Quote:
Originally Posted by Laith027
Will I not have massive wear on the brake pads after the track day if running on normal brake fluid? Keeping in mind this is not my track toy and I usually drive it daily
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Warning - tracking is habit forming; best you just turn away now.....I thought I'd just try it once to say I did a few laps at Watkins Glen, and two years later I'm already planning where I'll go thru October (but I can quit any time I want, dammit).
You will have significant (perhaps 'massive') brake wear, but it has nothing to do with the fluid. Tracking uses brakes very hard, both for stopping and for the TCS (do leave it in sport or sport+ until you get some experience). If you love tracking, you will want to replace the stock pads with semi-trackers (I'm liking the Ferodo 2500, but there are many options); if you decide this was a one-time thing then you will be glad you didn't waste several hundred on track pads that just squeal and make dust.
Also extra wear for the tires; depending on the track, they may only last a few track-days, sometimes you can get a dozen or more. As they heat up you need to pull air out, to keep the hot pressures around 36-38 (what I use for Potenza s007; R-comps can go a little lower I think, MPSS likes higher). Take notes, so you can plan tire pressures better next time.
Some quick tips: Don't torque lugs when they are hot, no matter what anybody tells you; do it first thing in the morning. Don't use parking brake, or sit with your foot on the brakes - it will melt brake pads into a nasty smear on the rotors. For your final lap of each session try to use brakes very little to cool them down some. Drink a bottle of water between each session. Learn how to do the 'seat-belt-trick: move seat backwards 4", set the belt tensioner with a quick pull, then motor the seat forward so that you tighten the belt down hard across you (and start saving $$ for a Scroth belt set).
The big difference between racing fluid and stock is the boiling point - until it boils they all work the same, and Stock vs Race aren't that far apart. Actually better to start on factory fluid, because it boils before you cook the more expensive parts so it is a type of limiter. If you overheat things, the brakes will get spongy or greasy - if they come back after a slower lap to cool off, it was fluid boiling; if not, it is the pads overheating and you are probably done until you replace them. If your 'fix-them-now' brake warning comes on, it means you are about to be metal-on-metal and should end the session or it can get very expensive. Look at the pads after each session, and you can see how they are wearing down.
Have fun!