Bare minimum changes necessary for tracking F8x

[marvinp]

I've read threads where folks have asked what track modifications they should do, but I didn't find a thread regarding what is the bare minimum someone should do to if they wanted to track these cars a few times per year?

Edit: Got tons of great advice in the thread. I tried my best to summarize it below:

Beginner (no track experience)
Many think no mods are needed for the track if you're just getting started.

But some cautioned that for safety reasons, at a minimum you should do the following:

• Track pads: Recommendations are the Ferodo DS2500, Ferodo DS1.1, Pagid RSL29 Yellow.
• Brake fluid: A high temperature brake fluid, the Castrol SRF brake fluid seems to be a favorite here.

Beginner+/Intermediate (a few track sessions)

• Track pads: See above.
• Brake fluid: See above.
• Negative camber
• Dedicated track wheels: 18" APEX wheels are a popular suggestion.
• Track tires: Contentious topic but favored tires seem to be RE-71R, NT-01, RS4

[SYT_Shadow]

If you don't have any experience:
-nothing

If you have experience (i.e. you are intermediate) but want to spend the minimum of $ on mods
-camber plates
-track pads+SRF fluid
-when you go through the stock tires switch to something like the RE71R

[AustinTrkJunkie]

As the above post mentions, entirely depends on your experience level.

Novice, nada needed.

Intermediate (figure you aren't advanced/instructor level as this would be obvious) just pads and fluid (SRF, RBF, etc.), maybe a set of track wheels/tires so you don't cup your daily driver's. Nothing worse than the drone of cupped tires...ask me how I know - lol

F80 is stout

[Mandi90TT]

Even for novices, pads and probably fluids are a must, just as a safety feature. Other than that, nothing.

[CRRobert]

I am running MICHELIN PS4S, hybrid track pads(ferodo ds2500), fresh brake fluid and camber plates on MP HAS suspension. Has been a great starting point. Looking to go full track pads and RE71 tires next.

Syt_shadow, what pressures are you running on the RE71R’s at?

[Suds]

I agree on brake pads and high temp SRF, especially if your driving on a high speed track.

[nicknaz]

Hi, just go for it bone stock.

Not sure about the advice on changing our pads and fluid. Maybe those members track with dsc on or mdm on

Edit: one thing I did after 2nd DE with my f80 was check alignment and add rear toe in, as mine came from factory with zero rear toe and loved the oversteer.

[Mandi90TT]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

Hi, just go for it bone stock.

Not sure about the advice on changing our pads and fluid. Maybe those members track with dsc on or mdm on

Edit: one thing I did after 2nd DE with my f80 was check alignment and add rear toe in, as mine came from factory with zero rear toe and loved the oversteer.

I track with all nannies off, but many organizations require new track drivers to have some of the nannies on, and that can eat into the brakes. Thus, the advice for pads and fluids for new drivers.

[Daytona_550]

Here's what I did with my F87, and why:

1. Castrol SRF brake fluid. I didn't want to ruin a fun weekend with the potential of mushy brakes. I wanted the confidence of having solid brakes.
2. Ferodo DS1.1 front pads and DS2500 rears. Again, I wanted no issues with brakes. Not cheap to do but after running Daytona with 150mph to 60mph braking zones, glad I did it.
3. RE71R tires on OE rims. Wanted to save my OE tires for street use. The grip level of the RE71Rs gave me confidence to focus on hitting brake points, hitting apex, etc.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Daytona_550

Here's what I did with my F87, and why:

1. Castrol SRF brake fluid. I didn't want to ruin a fun weekend with the potential of mushy brakes. I wanted the confidence of having solid brakes.
2. Ferodo DS1.1 front pads and DS2500 rears. Again, I wanted no issues with brakes. Not cheap to do but after running Daytona with 150mph to 60mph braking zones, glad I did it.
3. RE71R tires on OE rims. Wanted to save my OE tires for street use. The grip level of the RE71Rs gave me confidence to focus on hitting brake points, hitting apex, etc.

What sizes did you use?

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by CRRobert

I am running MICHELIN PS4S, hybrid track pads(ferodo ds2500), fresh brake fluid and camber plates on MP HAS suspension. Has been a great starting point. Looking to go full track pads and RE71 tires next.

Syt_shadow, what pressures are you running on the RE71R’s at?

