Stopping car at Lakeside

Wheels, Suspension, Brakes & Tyres questions and answers

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tbro
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby tbro » Sat Aug 30, 2008 6:41 pm

Hi all,

Did a track day at Lakeside last Saturday, had a ball but had hell own time stopping the car.

Now before anyone can give me advise, I had best explain exactly what I'm on about.

First off the car stops well, a little wiggle from the rear when pushing really hard coming into Hungry's, not a problem, same at the end of the straight, not a problem. Just means I'm trying as hard as my limited ability allows.

The problem starts when I hop out of the car at the end of the session. 18 mths ago I destroyed my right ankle, broke all the ligaments, tore all tendons and fractured cap and ball, torn cartilage and other damage in right knee. So after operations I can walk reasonably well (limp when tired or leg aching) but have bugger all strength in my right leg. QR doesn't presents too much of a problem but Lakeside is bloody hard on my body.

Now can anyone tell me if there is a larger booster available, or maybe a more suitable pad setup that would require less pedal effort.
Currently I'm running Bendix Ultimates and find that pedal modulation is great and never had a lockup on the track. Maybe I'm asking for an improbable fix but I really enjoy running this car at track days and would hate to get rid of it.

The car is a stock Clubman, with some suspension tweaks,roll bar and race seats.

Terry
"Racing shouldn't be for rich idiots, but for all idiots"

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Steampunk
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby Steampunk » Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:28 pm

Hey mate
Coming from a medical background, and thinking laterally, have you looked at leg braces or some sort of athletic leggings that support and enhance muscle actuation?
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tbro
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby tbro » Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:27 pm

Hey Andrew,

I have different types of braces for my ankle, that the physo perscribed for me during rehab.

The biggest problem with wearing a brace is no matter the type they do restrict your movement, as they are supposed to do.

I use the soft brace at QR, but I need to actually lift my whole leg off the accelerator and swing leg over onto brakes.

This sounds very slow but I'm so used to the brace that it's not to bad.

But Lakeside is one track that you don't really want anything hindering your braking.

Terry
"Racing shouldn't be for rich idiots, but for all idiots"

tbro
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby tbro » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:10 pm

Last night I was talking to a mate in Sydney who runs 2 Skylines for BMS.

He was telling me about a temp paint that goes on the pads to tell what temps your running on the track. Roy seems to think that the pads are ok for QR but overheating after a few laps at Lakeside, and the best way to tell is to use these products to make sure. Apparently you can get 3 different colours red,blue and orange I think?? and if you exceed the paints temp it goes white.

So I rang 2 brake specialist shops on the north side and neither had any idea what I was talking about.

Anybody knows who carries these products in Brissy???


Terry
"Racing shouldn't be for rich idiots, but for all idiots"

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Hellmun
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby Hellmun » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:41 pm

It's called thermographic paint and some rotor distributors apply it to their performance rotors. As I recall it's prohibitively expensive to buy on it's own. Considered just using an infra-red temperature gun on them as soon as you take them off the track? I got one for tyre temp across the surface and it gives you an idea what the rotors reach. So long as you take no advantage of the cooldown lap you can spike the brakes up pretty high before you come off. Most I've gotten on the gun was 580C and I've lost all 3 of my thermographic markers on my DBA4000's (I think the last marker is 620C sustained for 10 min?). The infrared gun was $99 from Jaycar...

tbro
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby tbro » Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:57 pm

[quote="Hellmun"] Considered just using an infra-red temperature gun on them as soon as you take them off the track? I got one for tyre temp across the surface and it gives you an idea what the rotors reach.

Bloody hell never even thought of that, have one sitting in my toolbox gathering dust.

Thanks Hellmun

Terry
"Racing shouldn't be for rich idiots, but for all idiots"

Striped 63
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby Striped 63 » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:26 pm

Silly question, but can you brake left footed? Its been done before......
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up, and long ago somebody left with the cup. But he's driving and striving and hugging the turns, And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.

Mokesta
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby Mokesta » Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:39 pm

Terry, if you can't find a suitable larger booster, the only option is to go for a different lever ratio on your brake pedal or a smaller bore master cylinder. Both of those will give you more travel and lower pedal effort. Next time you are at MX5Plus, get Richard to have a look at an NA pedal assy and tell you what he thinks the chances of changing the lever ratio are. He is more than adequately qualified to design up a revised pedal for you.

For safety, the pedal would have to sit higher off the floor so you have the same available travel at the MC. This may not help your cause.

M

tbro
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Stopping car at Lakeside

Postby tbro » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:04 pm

Mokesta wrote:go for a different lever ratio on your brake pedal or a smaller bore master cylinder. Both of those will give you more travel and lower pedal effort.
For safety, the pedal would have to sit higher off the floor so you have the same available travel at the MC. This may not help your cause.

M


M
Spoke to a mate in Melbourne about changing pedal ratio, he's advised against it as being boosted he thinks it too easy to go above the 5 to 1 ratio (max for boosted system) resulting in overbraking. He actually advised to look at the pads that 949 racing are selling as he's using them in one of his race cars and believes they have reduced pedal effort considerably.

So I'll ask the question and maybe go for new pads and rotors.

I was just looking at both reply's in this thread, I think I need to broaden my scope of friends, everybody works in the race car game :lol: :lol:

Terry
"Racing shouldn't be for rich idiots, but for all idiots"


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