Some basic questions on "light" track setup
05-19-2016, 10:44 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Some basic questions on "light" track setup
Hello All
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
05-20-2016, 01:48 AM
#2
Race Director
Just a comment on the wheels, some (all?) of the thin spoke Speedline rims are very subject to failing. Later ones less so, the early ones had the issue (I don't know where the demarcation fell).
I personally have seen two crack at autox events with street tires and not driven very hard.
NT05 not competitive at all, spend a little more for better 200tw tires. The NT05 WILL last longer, but like I said.
I personally have seen two crack at autox events with street tires and not driven very hard.
NT05 not competitive at all, spend a little more for better 200tw tires. The NT05 WILL last longer, but like I said.
Last edited by froggy47; 05-20-2016 at 01:50 AM.
05-20-2016, 05:01 AM
#3
Pro
Sounds like you're on the right track. Refreshing to hear compared to some of the guys who think they gotta spend 10Gs to make a Corvette suitable for novice track duty.
05-20-2016, 08:25 AM
#4
Safety Car
Just a comment on the wheels, some (all?) of the thin spoke Speedline rims are very subject to failing. Later ones less so, the early ones had the issue (I don't know where the demarcation fell).
I personally have seen two crack at autox events with street tires and not driven very hard.
NT05 not competitive at all, spend a little more for better 200tw tires. The NT05 WILL last longer, but like I said.
I personally have seen two crack at autox events with street tires and not driven very hard.
NT05 not competitive at all, spend a little more for better 200tw tires. The NT05 WILL last longer, but like I said.
good advice from some one who knows
05-20-2016, 10:09 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
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Member Since: Nov 2013
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C5 is awesome right out of the box.
Thorough inspection... replace anything even questionable in the suspension/steering/brakes
Better pads, brake and clutch fluid flush.
Track friendly tires.
I'd also recommend a track friendly alignment. Not as critical here as on a Mcpherson strut car, but will keep you from grinding off the outside of tires.
Enjoy.
05-20-2016, 11:40 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
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Looks like you are on the right path for track days, welcome to hpde!
I would take a hard look at the brake lines, rubber is okay but you want to make sure they are not cracked or hardened. I've used both Stainless braid and rubber and can't really tell the difference.
I would use Motul 600 for brake fluid and flush the the lines and calipers as you've mentioned.
For rotor replacement, I would look at DBA. I ran them last year and liked them a lot. The newer ones have curved slots, not drilled. I managed to fill the holes on my drilled rotors with brake dust, so what's the point?
I also run with Carbotech pads. I use the 1511 ceramics for street and switch to 8's or 10's for the track. Once the pads are burnished you won't have to do that again or just by them pre-burnished from Carbotech.
I would also suggest a Catch Can to help control PCV emissions. Elite Engineering makes a good one.
HTH
I would also get some static cling numbers to apply to the car. They look great on the track and are easy to see. Much better than using masking tape.
I would take a hard look at the brake lines, rubber is okay but you want to make sure they are not cracked or hardened. I've used both Stainless braid and rubber and can't really tell the difference.
I would use Motul 600 for brake fluid and flush the the lines and calipers as you've mentioned.
For rotor replacement, I would look at DBA. I ran them last year and liked them a lot. The newer ones have curved slots, not drilled. I managed to fill the holes on my drilled rotors with brake dust, so what's the point?
I also run with Carbotech pads. I use the 1511 ceramics for street and switch to 8's or 10's for the track. Once the pads are burnished you won't have to do that again or just by them pre-burnished from Carbotech.
I would also suggest a Catch Can to help control PCV emissions. Elite Engineering makes a good one.
HTH
I would also get some static cling numbers to apply to the car. They look great on the track and are easy to see. Much better than using masking tape.
Last edited by mikeCsix; 05-20-2016 at 12:35 PM. Reason: additional info
05-20-2016, 11:49 AM
#7
When you go with wide NT05 tires on skinny wheels, you make their already soft sidewall even more unstable, take it from someone who has made the mistake. A much better choice would be any of the top 200 TW tires (Rival S, Re-71R, R-S3, Z2) in the common 255/40/17, 275/35/18 setup. Much less tire squirm which is good, no matter what the driver level.
