Track car essentials and Set up starting Point

[finch wxm]

I'm finally plodding on with my Track car after 7 years ownership !

I have KW Variant 2 Coilovers
AST Solid Top Mounts
DS2500 Pads
Brembo HC discs
Powerflex Bushes in wishbones
Vibra Technicss engine & Gearbox Mounts
Bucket seats & Harneses
Scorpion exhaust & 182 manifold and decat
Braided Front lines
Whiteline Rear anti Roll bar
15 inch alloys with R888 tyres
OMP steering wheel
Pure Motorsport Air con delete

What else would people recommend ?

Would love a cage but so expensive , rear camber shims ? do they make a difference ?
Bushes for rear beam and front roll bar ? do they make a difference ?

Alignment ? what toe and camber would people start with ?

 

[JB21]

I'd start with front camber at the max you can achieve on bolts and your coilovers, and toe around -0.12 (toe out) then bushes for the rear beam and inner and outer front arb, as well as steering rack bushes. Maybe some better pads unless you're happy with the 2500's? Camber shims will make a difference but you'll need to get it hunter aligned first to see where its all at.

 

[vroomtshh]

I'd start by doing some track days with it, and see how it feels

 

[JB21]

I'd start by doing some track days with it, and see how it feels

Surely he's already been tracking it in the 7 years of ownership. If not its got to be the longest owned (never seen a track) track car on here, lol.

 

[JP83]

Surely he's already been tracking it in the 7 years of ownership. If not its got to be the longest owned (never seen a track) track car on here, lol.

Looking at the OP's thread, it hasn't been on the road.
Mine is only just on the road recently after nearly 3 years!

 

[finch wxm]

Yes this is true , I must have some form of record going on here !

Its been sat at home for years with little done due other priorities , buying a house and a bad car crash.

 

[finch wxm]

I also had a RB 182 for 2 years which I used for commuting to work in ans nicked a couple of bits of the track car

 

[Advikaz]

Tuition

 

[bozothenutter]

Tuition

this......

 

[green]

More focused brake pad... brake ducts ?

A diff would make the most difference in handling but is £1500 at least

Have you corner weighed the car since coilovers?

There is the roll center correction kit available ?
Unfortunately you've done most of the cheapish modifications.. taking weight out of the car is free.. lightweight battery/relocation kit. :up:

 

[Peperami]

What you have is ample for the track. The only thing i'd add is some ducts from the fogs to the brakes if its hot, but then see how hot your brakes get (will depend on how hard you push it).

Book a few track days, and see if you can find ones which have some instructors you can pay for tuition at them. Or even to just follow other peoples lines. You'll see other track cars, and get an idea of what you like and what you need.

In my experience tyres, brakes and how cool you can keep the brakes make the most difference car wise. Other than that its down to your skill and time spent driving.

 

[MarkCup]

What else would people recommend ?

Drive it on a track before you do a single other thing to it...and as said above get some tuition while you're out there. Your car will love you for it and you'll likely get a 3-5 seconds better lap time over what some camber shims and roll bar tweaks will ever give you. You're obsessing over detail but you've no idea where you are yet...just drive it!!!

 

[green]

Oops..didn't realise you haven't tracked it yet..get out there and see how you go.

 

[finch wxm]

Ive not tracked it yet !

Ive driven on track 3 times before but not in a clio , the alignment hasn't been done yet , I need to take it to demon tweeks so that why I was looking for a starting point with camber and toe etc to tell them

 

[finch wxm]

How has everyone made the brake ducts ?

 

[JP83]

How has everyone made the brake ducts ?

100mm Bass ports off eBay. Tight fit, but they fit into the holes left by the fog lights.
Either then leave as is, run some 100mm pipe to the brakes, or fit a reducer and run smaller pipework.

 

[bozothenutter]

Ive not tracked it yet !

