I need to fuel the car and haven't built up a huge thirst I may head for the gas pumps but there are a lot of tracks where you have to drive off site to get gas.

Once the first two things are done I let the car cool down a few minutes and check the oil and top off if necessary. If I had felt the handling was off while on track that is when I check tire pressures.

Then I walk away for a while and come back later after the brakes have cooled to the point I can get near them. That is when I look over the brakes. If I think a tire pressure adjustment is necessary I will add or subtract one psi from the tires I think need adjusting. I have found over the years that my cold pressure starting points are pretty good for each track I have gone to so most of the time my pressure check is to make sure I don't have a leak.

Those things are the ideal. Being an instructor may make it impossible to do them right after I get off track. Sometimes I have barely enough time to get a drink of water. This gets especially tricky if you have two students. You don't have time after you get out of your car and you don't have time after you get out of your student's car and are hopping into yours to head back on track. Some times you just have to pass on the track time to make sure things are OK.

Bill

theplatinumog

Thanks for the detailed responses.

I have driven the car around on the street and can't really tell a differenc with the brakes. Maybe I was being paranoid because of the smell? I'm thinking I should skip the brake bleed since I don't really know what I am doing.

X25

Regarding lug nuts, if you've bought wheels recently, or if the wheel manufacturer did not bother machining off the paint on the lug nut holes, there is a chance that they might get loose after some stress.

In other words, if there is paint in the lug nut holes of your wheels, and the wheel is new, I'd definitely check lug nuts' torque again. Otherwise, as with others, I don't worry about it once I check them out in the morning, or the night before the event.

Regarding tire check, don't forget to check the insides of your tires, too, for any damage or cording. With very wide tires, it's easier said than done : )

Jet Vet

Very good advice above, here are a few more things to watch out for.

Be careful checking tire pressure, as several factors can give you misleading results. First, get an accurate gauge! You'd be surprised at the variations. I also recommend checking pressure as soon as you come off track, before they have time to drop. Be aware that after the car sits in the sun for a while the tires on the 'sunny' side will read higher than those on the 'shady' side.

Never check your lug nut torque when the wheels are hot, which is pretty much any time after your first session of the day, as you can over tighten them causing a fracture when they cool.

You should never have to bleed the brakes at the track unless you have a problem in the system. Also be careful about checking the fluid level. You will eventually get to the point where you need to install fresh pads during a track day. That is a simple operation once you get used to it, but if you have recently topped up the reservoir, it may overflow when the caliper pistons are pushed back to make room for the new pads.

Don't overfill the engine oil after a change or when checking the level after a session. That excess oil will get into your intake and gum up the valves.

JV

Kamran

+ to the above:

When I put my wheels on, I take the car for a 1/2 mile drive, using the empty driveway to pits to aggressively do hard 10-15 left/right/left turns in second gear. Then return to pits and double check torques. And never touch them again until it's time to remove the wheels to put the street wheels on. Also a small dab of anti-seize on each bolt before torquing.

After each session, I roll the wheels 1/2 to 1/3 turn every 7-8 minutes so rotors cool off evenly.

Every couple of trackdays, I swap left/right brake pads so they wear evenly.

spearfish25

I read somewhere this was a big no no which could either over torque or allow loosening of the lugs. No first hand experience with it to share though.

Kamran

^^^ There are lots of opinions on that. But I've been doing this with no problems, and removing nuts at the end of day, none are loose, and none come off as if they've lost any torque. I just do the harsh 10-15 turns in second gear to make sure everything is seated well, re-torque and I'm off.

Just remember, a very small dab on one side of each stud to provide only a skim coat. Not all around the stud.

lobsterroboto

You shouldn't be engaging ABS you should be braking until the point right before ABS engages for threshold braking.

The thinner the pads are the more travel you'll have and the less stopping power they'll have.

What pads are you running? OEM? Carbotech? Hawk? etc. Race compounds? street compounds?

The smell is normal. It should go away, this is especially evident when bedding in new pads.
The first time they get hot they'll smell and polymerize.