05-20-2016, 03:27 PM
#8
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Hello All
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
As Froggy has stated some of the thin spoke wheels would crack. The ones that cracked were the forged versions and by 02 GM was phasing them out. Whether yours are forged or not depends on when the car was produced. GM replaced them with a cast wheel that looks very similar to the forged version but has slightly different thickness spokes. It is hard to tell which is which by looking at them but when you set one beside the other the difference is obvious. I believe there is a way to tell which ones are forged by looking at the nomenclature on the back side of the wheel but I dropped out of the C5 world 7 years ago and can't really remember all of the details. If you decide to use those wheels check them to see if they have the characteristic crack at the point where the spoke meets the barrel.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
As a novice you should be OK running those tires. They may wear pretty fast due to the All Season rubber but if they are what you have go with them. They may slide around more but that will help you learn how to drive the car better than having higher performance street or track tires.
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
The Nitto NT05 tires really aren't much better than what you have if any better. They squeal like stuck pigs in corners, get greasy after a number of hot laps and smell like horse manure. Wear out what you have and look for something different than these.
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
As Froggy has stated some of the thin spoke wheels would crack. The ones that cracked were the forged versions and by 02 GM was phasing them out. Whether yours are forged or not depends on when the car was produced. GM replaced them with a cast wheel that looks very similar to the forged version but has slightly different thickness spokes. It is hard to tell which is which by looking at them but when you set one beside the other the difference is obvious. I believe there is a way to tell which ones are forged by looking at the nomenclature on the back side of the wheel but I dropped out of the C5 world 7 years ago and can't really remember all of the details. If you decide to use those wheels check them to see if they have the characteristic crack at the point where the spoke meets the barrel.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
As a novice you should be OK running those tires. They may wear pretty fast due to the All Season rubber but if they are what you have go with them. They may slide around more but that will help you learn how to drive the car better than having higher performance street or track tires.
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
The Nitto NT05 tires really aren't much better than what you have if any better. They squeal like stuck pigs in corners, get greasy after a number of hot laps and smell like horse manure. Wear out what you have and look for something different than these.
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
It might be cheaper to invest in a set of low cost street wheels and use the CCWs for the track. They are more rugged and dependable than most other wheels which is something that is desirable on track.
I don't know a lot about the KDW2s other than they were discontinued. They probably aren't any worse than the A/S Michelins as a track tire so you could trash them in your first few events or swap them to a set of street wheels and get some Conti EXTREMECONTACT DW tires to put on the CCWs.
Hell, CCWs don't look their best unless they have all sorts of rubber turds and brake dust caked on them. When they look like they have been used hard they look mean.
Bill
05-20-2016, 05:53 PM
#9
Advanced
I have run DBA 5000 in the front and DBA 4000 in the rear of a much heavier car, Shelby gt500, that eats rotors and was very impressed. I did have my rotors cryotreated, but is not necessary. I would encourage you to use street tires as you mentioned early on and focus on seat time and driving. Then you can start spending money once you are more adept.
05-20-2016, 07:17 PM
#10
Drifting
My two cents: keep it simple...
Motul 600 brake fluid.
Brake lines if they are cracked. (Im still on stock lines that came on my car new)
I'v also been using Hawk Street/Race pads. (very little noise on the street, nice bite on track, rotor friendly.
Rotors, Plane none slotted/drilled cryo's, DBA/Stoptec/ ect. Cheep.
Tires? You can learn just as much about your driving and less wear and tear on your car by running a higher tread wear tire like Conti DWs. Again I've been using them for the past three years, started with the 275s up front 295s rear stock rim sizes, but found that the 255s on the front worked better. ( I coach for a HPDE group, doing lead follow, and wear is very expectable 30+ events a year.)
