yield

Hey guys,
I'm considering taking the dive and trying a NASA event next year for fun, maybe something like Pocono or Limerock. Probably only have the money for one or two events but we'll see. In the meantime, I still have to work up the courage to track my then 11 year old SI (although the motor only has 30k). Wish me luck.

Anyway, I'm thinking ahead to this possiblity for next year and am trying to plan my next mod. My current setup is I/H/E and Neuspeed sports/AGX and front STB.

I'm thinking my stock rim/tire combo is probably my biggest weakness, and then maybe my brakes. The front are slightly warped and have about 50% on the pads. So would you agree with this list in terms of priority:

1) rims/tires (would have to be cheap, something like rotas)
2) upgrade front brakes/SS lines, etc.
3) more suspension work

Am I on the right track here or would you start with something else? I don't want to go crazy out there, I just want to have some fun and learn a lot.

__________________

White98SH

all you need really are some pads and decent tires... the main thing is to get lots of seat time to really know your car at its limit. mods can come when you stop improving your lap times.

__________________

TimeRacer

What are you going for? Just for fun right? I'd say your biggest problem is brakes as you do not want to go to a track with a brake system that isn't 100%. Plus some better pads, rotors, and fluid will ensure that you don't have to come off the track due to overheating of the brake system. I'd actually stay with whatever wheel/tire combo that you have right now unless the tires are really worn down or not at least "H" speed rated especially if it's your first time at the track. Since it's not about your lap times the first few times out. It's a matter of being completely comfortable with the car, and the more you mod or add grip, the easier it is to exceed the limit and completely loose control. Make sure that you have a good helmet, backup brake pads, fluid, oil, tools/jack, etc when you go out to the track as you don't want to overheat or boil your fluid and be stuck towing back home.

__________________
FS: Shocks, springs, bulbs and other items

PilotSH

If your rotors are warped at all, get them replaced before the track day, PERIOD. They will get a lot worse if you run a track day on warped rotors. Don't get them cut, becuase by removing some of the rotor material, the rotors will heat up faster and get hotter and that will cause them to start warping again. I know for the Prelude you can buy a front rotor for $25 at autozone and they hold up pretty well. Track pads make a track day so much more enjoyable. You can be hard on the brakes, yet the brakes will never go away on you and will be consistent all day. Forget about the SS lines. Doesn't do much good IMO.

__________________

dchung1

definately replace brake /rotors first with quality brakes but the con is that it will be more squeaky and dust a lot more but its safer for the track.

i ran on stock tires they will do.. but you should upgrade your suspension shock/spring.. do not jus upgrade the spring becuase it wont do much i tried. then the tires.

wear your stock tires down then upgrade them

and like they said track time.

__________________
2001 base 5 speed, vafc tuned,aem CAI with air ram, AEM pulley, apexi ws, msd 6A , DC CC headers, car sound 2.5 cat, coolant bypass, egr bypass, ob2 workaround, no back seat, tein ss, nuespeed strut, progress rear sway.

Joon525

With all due respect I disagree. When I first ran the Pocono Raceway I felt the brakes fade with the stock lines, a few months later I ran LimeRock Park with SS lines and the car was great all day long. I belive LimeRock is a slightly faster course as well. 99% sure of this.

__________________
=-=

nikolai911

SS lines might not be a bad idea. Not exactly a "must," but definately worth the investment, especially in a car with 11 year old rubber lines.

And I agree about street tires. Very forgiving and LOTS of fun. They make it sound like you are pushing it way harder than you are cause they can squeel at almost every corner. :P

If the suspenion is stock, I'd recommend leaving it that way for at least 3 weekends. The compliant suspension will teach you to be very very very very smooth with your wheel and pedal inputs. Even if you are a veteran autoxer (which im not sure what driving experience you already have) smooth on a road course is not the same as smooth on an autocross course. Being smooth is the best way to get fast and it will save your a$$ when you drive a circuit in the rain!

yield

Cool, I was kind of leaning towards the brakes because A) they're a heck of a lot cheaper to upgrade than rims (SS lines may or may not come) and B) I think I'd like to have more confidence slowing down so I can set up corners properly, than have higher corner speeds and less ability to stop properly. Plus the slight shaking upon braking is getting annoying anyway.

