How to modify for Road Racing

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jlisle01 have you had a chance to take anymore pictures of your harness bar? I really want to put some belts in my 05 GT. If I read everything right, the only things you bought were the Sparko bar, belts, and replacement bolts (4) for the mounting of the harness bar?
 
jlisle01 have you had a chance to take anymore pictures of your harness bar? I really want to put some belts in my 05 GT. If I read everything right, the only things you bought were the Sparko bar, belts, and replacement bolts (4) for the mounting of the harness bar?

Sorry guy, I've been so busy and those pics slipped my mind. I'll get 'em the next time I'm home. The sparco bar and belts are the big ticket items. If you get six point harnesses then you should be able to mount the crotch straps to the front seat mounts with the hardware that comes with the belts. I talked with the Sparco guys and they told me that they intended the bar to be mounted with the stock seatbelt hardware and that the bolts are long enough. I guess I was just being paranoid. And as far as the crotch straps go. Most people think the "anti-submarine" belts are there to hold you from going under the lap belts which isn't true. The crotch straps prevent you from going under the lap belt by counteracting the shoulder belts tendancy to pull the lap belts up. The lap belts should be LOW, with the buckle placed over your pelvis. Your pelvis can take many times more force without injury than your abdomen can. The bad news is that means you really can't use shoulder harnesses without some kind of crotch strap. The good news is that the crotch straps are not a load bearing part of the system so their mounting doesn't have to be as stout. Put 'em on there however you can.
 
Hey Jlisle....what kind of harnesses do you have? Do you have the single loop shoulder belts or do you have the individual shoulder belts? And also where did you get the harness bar and how much did it cost you if you dont mind me asking....
 
I ordered the bar from evasive motorsports. The part number is 30012.

http://www.evasivemotorsports.com/m...?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=EM&Product_Code=30012

I used G-Force camlock harnesses. The cam locks are definitely worth the extra coin. Much quicker and easier to use. And I have the individual shoulder belts not the "Nascar" style that have the cross strap. I got those from Saferacer.com.

http://www.saferacer.com/g-force-pro-6pt-camlock-harness.html?productid=953

Oh, and I got the "pull down" style which simply means that they are wrapped so that you pull the straps down to tighten them. I don't know anyone who uses the pull up style except guys who have tight cockpit race cars where elbow room is non existent.
 
Here's some more pics of the harness bar. I'm sorry I didn't get more of the lap belt mounting points but that would mean removing the seats.

Here's the hardware from the stock shoulder belt mounts.

November2007001.jpg


Here's the view from the back seat with bar in place.

November2007008.jpg


Here's the lap belt mount on the outside (just behind the door). You can kind of see the lap belt for the harness. I just removed the stocker, sandwiched the downtube mounting plate and the harness lap belt between the stock seat belt and the car, and bolted it back up. It's a 45 torx bit I think.

November2007009.jpg


A better view of the crotch strap bar my friend made. It's bolted down to the front seat brackets.

touchup.jpg


You can see where the seat brackets are. I think you could bolt the crotch straps for a six point harness down where my bar bolts down. You'd just need some longer bolts and spacers. Or, you could just drill thru the floor and mount the crotch straps with some eye bolts. Saferacer has those too, along with the regulation 4 inch square backing plates. And last but not least, this is how the harness should fit, well, if you're as fat as me that is.

November2007011.jpg

The camlock buckle should be LOW, just above your you know what.
 
help

Any recommendations for racing pedals. All I have found advertised are covers for existing pedals. This does not help the placement problem. Agree with needing to move the pedal higher and to the right, but don't know how to accomplish.

Suggestions?
 
Nice thread, infact a google search on road racing mustangs led me to this forum :nice:, on why the rear brakes fade so quickly after track days :shrug:(PS i make sure my traction is off always at the track)

Anyway, my current mods on the 08 GT are the adjustable coilovers from Steeda, adjustable front sway bar, rear sway bar and the Nitto NT01 & some other stuff.
 
Nice thread, infact a google search on road racing mustangs led me to this forum :nice:, on why the rear brakes fade so quickly after track days :shrug:(PS i make sure my traction is off always at the track)

Anyway, my current mods on the 08 GT are the adjustable coilovers from Steeda, adjustable front sway bar, rear sway bar and the Nitto NT01 & some other stuff.

okay, I know this is a super old thread, but it was very informative, and I think I can solve the mystery of why rear brakes fade for anyone doing google searches...

I was told to never apply your parking brake (e-brake) during a track day. The brakes need to be loose while cooling down afterwards. If you apply the parking brake, while parked after a run, your rear brakes will melt away as you wait to go out again.
 
okay, I know this is a super old thread, but it was very informative, and I think I can solve the mystery of why rear brakes fade for anyone doing google searches...

I was told to never apply your parking brake (e-brake) during a track day. The brakes need to be loose while cooling down afterwards. If you apply the parking brake, while parked after a run, your rear brakes will melt away as you wait to go out again.

I don't think it's quite that drastic. The reason why you never put the parking brake on after some serious driving (other then sticking to the rotor due to the heat) is because the pad particles that scrub/flake/chunk off will press on to the rotor surface making it very rough and causing all sorts of complications with wear and driveability. In some of the worst cases the pads will crumble as a result and you wouldn't want to do that.