Alignment for me? -1.25 front 5min toe in, -1 rear, 10 min toe in, and all the caster it would give.
This is my car under load turn 3 MRLS.
Turn 8 MRLS Corkscrew.
Spend some money on good DA shocks.
Most of all, go out and have fun, stay with in you limits. You don't have to beat your car to go fast.
Mark.
Motul 600 brake fluid.
Brake lines if they are cracked. (Im still on stock lines that came on my car new)
I'v also been using Hawk Street/Race pads. (very little noise on the street, nice bite on track, rotor friendly.
Rotors, Plane none slotted/drilled cryo's, DBA/Stoptec/ ect. Cheep.
Tires? You can learn just as much about your driving and less wear and tear on your car by running a higher tread wear tire like Conti DWs. Again I've been using them for the past three years, started with the 275s up front 295s rear stock rim sizes, but found that the 255s on the front worked better. ( I coach for a HPDE group, doing lead follow, and wear is very expectable 30+ events a year.)
Alignment for me? -1.25 front 5min toe in, -1 rear, 10 min toe in, and all the caster it would give.
This is my car under load turn 3 MRLS.
Turn 8 MRLS Corkscrew.
Spend some money on good DA shocks.
Most of all, go out and have fun, stay with in you limits. You don't have to beat your car to go fast.
Mark.
05-21-2016, 12:09 AM
#11
Burning Brakes
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Wow! Tons of great feedback in a short amount of time. Thanks.
A few people mentioned changing to stainless steel brake lines and I failed to mention that I have already done that. I also have a catch can. The clutch fluid is fresh as well - I had a bleeder installed when I did the LS7 clutch.
I will use Motul 600 fluid for the brakes.
It sounds like I should consider using 200TW tires in 255/40/17 and and 275/35/19 sizes IF I decide to the the OEM thin spokes which may be a dumb move. Adding an alignment to the list of things to do.
The CCW's are the SP500's in 19x10 and 19x11 sizes with the max 3 in lip in the rear (meaning I seriously limited my brake caliper upgrade options). I just cannot imagine using these on the track and having to clean them.
Still have to research the brake pad and rotor options more.
A few people mentioned changing to stainless steel brake lines and I failed to mention that I have already done that. I also have a catch can. The clutch fluid is fresh as well - I had a bleeder installed when I did the LS7 clutch.
I will use Motul 600 fluid for the brakes.
It sounds like I should consider using 200TW tires in 255/40/17 and and 275/35/19 sizes IF I decide to the the OEM thin spokes which may be a dumb move. Adding an alignment to the list of things to do.
The CCW's are the SP500's in 19x10 and 19x11 sizes with the max 3 in lip in the rear (meaning I seriously limited my brake caliper upgrade options). I just cannot imagine using these on the track and having to clean them.
Still have to research the brake pad and rotor options more.
05-21-2016, 09:01 AM
#12
Burning Brakes
Check with these folks and see if they make their Kevlar metallic pads for your application. http://www.lomandi.com
Not sure they would work for a 170 mph car but have run them for years on a 145 mph Mustang. They dust a little on the street and will turn wheels black on the track but it seems non corrosive and comes off with Fantastic. Wear is good as long as you run cooling ducts. Run with sticky tires and no ducts, not so much.
I even put them on all 4 corners of my tube frame car that has GM type calipers. Have never had any fade clamping down from 140 mph and below.
Best of all they cost less than 100 bucks shipped for all 4 corners.
Not sure they would work for a 170 mph car but have run them for years on a 145 mph Mustang. They dust a little on the street and will turn wheels black on the track but it seems non corrosive and comes off with Fantastic. Wear is good as long as you run cooling ducts. Run with sticky tires and no ducts, not so much.
I even put them on all 4 corners of my tube frame car that has GM type calipers. Have never had any fade clamping down from 140 mph and below.
Best of all they cost less than 100 bucks shipped for all 4 corners.
05-21-2016, 01:21 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
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Thanks. I did a little more searching on the OEM thin spoke cracked wheels issue....seems like that isn't a good idea.
