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The Official HPDE / Track Thread

237K views 3K replies 131 participants last post by  otrtkennedy 
#1 · (Edited)
I've been noticing the AutoX thread lately and just noticed there was no official Track / HPDE threads, mostly threads from MikeJ that get a lot of attention. So I think this should be the official Track / HPDE talk and chat thread.

I'll attempt to post up any links I find here that relate to this thread so they're easily found.

Good Thread with a little chat and good recommendations.
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/auto...ing-more-serious-into-racing-suggestions.html

Phenomenal Oil Thread, READ the thread from the Ferrari Forums!
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/autocross-sanctioned-drag-racing/192582-racing-oil-clarify-learn.html

Our Brake Upgrade Options
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/suspension-brakes/62478-brake-options.html

TSX Brake Swap
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/suspension-brakes/140394-tsx-brake-swap-upgrade.html

FA5 brake ducts
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/suspension-brakes/265794-fa5-brake-ducts.html

Speed Bleeders for Brakes
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/do-y...utch-bleeding-speed-bleeder-installation.html

Good Suspension Thread (For serious suspension not junk coil overs)
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/susp...pension-vs-koni-swift-springs-suspension.html

List of Coil-over options (I would add Both sets of Godspeed coil-overs to this list as well.)

http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/suspension-brakes/72054-coil-over-options-06-civic.html
Next I'll give a little info about myself and it would be cool if we could copy the AutoX thread and get little introductions on people.

Name: Alex
Cars: 2009 Civic Si (Just a progress sway bar on it), 1998 BMW M3 Sedan (Track Rat)
Info: This will be my second track season and will be my first with the Civic, last year I had the pleasure to drive at New Hampshire International Speedway, and Watkins Glen, in a number of different e36's.

So who are the other track rats on the forum?
 
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#422 ·
Also running 225 Star Specs on Koni/Neuspeed (sports, not race) - had minor rubbing on hard turns/dips until I removed the three trim retainer pins at the outside top of the wheel well, pushed the liner above the metal tabs, and hand-bent those tabs up a bit more as well. Pic explains it better. No more rubbing, with -2* camber front.

 
#425 ·
Haha, I'll give it a try on the inner fenders tabs, the tires have already done the job and ripped them a bit so they don't rub anymore with the 225

You cambodian don't make me order 17x8.5 RPF1, already bought too much parts this year lol.

Didn't order my R-S3 yet, could always look if I can fit some 235-45-17 on my 17x7.5 Work XD9
 
#429 ·
$200 IS cheap :p

I'm going to try out the Hawk HT-10 next, I'm currently on Carbotechs

Haha, I'll give it a try on the inner fenders tabs, the tires have already done the job and ripped them a bit so they don't rub anymore with the 225

You cambodian don't make me order 17x8.5 RPF1, already bought too much parts this year lol.

Didn't order my R-S3 yet, could always look if I can fit some 235-45-17 on my 17x7.5 Work XD9
Don't order the 8.5's, buy some 9.5's. Give the RS3 a bit of a sidewall stretch.

And don't buy the 235/45/17, that 45 ratio sidewall will make your acceleration slower, I've dealt with this first hand.


How come more people aren't converting to E85 for its cooling properties? I am considering going that route on my EJ6.
Because our gas gauge gets retarded with it



I finally installed the water temp gauge, our stock gauge sucks. From 170ish to 220 the water temp gauge doesn't move.
 
#428 ·
Running E85 isn't a walk in the park, it does have benefits over regular gasoline, but substantial upgrades are required such as much larger injectors, fuel pump, and tuning.

Plus, E85 isn't readily available within reasonable distances, I think the closest station from 626 is in West LA. I think the gains are more worth it if you're boosted rather than N/A.

Evo/Sti guys love E85 though, I have a few friends who run that stuff.
 
#435 ·
Has anyone found a pad that works well with the oe set up, or is everyone running the TSX/accord set up (or larger BBK)?

I've been trying to decide if I keep the Si longer or not. If I keep it, it will see some track use that it didn't in the first 4 years I owned it. If it needs decent work to keep up with track demands I may try something else. This is why I asked about the oil cooler too.

Dan
 
#437 ·
I tracked my previous 3 cars but not a ton. I would get out for 3-4 weekends a year. I went from an S2k to the Si when we had our first daughter. Track day budget went to my wife finishing grad school and a second daughter. Now I've got some more resources (time and money).

I'm not new, but am rusty. I still have some Carbotech panther + from the S2k that will work, but from other threads people made it sound like the stock set up had no chance. This didn't sit right with me, but I didn't see many success stories on the stock set up.

My concern was if I would cook the stock set up in a 30 minute session and sit around the rest of the day having to take it real easy on the brakes.
 
#439 ·
When I was still on OE calipers I used Project Mu Club Racers. Believe it or not, my rear Hp+ have been on for over a year, including DD and over 10 events. There is still a good amount of life left.

I was running into problems with the pad warping and uneven pad wear with the OE calipers
 
#440 ·
Hey I'm Nic from LI

2008 FA5 RR
Continental extreme contacts all seasons
Stoptech blanks all round
Stoptech street performance pads all round
Exccelerate SS lines
K&N SRI
Hondata
Progress rsb

To come:
Kong adjustables with neuspeed sport springs
Race header (not sure which 1 yet)
Invidia Q300 exhaust
Pro tune
 
#441 ·
ive only ran hp+ fronts prob will switch to something else the initial bite is great but i wanna try more. and ran stop tech in the rear.

im currently running 235/45 and it rubs and acceleration is slower than when i ran 235/40 which is great. im running 235/45 rear and 245/40 front on x8 all around for daily, i can still rotate wheels for daily.

also got ive been running eibach rsb for about 2 months or so, a huge difference, its great the rear sticks and the body roll has reduced, def a great mod for such a great price!
 