Thanks for the tips. I'm sure all be bugging you a lot more if I decide to go through with this crazy stunt haha.

__________________

Daemione

I'd make sure your cooling system is in top shape . . . also, how about an oil cooler?

__________________
--- This message was not sent from a phone ---

m610

I'm not a real racer, but I have been to the track about 10 times with my '98 Prelude and everything went well mechanically, except brakes. I was surprised at how much brake I used up. At the end of the day my pedal was low and soft. Afterwards I've had to replace or resurface the rotors, twice. I may someday enter a race, but in the mean time I'm concentrating on safety equipment and brakes -- ss lines (didn't seem to help), pads and air ducting.

__________________

PilotSH

There are too many variables to say that SS lines in your situation helped. You're comparing your brakes at 2 different tracks, at different times of the year, and assuming that your car was exactly the same between the 2 track days. The track itself is a big variable. Some tracks are really hard on the brakes and some aren't. The other is the temperature of the 2 track days. Running in cooler weather definitely resists brake fade earlier than running on a hot day.

Have you ever run at a track with track only pads (Hawk Blues, Cobalt VR Spec, Ferodo DS3000, etc) with track rotors to go with them? People have this really bad misconception that they get brake fade from entirely from soft brake lines and air in their system. What most fail to realize is that the rotors get glazed in the pad material in you get the pads beyond their rated temps. They start "melting" onto the rotor, and all the sudden you have a visible layer on the rotor. When the rotors are glazed, the coefficient of friction is greatly reduced, and you need to get on the brakes a lot more to get them to stop. That's when people think that their brake lines are soft or they have air in their lines. Then they'll try to bleed their lines, but it will not help get that "firmness" they felt before their track day. After driving on the brakes for a week or more, the brakes will begin to "come back." That's the glazing on the rotors starting to wear off. But when that glazing is on there, it feels like the brakes are really soft. This problem is compounded when you have street pads like the HP+ that have really good initial bite. All you need to do with those kind of pads is just touch the brake pedal and the massive bite of those pads slow the car down. The pedal feels firm because you don't push down hard on it at all. With the brakes glazed, you have to push quite hard to do a hard stop, and ti almost feels like the pedal goes to the floor. I realized all of this when I started using a seperate set of rotors and pads for track days. After the track day when I throw on my street rotors and pads, the brakes feel as good as they were when I was going to the track day. A couple days ago I went to a track and put a couple sessions on the car with the street pads and rotors. When I left, I felt that typical sponginess and the brakes felt like crap. A week later, the brakes have almost returned to their levels they were at before, and I have not actively done anything ot fix the sponginess. FYI I'm on 7 year old brake lines, with 8 track days and countless autoxes. IMO a new set of OEM lines will brake just as well as the SS lines. There may be a minute difference, but not worth the money for SS lines, especially when you have to consider the cost of replacing it every year. For those getting SS lines, please don't be stupid and replace your SS lines every year unless your car is a dedicated track car that does not see street use, ESPECIALLY if you live in the snow belt. That's just plain stupid.

__________________

Mugenlude

I would agree with PilotSH, buy yourself a dedicated set of pads at least, and rotors if you can afford it. It takes little time to change them out, and you are sure your driving home on the pads/rotors that got you there.

Not to mention it will be more fun. The money invested is minimal, maybe $200-225 for a set of front pads/rotors.

__________________
Jason ------------------------- Sponsored by Bridgestone & RedShift Motorsports

'97 Prelude Base (retired to DD) | STS '89 Civic Si | ITA '89 Civic Si (repairing)
http://www.chicagolandpreludeclub.com | http://www.teamundercoatracing.com

Don't argue with stupid people, they will bring you to their level and beat you with experience.

dchung1

im running on stock rotors to road events so far with hawk hp + they have served me well so far no complaints in PERFORMANCE at all.

__________________
2001 base 5 speed, vafc tuned,aem CAI with air ram, AEM pulley, apexi ws, msd 6A , DC CC headers, car sound 2.5 cat, coolant bypass, egr bypass, ob2 workaround, no back seat, tein ss, nuespeed strut, progress rear sway.

PilotSH

I wish I could show you what the Prelude can do with a set of race pads on the track. Braking past brake marker no. 1, now that's FUN! muhahahahaha.

__________________