Is there anyone running polished aluminium rims on the track that care about their appearance? I am going to look into just replacing the brake pads and rotors and leaving the CCW's on and burn thru the BFG KDW2's. Lots of talk of corrosive brake dust from Hawk pads and others. Are there any pads that I can use for a few days of HPDE that will not trash raw aluminum? Seems like Carbotech often comes up with less corrosive dust? Any real life opinions?
I don't think I will be touching 170? What are novices getting to on the backstretch of VIR over the hill? I don't think I got above 140 when I was there last time for a hyperdrive.
I put the z06 rear brake ducts on and I have the stock ducts on the front for venting.
Is there anyone running polished aluminium rims on the track that care about their appearance? I am going to look into just replacing the brake pads and rotors and leaving the CCW's on and burn thru the BFG KDW2's. Lots of talk of corrosive brake dust from Hawk pads and others. Are there any pads that I can use for a few days of HPDE that will not trash raw aluminum? Seems like Carbotech often comes up with less corrosive dust? Any real life opinions?
I don't think I will be touching 170? What are novices getting to on the backstretch of VIR over the hill? I don't think I got above 140 when I was there last time for a hyperdrive.
I put the z06 rear brake ducts on and I have the stock ducts on the front for venting.
Check with these folks and see if they make their Kevlar metallic pads for your application. http://www.lomandi.com
Not sure they would work for a 170 mph car but have run them for years on a 145 mph Mustang. They dust a little on the street and will turn wheels black on the track but it seems non corrosive and comes off with Fantastic. Wear is good as long as you run cooling ducts. Run with sticky tires and no ducts, not so much.
I even put them on all 4 corners of my tube frame car that has GM type calipers. Have never had any fade clamping down from 140 mph and below.
Best of all they cost less than 100 bucks shipped for all 4 corners.
Not sure they would work for a 170 mph car but have run them for years on a 145 mph Mustang. They dust a little on the street and will turn wheels black on the track but it seems non corrosive and comes off with Fantastic. Wear is good as long as you run cooling ducts. Run with sticky tires and no ducts, not so much.
I even put them on all 4 corners of my tube frame car that has GM type calipers. Have never had any fade clamping down from 140 mph and below.
Best of all they cost less than 100 bucks shipped for all 4 corners.
05-21-2016, 01:35 PM
#14
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St. Jude Donor '11,'13
You definitely want to use XP10 front XP8 rear.
Carbotech Performance Brakes™, the world leader in Ceramic friction materials™. It was over eight years ago that Carbotech started building brake pads out of Ceramic, Kevlar, and Carbon for street, autocross and racing applications. Carbotech is the only brake pad manufacturer in the world with a complete line of Ceramic compounds for street, autocross, and track use. Carbotech-Ceramic™ compounds are known for their unsurpassed release & modulation, while maintaining very consistent torque control characteristics. Carbotech brake pads are extremely rotor friendly and contain contain non-corrosive brake dust, that’s something that has been unmatched by any other brake pad in the industry.
Carbotech Performance Brakes™, the world leader in Ceramic friction materials™. It was over eight years ago that Carbotech started building brake pads out of Ceramic, Kevlar, and Carbon for street, autocross and racing applications. Carbotech is the only brake pad manufacturer in the world with a complete line of Ceramic compounds for street, autocross, and track use. Carbotech-Ceramic™ compounds are known for their unsurpassed release & modulation, while maintaining very consistent torque control characteristics. Carbotech brake pads are extremely rotor friendly and contain contain non-corrosive brake dust, that’s something that has been unmatched by any other brake pad in the industry.
__________________
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Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
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Adam Adelstein
Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
Check out Promo code:z28
05-21-2016, 06:07 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
Hello All
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
Don't worry about wheel weight, this cracks me up, HPDE is not F1. Put some good cheap street tires(300 tread wear) on the thin spokes and burn them up, maybe even 2 sets....while that's happening round up some Z06 wheels.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
I recommend Centric High Carbon rotors.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
I have a 02 C5 Coupe with mods. I also have CCW wheels and went with the "Brakemotive"cross drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic brake pads to reduce dust and the PITA factor of cleaning these wheels. So I put myself behind the 8 ball with these choices...
