I finally got a couple of days this past week where the temperature in the garage was above 45 degrees so I started to prep the MINI for the upcoming track season. No major changes are planned this year, just routine maintenance items. First up is to inspect the brake calipers and change the wheel …
You may recall about 15 months ago I destroyed my stock crank damper (harmonic balancer) at the track. Well, a few weeks ago my pulley tensioner failed. Fortunately, the Alta Tensioner Stop did its job preventing a total mess and allowed me to safely pull off the interstate. The Tensioner Stop is designed to prevent …
For the most part, stock MINI brakes and even the beefier JCW calipers do a decent job of dissipating heat at the track. I generally advise students to run a higher temperature brake fluid and to get some better brake pads like Hawk HP Plus and they should be good for most 20-25 minute HPDE …
If your brake calipers have had multiple track events where they’ve exceeded 450 degrees or any one event where they exceeded 500 degrees, many brake manufacturers recommend a rebuild. You also want to rebuild if you notice the dust boots have cracked or ripped like the ones in the photo above. Why take the risk …
Unless you toot your own horn often, you may not find out it doesn’t work until you need it. Luckily for you, the trouble-shooting process is fairly straight forward, even if the eventual repair might not be. The three most likely causes of horn failure are: 1. Blown fuse; 2. Water-logged horn trumpet; and 3. …
“Logic suggests that having options allows people to select precisely what makes them happiest. But, as studies show, abundant choice often makes for misery.” Psychologist Barry Schwartz didn’t know it at the time, but he was talking about Coilover Suspensions when he wrote those words in Scientific American back in 2004. Like Robbin Williams shopping …
Part 1: Camera Placement Video can be a valuable tool if it is used appropriately. Search the internet and you will quickly find many videos of your favorite track — some more useful than others. The good ones can help you learn the line before you drive the track for the first time. Others are …
Read more “How to use Video and Telemetry to Improve Driving Performance of HPDE Students”
Last weekend I had the chance to drive and instruct on the extended Jefferson Circuit at Summit Point. Below is my analysis of the changes and a description of my line around the track. This works for me in a FWD MINI on summer street tires. Your results may vary. No wagering. (In-car video by …
Read more “Track Analysis: Summit Point, Jefferson Circuit Extension”
Armed with my trusty Bentley manual and the internet, I decided to learn how to change my own brake pads. The dealer charges somewhere north of $400 for pads and labor so I thought I set out to get a higher grade pad and to do it for less money. To start with — the …
I think I finally solved a nagging problem I’ve been having with my right rear brake caliper. The right rear brake always ran hotter than the left. In normal city driving, it wasn’t a big problem, but at the track, that meant I would cook the brake pads at the end of a long session. …
Read more “Dragging Rear MINI Caliper Mystery Finally Solved”