I am trying to prepare for a track day at VIR in my 2013 XKR next month and want to learn what others have experienced.

Has anyone replaced their Brake lines to stainless? If so, what vendor carries lines that fit our car?
How about Pads? I have used Porterfield's on a car that I tracked in the past and I liked their performance.

Any vendor and part # information would be greatly appreciated.

Todd

 

I recently did a track day, which was great fun. Obviously, check all the normal things like brake pads, tires, belts, fluids, etc.


The biggest thing that I learned (but didn't do - will the next time) make sure to replace brake fluid. Old brake fluid can boil (due to moisture absorbed over time) and cause brake failure. They recommend changing every two years, but I would do it at least annually.


I also increased the air pressure on my tires, based on their recommendations.


They also recommended taking the hub covers off the wheels.

 

Shouldn't you lower (well you never said what your pressure was before) your tire pressure before heading out on the track?

In addition, you may want to pop out the center caps on the wheels and tape over the wheel weights with duct tape. On my Lotus and Aston, it is recommended annual brake fluid change, so I would do the same on the Jag.

 

I believe the thought was that lower pressure would increase the possibility that the tires may roll off the rim. Not sure that it would happen, but that was the idea. I normally keep my tire pressure at what is posted in the door jamb. I think I raised the pressure 5 psig.


Center caps is what I meant when I said hub covers, and I did remove them.

 

I'd imagine you'd want to be at around 30-32 psi cold for the track?

 

Yeah, I think next time I will leave it at the recommended pressure. Tires were complaining a little on the track, probably wouldn't at recommended pressure.


At any rate, the track I went to had a checklist that you could print out and sign before the event. It had these things listed. I would see if your track has similar, and check it out.

 

You should get the car on a lift before the start of the season and do a general look over as part of your spring service. What time of year do you do your oil change?

 

I just did a week before track day.

 

No, you wouldn't want to lower the pressure unless you mean a drag strip. I have dropped several seconds off my autox times going about 3-4 psi over stock on the front when cold. Otherwise, the sidewall rolls too much. However, I have 19s with 255/40 on the front so you'll need to see what works for you. An easy way to dial it in is to rub a bit of white soap paint on the shoulder of the tire and watch the wear- if it's wearing off the sidewall above where the tread block stops, add air, and if it's not wearing to the edge, then drop a pound or so out.

Ditch the stick pressure gauge; those things are garbage. Grab a $7 digital gauge from a parts store as they're every bit as accurate as a $200 liquid filled gauge and read in half psi increments. And while you're at the store, buy a small electric compressor to bring with you- I've used the MV-50 (google it) for years both at the track with my car and motorcycles, and on the trail taking 33" tires from 13-35 psi on a nearly weekly basis without any issues.

Changing the engine oil before and after isn't a bad idea, but others will say otherwise. Definitely throw some new brake fluid in before you go. These things are amazingly capable, so they don't really need much of anything else to be ready.

As for the braided lines... I personally don't see a need for them at the recreational track day and autox level. I'd say good pads like the Porterfield R4S would serve you better than lines, plus they won't dust and will be far easier to install. But if you wanted to do the lines, assuming nobody makes a set, you can remove them, take them to an industrial hose shop like Evco and have them build you a set for about what you'd expect to pay for a premade set.

 

I'd be interested in these just to minimize dust but am curious if any improved performance is tangible in everyday street use?

 

​​​​​I've used them for almost 20 years in everything from a 1700 lb. 1St Gen CRX to my big dumb Land Cruiser, and every single car I've put them in has seen marked improvement in braking, both in stopping distance, pedal feel and ease of modulation at the limit. They last forever (I got about 60k worth of track days, canyon blasts and daily driving out of a set in a Celica AllTrac, and they still had about 1/3 left) and have never dusted on me once. When it's time for pads, they're my go to, no questions.

 

I suggest to limit yourself to a brake fluid flush and inspection of existing lines. Replacing lines with a braided steel lines is a massive overkill for a casual track visit.

Also make sure that other fluids and filters are fresh. This includes transmission fluid, engine oil and so on.

Last but not least, tires are the most important component of your car. They have to be properly inflated when warmed up with track use. For most situations, this means slightly low when cold.

Also, don't go racing with worn tires. The best summer tires for track use that are also road-friendly are Michelin Pilot 4S.

 

You want your tires at or slightly above recommended pressure when they are warm. If you are pushing your car, the tires can get very hot and this in turn greatly increases tire pressure. You can easily reach over-over-over pressure and at that point: a) you lose grip b) in danger of causing blow-out.

 

I must not have been pushing the tires very hard. The complained a little around some of the turns but I never spun them or slid them. After I was done, I put my hands on them and they were not hot.

 

When I drive, rubber melts off tire surfaces and makes small beads. If I show up with 37PSI cold, by the end of second hot lap I'd be sitting at almost 50PSI. I normally start with 35PSI, do warm up lap, go into pits and then drop tire pressure some more. I do my best not to drift the car or spin the rear wheels, as this costs lap time.

I would caution you of not touching any metal surfaces around your brakes for at least 10 minutes after you parked. It is easy to get burns from accidentally touching rims or exhaust. Especially on my F-type center exhaust is a danger to avoid when trying to get into the trunk.

It is important to drive within your comfort zone. If your tires tend to stay cool, then it is what it is. You want to be slightly above recommended PSI at the front once you warm up tires.

You crash, wreck the car, and possibly get injured when you try to do too much and/or overestimate your abilities. Not checking your ego on a race track is very dangerous.

 

Tire pressure is very important but there is no one answer... it really depends on how hard you are driving your car. Jags are heavy and under aggressive driving (hard braking and tight turns) the air inside the tires will get hot... that raises the tire pressure.

My last track day, the PSI would increase between 10-12psi between the start of my run and the end of my run. So I would take about 8-10psi out of the tires before my run.

I wanted the hot tire to be at about 42 PSI so I started at 32 PSI. But you don't want to drive normally on tires with low pressure...

If you are going to track your car, get a good tire pressure gauge and I suggest bringing a compressor (as most tracks don't have air).

 

My bicycle floor pump can deliver about 1 psi per 2-3 pumps.

 

I always carry a little air pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Used it a million times, costs like $35. Well worth it. Have one in every car. Gets the car home if you pick up a nail, instead of having to change the tire.

 

My XKR-S came with one of these, and a bottle of goo, instead of a spare. Less weight, more room for groceries, I guess.

I am interested in doing some HPDE track days with this car, I'll look for the R4S pads, change the fluid, and have some fresh rubber. Make sure oil and coolant are good, no leaks. I've done stainless brake lines on other cars and motorcycles, but I don't think I would change them on this car unless I was concerned about the OE lines for some reason.

 

I'd still carry a spare. You hit a curb with low profile tires and it puts a huge hole in the tire sidewall that goo and a pump wont fix.