Some Auto-x pics and review on E30S50's performance...

[matt]

Do you have brake ducts?

If you don't, do them before you get a big brake kit... save yourself some money.

[nando]

so if stock E30 brakes with the right components bite hard enough and are consistent enough to lock up your tires, what do you think should be upgraded?

I guessed you missed that.

honestly, I don't really care if you waste your money on a BBK. Mostly, I'm just bored at work, and people get really defensive when they've already convinced themselves against the voice of reason.

Bling Bling y0!

[mazur]

Youre really making yourself look like a dumbass in this thread. You completely missed his point.

Really? Please elaborate if you could.

I just think it's funny that whenever I mention how brakes on a 17 year old car are not up to par with today's standards, everyone, for some reason, gets defensive and tries to convince me that stock brakes are good enough for the track...short answer: no, not really.

You know how I know? No? Read earlier on in the thread then.

And who the hell bitches about lack of grip when running street tires? They dont provide enough grip for a m20 e30 much less one with a 24v swap.

Do you realize what you just wrote?

[mazur]

so if stock E30 brakes with the right components bite hard enough and are consistent enough to lock up your tires, what do you think should be upgraded?

That's the thing, they don't bite hard...

For one, I wouldn't mind rotors larger than a Civics...


Can we just please quit it with discussing the brakes. No one's going to change my mind just by telling me they're happy with their brakes so I should be too.

[nando]

It's about how quickly the brakes bite and the consistancy of the amount of friction they produce.

so if stock E30 brakes with the right components bite hard enough and are consistent enough to lock up your tires, what do you think should be upgraded?

[dinanm3atl]

Youre really making yourself look like a dumbass in this thread. You completely missed his point.

And who the hell bitches about lack of grip when running street tires? They dont provide enough grip for a m20 e30 much less one with a 24v swap.

That is a broad statement...

Alignment, temp, wet/dry, air pressure.... maybe you only buy wal mart tires or something...

[madjurgen]

So since I can hit ABS with generic brake pads from Autozone, I guess going with track pads is not going to help me stop any faster :roll:. Also better call Massive to tell them they're wasting their time.



It's about how quickly the brakes bite and the consistancy of the amount of friction they produce.

Youre really making yourself look like a dumbass in this thread. You completely missed his point.

And who the hell bitches about lack of grip when running street tires? They dont provide enough grip for a m20 e30 much less one with a 24v swap.

[backtrail69]

Spec E30 and Pro 3 cars seem to do fine with stock brakes... They come 120+ into some corners.

[mazur]

uhm, what do you think is actually stopping the car? your brakes don't touch the ground. :p

So since I can hit ABS with generic brake pads from Autozone, I guess going with track pads is not going to help me stop any faster :roll:. Also better call Massive to tell them they're wasting their time.



It's about how quickly the brakes bite and the consistancy of the amount of friction they produce.

[10/10ths]

And what do you mean remove backing plate?

Backing plate or dust sheilds, whatever you want to call them, right behind the rotors front and rear. I didnt bother with the rears, but removing the front ones is worth alot of extra cooling. I have not noticed any negative effects with them off, even in the rain. Removal is easy if you dont mind destroying them, 2-3 small screws hold them in place if I remember, and then you take some snips to the shortest section of the plate. If you wanted to keep them intact you would have to remove the entire hub, pointless to me unless I was changing a wheel bearing anyway.

I am trying to convince a friend to do this before a track day this saturday, his brakes are a weak point on his car at the moment, basically just needs better pads and fluid. But if nothing else before saturday, removing the backing plates will allow for more cooling and probably hold up a few laps longer.

Justin

[nando]

Any car can lock up their tires or set off ABS...doesn't mean they have good brakes....

uhm, what do you think is actually stopping the car? your brakes don't touch the ground. :p

[mazur]

Good job! I know of one very quick DSP Subaru RS locally, it's on some wiiiide tires too.

Do you have a copy from the SM/DSP groups too ?

www.azsolo.com/results

[mazur]

+1
HP+ pads are the best I have used for a car that sees mostly autocross with a few track days a year. Stock rotors, fresh ATE Blue, cooling ducts, and removal of the backing plates makes for good consistant braking on my car. HP+ are some noisy bastards though...wouldnt want them on a DD car.

btw mazur, good result considering a lack of grip.

I agree their good, they just don't seem to do it for me on this car. On my E36 M3 they were AMAZING!

They're not loud if you put anti-squeal on all mounting points.

And what do you mean remove backing plate?

On the brakes, people freak out about killing rotors (they are cheap 10/ea).

Where you getting that deal?

I can lock up my 225 hoosiers with Pagid street pads.. I think something else is up if you're overheating your brakes on a mediocre street tire.

Any car can lock up their tires or set off ABS...doesn't mean they have good brakes....

[mazur]

I just tried and enjoted EBC YellowStuffs. Might want to give them a shot. I used them at road atlanta. They are a bit "sluggish" when cold on the street... you have to pay attention but it is not "dangerous" but once warmed up they are great. Rotor life looks like it is going to be great!

I might have to try those out. I'll probably just buy rears, since right now they're shitty Mintex. I wonder how much of a difference having better rear pads is going to make? Maybe that's my problem....

I haven't participated in an auto-x in YEARS so I don't really remember but the only way I could see you overheating 225s on the e30 is if you are doing a lot of excessive drifting/power sliding... Obviously I haven't driven your car myself so I don't really know but remember smooth equals fast ;)

Well, with good car control, it's possible to actually be faster doing little drifts while keeping your line and setting up your exit better (hope that makes sense). It just really depends on the type of corner. Probably 90% of the time you don't want to slide at all.

Good example is karting. One place I go to, if you're not sliding around corners, you're not going fast enough. Just have to make sure to keep the correct angle as to not slow the kart down.

What kind of camber are you working with? Other alignment specs? Adjustable camber front and rear? I think you can get some more grip out of what you have :) Get a pyrometer also :) It is extremely helpful to find your cold pressure/hot pressure etc with temps... and you can see if you are using the whole tire or just the insides or have too much camber or not enough etc!

It's about 3-3.5* front/rear. By looking at the sidewalls after a run (chalk) the camber seems to be about right. But like you said, I should get a pyrometer and get temperatures to make sure it's effective. Rears are non-adjustable.

I am currently running -1/8'' toe up front. The rear is inconsistant because the right trailing arm mounting points (the ends of the V) are slightly bent towards eachother and I'm sure that's messing the toe up.

[joshh]

Nice looking car.