GoatHead

I may have to replace the front rotors track-side in my next event at VIR. I have two questions:

What is the safest way to lift the front of the car at the paddock to replace rotors? I drive to the track, so hauling space in limited. My floor jack won't fit under the car, so I have to buy something.

How to bed the new rotors on the track (VIR full course)? The replacement will be Girodisc assembled with hats. The brake pads is Carbotech XP12. The pads sill have some meat on them, so I don't need to replace them at the same time. So, new rotors and used pads.

Thanks,

fuggles

I bought a HF aluminum jack just for this purpose. The small one. 1.5 Tons. I bring jack stands and hockey pucks. For bedding I do a couple fairly easy laps with hard breaking mixed in. Followed by cooling, easy braking. Keep an eye out for traffic so as not to brake check anyone. ymmv

BrunoTheMellow

Buy a new low profile jack or do what I do. I have a scissor jack from my other car that I use with an impact wrench to VERY quickly raise the car by the side lifting points (< 10 seconds). It is actually really stable. I can rock the car hard and it won't move. It will fit either a 25 mm or 1" socket (maybe 26mm or 1 1/16), not sure which. I actually ended up just grinding down the sides until my 24 mm impact socket fit snug. You need an impact that matches the DeWalt 889 or stronger (400 ft lbs) to effectively use this.

If you're just lifting enough to get the tires off, I wouldn't use anything else. If you're sticking your arms and legs under the car, I'd put another jack stands on the k member just behind the brakes. You can fit this whole setup in a small tool bag. The impact wrench can pull lugnuts off easy without a breaker bar.

To lift the car for bigger items, I use the scissor jack to raise the car enough to get my big jack under the K member.

GoatHead

Do you use jack stands? Or, do you work on the car while it is up on the floor jack?

fatsport

I drive onto a piece of 2”x8” I bring with. Put another behind the opposing rear wheel, parking brake on also. Jack easily fits under the front, jack up on a crossmember. Jack stands under the front jacking pucks.

fatsport

If you don’t have jack stands with you can put a wheel under the car

ErnieN85

another thing bring along a couple of 12x12 plywood 1/2" so the jack stand or jack doesn't sink in the asphalt VIR is fussy about that!
also a good 1/2 ton alum. race jack can be had at Harbor Freight usually on sale foe about $60 check for sales or coupons

dclafleur

Don't know what year car you have but make sure you can brake loose and then re-tighten the brake caliper bracket bolts. They require a decent amount of torque and can be toughen to knock loose if you can't get the car high enough in the air to get a lot of bar on them.

BrunoTheMellow

Another reason to carry an electric impact wrench. 160 ft lbs caliper bolts? No problem.

GoatHead

Thanks guys. I just placed an order for 1 1/2 aluminum jack from HF for $70 shipped.
I don't have a cordless impact wrench, so a Gorilla breaker bar has to do for now.

Any advice on how to bed the new rotors on the track?

dclafleur

True, I don't know about other folks cars but on mine I also have to use a wobble socket to get square on the caliper bolt otherwise a control arm gets in the way of my impact wrench. All the more reason to check to make sure he can get a combination that would work packed in his tool bag.

STANG KILLA SS

another vote for the all aluminum 1.5 harbor freight jack.
i do not put anything else under the car while im working on it.

for on-track beding. just go do the session. id only do half of it if you want. 3-5 laps. back your brake points up and increase your brake pressures each lap until you get to about 7 or 8ths of normal brake power. then do a good cool down lap, if VIR has room in pits or close roads, id also go drive it around in pits or on roads for more cooling. try to let the brakes fully cool to ambient before next session.

then go full send

RapidC84B

I do everything I can to not have to touch the car in the paddock. If that means replacing the rotors and not getting every last lap out of them then so be it. I don't bed rotors... I buy pre-bedded pads and just let it eat.

I became a pro in the C5 days when you'd crack a rotor nearly every weekend out, but the C7 stuff is really good and lasts a long time.

If you feel the need to work on the cars then a harbor freight 3000 lb aluminum racing jack is the best way to get the car in the air. I'll be honest... I always winged it and worked on the car on the jack. However, there have been posts of late of the cheaper jacks having the seals blow out so a jack stand is really a good idea.

RocketRod

Personally I would swap the rotors now and bed them in prior to your event. Eliminate the need or worry of replacing them at the event, getting the tools/equipment you don't have and eliminate the "whatever can go wrong will go wrong factor". Just focus on driving and enjoying the event.

SocalC5Z

When I had stock brakes on my C5Z there was no way to avoid having to swap rotors at the track. The failures were so often and unpredictable it just became SOP to bring the tools and spares to the track. Even in my ZO6 I was able to bring a floor jack and a single jack stand along with F Right and Left rotors and a single non-directional for the rear along with my normal track gear. The caliper bracket mounting bolts are pretty tight and unlike swapping wheels or pads, you tend to get yourself pretty deep into the wheel well for that bolt, which is pretty uncomfortable without the safety of a jack stand IMHO.

As for bedding rotors...never seemed to make much difference in longevity for me. I would brake kinda easy on the out lap and maybe the lap after to let the pad wear into the rotor but after that I considered the rotor "bedded"

fuggles

For jobs where I don't have to get under the car I will use the jack only and use a wheel for some safety.

argonaut

Legend has it that the country roads outside the front gate of VIR have been used to bed a set of brakes or two. (not that I'd personally know anything about attempting such a thing...)

shizon'00

I would consider doing it before since it sounds like you may not have a lot of experience doing this job. It's not hard but doing this between sessions, classroom, hanging out, other things that might arise at the track, even if you get it done well you might be flustered from rushing, have some tired arms or hands, or miss track time. Consider that cost vs the marginal value of rotor life you might be leaving on the table.

I can change pads and rotors pretty quickly in the paddock and I'll do that now, but only because I know I can do it in about 30 mins start to finish. Just something to think about.

ErnieN85

very good advice just take the tools in case. but get everything done before you leave

GoatHead

My current rotors is still usable. I probably can get 1 or 2 more days out of them. My next event with PCA is a 3-days event. So, I am taking extra rotors with me (Girodisc) and new brake pads just in case. Given that the cost of rotors is over 1k, I'd like to get as much out of them as possible.

I see guys work on their cars in the paddock all the time, so I am sure one day I will need to. I like to be prepare just in case.