I did a track day at NCCAR last summer and learned pretty quickly the brakes were an issue as everyone on here I am sure already figured they would be.
I plan to do a few more track day events this year and am looking to make some investment to ensure safety. Most of this activity will be at VIR.
A few questions:
1) I still have my OEM polished aluminum thin spoke 17/18 wheels in the garage. I have read that many have gone with the factory 18in speedline z06 wheels front and rear for track days on C5's. For my beginner needs is there any reason not to just use the wheels I already have? (assuming they are not cracked at all, which I need to check). Weight wise they appear to be very close to the z06 wheels.
Don't worry about wheel weight, this cracks me up, HPDE is not F1. Put some good cheap street tires(300 tread wear) on the thin spokes and burn them up, maybe even 2 sets....while that's happening round up some Z06 wheels.
2) I have Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus ZP tires in good shape on these wheels. I have read putting these on the track is of course a bad idea. Is this true even for a novice?
3) Assuming I get new tires , to keep costs reasonable I am thinking of the Nitto NT05 tires as I will be driving the car to these events. Anything better to use near this pricepoint? I have seen that 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 is as large as I can go on the thin spike OEM wheels. Good choice?
4) I will replace the ceramic brake pads with something like the Carbotech's XP 8 and also replace the rotors. I will also flush the brakes with dot4 fluid.
I recommend Centric High Carbon rotors.
Is there anything else I should do for just a few events this year to get me started? I plan to swap the wheels and brake pads/rotors back on the car after the event season as it is not a daily driver. Unless someone proposes a different plan....which I am very open to hearing about. I am swapping wheels because I have no interest in cleaning off brake dust off and polishing the CCW's. Also the BFG KDW2's mounted on them are not the best track tire and they will get trashed and be costly to replace.
Thanks in advance for any input and or other ideas for my situation.
Pull and clean the fins of the radiator.
Flush the power steering fluid and put in synthetic as it will help the rack live longer.
Check your wheel bearings, loose ones make the brakes to goofy things.
Flush the clutch fluid.
Clean and grease the caliper slide pins.
Last edited by FASTFATBOY; 05-21-2016 at 06:08 PM.
05-22-2016, 07:41 AM
#16
Red line makes the only synthetic ps fluid. I disagree about needing to change the Michelins. I started out on Pilot Sport 2s, they were fantastic for learning and amazing in the rain. I got 7k miles out of them, over a dozen track days, and auto x too. Three of us also started on carbotech 8/10's but quickly found that we needed something more by the time they wore out. Above is all good advice. When you run, have your readout showing oil temp, and do some cool-down laps before it gets to the 290's--which it very well may. Pay close attention to front brakes--the faster you get the less effective they are, and upgrades are in order. You may also find that the nannys are too intrusive, competitive mode is a better compromise (until you just turn it all off).
05-23-2016, 10:08 AM
#17
KISS: Keep it simple Steve...
get a set of race pads.
got a whole topic dedicated to helping you pick out the right ones.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...questions.html
tires are tires. the current batch of 200qutg tires are very impressive, and last forever. any of those would be great to use and keep costs down. if your just racing yourself and trying to improve then don't worry about being competitive just try to be consistent. that means keep the car the same and you can reach your goal.
and get a good helmet. have fun.
get a set of race pads.
got a whole topic dedicated to helping you pick out the right ones.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...questions.html
tires are tires. the current batch of 200qutg tires are very impressive, and last forever. any of those would be great to use and keep costs down. if your just racing yourself and trying to improve then don't worry about being competitive just try to be consistent. that means keep the car the same and you can reach your goal.
and get a good helmet. have fun.
Last edited by johnny c; 05-23-2016 at 10:09 AM.