brady33

Took several years of ownership, but I'm comfortable trying a track day with my 08 TL-S. I still have about 3 months to go before the event, and I want to get the must-do maintenance done in advance.

It's at 75,000, so I need a coolant replacement, tranny (a/t) drain/refill, brake fluid change, and probably some different pads. I can do it all myself, but the last two items are where I have the most questions. I want to enjoy the day, but I'm not going to be really aggressive since it is my daily driver.

I'm fully aware that track days are hard on cars. I attended last year as a guest, and spent half the day helping a fellow driver replace pads and fluid in his G35. Not the kind of day I want to have, but maybe I'll have good karma. It just looks so fun.

Anyway, to the point...

I've read about the various DOT brake fluids, but I haven't figured out if getting the stuff with the higher temp rating gives up anything in normal driving. I also live in Iowa, so if there are low temp concerns that would be good to know. Thoughts on that?

Secondly, I have Duralast Cmax Gold pads on. Not expecting they'd be good on a track because they have less bite than the stock pads did. What is a cost effective pad that I should use (knowing I'll probably switch back after)?

Last question - I read in prior threads that TLS owners had the "Acura" letters on the calipers turn brown after a track day. Has anyone avoided that? That would be disappointing.

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to make sure my intentions were clear. Thanks for the feedback!

Spyro235

Pads- for track use,and even for road use, I'd plurge on the brembo pads. Nothing bites like they do, theyre just great pads. Tye s/ manual base have the bigger brembo brakes up front, and the pads actually just slip right out of the caliper- meant as a trackday style caliper to be able to swap pads really quickly! I thought it was pretty cool the first time I changed them. I'm not totally sure about the brake fluid, but if this is your first track day I'd probably go in with what I run in my car, DOT 3 I believe. Honestly I've done some rpretty aggressive driving on it and it's been fine. If you make a habit of track days, I'd suggest swapping it to higher temperature stuff.
Just saw your last question. I have the cmax gold pads too, and went from the brembo's. I miss the brembos so much. They dusted like no other, but man that braking power was a force to be reckoned with. I'm going to splurge for them when I burn through these brakes, or when I have an extra $200 laying around.
Do a search for brake pads on the forum, and you'll find a bunch of threads talking about the best options. No need to start a new one!
Let me know how she does on the track, and where/ when/ at what cost you'll be running your car at! I'm very curious and with my upcoming new rubber, and soon after that brand new ASPEC suspension, I'd love to see what she could do on a track!

Hi speed

iTrader: (3)

I have run Motul dot 600 brake fluid for the last 5 years without any issues. I would do a high temp brake fluid at the minimum. The Motul seems thinner than the OEM brake fluid, so I think that would be an advantage in colder climates. I have never looked at the freezing or thickening point of brake fluids , but I'm sure it's listed somewhere. Look up some threads about fluid since one type ( dot 5.1 I think ) that can not be used. Think I bought 2 big bottles and that was enough for a full flush. The browing of the caliper lettering is from over heating the front brakes. I think it's a temp thing, so fluid quality would not have an effect on browing of the lettering.

6spd-GERCO

brady33- Glad to see you are doing your homework before hand

Get a high temp brake fluid- this won't affect your daily driving. The high temp stuff just resists boiling better. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water, once it does this it lowers it's boiling point. You want to have fresh brake fluid prior to going to the track, the TL is heavy and you will be taxing your brakes. I ran a few fun laps after auto crossing this past weekend, about 75 seconds hard driving with about 1 minute rest and 5 or so go arounds. My brakes where smoking after this.

Get a decent pad, I have brembo pads, they work, but a hawk or EBC pad would be better, this is advice from fsttyms1, he has TL track day experience. The brakes will get hot and this will potentially change the colors of the lettering, oh well, track day bro.

Check your cars compliance bushings, mine where toast (cracked and ripped) I replaced them and it made a huge difference.

Make sure your battery is tied down, tires are in good shape. See if you can talk to someone from the event about Tech to see what they will be looking for. Don't for get the helmet

What tires do you have? and What track are you going to?

polobunny

I can only +1 everything here. Never tracked the TL but tracked other cars before.

You want:

-Top notch brake pads, not ceramic but organic ideally. You want bite. They will create dust. You will also need to bed them in properly.

-Good rotors. You don't absolutely need slotted rotors but you need flat and solid ones. If your rotors are old, change them.

-Better brake fluid with a higher boiling point. Your brakes will get extremely hot. The worst thing is having brake fade when you need to brake. Here's a comparison chart with boiling points:
https://www.lelandwest.com/brake-flu...ison-chart.cfm
Your old fluid has lost its efficiency and that can be dangerous. I've used ATE Super blue in the past because it was readily available to me with good success. You want a high quality DOT3 at least, ideally DOT4 however. Make sure you understand what wet and dry boiling points mean.

-Although not necessary, stainless steel brake lines are wonderful in improving brake pedal feeling. It makes them extremely crisp and is a good upgrade to put if you're planning on tracking the car. If you don't intend to touch the lines at least make sure they look fine and hold pressure well.

-Bushings, motor mounts and transmission mounts. You want everything to be solidly held. A motor trashing around will not only slow you down but will also throw you off your apex. Same for a loose steering feeling. Make sure the power steering has no leaks and is in good working order.

-Nothing in the trunk, no mats, nothing dangling from the rear view, nothing in the glovebox, nothing in the armrest... you get the point. Anything can be a projectile when you're cornering quickly and any added weight is slowing you down. Don't forget the spare.