I think the rear brakes fade unfortunately on these cars because very much like the front they are not up to par with stopping the car. That is why Steeda and other brake manufacturers make a 13in rear brake upgrade for these cars. It may seem like overkill but it really isn't.

On my 240SX i had R32 Skyline GTR calipers up front and stock rears with no ABS. The fronts locked up all the time if I wasn't careful but regardless of increasing my stopping power up front really exponentially the rear still wore out the same.
 
To whom it may concern

Hi, my name is Sanctus and I am an addict. (All: Hi Sanctus...)

Like all those who have posted before me. I have been bitten by the track bug. And this is how I have gone about it so far.

Stage 1: The Essentials (manufacturers may vary)
Exhaust, Intake and Tune
Eibach Pro & AntiRoll Kits
Panhard Bar
Strut tower brace
Tokico st/shks
J&M Upper&Lower Control Arms
Powerslot Rotors, Hawk HPS's, Motul fluid and Braided lines
A47 Cooling kit

Stage 2: My Own Stimulus Package
Aluminum Radiator + Hoses
Saleen Short Throw
Custom Pedals
Throttle Body
Rear Seat Delete
Wheels-Yes they're staggered
18x9, 18x10 (Nitto 555's)

With this set up I consistently ran at or under 2:20 on Buttonwillow's 13CW configuration. There's lot of room for improvement mind you it was only my 2nd HPDE. There will be more to come!
3472898894_6034f17217.jpg

3473036266_4dc30b463a.jpg

 
Hi, my name is Sanctus and I am an addict. (All: Hi Sanctus...)

Like all those who have posted before me. I have been bitten by the track bug. And this is how I have gone about it so far.

Stage 1: The Essentials (manufacturers may vary)
Exhaust, Intake and Tune
Eibach Pro & AntiRoll Kits
Panhard Bar
Strut tower brace
Tokico st/shks
J&M Upper&Lower Control Arms
Powerslot Rotors, Hawk HPS's, Motul fluid and Braided lines
A47 Cooling kit

Stage 2: My Own Stimulus Package
Aluminum Radiator + Hoses
Saleen Short Throw
Custom Pedals
Throttle Body
Rear Seat Delete
Wheels-Yes they're staggered
18x9, 18x10 (Nitto 555's)

With this set up I consistently ran at or under 2:20 on Buttonwillow's 13CW configuration. There's lot of room for improvement mind you it was only my 2nd HPDE. There will be more to come!


Did you notice any difference when you change to the Powerslots and Hawk pads?
 
Like most things in life, Brake systems are just that. A system. It's important to treat them that way when you plan on modifying anything. So to answer your question, Yes the rotors and pads make an excellent combo and improved the stopping distance and even more importantly the feel of the pedal avoiding ABS engagement.

That being said, I think it would be a travesty to overlook the other systemic parts such as brake lines, fluid, and ductwork as I believe they made an equal or greater impact on overall performance.
 
I know I know... I should have done better.

I really do think 2:15 is an ascertainable goal though. I stuck a pretty good line but just need to drive more smoothly like Carol Smith preaches. Smooth is fast.

Interestingly enough I went with an Audi group comprised of some stoutly modified S4's and RS4's and at the end of the day the men with the four rings had some more respect for the kid piloting the blue oval.

Mustang GT with mods = $30,000
S4/RS4 with mods = $70-90,000
Track Day: $250
Identical Lap Times: Priceless

:flag:
 
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Like most things in life, Brake systems are just that. A system. It's important to treat them that way when you plan on modifying anything. So to answer your question, Yes the rotors and pads make an excellent combo and improved the stopping distance and even more importantly the feel of the pedal avoiding ABS engagement.

That being said, I think it would be a travesty to overlook the other systemic parts such as brake lines, fluid, and ductwork as I believe they made an equal or greater impact on overall performance.

Sorry. Yes I meant the whole system. By the way that is a sweet car you have there.

Are you running the stock seat belt or an aftermarket one? I can't really tell from the pictures.
 
Unfortunately I'm still running the stock seats and belts. I know I'm killing myself in the corners just trying to stay in the seat but I haven't found a financially feasible cage/harness bar setup that meets my approval. I don't like the idea of doing just a roll bar, and a custom cage is $$$.

When I win the lotto I'll get her up to American Iron specs but until then she's my daily driver.

Some links: Griggs Unit - $900
Maximum Motorsports - $550
+ Seats, hardware and Belts
 
Stage 2: My Own Stimulus Package

Custom Pedals


Sanctus,

Could you give me more details on your custom pedals? Are they modified for heel toe? I started road racing and although you can heel toe on the car, better positioning would make it easier.

Thanks
 
What I've got:
Pedals - a set on Flickr

From:
ULTIMATE PEDALS

Seriously give these guys a call. The quality is impeccable and only marginally more expensive than the Roush set yet is fully customizable.

Aside from the glamor and glitz of the pedals they do a great job of keeping your feet where they need to be in 1G+ corners. They also have an improved feel over the stock rubber pieces. All fasteners have thread locking nylon inserts.

Downsides: Not as comfy for barefoot driving around town
Installation requires some patience in an awkward area. 90degree drill was really helpful.