friction chart for this compound...

http://www.raceshopper.com/images/ds3000graph.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3...ville20mar.jpg

Here's actually a good shot showing the groove mostly built up on a concrete track... you can even see the darker areas where it's built up more at the seams... and of course the marbles up out of the groove.

In most of the NASCAR races it takes roughly the first 100 miles of the race for the track to fully rubber in... from there it's pretty stable assuming atmospheric conditions remain the same (they never do.)

That temp paint is cool. :tup:

cool pic, thanks for sharing :tup:

yeah, it should give us all helpful data... i'll be sure to share results on my AP Racing BBK install thread


Here are comments on these pads from another forum:

...... Rating = 9
...... cf = 0.62
...... In every way, an outstanding track pad, and the high cf results in a very firm pedal. Though cold friction is also excellent, don't ever think about using this pad on the street. When cold, I've never heard any pad squeal louder; it's borderline painful. Because the iron content of this compound is >50%, the brake dust is more-or-less corrosive to aluminum wheels (without a clearcoat) and can quickly stain them badly. Even when using these pads only on track, wipe your wheels clean every evening.

Yeah I've got to get some of that too, was looking at it last night. I also found some temp gauge stickers you can place on the calipers that give you a fairly accurate reading of where they are at given that they aren't going to cool off very fast.

I think the DS3000's are a good choice, was looking at the DS3000 Endurance for their slightly lower aggressiveness as I prefer around a 0.5.

the endurance pads should give you longer pad and rotor life as well, good choice

Travis, really looking forward to your results with the brakes and such.
Though since you are not running a stock setup, will it be much different from those with stock?

my car and sharif's build should give you an indication of what can be done with this car NA (track times to shoot for)... you are correct that given all the weigh removed and other changes, with equal drivers it would not be fair to put a stock Z against either one

Update: nissan has pushed back the ETA for my replacement Main Wiring Harness until middle of FEB! arghhh

Doh! What are they making a new one from scratch?

thanks for the sympathy! somewhere is a bin full of these damned things!... lol i just can't get the company to be responsive in finding one and shipping one... i'm working with the best nissan dealer on the planet, not their fault, it is all about the sloppy supply chain within nissan... it's clear that the people that interface with the end customers and I suspect the dealers have very little information about where parts are and availability of parts... i even told a nissan rep I would fly to the warehouse and pick it up - they were unmoved by that gesture!

Paint: Elegant/simple solution
 

Elegant/simple solution to my more complicated/expensive suggestion many months ago. I'm glad you found the Stillen answer! I am so dinosaur! Live and learn. I am looking forward to the reactive-paint results! Vive #104!

Actually.. that's probably our fault for not doing enough in the education department outward, and letting you guys know what options are available, and the proper way to work with tracks, pads, goals, setups, etc.

Added them to the website today, including the caliper temperature strips..

Hopefully Travis will give you guys a good rundown as he's testing some pads, utilizing some of the cool things available to help with pad/track decisions, etc.

STILLEN : AP Racing Rotor Temperature Paint Kit & Caliper Indicator Strips

Thanks Travis..

The loophole if i understand correctly was that the car had to be production READY, in which it is. Apparently nowhere in the rules does it say the car actually has to be in production.

Thanks, SkyZ... and welcome to the board! post #2!

What do you guys think about a Suzuki Equator 4.0L as a tow vehicle? rated at 6,500 lbs... should be able to get an 09 model for around $20K... any others I should look at? nothing more than a couple years old

I'm sure you already know but for those that don't the Equator is a rebadged Frontier. I've owned a couple of Frontiers (and a couple of Xterras and a Pathfinder - IOW a few of the 4.0 engine vehicles) and they have all been great vehicles but I don't think I would use one to tow a car regularly. You could find a Titan with that budget that would pull your combined car/trailer weight a lot easier.

Appreciate the input... And I'm with you, but word is that the Suzuki was built specifically for those that want to regularly tow smaller loads (atvs, sm-med boats, racecars etc) and does it allegedly better than the nissan counterparts... not defending it - I only started looking at it last couple days... I'll put some research and thought into the Titan... thx again

I'll add that I've done a little towing with both the Frontier and Titan (last vehicle before the Z was a Titan) and the difference was night and day. I didn't know the Equator was engineered differently, interesting. I'm sure it would get the job done but the 4.0 would be working a lot harder than the 5.6 V8 in the Titan (or any V8 1/2 ton for that matter). The Titan is a beast. I'd like to get another one in a couple years.

hmmm... just looked up some Titans and they're actually looking pretty good relative to the budget I had in mind... you're probably right about having the extra towing capacity and engine output... here's one that probably has a couple grand of margin built into the price... tempting... won't be doing anything for at least a couple months, but I'm leaning this direction for now

2008 Nissan Titan 2WD Crew Cab Truck
8 Cylinder , Automatic
2 wheel drive - rear
Price: $18,950 Mileage:18,617
Nissan Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Details - Nissan USA

.

I would definitely want to go with the V8 Titan... the longer wheelbase should help out too.

Willing to consider F150s or Silverado/Sierras?

I guess... I've been by the local ford dealer to drive an F150 but it just seems like you get a little bit more for a little bit less with the JP brands... maybe I'm missing something though?