-Good tires in good shape. Don't skimp. Proper inflation is also key (you want to slightly under-inflate them at the track). Too deflated = mess up sidewalls. Too inflated = no grip. Mark the sidewall to the thread with a white grease pencil to know if you're rolling on the sidewall. Don't forget to re-inflate after the track.

-Good motor oil. If your oil change is soon due, change it. If you just changed it, it's fine. Bring an additional quart and check oil after every session.


Take into consideration the upgrades are not necessary at first. Be sure you're up to maintenance. Make sure you know about the costs and if insurance is available to you. Your normal car insurance does not cover track use. Don't forget your helmet unless you can rent one. Old motorcycle helmets don't cut it, get information at the track to know what's accepted. Clean your windshield too! Have fun, it is addictive.




Edit: And brake fluid is hygroscopic. Grammar nazi.

brady33

Thanks for the replies so far! I was reluctant to start a new brake fluid thread, but wasn't finding what I wanted on the cold-temp concerns. Good reminder though. I'll look further into the DOT 4 or the "right" DOT 5.1.

I currently have the Conti DWS tires on, plenty of tread (still have a deep "S"). Again, daily driver here so it's equipped for our chaotic midwestern season shifts. I am not going to spend anything on more purposeful summer tires since it's a day-only thing (for now).

@6-speed GERCO - I'm going to the Autobahn track near Joliet, IL in August. It would be cool to see another 3G owner there. Last year I spoke with a guy running a fairly stock CL-S, so that was fun to see running around. Obviously nothing to write home about from a performance standpoint, but still he was doing something with it!

The tips on the mods (brake lines, etc) are good but I don't think I'm going to invest that kind of money on this car. It'll understeer, get out-gunned on the straights, and probably feel sloppy with the squishy Contis. Yet I think I'll feel better about owning a Type-S if I've actually done something sporting with it. Heck, just being able to safely & legally feel out the limits of the car should prove both fun and educational.

polobunny

You could be surprised about investing. Like said, it is not necessary, a perfectly stock and in good working order car is enough for starting at the track. It gets addictive though and quickly you want to get better at it and investing a bit can shave precious seconds.

The contis are fine. Don't go all out on your first track day anyway, start slow and see where that brings you.

flyromeo3

this thread makes me want to track my Honda Pilot now.

polobunny

More like the S4. Although reliability might be an issue.

brady33

I kid you not, before we traded our 2010 Odyssey I did look into it. Thought it'd be fun to run that pig through a gauntlet before it hit the lot. For some reason it wasn't considered a performance vehicle, and therefore not allowed on track days around here. Shocking, really.

6spd-GERCO

Ahhh, good catch.

When are you going? I was looking at the MVP track time on the 10th of August at the Bahn. Like you said it would be awesome to have another 3G at the track Driving events are addicting.

DWS are good tires, I had a set on my car, didn't last as long as I would have like them to but a good tire while they lasted. I have a set of dedicated winter tires and it's night and day better than the all-seasons for temps below 40F. Take it easy if you want to keep the S on them and give them a little more air to stiffen up the side wall and you will be fine.

ECRD

You can't run SUV's at most track events.

Its your very first track day right? Then please don't get all confused with what everyone is saying and start upgrading, changing parts on the car, etc.......These are the only upgrades you need for first event.

1. New fresh Brake fluid,
ATE blue, Brembo, Motul 600, really any performance brake fluid.
2. Tire gauge
3. Approved Helmet

Thats it! Bring your car the way it is. You dont need anything else for the car.
Your not "Racing", your not even going to hit 110mph. Your there to learn and have fun.
You will be fine with whats on car now.

You need to learn what upgrades your car will need AFTER a few trackdays under your belt.

Seat time is the best upgrade.

And this advise is coming from a heavily experienced track guy.

6spd-GERCO

Not really "upgrades", just ensuring the car is in top working order before subjecting it to a track day. I hate to have the time to fix issues like blown bushings or mounts only to get there and go home with no seat time because your car didn't pass tech. I suggest brake pads because the TL is extremely heavy and will give the brakes a workout. But overall I agree, keep it simple and get seat time.

I wrote off an event because when I was going over my car I noticed that my front bushings were toast. I am glad I fixed them, it made a big difference.

brady33

Circling back to complete this post. Track day was Monday 8/10 at the Autobahn country club in Joliet, Il. I had a blast, and learned a lot about the TL on track, about track event etiquette, and about myself as a driver. Well worth the time, money, and effort to attend.

I ended up getting the Brembo ceramic pads from Tire Rack and Motul 5.1 fluid from Amazon for the brake setup. Absolutely no fade issues, and the Brembos had much better bite than the Duralast pads I had for street use.

I'll post thoughts about the TL on track in a separate thread later (hopefully with more pics), but in summary, it's a handful in the setup I was running. I am super excited to run another event sometime, but am really thinking hard about if I'd do it again on all-season tires. Thinking a spare set of wheels, more track-appropriate tires, and possibly some suspension work would make the experience better. On the plus side, I had some great exposure to the dynamics of understeer.

Thanks again for all the input from you guys. Had a lot more confidence in trying it out with your advice.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

nice, glad you see you had a good experience

truonghthe

I track couple time and the only complaint is the TL nose heavy you can feel all the weight up front during hard cornering all the load is pushing toward the front outer wheel and the rear start to lift up. I have to say Honda did a really nice job to hide the TL-S FWD. As far as the pad goes, just go with the one that has maximize dust to get a good bite.