Do any of the Florida guys know of any track days going on at Sebring in the near future? I am going to be in Florida and would love to drive that track. TIA - John
__________________
mgm shift knob, tinted windows, exhaust plate, shorty antenna, alum. dead & gas pedals, Andy's partition, EVO2 seat, Teamtech belts, 2-tip stingers, Hardbar, V-1, CCW wheels, Mich. Pilot Sport Cups,more on the way..
Do a search on the Internet on Sebring. I can't remember what group is sponsoring it, but there is a weekend driving school/event going on I think next week and sometime in April. They where at the Sebring12 handing out info.
I also heard that this track is very brutal on your car.
Vinnie... pardon my ignorance.. who is CF? Where is the signup?
jsWatek--- Chinmotorsports has several track weekends booked in the next few months. Also like 250 per day. You need to pay like 40 bucks to join the club, but you get lots of track time.
OK everyone, if you haven't driven Sebring, you need some info. The 12-hour (or "long" or "full") course is 3.7 miles 17 turns. Top speed (depending on your car and how big your cajones are) is around 135-150. 5 to 7 turns require very hard to extremely hard braking, making this very hard on brakes. Take extra pads and lots of extra fluid if you have not modified your brakes.
The "Club" or "short" course is 1.7 miles 11 turns. Top speed around 120-130. 3 turns in a row require extremely hard braking, making this the hardest road course in the U.S. on brakes. Take lots of spares. Be prepared to bleed brakes often, possibly change pads more than once, and even change rotors.
I have thousands of laps at Sebring. This is not to scare you, just to prepare you. I have instructed for over 12 years at this facility, and have seen my share of brake failures (and several crashes due to brake failure). Have fun, but please be careful.
Dave... Thanks for the veteran tips! We will be running the 3.7 mile 17 turn course.
Will you be there? It would be great to take a few laps together if you are and have time.
Also looking for a hot lap video of the track if anyone has one.
I have watched enough bits of 12 hour races, but a nice, continuous in car video at reasonable speeds would help.
Joe - I see you live in Jax - are you friends with Don Passell?
I have several in-car videos of Sebring, none in a 'Vette. Also, Turn 14-16 is the old configurations (they have had several over the past few years) but you'd get the idea. E-mail me your address at dwb@duda.com and I'll send one to you. Which weekend is this event - I am tied up 3 out of 4 weekends in April.
This is off topic, but I think I fried my brakes at a hard day at the track. Is there a way easy way to check if they need attention? The car only has 1,000 miles on it...
JSWATEK - these cars do not have enough brake. GM cheaped out on the brakes, so if you are not an experienced driver (i.e., a racer who has lots of seat time) it is easy to cook the brakes at a track event - so don't feel bad if you did. There are several things to look for. Boiled fluid will result in a soft (or "long") pedal that can be "pumped up". I recommend under all conditions bleeding your brakes thoroughly after returning from a track event. Be careful, brake fluid will mar or even eat paint, so don't spill any on the fenders, hood, etc. while doing this. While bleeding the brakes, inspect your rotors and pads. Your rotors are probably discolored, which itself is not a problem. Surface cracks are common, and can be removed by turning the rotors if they are minor. A crack all the way thru the rotor means you need to replace it immediately. If your pads are thin, replace them, otherwise they are probably ok. Checking the caliper is more difficult. To do this, you must remove the pads. My guess is that all the rubber dust boots have burned away. They are just that (dust boots) and do not really affect your braking. Over time, they keep dirt and debris from getting into the piston stroke and causing a breakdown in the piston seal (i.e., leaking fluid). Severe cases of heat will often degrade this seal, and leaving you with fluid leaks. This must be corrected immediately. Overall, you most likely need to bleed the brakes and possibly turn the rotors, but not much else (unless you drove Sebring).
What track were you at? How many sessions? How experienced are you?
I was at Tx World Speedway which has a long straight (145 mph) and a tight first turn which eats brakes I gather. I am also inexperienced in this car. This was my first time at the track and in this car.
I noticed that my rotors feels like there are slight ridges in them as opposed to flat and smooth. Like you said , they are discolored as well. I think I can be easier on them in the future if I can regain the performance. Just as you said, they feel a little "soft". What does bleeding do? Rid the system of air? How does air get in? From "boiling"? Thanks again! You sound very familiar with the brakes on these cars!
Brake fluid absorbs water (it is hydroscopic). When your brakes get hot, they boil this minute amount of water - presto, air bubbles. Air compresses, so when you put on the brakes, you first compress the air, giving you a spongy (soft) feeling. Bleeding removes the air and the old contaminated fluid, which will probably be dark in color. Do not use silicone brake fluid. You should always replace your fluid just before you go, then after you get home. If the brakes get soft during the event, they need bleeding. If you plan to go to the track often, you should switch to a better fluid than the stock GM stuff. I use Valvoline SynTech Dot 4 fluid. Lots of people use the Ford Heavy-Duty Dot 3 fluid, and some use aftermarket racing fluid. Make sure whatever you use is compatible with "all other Dot 3 and Dot 4 fluids", is not Dot 5 (silicone), and has a fairly high dry boiling temp (at least 500 degrees). Wet boiling point is important if you don't bleed them often - the higher the better. At a race weekend, I will often bleed brakes before every session if the outside air temp is high.
Your ridges are wear from the pads. You can live with these or turn the rotors - they really don't affect your braking much unless they are severe.
OK!!
So here's my question. I thought the stock brakes on the ZO6 and rotors where designed to take the punishment more than the "Normal" sports car. Does that only apply when the car is braking in a straight line (Drag racing) not continuously? I was always under the impression that you could run our cars, providing the brakes,pads etc are in "GOOD" condition on the track as is, without any modifications or issues.
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
