Anyone using DOT3 at the track?
 

Has anyone ever used DOT3 brake fluid in an RX8 6MT at a track day with the stock pads/rotors?

I'm considering doing my first few track days with the stock setup. The first 2 days with be at Road America at WI and the next two will be at Gingerman Raceway in MI.

I'm just starting out so I won't be pushing too hard.

Has anyone ever boiled the DOT3 in their RX8?

most people don't swap out the DOT 3 for track days. My RX-8 been on Watkins Glen & Pocono Raceway bone stock with no brake problems.

Thanks. I didn't think there was a problem with the DOT3.

But if you look at this posts in this thread, everyone says I'm going to die in a ball of flames if I use DOT3 :D :
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/can-dot4-brake-fluid-invalidate-my-warranty-57795/

I don't get it.....
 

....if DOT 3 is stock, why are you going to hell?

:( S

I ran the RX8 at Gratten Raceway http://www.grattanraceway.com/ (2 mi road course) last fall without any problems. My car is completely stock including the breaks. I pushed it very hard, breaking very late (into the ABS) and trail breaking on some corners. FYI, I use to race RX7's 10 yrs ago.

I use DOT 4 all the time, you can even mix it with DOT 3 with no issues.

Never had a problem with the original fluid. After 3 track days I decided to flush it and I put in the ATE Blue fluid which is a DOT 4. THe origianl stuff worked just fine and didn't boil. Even didn't need to bleed after an event.

hmm, maybe i don't need to upgrade fluids/pads for VIR in June after all... :D

Well Mach, I just got back from a meet at Road America, I have Motul DOT 4 fluid in my system, I didnt experience any fade or boiling, however I would recommend getting more brake pads if you are going to hit up RA. A G35 that was running with me burned thru his brakes in about half the time we were out on the track. Also, I have StopTech slotted rotors and Hawk pads with SS lines, it seemed to me that I was outbraking many of the other cars out there in the turns.
My two cents

I guess some people have been upgrading pads but once again the stock pads have been fine. I got a replacement under the TSB but I had 3 track days on them and they were going strong. I guess Hawk pads are even better but you are gonna start going through rotors. If this is your first track event, go stock and decide from there. I think you will be very impressed with what this car can do. BTW - the Speedsource team uses stock rotors and calipers on their Grand Am RX8s. They use upgraded pads but these guys brake deeper and harder. I think that is testament to the stock braking system.

muhahahha, Corvette's couldnt get away, I passed a Firehawk and a couple M3's. muhahahah

From my motorcycle racing experience Road America is the hardest track on brakes in the Midwest and possibly the nation. Like others said, bring extra pads. I have not found the point of fade on my stock RX8 yet, but I think the pads will give up prior to the stock fluid being an issue.

If you get higher friction pads that are capable of higher temps than stock, that is the time to think about DOT 4 and or braided lines. Like every thing, when the total system is stock it all works well and is balanced, change one part (pad compound) and the next week link (fluid?) is likely to surface.

Thanks guys, I stop by the dealer over the weekend to pick up an extra set of pads to take with me to Road America just in case.

let us know how it works out for you Mach, the track is Very different at higher speeds than we had during touring. I put my car in the grass twice on Saturday :(

Did you have an instructor? Where did you go off and how fast were you going? How fast did you top out on the front straight? How fast on the back straight into turn 5? Any damage? Sorry to hear about the offs.

I'm going with the Windy City BMW club and will have an instuctor with at least 20 years experience. They also use the new chicane instead of the Kink and have a reputation for being very anal about safety, although that suits me fine since I'm a newbie at this.

I had my car tech inspected last weekend. The guy who took it for a spin during the inspection thought I'd made a good purchase and it would be a blast at the track.

I think the Kink has too much character to run without it, plus once you learn the line around the carousel its a blast to rocket down that screaming at 9k into the Kink.

I did have an instructor with me both times I went off, my problem was that I was turning too far in on the turns, then would have to correct midturn, which unloaded the rear and spun me. No damage, but I had to get the bead cleaned on my front driver's side tire. On the front straight I got up to about 115-120, I was right at 9k when I started to brake for the first turn out of the pits. Same speeds at the straight before turn 5, but I'm not comfortable heel-toeing, so I could have been going faster maybe, I didnt want to force myself to go down to 2 from 5 with the space that I had. Overall it was a blast, I ran down a M3 and a Firehawk in my group. Great fun!

Do you remember which turns you went off? And you better not say turn 10 (The Kink).

I'm surprised you couldn't get faster than 115-120. I was easily hitting 105 in my 325 convertible during touring and it's 700 lbs heavier and has 54 less hp. I wasn't pushing it too hard and was letting off the gas by the time the pit traffic entered back on the track.

I went off in 14 and the other I don't remember. I might have been going faster, but like I said I didn't touch 5th more than twice the whole weekend. The Kink was fun, there was a guy in a Gran Sport Corvette that went sideways into the wall there and broke out his rear windshield and twisted up his rear pretty good. Let me know how you fare out there tho Mach, it just stinks that they took the kink out.

Well maybe the others weren't going fast enough!

The DOT 3 fluid made my brakes feel mushy the whole time I was on the track.
In the end I only lost a little fluid.

I like to feel safe so, go with the better fluid. It cost nothing to replace.
Try http://www.porterfield-brakes.com/

These threads always surprise me. Sure, most people will be fine for a couple of track days with DOT3/stock pads. But, assuming you're getting better (meaning, among other things, going faster and braking later), the day will come (sooner rather than later) when DOT3 fluid and stock pads will not do the job.

Personally, I decided after two track days that I didn't want to find that that day had come the hard way--losing my brakes at 130mph into turn 2 at Pacific Raceways. :eek: I switched to ATE Super Blue fluid, and hybrid pads (higher temperature pads which you can safely run on the street). After a few more track days, even the hybrid pads started to break down, and I now run full race pads with the Super Blue fluid. And what a difference full race pads are!

Starting out on stock pads and fluid is fine. But, if you catch the bug, you will have to upgrade eventually; why not learn how to do it now (it only takes an hour or less for me to swap out tires/wheels and brake pads, before an event), rather than finding out the hard way that you should have done it?

I'll definitely let you know and hopefully get some pics too. Some of my friends are in more advanced run groups so we've made a pact to snap lots of pics of each other on the track since we won't be out there at the same time.
Sorry to hear about the Vette smashing up.

I guess I'm a big fan of the BMW club's safety record. I'd hate to smash up my car or have one of my friend's smash up their cars. So I'm willing to run without the Kink for this one. I'm going to do some DEs with other clubs and compare how well they are run and find a group that suits my style and skill level. From what I've seen, the BMW club is full of older drivers and instructors and most of those guys aren't as fearless as some of the younger guys. Some of those older guys have also learned their lessons from previous smashups at the track.

Did you get any pics of your car out there?

What car did you lose your brakes in? Was it your RX8?

Pics

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