Track Day Prep – Before you hit the track for the first time
Are you getting ready for your first day out on the track, maybe your first Gridlife event? What track day prep have you done to prepare for the event? We worked with the Bondurant Racing School to give you some brake and suspension tips to get you started.
Inspecting your brake pads and rotors…
Inspecting your brake system before any track even is crucial, and your pads and rotors are the components to start with. Now if you just installed a set of PowerStop Track Day brake pads, you might have wondered “are my rotors ok?”. Here are some things to look at in these components.
Inspecting your brake calipers…
After you have verified that your pads and rotors are good to go, the caliper is the next component. There are a few types of calipers you will encounter but generally you’re looking for the same things on any of them.
What should you inspect while the wheel is off your car?
So you’ve gone through your brake system and you’re ready to put the wheel back on? Wait right there, while the wheel is off you can give a few more parts a quick inspection. The components that wear on your suspension will wear much faster while on track, so checking these things could save you from a major issue on track.
Putting your wheels back on, what’s the proper torque procedure?
Now it may seem like basic information, but everyone has to learn it somewhere. Torquing your wheels to the proper factory indicated torque spec is important. It will keep your wheels from coming loose or breaking a wheel stud, as well as protecting your wheels from galling and damage from over-tightening. If you have aftermarket wheels you should also check the indication from the wheel manufacturer.
Other things to consider.
We will have more videos that go into further detail regarding the following list, but until then these are some other things to consider before going out on track.
- Upgrade your brake fluid (higher wet and dry boiling points will give you more track time)
- Inspect your brake fluid after you leave the track (heat kills all fluids, brake fluid is important)
- Is your battery held down properly? (imaging the battery coming free and starting a fire)
- Do you know where your front and rear tow points are? (we all go off-track at some point)
- Is your car neat and tidy inside? (that laptop charger on the back seat is a missile in a crash)
- Does your car leak? (Oil on your driveway sucks… Oil on track, well that is worse)
- How are your tires? (You don’t need racing tires, but your tires should be in good condition)
- Check all of your fluids (Make sure your car doesn’t need more fluids or a fluid change)
All of these track day prep tips will get you on-track faster and keep you there longer. Thanks to the team at Bondurant for their help in making these videos. All of the Hellcats at the Bondurant Racing School are equipped with our Track Day brake pads and our high-quality rotors.
For more info on our entire product lineup or the Bondurant Racing School click the links below.
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