As far as checking torque... Do so before every session.

One set of my wheels won't change, I have another set that gets surpringly loose after every session. I've witnessed wheels coming off at speed on a track.
It takes less than 5 minutes to check 20 lug nuts for 100lbs of torque. Do it

Just because some people on the internet don't do it because they know their wheels doesn't mean you'll experience the same.

You shouldn't be using very much oil at all if you have the dry sump Z51.
If you have the dry sump let the car warm up in the morning, check the level run your event and check it again at the end of the day, any loss (if any) won't be enough to cause any issues

I also open my hood after every session when I park in the paddock between sessions.

theplatinumog

^^^ One more beginner question. What tire pressure is ideal for track? I remember them saying 30psi cold at spring mountain. I think I have seen as high as 36? On track.

thebishman

Start at about 26 psi

Mamandoli

Lots of good info here. One thing is check under the car for leaks. My Z06 is in the shop under warranty for leaking transmission. Took them a few times to find the leak but the transmission side case was leaking. It only leaked about a dime size spot on the ground after a few sessions on the track. Just lay on your belly with a flashlight.

lobsterroboto

This is a good starting point, as you progress you'll end up experimenting.
I have a different starting PSI based on what track I'm at and what tire I'm using.



Spring mountain corvette owners school (while fun) is catering to absolute beginners. One of the reasons they're using 30PSI is because their students won't be getting much heat into them.

I highly recommend not using the stock OEM pads, I personally have had good experience with the Carbotech XP12/XP10 combo. They've been really good on my rotors.



I also had a tranmission leak, from a bolt backing out of the rear transmission housing (M7)

Also, check your wheel spokes for cracks and fractures after an event.

Kamran

From Tirerack
https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech...jsp?techid=107

Last paragraph:
When rechecking torque value, wait for the wheels to cool to ambient temperature (never torque a hot wheel). Loosen and retighten to value, in sequence using the torque procedures listed above.

Some possible reasons for lug nuts coming loose: wrong shaped lug nuts, e.g. Acorn vs conical. Look for the source or reason why. There may be reason...

lobsterroboto

^^^^ Very important point that I don't think anyone addressed.

Kamran

My point was to not retorque when you just get back from your session...

That's why after I mount my wheels in the a.m., I take the car for a 1/2 mile drive with 10-15 harsh left/right turns in second gear to set everything in their place and come back to pit for retorquing. At that point, tires aren't even hot, let alone wheels.

Not sure about others, but I cannot even touch my wheels without burning myself for at least two hours, let alone after a session.

lobsterroboto

^^^ My wheels are cool enough to check the torque after about 45 minutes.
So depending on org I'm running with that's right around the time right before the next session give or take. If I have enough time and the wheels are cool enough check them.

If not, then don't. It's not rocket surgery.

Poor-sha

I check my wheel torque in the morning and at the end of the lunch break. The wheel lugs on the C7s are garbage and torquing then hot increases your chance of having a problem.

For the poster with the trans leak, I suspect the issue is the fluid coming out the vent. There is an issue with the sealant used in the trans causing the anti foaming agent in the trans fluid to break down. When the fluid gets hot on track it foams up and blows out the vent. I've had a recurring issue with this and the solution is for the dealership to do a couple of trams fluid flushes. Note they have to flush it to get the fluid in the coolers and such and not just drain and fill. My car was better after one flush but they had to do it a second time.

Mordeth

What I do:

Morning: Assuming everything else is already in order (new oil, brake fluid, pads, rotors, tires etc), I verify all fluids, tire pressures, lug nuts and fuel before staging.

In between sessions: Immediately check tire temp and pressure. Adjust pressure as needed. Do not engage parking brake. Open hood to cool. Check fuel. Inspect rotors, pads and tires when cool for damage or unusual wear. Clean windshield.

Lunch: Normal routine but also check lug nuts, oil level and brake fluid level. More detailed inspection of the car, including engine bay, battery connection, overall condition of tires, pads and rotors. Top off fuel for afternoon sessions.