Head and feet...
Discussion
Greetings chaps,
Did my first track day in the Noble yesterday - Snetterton - what a great feeling to drift around Coram at 90+ and what a shame about the bloody chicane that follows it!
A couple of questions. I know we've touched on these issues before, but looking through past threads I didn't see an answer - apologies if I'm being dull!
1) Head room. With a helmet on I had negative headroom, i.e. I had to slouch back in my seat and tilt my head to one side (with it pressing against the roof) just to fit! I'm a shade under 6 feet and I don't have ape-like proportions! Is this a common problem? Is there a likely cause? Is there a cure?
2) Brake pedal. No problem with heel-and-toe (I'm not that good yet!) but the brake pedal was decidedly spongy - especially after a warm-down lap with no braking - and there was significant 'judddder' under hard braking - enough to send vibration through the whole car (I could see the trailing edge of the front clam vibrating wildly). I've been a good boy about not putting the handbrake on when the brakes are hot etc. Could it be that the brakes simply need bleeding?
Thanks.
Did my first track day in the Noble yesterday - Snetterton - what a great feeling to drift around Coram at 90+ and what a shame about the bloody chicane that follows it!
A couple of questions. I know we've touched on these issues before, but looking through past threads I didn't see an answer - apologies if I'm being dull!
1) Head room. With a helmet on I had negative headroom, i.e. I had to slouch back in my seat and tilt my head to one side (with it pressing against the roof) just to fit! I'm a shade under 6 feet and I don't have ape-like proportions! Is this a common problem? Is there a likely cause? Is there a cure?
2) Brake pedal. No problem with heel-and-toe (I'm not that good yet!) but the brake pedal was decidedly spongy - especially after a warm-down lap with no braking - and there was significant 'judddder' under hard braking - enough to send vibration through the whole car (I could see the trailing edge of the front clam vibrating wildly). I've been a good boy about not putting the handbrake on when the brakes are hot etc. Could it be that the brakes simply need bleeding?
Thanks.
If you don't cool down then you'll boil the fluid in the calipers - which then stays there and causes things to go spongy.
Either always do a full cool down lap, or just bleed off a little fluid at the end of the track day.
I haven't upgraded my lines or fluid and I don't suffer from brake fade, even through the whole of VMAX when I was doing rapid 160+mph to 60mph braking at the end of the straight the pedal was fine all day, but if you "can't be bothered" to do all the cooling down then better fluid, pads and the solid brake lines will all help.
As for the vibration - try getting your wheels balanced *properly* first and check your wheel nuts - both being out/slightly loose can cause what you describe.
J
Either always do a full cool down lap, or just bleed off a little fluid at the end of the track day.
I haven't upgraded my lines or fluid and I don't suffer from brake fade, even through the whole of VMAX when I was doing rapid 160+mph to 60mph braking at the end of the straight the pedal was fine all day, but if you "can't be bothered" to do all the cooling down then better fluid, pads and the solid brake lines will all help.
As for the vibration - try getting your wheels balanced *properly* first and check your wheel nuts - both being out/slightly loose can cause what you describe.
J
nuts seem to lead to judder.....Sorry - only trying to be funny using the words nuts and unwind and judder - probably didn't work! (bizare sense of humour I obviously have)
Although it's generally sensible to check wheel, suspension nuts etc. before every track day. I do a "spanner" check on the car before each one - just flip each clam and check each nut you can see that's involved with the suspension is tight, then check each wheel.
J
>> Edited by joust on Thursday 25th March 18:24
Although it's generally sensible to check wheel, suspension nuts etc. before every track day. I do a "spanner" check on the car before each one - just flip each clam and check each nut you can see that's involved with the suspension is tight, then check each wheel.
J
>> Edited by joust on Thursday 25th March 18:24
, to his credit, owned up to not torquing them up or checking them after a few laps.If you're using your brakes in anger on a track day, you need the DS2500 pads, Dot5.1 fluid and solid brake line upgrade, no question about it. With them, you should experience no fade, no soggy pedal etc (except after letting the car stand, when the pedal might need a pump before it gets back to normal). Without them, you better make sure you are well insured. :-)
I'm sure some will disagree, but I would contend they aint pushing the brake pedal hard enough!
I'm sure some will disagree, but I would contend they aint pushing the brake pedal hard enough!
nildram said:
If you're using your brakes in anger on a track day, you need the DS2500 pads, Dot5.1 fluid and solid brake line upgrade, no question about it. With them, you should experience no fade, no soggy pedal etc (except after letting the car stand, when the pedal might need a pump before it gets back to normal). Without them, you better make sure you are well insured. :-)
Nildram, what's the brake fluid as standard then (if not DOT 5.1) and how do the DS2500 pads run for normal driving - and do they squeak?!
Thanks.
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