Hi guys. Having had a scout through the forums, I haven’t come across a thread which offers advice and information in regards to Prep and planning for trackdays and sprinting. I thought I would take the opportunity to share the routine I carry out along with what I take with me on the day of the event or trackday. By no means what im sharing is perfect which is why I encourage you all to add with your opinions and routines. More minds and ideas are better than 1!!!
Right, first thing to highlight IMO is something that I was told which I think is very relevant to what we love and do. Its something referred to as the 7 P’s or PPPPPPP. Its stands for:
PROPER PLANNING and PREPERATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE
I think it speaks for itself. The key to enjoying the day is obviously to make your trackday or event as issue and fault free as possible. This is done with good car preparation and of course going prepared for any potential issues. It doesn’t cost a fortune to do this, just a bit of time and effort.
BRAKES
Check the life left in BOTH your discs & pads. You’ll be surprised how much of a battering these will take. I’ve witnessed a set of brand new pads being destroyed in morning session, so depend on your driving style, you may want to consider replacing them even if you think they is plenty of life left in them. As a rule, I always take spare set of pads with me on the day as these are a relatively straight forward repair if you have the correct tools. Also check your brake line condition for leaks or signs of wear which could become a leak. If in doubt, replace to avoid your day being cut short. Another process I carry out is to bleed each of the callipers to ensure no air bubbles have formed. Its a 10 minute job and costs nothing. Check brake fluid level too. Finally after all this, the most obvious check....make sure everything is bolted to the hubs/car as it should. A lost calliper bolt means game over unless you have spares to hand.
SUSPENSION/CHASSIS
When its comes to suspension, there are many parts which make up the complete system so you should look to carry out a methodical check of each part. Just about every part will consist of a bush so checking these for excessive play or splitting. Whilst a slack bush wont necessarily end your day, it will affect your cars performance. Some bushes are not a simple repair but others such as roll bar or even drop links are simple repairs. In terms of your shocks/ springs, check for leaks and fractures on your springs. Make sure everything is tight. In terms of geometry, I personally recommend it if budget allows. As part of this making sure the car sits planted and the ride height is equal along axles. If you have adjustable dampening, rebound etc. available, these can be altered on the day. Whilst checking in this particular area of the car, a check of your tyres would be advisable if your running on your road tyres. The track is very harsh as will your driving so plenty of tread is a must.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
A lot of the things to check for here are pretty straight forward although its easy to get carried away. For me, an oil and filter change is a must. I personally use an OEM filter and put a good quality oil in. Usually Millers. Whilst changing fluids, fresh coolant is a good idea and if the car hasn’t been done in the last year, some coolant flush to remove as much gunk from the rad as possible with the increase engine temperatures it will become subject to. Gearbox oil isn’t essential, but dropping it will give you an idea of its condition and fresh good quality oil will give piece of mind. I also like to change my plugs. A fresh set gapped correctly isn’t essential again, but for the modest outlay, worth it for piece of mind. Check the condition of all your electrical connections. Injectors, coil packs, cam sensors, Map Sensors etc. etc. Squirt of break cleaner in each if you have to hand and ensure they snap together as they should. An electrical gremlin is probably the most frustrating to put a premature end to your day so doing all you can to reduce its risk is a no brainer for me. Check all your engine and gearbox mount points for wear.
Finally clean any gunk and oil off of the sump and gearbox. Put a piece of white paper under the engine and start your car and leave to run up to temperature and idle for 10 -15 minutes. Once done, switch off and pull out the paper and see if their are any leaks.
ON THE DAY
Taking some basic tools and parts is a good idea. In terms of parts I’ll take some oil, spare pads, exhaust rubbers and clamps, plugs, tie wraps, electrical tape and wire. Tool wise, the usual trolley jack, axle stands, breaker bar and wheel nut socket, screwdrivers and spanners and a socket set. A pump and tyre pressure gauge can also come in handy
Right, first thing to highlight IMO is something that I was told which I think is very relevant to what we love and do. Its something referred to as the 7 P’s or PPPPPPP. Its stands for:
PROPER PLANNING and PREPERATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE
I think it speaks for itself. The key to enjoying the day is obviously to make your trackday or event as issue and fault free as possible. This is done with good car preparation and of course going prepared for any potential issues. It doesn’t cost a fortune to do this, just a bit of time and effort.
BRAKES
Check the life left in BOTH your discs & pads. You’ll be surprised how much of a battering these will take. I’ve witnessed a set of brand new pads being destroyed in morning session, so depend on your driving style, you may want to consider replacing them even if you think they is plenty of life left in them. As a rule, I always take spare set of pads with me on the day as these are a relatively straight forward repair if you have the correct tools. Also check your brake line condition for leaks or signs of wear which could become a leak. If in doubt, replace to avoid your day being cut short. Another process I carry out is to bleed each of the callipers to ensure no air bubbles have formed. Its a 10 minute job and costs nothing. Check brake fluid level too. Finally after all this, the most obvious check....make sure everything is bolted to the hubs/car as it should. A lost calliper bolt means game over unless you have spares to hand.
SUSPENSION/CHASSIS
When its comes to suspension, there are many parts which make up the complete system so you should look to carry out a methodical check of each part. Just about every part will consist of a bush so checking these for excessive play or splitting. Whilst a slack bush wont necessarily end your day, it will affect your cars performance. Some bushes are not a simple repair but others such as roll bar or even drop links are simple repairs. In terms of your shocks/ springs, check for leaks and fractures on your springs. Make sure everything is tight. In terms of geometry, I personally recommend it if budget allows. As part of this making sure the car sits planted and the ride height is equal along axles. If you have adjustable dampening, rebound etc. available, these can be altered on the day. Whilst checking in this particular area of the car, a check of your tyres would be advisable if your running on your road tyres. The track is very harsh as will your driving so plenty of tread is a must.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
A lot of the things to check for here are pretty straight forward although its easy to get carried away. For me, an oil and filter change is a must. I personally use an OEM filter and put a good quality oil in. Usually Millers. Whilst changing fluids, fresh coolant is a good idea and if the car hasn’t been done in the last year, some coolant flush to remove as much gunk from the rad as possible with the increase engine temperatures it will become subject to. Gearbox oil isn’t essential, but dropping it will give you an idea of its condition and fresh good quality oil will give piece of mind. I also like to change my plugs. A fresh set gapped correctly isn’t essential again, but for the modest outlay, worth it for piece of mind. Check the condition of all your electrical connections. Injectors, coil packs, cam sensors, Map Sensors etc. etc. Squirt of break cleaner in each if you have to hand and ensure they snap together as they should. An electrical gremlin is probably the most frustrating to put a premature end to your day so doing all you can to reduce its risk is a no brainer for me. Check all your engine and gearbox mount points for wear.
Finally clean any gunk and oil off of the sump and gearbox. Put a piece of white paper under the engine and start your car and leave to run up to temperature and idle for 10 -15 minutes. Once done, switch off and pull out the paper and see if their are any leaks.
ON THE DAY
Taking some basic tools and parts is a good idea. In terms of parts I’ll take some oil, spare pads, exhaust rubbers and clamps, plugs, tie wraps, electrical tape and wire. Tool wise, the usual trolley jack, axle stands, breaker bar and wheel nut socket, screwdrivers and spanners and a socket set. A pump and tyre pressure gauge can also come in handy
