prepping for the ring

[dazleeds]

ok well im hooked and have 1 goal for next year
that goal is to try and do 2ring trips next year
never done it before but read every tale on here and cant think of ant better way to find that ultimate driving buzz

so i have a tech 1 sport that by christmas will be fitted with a fairly high specd 2.7 so the power side of things is gonna be well and truly sorted

but from all the storys i hear knowledge of the track and a very well set up car is essential

so im now thinking of how to sort the suspension and braking to a suitable level
so can all previous ring visitors give me there oppinions and advice on what they have tried and how they rate there setups

i dnt have mad money to chuck into 4pot brakes and coilover setups etc so im looking for the best of the rest also the car must stay useable on uk roads as well

so tell me your storys and your set ups etc and i can go from there

so far my brakes and susp are pretty standard

cheers all

please no whoring on this thread i really want advice from people who have tried various set ups and not hearsay

cheers

Daz

[JimmyC]

Would Ԛ£800 be too much for suspension??

As for brakes, good dics, pads, braided lines with standard calipes should be ok

[dazleeds]

Would Ԛ£800 be too much for suspension??

As for brakes, good dics, pads, braided lines with standard calipes should be ok

bit too much at the moment fella
as im also building the 2.7 etc
but what have yyou got in mind??

im prob gonna end up with either the h&r kit or some adjustable koni,s maybe but very undecided at the moment

[JimmyC]

GAZ coilovers, custom built using your struts with whatever spring rates you need and fully adjustable

Guessing the new lump will weigh abit so need heavy spring rates up front- does H&R kit give you a choice of any spring rate or is it as it comes?

[Fushion_Julz]

I've recently fitted AVO adjustable dampers to my M3 and can recommend them thoroughly....easy to fit, easy to adjust and well made and the company is pleasant to deal with, too.

I've used them with Faulkner springs which seem to do the job for me...They aren't high enough rate for out n out track use, but then it is a road car that gets occasional use on the track so they suit it fine....

The complete set of shocks cost Ԛ£320 ish ....To which the springs need to be added (around Ԛ£150 new for a set). I also upgraded the front wishbone bushes and rear subframe bushes to Polybush type and it all seems to be pretty good...

So far, I've left the brakes alone..just using Ferodo DS2500 pads all round...Again, I like those pads and the discs are plenty up to the job with just braided flexi lines and ATE racing fluid...

However, all-in, I reckon you can't be much short of the Ԛ£800 mark

Unless you find the suspension bits s/h, I doubt you'd get it much less regardless of actual brands used!

[JimmyC]

Heard very good things about Faulkner springs

I am getting a car which I believe has a set of SPAX on next week not sure what, til I get it, if its any good you can have for a beer token donation ;) if you want

[dazleeds]

Heard very good things about Faulkner springs

I am getting a car which I believe has a set of SPAX on next week not sure what, til I get it, if its any good you can have for a beer token donation ;) if you want

what are you getting mate??
spax dampers or spax springs??
may be interested if its Dampers

fushion have heard a lot about the avo,s still bit undecided on them as heard good and bad gonna try find someone who has em to give me a passenger ride

jimmy afaik the cup kit dosent offer diff spring rates

i have a few months before i need to actualy buy the susp so will consider all offerings
would be nice if i could keep the cost a bit lower but am looking into all options

[JimmyC]

Heard very good things about Faulkner springs

I am getting a car which I believe has a set of SPAX on next week not sure what, til I get it, if its any good you can have for a beer token donation ;) if you want

what are you getting mate??
spax dampers or spax springs??
may be interested if its Dampers

Give me postage and a pint or 2 for taking them apart if you have them ;)
No idea til I see the car but remind me in 2 weeks when I should have it

[dazleeds]

nice one will try remember and give you a shout mate

so most people love the ds2500s

but what discs are people rating to go with em??

are the ate powerdiscs upto the job or are there better alternatives at similar money??

my cars always driven hard so can always use some brake improvements

the braided hoses are a definate and on my list already

[JimmyC]

I use Mintex 1155's and 1144's on mine front and rear

Looking at trying the black diamond disks next year, heard good things again
http://rallynuts.com/motorsport/Brakes_ ... W_2735.asp

[Fushion_Julz]

Daz: (BTW, call me Julz)

You are welcome to a PAX ride in my M3 on the road, anytime or on the track when I'm next out in it....
This could very well be 30th Nov @ Brands Indy, if you wanna come down (I'll not confirm for definite until I know the weather, etc in the week before, though)

I'm using standard M3 BMW discs on my M3 with Ferodo DS2500s...don't like cross-drilled discs cos they tend to crack and the standard items perform very well and last longer than most after-market stuff as the castings are way better...

