Over the last two years I got very lazy about track days and all but one were at LRP. Yesterday I changed the front rotors and take a look at the front left rotor vs. the front right rotor. Yikes!

 

YIKES! Better catching it now than in between sessions after you had a 'moment' on track! Some superglue should do the trick, right? This is just one of the reasons I don't use my brakes at Lime Rock!

 

Do any of you have suggestions for caster and toe settings? The specs for the R56 JCW suspension I had on the car are:

Front: 4°16' Caster/-1°16' Toe
Rear: Total Toe: 0°24'

But I just installed all an new suspension and am looking for an alignment starting point. Maybe start with the same settings?

 

LRP needs a few more lefthanders.

 

you cant change caster without offset bushings, or greene performance front camber plates, I run +2 caster and I like it

I run 0 toe front & rear, a little busy on the highway but on the track it feels great

 

At LRP 0 toe or slightly inward would be good. And good for autocross. Not so at WGI as the Toe (turn 7) will chew up the inside of the right side tire because the wheel turns in too much and the inside of the tire scrubs (chunked the inside of my ZIIs because of that). I run stock toe front and rear. For WGI I have actually added slightly more front toe because of that scrub.

I have heard good things about added caster and the offset bushings. I haven't done that, though.

 

Hmmmm, not as bad as some of mine...
But look at this way, it looks like you only need to buy one rotor or buy 2 and keep that one as a spare.

 

GKP, it makes sense that the left rotor would fail before the right given the fact that you do most of your track days at Lime Rock. I would imagine the difference forces between the front rotors are similar to the differences the tires experience, assuming you are carrying some trail braking into the corners as you input steering.

 

Thank you, gentlemen. Suspension is obviously not my forte. If it weren't for my son, who is very suspension savvy, I never could have done all the work myself. The problem now is that everything looks so new and shiny I don't want to take it out on these slushy, salt-covered roads, even to get the alignment!

 

Hey THE season is coming up.

Did anyone see that SCDA got a plug from BMWCCA Rondel magazine in their article about Turner trying out their new race car? SCDA allowed them to try out their new car during their November DE event. That had to be a treat for the people at that event.

Also, SCCA has issued their track night schedule and they have several nights a LRP scheduled.

 

I have the magazine on my nightstand. Haven't read it yet.

 

Have just joined BMWCCA and have not received current copy yet. I am planning on signing up for those dates at LRP.

 

Hey, this may sound crazy, but i put a tank of ethanol free gas into our base MINI Cooper, with the CVT, and I swear it is running better and has more power. It has a real grunt to it now that I don't remember it having. I know ethanol free runs better in my S, but had not thought it would do anything for the Cooper. I love it...

 

Not crazy at all. I've read ethanol-free gas significantly improves mileage, too. But where did you find it?

 

 

Was anyone else bitten by the track bug yesterday, when temps were in the mid 70's? First SCDA event at LRP just over a month away...

 

I took Smokey out over the weekend when it was dry and not much salt getting into everything. Oh, was it nice.

I didn't need the 70 deg day to get me thinking about the track. Just getting out was enough to do that.

I am thinking my first day will be the end of April at WGI. My car has a little prep that needs to be done and I want to do it with no snow on the ground. Also, I am not so sure I can run my studded snow on the track at LRP...

 

I'm already registered for the April 30th/May 1st event @ WGI! It will be great to start off the season with you! By the way, I think studded snow tires would be frowned upon @ LRP, unless you were talking about doing a car control clinic over the winter...

 

Go You!

Do we have any other takers?

 

How many hours are you guys from WGI? It's almost 5 hours for me. I can get to NJMSP quicker.

 

That is a hike!

It is about 3 and a half hours for me to WGI.

 

But, WGI is a much better track than NJMSP. Definitely worth the trip!

 

GKP - only takes me 4hrs from here in Newtown. 270 miles....but I’ve also done it in 3 3/4hrs...

3.5hrs on the motorcycle!

 

With no tickets on Route 17?

I was up there about 8 years ago and I thought it was 5 hours. I could be wrong.

 

My trip there would only be about 3 hours if it weren’t for the pit stops (and I am not talking about tire changes here )