#442 ·
I'm running HP+ with DC5R Brembo's and they bite hard.. gonna see how they do at the track. I'll see how they do at the track this summer and move up depending on my needs.

I'm curious as to how the Carbotech's compare to these, people talk about those pads a lot. A cheaper Project Mu from what I've heard.
 
#447 ·
Once I started braking late and hard at the track, I used a brand new out of the box set of front HP+ pads down to the backing plate in 8 20 minutes sessions. 3 of which were in the rain. DTC-30 lasted about 2 sessions longer.

From suggestion of a Hawk dealer i went to DTC-60. After a full weekend they almost looked new! They are not streetable though...at all.
 
#445 ·
So I'm picking up some new rims so I can run 255s up front. The rears will be 17x8. Tires will most likely be AD08s or RE-11s up front. I'm lost on what I should do with the rear tires though. All the "fast" 8th gens in my area are running either 225 or 215 in the back. For rotation I'm thinking a 215 would be best, especially since I don't(and won't) run an aftermarket RSB while most others are.

Then my thoughts turned to instead of running a 215 EPST like the AD08 or RE-11 in the rear, I can run a MPST like a Super Sport or Extreme Contact DW in 225 to save $, have a longer lasting tire, save 2-5 lbs per tire, and maybe get a bonus of less road noise+better ride quality. I'm thinking me with the 225 MPSTs and it's reduced weight combined with my lack of an aftermarket RSB will make the handling/grip the equivalent of the other guys running a RSB with 215 EPSTs grippier compound. Anyone ever do a Frankenstein-ish front/rear tire set up like this?
 
#448 ·
Makes sense. I won't have as much front grip, nor do I run a bigger RSB, and I'll at least be using a summer performance tire of some sort so I don't think I'll run into as much oversteer as his car.

Which brings me to another point. I have the Wilwoood 13 inch BBK with SL-4 calipers. Number one thing people tell me off the bat is "blah blah blah ZOMG brake bias!" I get that the bigger overall piston diameter will throw the brake bias forward. However, isn't trying to achieve stock brake bias or close enough to it that the EBD can compensate relative to how much grip you have front to back? If I'm running a square tire set up where grip is even all around I can understand the stock brake bias being ideal. If the front has massive 255 EPSTs on more aggressive pads and the rear tires are smaller less grippy compound 215~225s with less aggressive brake pads then isn't stock brake bias actually...bad?

I had contemplated going with the Stoptech kit which is supposed to have stock brake bias or going back to stock size rotors with Spoon calipers but this thought has nagged at me forever. Plus, some experimentation with cancelling ABS has gotten me better at threshold braking with the Wilwoods. Can anyone share some insight into this?
 
#452 ·
What size rotor does the tsx use? Same as s2k? I was tempted to run a 215 rear 245front also, but was skeptical. Wouldve been a very tail happy civic rear tires almost bald on Hankook v12 and federal in the front. Which stoptech kit were you looking at? Isn't there 2 types offered?
 
#454 ·
TSX is slightly bigger than s2k, this is why some people upgrade to the tsx calipers and rotors.

A fast FF car is a loose FF car.

Keep in mind, Renzo had 265 RS3 up front and 225 All seasons in the rear. Still ran a 1:59 at BW 13CW

TSX rotor size > s2k = rsxs = Si. Both Stoptech kits offer stock brake bias but the 2 piece kit uses a bigger, lighter rotor(way lighter). It's more expensive though both initial cost and when replacing the rotors.
Yeah, I was looking at aftermarket 2 piece rotors.... $$$

Especially when they cost a few hundred PER rotor
 
#458 ·
oic


TSX is slightly bigger than s2k, this is why some people upgrade to the tsx calipers and rotors.

A fast FF car is a loose FF car. Too true lol

Keep in mind, Renzo had 265 RS3 up front and 225 All seasons in the rear. Still ran a 1:59 at BW 13CW



Yeah, I was looking at aftermarket 2 piece rotors.... $$$

Especially when they cost a few hundred PER rotor
what wheel size is he running? i would think it would be better to run some summer tires in the rear at least? :confused: his car must be tail happy

If you arnt running a bigger rsb, the rear tires will not heat up as well no?

I would imagine using a tire that can get to heat quick in the rear would be best.

Charles from ASR has no problem getting his 255 rear tires up to temperature but hes also running a32mm rsb i believe. I asked him about this and he said the rsb helps get his big tires to an appropriate temperature.
big ass sway bar lol what size does he run in the front?
 
#455 ·
If you arnt running a bigger rsb, the rear tires will not heat up as well no?

I would imagine using a tire that can get to heat quick in the rear would be best.

Charles from ASR has no problem getting his 255 rear tires up to temperature but hes also running a 32mm rsb i believe. I asked him about this and he said the rsb helps get his big tires to an appropriate temperature.
 
#460 ·
His RSB doesn't connect at the OEM points, therefore you're not allowed to use that RSB in certain competitions, but for any HPDE its fine.

This past weekend my 225/45/18s got to 45°F(Front)/44°F(Rear) after my 2nd session. Cold they were about 34/35°F all around.
That's not tire temp, but tire pressure. Correct tire pressure doesn't always mean correct tire temp.
 
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