My Ultra Red 197 - Update - Trackday Photos

[BenW]

Update on the CL6s, they're still fantastic and the stopping power is awesome but oh my god they are noisy!! Quite embarasingly noisy even through traffic, anyone with their windows open looks at me now. Properly noisy at low speed.

DS2500 will still be the day to day pads I think, when they run out I may look into RC5+ as an every day pad though if they don't squeal

 

[Rogue]

I have the 5's and they're fairly noisy at times. They're a lot better after I done a track day or two, but they do have their moments.

 

[BenW]

Few (bad) pics of the exhaust tips on my akrapovic for those who requested them:

 

[gaz]

Cheers for that, still waiting

 

[BenW]

Spent the evening at bedford autodrome yesterday, few new parts on the car since I went there last year. The brakes.....absolutely awesome! Seriously could not ask for any more stopping power, even the instructor commented and said they were the best he'd felt that day and he was scared with how late I was braking.

R888s, they were good but I was expecting a little more. Started off with 28psi cold all around, after the first stint they were up to 36psi front and 33 rear so I brought them down to 32psi all around with good effect. But, there was still a fair bit of understeer. I know from the instructor that some of this is because I haven't adapted to the semi-slicks yet but I also think the pressures need some adjustment, front drivers side suffered massive wear in the middle. Will get some photos later

Also had a go in a 265 trophy, really quite impressive for a standard car. Nice to have the extra power and torque but did miss the high revs of the clio, also didn't feel as light and nimble as the clio but that's to be expected with my mods. However going for the fast lap with the race driver really showed how fast it can be in the right hands. Absolutely phenomenal!

 

[BenW]

Photos of the front R888s, before the sessions they were on about 2mm tread.

Front drivers side (anti-clockwise track so heaviest loaded tyre):


Front passenger side:


So, the middle of the tyres seem fairly heavily worn and the inside edges very worn. Drivers side tyre is very worn. What does this tell me about tyre pressures or my driving style? I know now after my tuition that I was too soon on the power coming out of corners which was giving me too much slip and no doubt made this worse but were my pressures too high/low?

 

[walkie86]

Worn in the middle = pressures too high

Worn on the edges = pressures too low

Even wear = pressures just right 8)

This of course varies with session length/time spent on track etc.

 

[BenW]

But I have worn middle and inner shoulder. That's suggesting pressure too high and too low!

 

[walkie86]

To me worn inside edges suggest too much camber but on a track that shouldn't be the case!

 

[Foxspeed]

To me worn inside edges suggest too much camber but on a track that shouldn't be the case!

not just camber - too much toe-out can do it

 

[BenW]

Had the alignment done a few weeks ago on a hunter laser alignment and all is spot on and within limits so it can't be that.

next question, is there another track day left in that worn tyre or should I be buying new ones?

 

[BenW]

I've been a bit slow getting the photos from Bedford up but here they are!



Getting a bit wide!



Just overtaken the 200T with no problem

 

[Gez]

Love all the pictures, great quality! Enjoyed?

 

[ranger4tk]

Noticed this updated and the pics so just had a look through your thread, good read

Sorry for holding you up haha

 

[BenW]

It was a great evening! And had a bit of fun with ranger too (blue 200!)

Want to get down to brands for the next renaultsport event but a bit worried that they haven't put any dates up yet

 

[Yiannis197]

Great pics Ben, it seems in some that the suspension is struggling with the sticky tyres lol did you try stiffen it up a bit?

 

[BenW]

Yea maybe. But, being honest the V3s are more a fast road coilover than an all out track coilover which is why I bought them. They're by no means on their hardest setting in the photos so I'll make them a bit stiffer for next time. Probably also partly because mine is a full fat so has the softer anti-roll bar. Having said that though you don't really feel the body roll at all when driving and generally doesn't struggle for traction out of the corners so I have no plans to change anything. After all I drive on the road 99% of the time and it's a great compromise for that. It's pretty well set up for the track in my opinion

 

[Yiannis197]

Fair comment mate. This is the benefit of an adjustable suspension I guess, to stiffen it at the track and to ''relax'' it for the road...No room for compromises

 

[BenW]

Exactly! But, I still haven't gone back to comfort settings after the track day. The taughness and fantastic turn in are so addictive even on the commute! When I get tired of the harsh ride I'll go back to comfort settings. Same with the carbon lorraine pads, I absolutely hate the embarrassingly loud squeal they make driving around town but I know that when I really need to do an emergency stop they could save my life!

 

[nutnutwelshman]

Very nice Ben good photos fella