Maintaining brakes DURING a race.

[RebekahsZ]

Ok cool. Thanks.

[johnc]

Race crews don't necessarily do it the proper way. They do it the quickest way. It's actually quicker in the pits to do a caliper swap then a pad swap with the OEM front calipers. Three pumps of the brake pedal to bleed it good enough and then three more pumps at the next pit stop 1.5 hours later.

[RebekahsZ]

Here's a simple mod to make brake maintenance easier.  Came up with this because I did my AZC brake kit, THEN, installed my Konis.  Needed to get the caliper out of the way, but didn't want it hanging and putting a kink in the flexible line.  So, I installed a small I-bolt into the inner fender.  I tried a coat hangar as a hook, but it was too flexible, so the next available hook-making material was some left over 3/16 brake line.  Bent it in a hook and "presto" hung the caliper up out of the way so I could pull the strut out of the fender well.  For years I used to set the caliper on a cardboard box inside the fender, but this worked out really well.  For the rears, it looks like it will be ok to just let the calipers hang, since the flex line isn't routed in such a way as to kink the line.

[heavy85]

At least with big hp like a V8 you are not going to be going 'all out' for 20-30 minutes at a time. You will find things get too hot if you try all out qualy lap after lap. Tires go away, brakes, engine, slower traffic, etc so you tend to ease off a lap or two then make a flier when the track is clear, ease off when tire get slippery, etc.

 

Stock brakes pad faded with Hawk HP+ after about 2.5 laps. Full hard pedal but no torque - like ice mode but without ABS. Surprisingly not much better with two piece vented rotors and 4 piston calipers with rear disks. Hawk HT10 were much better. Im on Carbotechs now and honestly havent noticed much difference. Wilwood ultra light rotors were not to durable. Noticable feel difference and they cracked. Take the poundage and use the heavier ones. Ducting w/ 2.5" hose from airdam to stub tube welded to the backing plate works good except I havent found a routing that doesnt rub the tire. My rear 280zx rear rotors (240 sx calipers) are 5? years old and just now starting to heat check. Front rotors are 3 years old now with the heavier ones. Two years on pads is normal. All depends on a dozen variables. I cant imagine changing pads during a weekend if they were relatively fresh. I used to bleed after every track day but now only a couple times a year using ATE or Motul 600.

Edited December 29, 2013 by heavy85