Some advice on my first driving school day
Some advice on my first driving school day
I'm a pre-noobie at the track:
I've been reading about preparing for track days and am wondering if the same would apply to me.
I'm hopefully attending my first track event and it'll be a driving school.
I'm looking around for these things and am wondering if I could get an opinion on whether these are necessary for a performance driving school and if there are other things I should consider doing/buying before I go.
Motul brake fluid
Different pads
SS lines
Remove brake dust plates
A description of what I'll be doing
I've been reading about preparing for track days and am wondering if the same would apply to me.
I'm hopefully attending my first track event and it'll be a driving school.
I'm looking around for these things and am wondering if I could get an opinion on whether these are necessary for a performance driving school and if there are other things I should consider doing/buying before I go.
Motul brake fluid
Different pads
SS lines
Remove brake dust plates
A description of what I'll be doing
The purpose of a driving school is quite simple: to improve your driving skills. We will emphasize the relationship of driver and machine, making them function in unison and giving you, as a student, the opportunity to learn your limitations and expand your capabilities, thus creating safe driving skills and habits in a controlled situation.
We conduct the school on a racetrack under the close supervision of experienced and trained instructors. You will learn how to handle and control your vehicle at speeds not normally attained on public roads. This will help to prepare you for emergencies in normal driving. It will also allow you to explore your capabilities as a driver and those of your vehicle.
At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. All participants will be organized into run groups in accordance with experience, skill, and type of vehicle.
What you learn on the track depends on your driving skill. Beginners are taught driving style (smoothness, consistency, the ability to read the track), more experienced participants continue to work on consistency, while developing new skills such as trail braking, and threshold braking. Every time you are on the track, you will have an experienced instructor in the passenger seat.
We conduct the school on a racetrack under the close supervision of experienced and trained instructors. You will learn how to handle and control your vehicle at speeds not normally attained on public roads. This will help to prepare you for emergencies in normal driving. It will also allow you to explore your capabilities as a driver and those of your vehicle.
At no time will you be pushed or encouraged to go any faster than is comfortable for you. All participants will be organized into run groups in accordance with experience, skill, and type of vehicle.
What you learn on the track depends on your driving skill. Beginners are taught driving style (smoothness, consistency, the ability to read the track), more experienced participants continue to work on consistency, while developing new skills such as trail braking, and threshold braking. Every time you are on the track, you will have an experienced instructor in the passenger seat.
Motul brake fluid would be good.. if you have good pads such as stock you dont need to go out and buy new ones yet as im pretty sure being a noobie and in a driving school u wont get near the limit.. everything else.. ur talkin about is more for when you become an intermediate track user but it doesnt hurt to do all that stuff but being a noobie.. u dont really need it...
a fluid flush is really an honest must. Depending on the track, you may fade the pads.
However, a fresh motul flush and a good attitude is really all thats 100% required.
However, a fresh motul flush and a good attitude is really all thats 100% required.
There are plenty of threads about this in the motorsport (this) section, do a search and you will find plenty of advice. Things you should consider doing/bringing:
1. Bleed your brakes before the event with a high quality brake fluid (high boiling point).
2. Spare set of brake pads
3. Spare tools
1. Bleed your brakes before the event with a high quality brake fluid (high boiling point).
2. Spare set of brake pads
3. Spare tools
Evolving Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
From: By the water
Depending on how competent you are with your car, you can bring an extra set of brake pads just in case.
Since you will be a beginner at the driving school, you won't be reaching the performance limit of the things you listed. Unless the weather is super hot. I mean 100 degrees hot.
Just check your fluids, wheels, tire pressure, tighten your wheels and you should be good to go
Relax and have fun!
Since you will be a beginner at the driving school, you won't be reaching the performance limit of the things you listed. Unless the weather is super hot. I mean 100 degrees hot.
Just check your fluids, wheels, tire pressure, tighten your wheels and you should be good to go
Relax and have fun!
I'm pretty **** about my Evo before a track day:
*Oil change
*Flush brake fluid with Motul
*Trans/t-case/rear diff fluid change if its been a while
*Check your lugs with torque wrench
*Check your coolant at the least and/or change it if its been a while
*Check tire pressure cold and hot after each session, adjust accordingly
I upgraded the brakes after my first track day so you should be fine for now. Brakes and tires are very important
Listen to your instructor and have fun!
*Oil change
*Flush brake fluid with Motul
*Trans/t-case/rear diff fluid change if its been a while
*Check your lugs with torque wrench
*Check your coolant at the least and/or change it if its been a while
*Check tire pressure cold and hot after each session, adjust accordingly
I upgraded the brakes after my first track day so you should be fine for now. Brakes and tires are very important
Listen to your instructor and have fun!
