cfdfireman1

iTrader: (11)

I have to do the seals in the next week. Nate did you use grease on the seals or just fresh brake fluid when you assembled them? What's the hot setup for pads this year I recall you were using the Raybestos ST-43 ?, did you ever try the ST-47 and can you compare those to the CL pads?

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

No grease inside!

After you clean everything up....
You definitely need to rub fresh brake fluid (acts like oil / lube) inside and around the pistons. You don't necessarily need to lube up the seals. But I found careful use of a tiny screwdriver handy for getting them out and pushing them into place.

As for pads...
I currently have ST-43's in there. I've only used them for 3 events and I'm going to stick with them to see how they wear and moreso how they wear my front Girodisc 2-peice rotors.
Previously I've ran multiple (6+) sets of Hawk DTC60's and liked them a lot. Everyone says they kill rotors. I did go through rotors but I was buying the cheap 'blanks' for awhile before upgrading to a 1-piece directionally veined PowerSlot rotor. Those were nice I thought. They lasted me 14 days on track. After those is when I switched to the Giro's and ST-43's. Girodisc claimed the DTC-60 pads would eat the rotors alive.

So I've still got at least 1 good set of DTC-60's for backup. Haven't decided which I like better or if there's really much of a difference. I'm nearly more concerned about rotor weight and life these days - they cost more...
I've never tired the ST-47's or CL pads.

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

More maintenance this weekend. Getting down to the last of it though. I pulled all the brake pads and checked them, the brake lines and the rotors - all for premature wear. Looking good although my front Girodisc rotors are already showing some minor spider-cracking after just 3 trackdays of use. We'll see how long they last!
I had planned on replacing the front seals as well. I've done this a few times and I actually have some backup front calipers in my posession (with new seals) as well. However these seals looked to be in really good shape. So I decided to let things be and buttoned things back up.

I greased up the pads and put them back in. I then flushed the entire system with new AMSOIL DOT4 brake fluid. Check out the pics above, still liking my Motiv Power Bleeder of course.
A quick test drive revealed a solid pedal; verifying things are ok. Well actually I popped off an intercooler pipe so I had to yank the bumper afterwards and figure out a better plan! But that's taken care of now.

This really wraps up the last of the 'must need' 'off-season' maintenance! There's some odds and ends to take care of before my first test day, but nothing critical really.

First test day in this Saturday March 26th!

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Another torture test...

210 miles at Mid Ohio streched over 3 days. Brakes didn't miss a beat.

Got a good story though. On Saturday, we were going to take some tire temps in like the 3rd session. So I did 2 flying laps around 1:40 and came flying into the pits. You come flying into the pits w/o a cooldown so you get a true representation of the tire temps w/o giving them a chance to cool down.
Anything, even with coming to a deadstop in the hotpits my timer showed a 1:47 for that lap! Damn eh! Smoke starting billowing from the LF wheel well; love it. I stayed put long enough for temps and pressures and the session ended so I rolled back to the pits. Problem is that when I went for the brakes the pedal went to the floor! Glazed!

So I had to pump them back. It's not an uncommon occurence as the heat just radiates while you're sitting there and there's no air movement to cool anything. I ran the rest of Sat and Sunday with no issues.

I'll be bleeding this tonight in preperation for my next event just to be safe.

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

I had a very short turn around after Mid Ohio - just 1 week and I was back at Autobahn. Which really means I had 4 evenings/nights to do whatever needed to be done. And in those 4 nights; I had to unpack and repack the car/trailer!

As I mentioned, I did a quick bleed of just the front brakes just to be safe. I took a good look at the front rotors and while they were still heat-cracked (aka spider-cracked) pretty bad, nothing looked deep and nothing was pushing to the edge to cause alarm. Everything that's ran these Girodisc 2-peice rotors say they last longer than you think after the initial heatcrack so I decided to leave them on. I popped out the front pads to verify they were good and no uneven wear - they were getting low but had enough for my weekend needs. Here's some pre-event pics:

apagan01

iTrader: (299)

dam Nathan you are eating up them rotors and pads like crazy,,,, GOING FAST !

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Check out my brake rotor & brake pad review:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...t-1-piece.html

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Last friday when I pulled off the rotors and pads for all the pics to do my comparison test, things were moving pretty quickly. So I didn't stop there.

I thought about my schedule and I already have 6 days on track in 2011. I usually run 16-18 per year so I'm nearly 1/3 of the way complete! And since I skipped redoing the caliper seals this winter; I figure why not now! Yeah...

I mean hell, the calipers were already unbolted - they have to be to get the rotors off. So I grabbed the 9/16" and loosened the brake lines on each side and tore into the calipers.
Here's some pics of everything torn apart. Top one is after just pulling all the old seals. Bottom one is after everything was cleaned up and ready to start going back together.

Keep in mind the calipers shown are also the 3rd set I've put on the car! I have the originals; replaced the seals in them once, and along the way screw up 2 of the threads so I switched them out to a different set (#2). Then found a nearly new set that I installed sometime last year (#3) and I'm replacing those seals now.

So I've got backups...and with new seals too! Somewhat similarly scared dk red!

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Calipers went back together this weekend. New Hawk DTC-60's going back in. Yep, going back to the Hawk's.

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

And got the front buttoned back up. Pic below of the cleaned (yet discolored) calipers installed and the shiny new rotors.

All-in-all always a messy job to do this. The worst part is trying to force the pistons back into the calipers once they have the new seals in them. Let's just say it's tight and there's a few tricks that can be employed.

As I mentioned earlier; new Hawk DTC60's in front. I popped out the rears and everything looks fine, the ST43's back there are > 50% so I'm just going to leave them in there rather than switching brands again as I thought the overall bite was pretty similar. Something to remember...

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

The updated braking system held up just find last weekend at the track. I think the Hawk pads are a bit more predictable and easy to manage personally and prefer them. I do think the 2-piece Girodisc's run a tad cooler which makes sense.

L888Apex

iTrader: (94)

I don't know how you go so long between fluid flushes. I have two tracks days on my AMSOIL brake fluid and the pedal is pretty mushy.

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

I ran all of 2010 with just a flush to start the year and 2 bleeds. And that was 17 days. I couldn't do that back with Motul; but the car is lighter and I probably have better habits now.

Technique is a lot of it. Don't drag the brake or anything, it's the worst thing you can do. Plus when the car is 'on'; I'll just run 2 hotlaps a session...

L888Apex

iTrader: (94)

That explains A LOT lol I run 6-8 hot laps per session haha

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Yep. Now when I'm at a new track, or testing (not on A6's) - I'm running 6-10 laps and/or the full session. Last year I ran a LOT of full sessions.

But we've found after taking temps that 2 hard hard hard laps on A6's and they are overheated; so there's no point in staying out as times just get slower and you just use up more tire. That actually puts more pressure on those 2 laps too!