I look for 35-36 in the pits

I've used so many sets of RE71s and just love them. You can use them on your oem wheels and daily drive the tire without almost any inconveniences. And they're fast as hell

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by jmg

What sizes did you use?

On my CS wheels I used 265 front and 295 rear. Not ideal for the wheel widths but still works well.
Now I have 3 sets of Bimmerworld 10.5 square wheels for the CS and run 275/35 RE71s as well as 275/35 R1 and 285/30 R1S.

If you want some more speed out of your RE71s and you have dedicated 10.5 wheels you will want the 285/30

[Daytona_550]

Originally Posted by jmg

What sizes did you use?

255-275/35-19.

[AustinTrkJunkie]

Originally Posted by Daytona_550

255-275/35-19.

Optimal: NT01, 285 front, 305 rear....amazing grip, and once they're warm, it's actually hard to break them loose at speed...

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by AustinTrkJunkie

Optimal: NT01, 285 front, 305 rear....amazing grip, and once they're warm, it's actually hard to break them loose at speed...

I've used RE71s and NT01s back to back multiple times. RE71 hands down.

And if someone tries daily driving NT01s... good luck

[AustinTrkJunkie]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I've used RE71s and NT01s back to back multiple times. RE71 hands down.

And if someone tries daily driving NT01s... good luck

No way I'd daily Nitto's, they are on a set of dedicated Apex wheels

My dailies are PSS' 265/285

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by AustinTrkJunkie

No way I'd daily Nitto's, they are on a set of dedicated Apex wheels

My dailies are PSS' 265/285

Smart!

[SD ///M4]

I've been tracking my 2016 M4 since May 2016, 24 days at last count. I have dedicated track wheels/tires, brake pads, and I have camber plates and Dinan springs.

You don't need to do anything special to take your car to the track, but if you are looking for the bare minimum I would suggest brake pads. I've seen people toast their stock F80 brakes at the track after one day. Because I always take my street pads with me to the track as backup I was able to save one guy's weekend and his ability to drive home afterwards by selling him my lightly used stock pads. I use the Pagid RSL29 "yellow" pads. Just bought my second full set for an upcoming track weekend in February. They run around $600 for a full set. I wouldn't run on the stock pads without having spares.

Next would be a dedicated set of track wheels and tires. I run APEX EC-7 18x10 front, 18x11 rear with Nitto NT01 275/35-18 front, 305/35-18 rear. A lot of people think that the RE-71R is the best track tire, but more seasoned track people run the NT01 because it's available in an 18" 305 width and the RE71R isn't. 18" wheels and tires are also lighter and cheaper than 19" or 20" and the stock wheels are heavy, especially the Style 666 wheel on the Competition Package. Look on the APEX website for their blog on fitting the optimal wheel/tire package on the F80 platform. If you're going to get a dedicated set of track wheels/tires, you might as well get the optimal setup rather than make compromises using stock wheels.

There is no need to run special brake fluid, the stock BMW fluid is just fine.

Take a good analog "racing" tire pressure gauge, the kind with a dial and a hose that lets your overfill and then bleed down to the correct psi. Take your tire pressure immediately after getting off the track and immediately before getting on the track. You want around 32 psi before and no more than around 38 psi after. You'll probably need to top off your tires at the end of the day to drive home.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I've been tracking my 2016 M4 since May 2016, 24 days at last count. I have dedicated track wheels/tires, brake pads, and I have camber plates and Dinan springs.

You don't need to do anything special to take your car to the track, but if you are looking for the bare minimum I would suggest brake pads. I've seen people toast their stock F80 brakes at the track after one day. Because I always take my street pads with me to the track as backup I was able to save one guy's weekend and his ability to drive home afterwards by selling him my lightly used stock pads. I use the Pagid RSL29 "yellow" pads. Just bought my second full set for an upcoming track weekend in February. They run around $600 for a full set. I wouldn't run on the stock pads without having spares.

Next would be a dedicated set of track wheels and tires. I run APEX EC-7 18x10 front, 18x11 rear with Nitto NT01 275/35-18 front, 305/35-18 rear. A lot of people think that the RE-71R is the best track tire, but more seasoned track people run the NT01 because it's available in an 18" 305 width and the RE71R isn't. 18" wheels and tires are also lighter and cheaper than 19" or 20" and the stock wheels are heavy, especially the Style 666 wheel on the Competition Package. Look on the APEX website for their blog on fitting the optimal wheel/tire package on the F80 platform. If you're going to get a dedicated set of track wheels/tires, you might as well get the optimal setup rather than make compromises using stock wheels.