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Thanks for your advice guys.
I hear Motul has been on backorder on the northeast so I'm hoping to hunt some down.
Perhaps I'll just stick with stock pads for now and see how it goes.
The track is NHIS.
I hear Motul has been on backorder on the northeast so I'm hoping to hunt some down.
Perhaps I'll just stick with stock pads for now and see how it goes.
The track is NHIS.
I'm having problems finding Motul.
I called a speed shop and they they had Cartel Silicone Dot 5 fluid.
Anyone have an experience with this? Supposedly rated more than 600F in the dry.
http://www.cartelproducts.com/cartel...e%20fluid.html
I called a speed shop and they they had Cartel Silicone Dot 5 fluid.
Anyone have an experience with this? Supposedly rated more than 600F in the dry.
http://www.cartelproducts.com/cartel...e%20fluid.html
Evolving Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Cold ass North-east
To be honest I would recommend a set of track pads, especially if you have thoughts of doing even one other track day some time in the future. Pads like Carbotech XP8s or PF97s (terrible dust but otherwise great) are what you would want to use with stock tires. NHIS isn't a high speed course but it does have a couple of heavy braking points with a few more medium ones sprinkled in so there is relatively little time in between for cooling, so I worry that you will cook the stockers. At minimum make sure you have LOTS of material left on your current set.
If you can't get your hands on Motul then go with Superblue. Motul is better (as many here will quickly say) but Superblue will be waaay better than stock. Not sure you if you have tried them but give Race Shopper a call and see if they have stock.
If I remember that description correctly you are going to NHIS with Boston BMWCCA? If its next week's event I'll be there as well in a Silver VIII so feel free to shout me. Good luck and have fun!
If you can't get your hands on Motul then go with Superblue. Motul is better (as many here will quickly say) but Superblue will be waaay better than stock. Not sure you if you have tried them but give Race Shopper a call and see if they have stock.
If I remember that description correctly you are going to NHIS with Boston BMWCCA? If its next week's event I'll be there as well in a Silver VIII so feel free to shout me. Good luck and have fun!
Last edited by splurta; May 15, 2007 at 11:08 AM.
From: http://www.raceshopper.com/brake_fluid.shtml
So a big NO on the DOT 5 stuff.
I bought fluid and pads from the people in the link above, maybe give them a call and see if they have Motul in stock. People on this board tend to not like the ATE Super Blue/TYP 200, so you might want to stay away from those also. Something about ATE turning to gummy gunk after track days.
We do not recommend using DOT 5 fluid in any racing applications. DOT 5 fluid is not hygroscopic, so as moisture enters the system, it is not absorbed by the fluid, and results in beads of moisture moving through the brake line, collecting in the calipers . It is not uncommon to have caliper temperatures exceed 200 F, and at 212 F, this collected moisture will boil causing vapor lock and system failure. Additionally, DOT 5 fluid is highly compressible due to aeration and foaming under normal braking conditions, providing a spongy brake feel. DOT 5 fluid is best suited for show car applications where its anti-corrosion and paint friendly characteristics are important.
Whenever you add fresh fluid to your existing system (never mix fluids of different DOT classifications), it immediately becomes contaminated, lowering the boiling point of the new fluid.
For maximum performance, start with the highest Dry Boiling Point available, flush the system completely, and flush it regularly, especially after severe temperatures have been experienced.
Whenever you add fresh fluid to your existing system (never mix fluids of different DOT classifications), it immediately becomes contaminated, lowering the boiling point of the new fluid.
For maximum performance, start with the highest Dry Boiling Point available, flush the system completely, and flush it regularly, especially after severe temperatures have been experienced.
I bought fluid and pads from the people in the link above, maybe give them a call and see if they have Motul in stock. People on this board tend to not like the ATE Super Blue/TYP 200, so you might want to stay away from those also. Something about ATE turning to gummy gunk after track days.
Check AMS's website (amsperformance.com); they have Motul for like $15 each. It's probably cheaper elsewhere, but I know they have it. They also have some good PF pads that are good for street/track.
I wouldn't worry about the pads. I did several event before I upgraded mine. Just do the brake fluid; obviously change oil; checked EVERYTHING to make sure it's full or tight and have fun.
I wouldn't worry about the pads. I did several event before I upgraded mine. Just do the brake fluid; obviously change oil; checked EVERYTHING to make sure it's full or tight and have fun.
