Can we talk about brake cooling?

[Estoril]

To be fair, I do not know if I need brake cooling yet or not. This is more for information gathering. I have bought the wrong stuff enough times to know that it's best to look into things carefully and ask the forum before jumping in, which is really the purpose of this thread. And maybe it will help some other people too.

My track car runs OE calipers with PFC-11s. Even on 98-100F July track days, I have no fade. My tires will get greasy before the pads. The greater heat issue could be seizing a caliper piston, which I have done once 6 years ago. Now I rebuild calipers every Spring - no problem since.

I've never had fade on my street M3 and can't envision the scenario where I would.

[OldRanger]

Even on 98-100F July track days, I have no fade. My tires will get greasy before the pads.

How about last weekend at Summit...hot!!! I was there, but not driving, my son was...but we are eating through PFC 331s faster than I would like (6-8 track days). He doesn't overwork the brakes, no ABS typically but still under 1:27 pace in that heat on best laps.

Estoril Do you still have the OE backing plates in? Do you have any brake cooling?

[Estoril]

How about last weekend at Summit...hot!!! I was there, but not driving, my son was...but we are eating through PFC 331s faster than I would like (6-8 track days). He doesn't overwork the brakes, no ABS typically but still under 1:27 pace in that heat on best laps.

Estoril Do you still have the OE backing plates in? Do you have any brake cooling?

I was at this weekend's DE on SP Main. As you said - very, very hot. Me: PFC-11 front/rear. Stone guards are removed, dust guards in. No fade late braking in Instructor group. RE71-R were fine with sane starting pressures with a 33-34F hot target. No additional brake cooling mods. I do a true cool-down lap before pitting.

It is possible for me to push this setup to the limit on Shenandoah regardless of ambient temperature with not-great braking technique. Cleaning up braking technique and driving the car there like a momentum car solves that problem. Shenandoah doesn't give brakes much of a rest in cooling if there are a lot of braking events. Over-braking is a popular cause (not saying it is your son's cause).

Mike told me Saturday that the September Shenandoah event is almost full. I recommend you sign-up very soon! It is a great track, as you know. Better yet in Fall.

[L0okitzRaj]

I'm running pretty much a full hard motorsports setup.


And then their ducts that replace the entire fog light, which still looks stock enough that it doesn't bother me:

can you leave the windshield washer reservoir in with those intake ducts?

[Obioban]

can you leave the windshield washer reservoir in with those intake ducts?

I don't actually know. I have the e39 high intensity tank in the drug bin, and don't run the stock tank (in an effort to get weight off the nose of the car).

[D-O]

Bringing this one back again.

I am replacing my front wheel bearings and hubs, and it seems like this would be the time to install a backing plate with provisions for a cooling duct.

I kind of like the way the speed engineering kit uses the existing brake cooling ducts. https://www.speedengineering.de/en/p...-complete-set/

Anyone have first hand experience with this kit? Any big advantages the Hard Motorsport kit has over the Speed Engineering kit?

D-O