# Model 3 RWD Track Day prep



## BlasterV (Aug 6, 2018)

Hi all,

I'm thinking of doing a track day with my Model 3 RWD, and am curious as to what I might need to do to prep the car. 

I'm also specifically worried about the brakes / brake pads the most because there's a video on this forum of them lasting < 10 minutes on track at Laguna Seca. Is that something I can fix with "track appropriate brake pads" or is a big brake kit the only option? 

Thanks for any assistance / advice!


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

If you can find somebody selling "racing" pads in the correct size, that's probably "good enough". Going one step further, it might make sense to get a racing rotor too.

If you're planning to do this more than once, you'll want a set of wheels & tires for the track. You'll wear out your street tires pretty quickly. They're designed more for efficiency, comfort, and quiet than performance.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

BTW, Mountainpass Performance sells brake upgrade parts for the Model 3.
Rotors: https://www.mountainpassperformance.com/product/mpp-page-mill-320mm-rotor/
Brake Pads: https://www.mountainpassperformance.com/product/mpp-page-mill-street-brake-pads/

There's some discussion about the upgrade parts in this thread:
https://teslaownersonline.com/threa...rade-option-part-deux.7745/page-2#post-129691

This kit is really good for tracking your street car. You keep the same calipers. Pull the wheels, unbolt the caliper, swap the rotor & pads, put the caliper back on, and put on your track wheels/tires. Fairly easy race prep.

You'll also want higher-temp brake fluid if you plan to race regularly.


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## Ole1 (Jul 7, 2018)

if this is your first trackday (maybe try autocross first ?), really, all you need is a better set of brake pads ... like hawk hps or hp+
... and of course, if you go there with your stock tires, you may totally fry them (depending on how hard you drive, your tires could be completely shot after just a few sessions) .... been there, done that with a car on new stock tires ...


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## BlasterV (Aug 6, 2018)

Thanks for all of the info/advice. I'll probably stick to upgraded brake pads for this first track day and if I want to keep going, do the rest of the suggested upgrades here.


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## Zippy_EV (Aug 11, 2018)

BlasterV said:


> Thanks for all of the info/advice. I'll probably stick to upgraded brake pads for this first track day and if I want to keep going, do the rest of the suggested upgrades here.


I'd strongly suggest also upgrading the brake fluid. Better safe than sorry until we have more data. (That said, there is a large variance in the speed of novice drivers so let your self assessment of your aggressiveness be your guide.)
Either way, please do report back and let us know your thoughts. Warning: The worst part of track time is the ensuing addiction.


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## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

garsh said:


> If you're planning to do this more than once, you'll want a set of wheels & tires for the track. You'll wear out your street tires pretty quickly. They're designed more for efficiency, comfort, and quiet than performance.


No doubt track tires will perform much better. But I think they will wear out even faster, no?

I run Sport-Touring tires on two of my motorcycles and the most I've got out of any tires in this class is 5800 miles. My last 3 sets were closer to 4800-5200 and two sets only went 3800-4200. It depends on how abrasive the roads I ride are. I always run slightly more air pressure than the manufacturers recommended pressure. I'm generally coming home from my summer ride with totally shagged out tires otherwise I would run full-on Sport tires. I've tried touring tires but they have substantially less grip. Scary even. I'm not willing to change tires on a two-week trip so I have stuck with Sport-Touring class tires. With motorcycle tires, the softer you go, the more quickly they get shagged out.


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## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Zippy_EV said:


> Warning: The worst part of track time is the ensuing addiction.


Nothing that can't be fixed by throwing tons of money (and time) at the "problem".


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

PNWmisty said:


> No doubt track tires will perform much better. But I think they will wear out even faster, no?


Yes, but then you don't need to worry about driving home from the track on bald tires.


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## Zippy_EV (Aug 11, 2018)

PNWmisty said:


> No doubt track tires will perform much better. But I think they will wear out even faster, no?


Track tires do wear out faster. R-compound tire life is measured in *smiles* rather than miles.

(OK, the optimal life is really measured in heat cycles:
http://www.hoosierdirect.com/tire-heat-cycle.html)

There can be tread left on the tire but too many heat cycles lead to hardening of the tire causing the grip to go away. It happens in hundreds of miles, not thousands. But those hundreds of miles are glorious (e.g. in one of my cars the lateral grip went from 1.05g on a very high performance summer street tire to 1.3g on Hoosier R7's.)


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