Alex, How's that 300HP working out for you pacing those Z06s?

Couldn't resist, man!!

Mike

 

Will hopefully not run into them too often-different class! That said, I bet your Miata would give me a good run...

 

Oh hell no... Touch the brakes and lose 10 seconds per lap in this little rollerskate!! Goal here is to get my two sons out racing endurance races in it, teaching them the art of racing, not the art of high HP addictions!

Mike

 

Can hardly wait for my brood to get old enouph to play with on the track. But I don't think anyone can avoid the high HP addiction once they decide racing is fun-it eventually get s us all! I certainly miss it.

 

I ripped off a duct on my car, and a replacement is 259 bucks compared to a 997 Cup duct for like 30 bucks, I don't get it?!?

 

The stock brakes are really that deficient? A set of PFC06's and good fluid/ducting aren't enough?

The suspension I can see, didn't know it took all the control arms, toe links etc to get it all up to snuff.

I was debating getting a GT3, but I want the car to be my daily driver and the Turbo is so much better in that respect as I live at altitude, so awd + FI+back seat = good.

Mike, thanks for the back up, too funny!!

 

Yea, if you were a beginner to intermediate student, the OEM brake caliper and rotor would be fine with some Motul, or other high end fluid and sufficient cooling ducts.

However, the upgrade to the GT3 6 piston caliper in the front and NON-drilled vented 350-355mm rotor will be an excellent upgrade of durability. The system won't give you tons of added braking ability. It will give you tons of consistent lap after lap braking at the same points for 20-30 minute sessions. The big issue is the car has so much more weight, and so much more ability to create more velocity that you'll cook the brakes at your driving level...

Franks new and enthusiastic! I'm sure we'll have him broke in nicely within the week, and then he'll be running the joint!

Mike

 

Heres a pic of the setup I run on the front, although I am considering moving to a floating rotor upfront this year:





And Why I love Pagid Yellows...



The fronts had 9 hard days use, and the rears had 16 days on them... Of course, they're cooked off thinner than I'd normally do, but I was at a Chin event trying to chase down a Redbull Racing 430Ferrari Challenge car with a pro driver in it... Me and the pads, we lost...

Mike

 

Is it easy to source the GT3 calipers used? Is there a "kit" out that includes the rotors, caliper carrier and calipers?

Sounds like this is a situation similar to my old turbo audi, even with larger stoptechs it would still bake the brakes...

 

It is easy to source the GT3 calipers. Suncoast, Vivid, GMG to name just a few. I needed a set in a hurry when I stripped a bleed screw prepping for a track event, and Dan at Vivid got them to me in two days.

I tend to disagree with Mike Kelly a little on the brake issue. I found that as I got better at driving the 996TT, I had less problems with the brakes. It's because I was using them less. I never had any brake fade issues with Pagid Yellows (RS 19) even on the 4-piston calipers. I did the upgrade to 6-piston only because I had to. I've been doing DE's for 17 years, instructing for 9, and I would say that I am not pussyfooting around the track.

 

Sounds like I just need to get the car out on the track with some ducts, fresh fluid and pads and see what it does.

That'll let me decide what I want to do suspension wise too. So how easy is it to change from street to track camber settings with the GT3 control arms? I'm used to just jacking up my car and slamming my camber plates over...

 

Well, that's a good start. You'll find that it pushes a lot, and that outside shoulder wear on the tires is pretty bad. Then you'll be back.

It's not too bad, but more of a PITA than moving the upper camber plates. I do this regularly. I have the camber and toe set to stock values for the street with no shims in place. To get to -2.4 deg up front, I add 14 mm total shims. Then there is a big adjustment on toe - in my case, 9.75 turns on each side of the tie rod. I double check it with Longacre toe plates. I also need to adjust the sway bar drop links to avoid interference between the control arm or axle. I think it's 2 or 3 turns. For the shim change, I put the car on jackstands, and then put a jack under the front tire to take some of the load off of it when I am sliding the control arm apart. The sway bar adjustment is done with the wheels on ramps and loaded to avoid pre-load on the sway bars.

In the rear, I have adjustable dog bones instead of the GT3 control arm. (That's not to say that one is better than the other - just what I have.) Easier than the fronts - just count turns again. 1.5 turns on the front dogbone, 3 on the rear, and 0.5 turns on the adjustable toe link. I went to my favorite alignment shop the first time so that I could find out the adjustments needed between the two setups.

The exact number of turns etc. probably depends on the ride height.

Jon

 

Is the understeer a function of too little camber, or just mis matched spring/dampening rates?

That sounds like a PITA to swap toe/camber settings. How quickly with the car eat tires if left on track settings all the time?

 

Not at the same skill level as many of you ("B" group PCA & BMW) with a momentum car (R56 MCS) but would really like to tighten this car up a little without losing it's comfort on the street. Only plan on tracking it a couple of times a year.

Right after I bought the car, 01 996tt, I replaced all the brake components except the calipers thinking I'd be fine just swapping out pads to Pagids for track days.

Would it be best to just get this baby out there with the stock suspension and better pads (running Motul 600 fluid) and then figure out what suspension pieces are needed? Or should I just get some coilovers before taking her.

Hoping this car doesn't become addicting on the track. Told the BOSS when I bought it that she'd be a garage queen but she (the car) keeps on whispering to me every time I drive it that she wants to dance at the track.

Thoughts!

Cheers!

 

You can tune out a lot, if not all, of the understeer with adjustable sway bars. Most of us run full stiff in the rear, and very soft in the front. You'll still eat tires until you dial in about -2.4 deg camber up front, -2.0 in the rear. Some guys run more negative than that.

Some people seem to be able to get that much negative camber without GT3 split control arms, some can't. I don't know why that is.

Almost everything on a Porsche is at least a little bit of a PITA. I've gotten it down now so that it takes me about 1-2 hours to make the changes, taking my time. It would be faster and easier if I had a lift.

If you run with that much negative camber all the time, you'll wear out the insides of the tires pretty fast. Rear tires on these cars don't last very long as it is: 7000-14000 miles is typical.

Jon