Meat
rack rack 'em
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
- Car(s)
- 2007 GTI [DSG]
I tried to add this info to my track day info thread but ran out of room in my original post. I'm adding it here and I'll link to it in the other thread.
Let me start by saying that you do not need to upgrade your brakes and tires in order to participate in a track day (as long as the stock pads and tires have sufficient life left in them). If you cannot afford new tires and brake pads or do not want to deal with getting and installing new parts- by all means DO NOT let this hold you back from going to the track.
If you are planning to go to the track you may want to upgrade your brakes a little bit to help them meet the demands of the track. OEM pads and fluid can become overheated on track and you will start to experience a condition called brake fade. This happens when the interface between the pad and the rotor gets too hot. This is largely due to the inadequacies of the stock pads. Another problem you may run into is a spongy pedal, which happens when the OEM fluid begins to boil. I remained on the OEM pads and fluid for first 2 events I ever did and I ran into both of these problems. After about 5-6 hard laps you will start to have to start modifying your driving to account for the decreased brake performance.
If you want to avoid these issues you will want to start by looking into getting new pads and fluid. You will want to use a DOT4 fluid that has a higher wet boiling point than the OEM DOT3 fluid. I have used and had success with Motul RBF600 and ATE Super Blue. These run about $15 per liter for the ATE and $11 per 0.5L for the Motul. You will need about a liter, but I would order 2L to be safe and have some extra to swap in at the track if needed. You may also want to upgrade your brake lines to stainless steel versions to also help combat a spongy pedal.
You have two options when selecting pads for the track: a set that you can use for both track and street, or a dedicated set of track pads. The street-and-track pads will obviously be a bit of a compromise, but they will still be much better than OEM pads. For a street-and-track set of pads I suggest the Hawk HP+. They will run about $115 for a set of fronts. As a street pad they have a few downsides (a bit more noise, a bit more dust, no wear sensors) but they are one of the only street pads that I would use on track. For a set of track dedicated pads I would suggest Carbotech XP10's which run about $185 a set for the fronts. These pads are not a good street pad by any means but they are fantastic on track. The problem with track pads is that they require bedding before use. You should not run the track pads on the same set of rotors as your street pads without rebedding the rotors for the track pads. Also, the track pads will wear your rotors at a much higher rate. It is a good idea to pick up a second set of OEM rotors for the track pads and swap them on with the track pads. I swap my pads and rotors at the track the night before the event.
So, in short: the easiest and cheapest method is HP+ pads and 2L of ATE Super Blue fluid. The more expensive, effective, and time consuming method is some dedicated Carbotech XP10 pads, a second set of OEM rotors, stainless steel lines and DOT4 fluid.
One additional note, if you are looking for a somewhat firmer pedal you should look into the Tyrol Sport Brake Bushings. Many members (myself included) have installed these and had at least a somewhat noticeable improvement in pedal stiffness. I noticed it to a lesser extent, but others have noticed a large improvement.
EDIT: I also recommend removing your dust shields before going to the track regardless of what brake setup you use. Dan GSR suggested this to me at one event and it made a big difference. If you're changing rotors before going to the track it's only a few screws to remove the shields. I've taken mine off permanently and wrapped the electrical components and lower bits of the brake lines in heat-resistant gold foil tape.
Let me start by saying that you do not need to upgrade your brakes and tires in order to participate in a track day (as long as the stock pads and tires have sufficient life left in them). If you cannot afford new tires and brake pads or do not want to deal with getting and installing new parts- by all means DO NOT let this hold you back from going to the track.
If you are planning to go to the track you may want to upgrade your brakes a little bit to help them meet the demands of the track. OEM pads and fluid can become overheated on track and you will start to experience a condition called brake fade. This happens when the interface between the pad and the rotor gets too hot. This is largely due to the inadequacies of the stock pads. Another problem you may run into is a spongy pedal, which happens when the OEM fluid begins to boil. I remained on the OEM pads and fluid for first 2 events I ever did and I ran into both of these problems. After about 5-6 hard laps you will start to have to start modifying your driving to account for the decreased brake performance.
If you want to avoid these issues you will want to start by looking into getting new pads and fluid. You will want to use a DOT4 fluid that has a higher wet boiling point than the OEM DOT3 fluid. I have used and had success with Motul RBF600 and ATE Super Blue. These run about $15 per liter for the ATE and $11 per 0.5L for the Motul. You will need about a liter, but I would order 2L to be safe and have some extra to swap in at the track if needed. You may also want to upgrade your brake lines to stainless steel versions to also help combat a spongy pedal.
You have two options when selecting pads for the track: a set that you can use for both track and street, or a dedicated set of track pads. The street-and-track pads will obviously be a bit of a compromise, but they will still be much better than OEM pads. For a street-and-track set of pads I suggest the Hawk HP+. They will run about $115 for a set of fronts. As a street pad they have a few downsides (a bit more noise, a bit more dust, no wear sensors) but they are one of the only street pads that I would use on track. For a set of track dedicated pads I would suggest Carbotech XP10's which run about $185 a set for the fronts. These pads are not a good street pad by any means but they are fantastic on track. The problem with track pads is that they require bedding before use. You should not run the track pads on the same set of rotors as your street pads without rebedding the rotors for the track pads. Also, the track pads will wear your rotors at a much higher rate. It is a good idea to pick up a second set of OEM rotors for the track pads and swap them on with the track pads. I swap my pads and rotors at the track the night before the event.
So, in short: the easiest and cheapest method is HP+ pads and 2L of ATE Super Blue fluid. The more expensive, effective, and time consuming method is some dedicated Carbotech XP10 pads, a second set of OEM rotors, stainless steel lines and DOT4 fluid.
One additional note, if you are looking for a somewhat firmer pedal you should look into the Tyrol Sport Brake Bushings. Many members (myself included) have installed these and had at least a somewhat noticeable improvement in pedal stiffness. I noticed it to a lesser extent, but others have noticed a large improvement.
EDIT: I also recommend removing your dust shields before going to the track regardless of what brake setup you use. Dan GSR suggested this to me at one event and it made a big difference. If you're changing rotors before going to the track it's only a few screws to remove the shields. I've taken mine off permanently and wrapped the electrical components and lower bits of the brake lines in heat-resistant gold foil tape.
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