I was just checking to see if you were set on only JP brands or if you were open to more options.

when it comes time to buy, I'll go drive 3-4... Titan, Toyota, F150, Dodge 1500, and maybe the Equator - need to do more research on how it does towing 4K lb loads

Hey Travis,

We have both a supercharger for the 5.6L Titan as well as the 4.0L Frontier/Equator..

Truckin' Magazine has an Equator with the blower on it.. should be coming out soon.

:D

Just sayin.. lolol

haha... might actually consider that if there is one already built, but not interested in another 'project'

If I were to buy a truck it would Def. be Chevy/GMC.. I have my dads hand me down GMC 1500 4x4 1995. Its got 240k miles on it and runs strong as hell!! Engine and tranny have never been touched.. 4x4 works great. Ive towed boaats , cars , everything you can think of.. built like tanks. Dont look as good on the outside though as the nissan and the interior sucks

My favorite tow vehicle for the moment would be the Silverado. The interior isn't as pretty as the JP vehicles but it can tow with ease.

I think the Suzuki would have a problem if you were using anything other than an open aluminum trailer. The Chevy would be able to handle a steel trailer or even a closed trailer. With all the rebates that were flying I've seen people pick them up for $23K brand new.

I'm very happy with my 07 5.3 Tahoe. It pulls very nicely.

okay thanks all... lots to consider

I vote 5.7 tundra. My dad has a crewcab, and that beast doesn't give much to my car until about 75 from a roll!! Simply amazing vehicle... Without the Trd supercharger. Not to mention decent mileage and 10700 tow cap...

My vote for JP: Tundra
 

The Tundra is built with a Dana 60-sized housing and ring&pinion; the Nissan full-size truck has a Dana 44-sized rear end. For towing, go big.

If I had to tow a racecar, I would trust none other than an F150 or Ford Super Duty.

That's the way I am... I'm a Ford trucks guy through and through. They are the best-selling trucks for a reason.

Though if I ever had a DD truck I wouldn't mind a Tundra. :tup:

Still considering Ford - the mfgr incentives could entice me to buy new

Just created this on the Toyota website... $37K pre-tax... I think the goal would be to find this same config but in 2007-8 model w/ 30-40K miles... I should probably ditch the TRD stuff, and save a couple grand... I may stop by the Toyota dealer next few weeks to see what kind of used inventory they have that is similar... Anyone know if the truck changed substantially last five model years? Thanks again.

-----

2010 Toyota Tundra 5.7-Liter 4x2
MSRP* $36,682

Standard Bed, 4x2 *See Disclaimers, 5.7-Liter V8 w/6 Speed Auto, Tundra *See Disclaimers, 6-Speed Automatic
$27,240

OPTIONS
- Deck rail system, 18-in. styled steel wheels with P255/70R18 tires, 50 state emissions, AM/FM/MP3 CD player, integrated satellite radio [1], with 3-month free subscription to XM Satellite Radio [1], aux/USB input with iPod® [2] connectivity, hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth&reg [3], steering wheel audio controls and 6 speakers, Anti-theft alarm system, Back-up monitor in rear view mirror, Carpet floor mats with door sill protector [30], Cold Weather Package - includes heavy-duty battery and heavy-duty starter, windshield wiper de-icer grid with timer and front and rear mudguards., Daytime running lights, Fog lamps, Outside mirrors-power, heated, black, Power horizontal sliding rear window with defroster and privacy glass, SR5 Package - include Tow Package and Cold Weather Package
$3,308

COLORS
Black
Graphite Fabric SR5 Package
$0

ACCESSORIES
Locking bike fork attachment [30] $95
Bedliner with deck rails [30] $365
Bed extender [30] $320
Cargo divider [30] $345
Tube steps - black [30] $490
Mini tie down with hook (set of 2) [30] $45
Wheel locks [30] $81
Bed step [30] $300
Ball mounts [31] $65
Anodized aluminum shift knob [30] $85
Underseat storage [30] $125
Glass breakage sensor (GBS) [30] $165
Remote engine start [30] $529
TRD Performance Air Intake [31] $475
TRD Performance Handling Kit [31] $1,699
$5,184

Delivery, Processing & Handling Fee
$950

.

A Titan pulling a Z. I had success with towing my Z with wife's Pathfinder and I know he guy who runs the local Z club pulls his track built 350 with a Titan. Reminds me of the SRT-10 hauling a Viper :).
The Tundra and Titan are my top two favorites, followed by Ford and GM but really can't go wrong with any of them.

double post

I would go the biggest that you can. Over the past 10 years I have trailered my racecar, I have gotten a bigger vehicle each time, and now that I have a Ford Excursion, it is by far the best. Started with a Jeep GC - junk, tranny eventually went, then went to the Ford Expedition (which was nice, but always appeared to struggle), and finally the Excursion. As I look back at it, I should have bought the bigger vehicle in the beginning. I also say this because you might start today with an open trailer, but eventually you will get an enclosed, which needs a vehicle with 10k towing capacity minimum. As for the Titan, I have seen others at the track who have them, and haven't heard any issues, but make sure it has an upgraded tranny cooler (usually a HD trailer package) - it will help a lot down the road.

If I ever get to the point where I need a tow vehicle, I think I am going to spring for something like an F250!

Chevy 2500 HD with a duramax diesel for me.. :D