New HPDE car - questions

[MidlifeRacing]

I've just joined the forum- been lurking for a while getting ideas for the '12 135i which I recently ordered. I should be arriving in a couple months.

Been on and off track since '05. Have driven formula dodge's, spec miatas and mx-5 cup miatas at schools/instructive formats.
Past HPDE cars have been a WRX and an RX8 and I set both of those up nicely for compromise street/track use.

Plan (barring any incident) is for this 135i is to see a couple years of HPDE, then TT, then take it wheel to wheel. It's going to see daily driving for the first three years.

First item of purchase will be a BR Racing bolt in safety roll bar, seats and harnesses. This bolt-in should suffice for the first few years until it's time to go wheel to wheel, then a weld-in cage shall go in.

Wheels/tires:
Thinking of running 235 40 17 Nitto NT-01 or RE-11 (for their nondirectional design) on all four corners on a 17x8 ET 40 wheel.
Question: No camber plates on the agenda at first- should the above wheel/tire combo fit up front OK?

Brakes:
ATE Blue or Motul with Hawk HP Plus

No suspension modifications for first year.
Question: Does anyone have a decent spec for a perfomance oriented alignment on stock hardware?

Any help with the questions I've asked would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Focusedintntions]

You'll definitely want camber plates, otherwise regardless of what you do aligntment wise it'll be under steer city. The rest of you setup should do fine and dandy. Just make sure to cut and bend the splash shields to get enough air to the brakes and they're the weak point of tracking the car. Also would highly recommend the titanium backing plates to protect the caliper pistons.

[SkinnyVT]

Get camber plates now, you will easily make up the cost of them by saving your tires. NT01s are typically cheaper and faster than the Bridgestones, they are very consistent all the way down to the cords, also not bad on a damp track. Assuming you have some idea of what you are doing on the track, skip the HP+ pads and get a set of real track pads (PFC01s, DTC70s, etc). Motul can handle more heat than the ATE.

[yandy]

As mentioned before, get camber plates, understeer in this car is horrible. Get some real track pads as mentioned by @SkinnyVT. I don't like ATE fluid, but some swear by it, Motul has done much better for me at the track.

I ran RE-11s for the past year and they held up pretty good at the track, they're pretty nice in wet weather too. But I'm switching to a dedicated track wheel/tire setup with:

N01s 245/45/17 all around on 17x8.5 wheels, I have camber plates so fitment is not an issue..

Get camber, you'll be glad you did, my RE-11s would've been good still if I ha gotten camber earlier.. lasted about 5 track days.

[MidlifeRacing]

Thanks for all of the responses everyone.

Only reason I'm going to go with HP Plus at first is to see how much time they give me before showing signs of fade. If they hold up decently for at least 30 minutes per session, they may stay on the car for both track/street use. If they don't hold up, track specific pad will be swapped in/out before/after events.

Plan is to have six track wheel/tires. Drives to the track are relatively close and I'm planning on putting track tire on at home before leaving and carrying only 2 spare. Less prep at track. Spares deal with any flats and can be rotated in.

Based on the responses, it seems that camber plates will go on first.
If any of you are still on factory springs/dampers and using camber plates, what are your settings for Camber/Caster/Toe front and rear?

[pixelblue]

more camber up front than back, little (1/8") toe-out in front and a little (1/16") toe-in for the back. you should also get the e92 M3 front sway bar as well. cheap with a big impact. these two mods (camber plates & ARB) will have a profound impact on how your car handles. have fun!

[SkinnyVT]

Another note about the HP+'s, the compound doesn't like playing with other brands. When I was doing my first 2 or 3 events I thought HP+'s were the greatest thing ever, then when i learned what braking really should feel like I will never go back to them even as a street pad. The initial bite when cold sucks, then gets really grabby when they get a little heat and then fade intensely once you put some real laps on them. To modulate braking with them is a thing of luck with how much the friction they put out versus temp.

To me having confidence in my brakes is the most important thing, nothing will make me pussyfoot around a track more than not knowing what I am going to get when I press the middle pedal. If the tracks are close enough for you to drive there on r-comps then it makes just as much sense to drive there with track pads in. Not to mention they will last longer than street pads.

[MidlifeRacing]

Originally Posted by SkinnyVT

Another note about the HP+'s, the compound doesn't like playing with other brands. When I was doing my first 2 or 3 events I thought HP+'s were the greatest thing ever, then when i learned what braking really should feel like I will never go back to them even as a street pad. The initial bite when cold sucks, then gets really grabby when they get a little heat and then fade intensely once you put some real laps on them. To modulate braking with them is a thing of luck with how much the friction they put out versus temp.

To me having confidence in my brakes is the most important thing, nothing will make me pussyfoot around a track more than not knowing what I am going to get when I press the middle pedal. If the tracks are close enough for you to drive there on r-comps then it makes just as much sense to drive there with track pads in. Not to mention they will last longer than street pads.

I hear ya. I'm very familiar with HP Plus' limitations. Just ramping back in to track days after a year off. I imagine the first few track days will be pussyfooting around.

For the most part, I've learned to keep brake temps down. If it's not a race car with stiff suspension, braking as late and as hard as possible upsets a softer car. Easing in to brakes just a bit sooner than you would normally would and then modulating really keeps temps down and keeps the car settled.

[pixelblue]

definitely don't want to ride the brakes into a turn. you will over heat them in no time

[MidlifeRacing]

Originally Posted by pixelblue

definitely don't want to ride the brakes into a turn. you will over heat them in no time

Not riding brakes. Just easing into them a tad sooner.
Technique taught to me by former Formula 3000 driver and head coach of Formula BMW America a few years ago during a day of coaching in the RX8. I was trying to show off with my late braking and modulation. He told me to back off a tad bit in the street car- kept car more fluid and smooth. Brakes ran cooler for rest of day. Lap times came down.