Ive driven on track 3 times before but not in a clio , the alignment hasn't been done yet , I need to take it to demon tweeks so that why I was looking for a starting point with camber and toe etc to tell them

Drive it on track first, and see what you thinks needs improving.
Other than that just do the usual safety checks etc.

 

[finch wxm]

100mm Bass ports off eBay. Tight fit, but they fit into the holes left by the fog lights.
Either then leave as is, run some 100mm pipe to the brakes, or fit a reducer and run smaller pipework.

Thanks dude

 

[Coops Mk1]

ai as all have said, align it as is and use it, see how it feels and revise and improve from there

I would guess better pads will be pretty much the first thing to do, 2500 are more a road based pad, I personally use CL RC6 although about to upgrade to wildwood 4 pots, 293mm discs and DS 1.11 pads

 

[finch wxm]

I had the ds2500 on my 182 rb so will look into better pads after these go .

Yeah makes sense to see what I think it needs , I know everyone has different styles

 

[chris blue]

deffo just drive it on a track- novice sesh why not?

I got a rear half cage purchased (Used but unblemished) with plates weklded in, and all fitted for £350- not that pricey and comforting when shooting round a track

what bucket seats you got?

 

[bloke]

Would love a cage but so expensive ,

always makes me laugh when people say this. cage can be the difference between walking away from a crash or shitting into a bag for the rest of your life and being pushed round in a wheelchair :wink:

 

[Djw John]

Makes sense to ask about alignment in your situation but wouldn't be spending money on anything else until you've tracked it and identified what you want improved.

Fwiw I run about 2.5 degrees camber and 5 minutes toe out each side and it handles very nicely.

 

[finch wxm]

always makes me laugh when people say this. cage can be the difference between walking away from a crash or shitting into a bag for the rest of your life and being pushed round in a wheelchair :wink:

That's a fair comment buddy , I should know this after the crash I had !

 

[finch wxm]

Just the corbeau clubsports i think they are called

deffo just drive it on a track- novice sesh why not?

I got a rear half cage purchased (Used but unblemished) with plates weklded in, and all fitted for £350- not that pricey and comforting when shooting round a track

what bucket seats you got?

 

[imprezaworks]

great seats. How come you haven't done a trackday?

 

[chris blue]

got a clubsport ( passenger) and a Pro-series 1 (and that certainly keeps you stay put)

 

[finch wxm]

Just the corbeau clubsports i think they are called

deffo just drive it on a track- novice sesh why not?

I got a rear half cage purchased (Used but unblemished) with plates weklded in, and all fitted for £350- not that pricey and comforting when shooting round a track

what bucket seats you got?

great seats. How come you haven't done a trackday?

The car never got finished ! I had a bad car crash end of 2012 in my Nissan 200sx turbo .

All my money then went into re-shelling that then had to save for a house , so now I'm trying to finish this , do some track days then the ring next year !

 

[chris blue]

then the ring next year !

count me in

 

[Hoofy]

Drive it on a track before you do a single other thing to it...and as said above get some tuition while you're out there. Your car will love you for it and you'll likely get a 3-5 seconds better lap time over what some camber shims and roll bar tweaks will ever give you. You're obsessing over detail but you've no idea where you are yet...just drive it!!!

We've been racing for about 5 years now and I can 100% vouch for this philosophy. We spent too much time in the beginning fiddling with the car (and spending money) before driving it, learning the car, learning the track, understanding your own performance etc. We're fortunate now that we understand all that stuff and any mods we make actually equal lap time improvement, but in the beginning it's so much more about the driver. I would say a decent set of tyres (AD08's or even AO48's), pads (DS2500 or DS3000) and brake fluid (Motul RBF600) will all help your car last a little longer on track, but that's the absolute max I'd do to a car before I drove it on track for the first time.

If you want help with tyre pressures, camber settings, toe settings, there's plenty of racers like us that can help you, but get over the first hurdle and drive it!
p.s. video it, doesn't count if it's not on film
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HxV8GlsxjpokFXIrM9WVQ