There is no need to run special brake fluid, the stock BMW fluid is just fine.

Take a good analog "racing" tire pressure gauge, the kind with a dial and a hose that lets your overfill and then bleed down to the correct psi. Take your tire pressure immediately after getting off the track and immediately before getting on the track. You want around 32 psi before and no more than around 38 psi after. You'll probably need to top off your tires at the end of the day to drive home.

Running 305 rear is what is swaying me towards the Nittos. I've also read that the Nittos have gradual breakaway at the limit which is attractive to a beginner-intermediate like me. Theory being that it's safer?? Correct me if I'm wrong. How does the Re71r compare in that sense?

[MyFragileHalogen]

RE-71R can be daily driven (in warmer climate), can use stock 19" wheels, and is great in rain. NT-01 is not safe in rain and perhaps too loud for daily.

I went with NT-01 because I thought it would be cheaper in the long term. Considerably cheaper going with 18" wheels, and I was shocked with how fast RE-71R on my Miata wore out (especially front). I wonder how it might have been different if I heat cycled them though.

Not apple to apple comparison, but I feel NT-01 on my M4 stickier than RE-71R on my Miata. RE-71R feels just like street tires (a very sticky) but with NT-01 I can feel it literally grabs the ground even under sliding. Could be due to the staggered 305 rear though... so the conclusion is: I think they are both great tires and experience may vary.

[MyFragileHalogen]

Pads and fluid are not necessary for beginning, unless driven real hard from day 1 if it can be done... Factory front pads will wear very quick down the road. Dealership will perhaps do first pad replacement for free.

[OhioRiderAaron]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I've been tracking my 2016 M4 since May 2016, 24 days at last count. I have dedicated track wheels/tires, brake pads, and I have camber plates and Dinan springs.

You don't need to do anything special to take your car to the track, but if you are looking for the bare minimum I would suggest brake pads. I've seen people toast their stock F80 brakes at the track after one day. Because I always take my street pads with me to the track as backup I was able to save one guy's weekend and his ability to drive home afterwards by selling him my lightly used stock pads. I use the Pagid RSL29 "yellow" pads. Just bought my second full set for an upcoming track weekend in February. They run around $600 for a full set. I wouldn't run on the stock pads without having spares.

Next would be a dedicated set of track wheels and tires. I run APEX EC-7 18x10 front, 18x11 rear with Nitto NT01 275/35-18 front, 305/35-18 rear. A lot of people think that the RE-71R is the best track tire, but more seasoned track people run the NT01 because it's available in an 18" 305 width and the RE71R isn't. 18" wheels and tires are also lighter and cheaper than 19" or 20" and the stock wheels are heavy, especially the Style 666 wheel on the Competition Package. Look on the APEX website for their blog on fitting the optimal wheel/tire package on the F80 platform. If you're going to get a dedicated set of track wheels/tires, you might as well get the optimal setup rather than make compromises using stock wheels.

There is no need to run special brake fluid, the stock BMW fluid is just fine.

Take a good analog "racing" tire pressure gauge, the kind with a dial and a hose that lets your overfill and then bleed down to the correct psi. Take your tire pressure immediately after getting off the track and immediately before getting on the track. You want around 32 psi before and no more than around 38 psi after. You'll probably need to top off your tires at the end of the day to drive home.

More seasoned track people? Stop polishing a turd for these poor people. The NT01 ain't nothing special. Hell in hindsight, I would have rather just ran the old RE11's over them. The RE71R isn't necessarily the best track tire, but it is way more rounded and more up to date with current tire tech. Sorry, I suppose all the pro-nittos guys in hear have turned me into a hater of recent.

Stock everything is OK, but you *may* need to drive the car within the limits of the EQUIPMENT. The stock pads are a weak point, the stock camber is a weak point, so you must hone in your driving style as not to cause excess wear. Ex. once the brakes are hot (slightly overheated) start to dial back your lap times, maybe give up a few mph on the straights, or work on carrying more speed in the corners, getting off the brakes earlier, rather than over-braking (same methodology applies to the tires/camber situation).