I've heard good things about Black Diamond discs from someone who races an E30 M3 on them without issues...

[dazleeds]

I use Mintex 1155's and 1144's on mine front and rear

Looking at trying the black diamond disks next year, heard good things again

yeh a met a guy the other week with a v6 alfa who was raving about the black diamond discs
had just got his delivered but sadly they sent him the wrond ones
did look pretty good quality tho

will have to investigate some more into discs i think

whats peoples oppinions on drilled n grooved??

do they work or do they crack often as some people say??

was wondering about these recently when a mate pointed out that the porsches etc all use drilled and grooved as do all other super cars and high enders

so is it just a myth?

[Davenotouring]

The guy I speak to at circuit cupplies recommends just using OE discs with Ferodo DS2500s. Which I love by the way. ATE Power Discs would be ok.

[eamo]

daz

i was there last year in my cecotto. I was running standard disks, dot 5.1 fluid and pagid blue pads. It worked very well for me. I also got a passenger lap in another cecotto who has exactly the same setup and he had just passed his 100th lap at the time (in one year!) You cant much better than that without going to 4 pot calipers.

However the 25 is as you know heavy on the front and wear disks fairly quickly. I also used the ds2500's and didnt like them at all - found the pagid blues far more superior but then again they are more expensive.

try and get plenty of ventilaiton to your brakes, use a good dot 5.1 (motul or the likes) braided hoses and you cant go far wrong.

[JimmyC]

I use Mintex 1155's and 1144's on mine front and rear

Looking at trying the black diamond disks next year, heard good things again

whats peoples oppinions on drilled n grooved??

Thats all I ever ran on my exige and never had an issue

Several racers in PBMW use them and as said I have been told nothing but good about them

[CraigG]

mintex 1144s are what the police use on their traffic cars..... good enough for them, good enough for anyone imo, especially if its staying a road car too.

arnt the 1155's like redstuff, dont work very well when cold that is...?

[JimmyC]

I run 1155s on the front and 1144's on the rear

[jamesc]

I found the ring not as hard on brakes as some places, I think its to do with the fact there are quite a few gaps in the hard braking areas so they get some time to cool in between. If you are short on cash I'd do as others suggest and make sure you have decent pads and fresh brake fluid, and spend your money on suspension rather than big disc kits.

Suspension wise I have the H&R cup kit and arbs on my car and I found the handling pretty good (for a 16 year old estate!).

James

[Simon13]

cupkit, roll bars, replace all worn bushes, strut brace but it costs so don't be under any illusions about it!

mintex 1155's are the daddy! ferrodo. A good standard setup is fine round there tbh as said good disks+pads and fluids. U won't be going fast enough to warrant big brakes

[Jon_Bmw]

All been said really, but i would reccomend ds2500 very highly, can't get them to fade. Breaking from 120 to 30, then from 100 to 40, no fade what so ever. Using them on a grooved aftermarket "performance" disc. Braided lines and 4 pot calipers. Not strictly e30, but the same will apply. Going to change to motul brake fluid and thats the brake front sorted in my opinion. As simon says, you'll be too busy worrying about the armco to make the most out of the car to be honest.

Suspension, i'll let someone else advise here, not sure exactly what makes the e30 tick.

[Theo]

Don't think anyone has mentioned tyres, you need a good set, they wear alot over the weekend, and they need to be legal for the journey home. I will be getting better tyres for the next trip.

On the last trip I fitted ATE power discs on the front, with standard ATE pads front and rear and the car stopped okay, I also used ATE racing blue brake fluid and all together was very pleased with the performance, had a bit of spongy pedal once when braking into Breidscheid, but was faultless otherwise.

Another major thing you need to do is make sure your car doesn't leak any fluids at all, I wouldn't like to imagine what it feels like to be responsible for someone else crashing, especially on some of the highspeed corners.

[jonbuoy]

As said above with the brake's, spot on!
It's your choice at the end of the day what tyre's you go for but i use Kumho and i can't fault them to be really honest!! They grip pretty much just as well in the wet as they do in the dry and trust me........they stick!!
If your worried about them being legal for the journey home, take a second set of tyre's/wheel's. I'm sure there would be a tyre place around to change the tyre's over for you

I'm currently using Koni adjustable shock's with H&R cup kit spring's and the handling is pretty dam good but it would be better with some decent ARB's ... next on the list for the ring!

[JimmyC]

Toyo R888s are what the PBMW are using and I think all are please- LOTS cheaper than khumo by all accounts