Preparing my Viper for the track...??

[Eric H]

i have been road course racing for many years now. But i just bought my 98 GTS with 24k miles on it....

What things should i do before i track it this spring?

I am currently running royal purple motor oil, plan to run a PFC01 track pad front *** rear, and changing the brake fluid out to ATE BLue........any other recomendations? Tranny fluid? GEar Lube for the diff? any other tips from you VIper track junkies would be helpful.

I should hopefully have a set of R1 compound track tires also.....

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Nothing different than preparing any other car, except if you are running a sticky tire like Hoosiers. Then you should have the recall word done.

 

[Eric H]

yeah i need to get the car in there for one of the recalls

 

[luc]

The top 2 "problems" with a stock Viper on a track are brakes and cooling/overheating.

Luc.00GTS

 

[ntmatter]

If you're an experienced driver and could expect to be pushing the car somewhat, I'd upgrade brakes and safety gear in that order. The car will run hot when run hard, but shouldn't actually overheat (the motor actually makes the best power just short of temp red line). The upgrades I'd make in order as as follows:

1. Motuls (or equiv) Brake Fluid and front brake air deflectors
2. Stainless steel brake lines
3. Teamtech safety harness, driver and passenger

This would cost around $1000 all in (www.partsrack carries all of this stuff), and will add a margin to your braking performance. For 3 or so track days a year just the above gives you a solid car. Going forward, I'd do the following:

4. Stoptech Slotted rotors
5. Eibach springs, .75" lowering
6. A good track alignment with extra front camber
7. Upgraded cooling fan from a 99+ Viper
8. PartsRack Stage 1 & 2 Oil kit (deep pan, baffles, windage tray)
9. Autoform Roll bar
10. Magnecore spark plug wires & plug heat boots

Beyond this, you get into the expensive upgrades, have a trusted Viper Tech advise you on the best place for your money. Plus, a few subtle things:

A. Viper motors are weak in the #3 crank bearing, so pay special attention to big left-hand sweeping turns. That clicking sound from the motor? That's your engine starving for oil. Consider installing a bright low oil pressure light and back off if you start to hear loud ticks from the motor in corners.

B. Your car makes too much power as it is. Spend your money elsewhere after you've done the cheap stuff. I personally know a guy who dislocated his shoulder because he rubbed a wall in his 800HP tuned car with stock seat belts.

C. Get some track wheels if you're going to do more than a few track days per year. If you use 17" 5-spokes, don't use wheels from a 96 because they're weak. An especially good buy are Purner anodized wheels - they take a hell of a beating and don't show brake dust.

D. The stock brake pads are Brembos, and are actually pretty good, but expensive. The best bang for the buck are EBC Yellows - I can run them for 2 track days and they cost something like $100 for fronts. I run EBC Greens on the rear.

 

[Paul Hawker]

For emphasis. The biggest issue for Vipers on the track is brake fluid. With stock fluid, under heavy braking, you will feel a soft pedal, and the next time you apply them THEY ARE GONE!. You do get a warning, but you must heed it.
Make sure you change over to a high temp brake fluid, such as Motul or Castrol SRF.
Second line of defense is installation of brake air deflectors from Porsche turbo. Very inexpensive, and most effective.
Watch your water temp. Keep it just out of the red. If you go into the red, give your car a breather on the straights, or bring it in to cool down.
Most of the guys run Hoosiers, rather than the R1's, but both are stickey.
Go to a Viperdays viperdays.com for the best Viper racing. You will learn all the hot tips there on one weekend.

 

[Fast Viper Dan]

Have someone show you how to remove the sport shims. This will give you a little more camber and a little less toe. It dose make a difference. The nice thing about this is you can put them back in and your street alignment is back where it should be.
Air deflectors are a big improvement, and cheep.

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Add an extra quart of oil to your crankcase to avoid nuking your engine from oil starvation.

Get an aggressive street alignment done and have the car corner weighted. The car inherantly toes inunder hard throttle and hard braking and binds up the bushings. That leaves your tire sidewalls to absorb anything. You can neutralize this and get rid of the usual understeer with a good alignment. Take it to someone who understands this or your rear end will want to swap under these conditions.

Sports shims are a given. I removed mine the first week that I bought the car 7 years ago and never put them back. Mine is a daily driver.

Be careful out there because the biggest weakness of the car is the nut holding the wheel...

Brad

 

[FrankBarba]

I'd pruchase a dedicated car for the track.

 

[Eric H]

well thats pretty much this viper is.

 

[Eric H]

thanks guys, some great suggestions so far and will look into all of them.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Brake balance - stock is very front biased and you'll feel like your braking is limited by how easily a front wheel locks up or when the front fluid boils. Depending on how much this is a track car, there are many options, some listed about. Here's another option...
http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=440753&fpart=1&PHPSESSID=
One of AG98RT10's posts has a link to even more details.

 

[FlyBryViper]

Another little item I learned the hard way, the heat shield kit for the ball joints, tie rod joints, and sway bar joints. It's cheap and keeps all the rubber dust shield from melting and puking grease everywhere.
Also, Autoform roll bar, TeamTech 6 pt. Harnesses, and Stoptech Big Brake kit. Call Jon B at partsrack.com, a great source of info. and parts.
Also, Russ at Archer Racing, great info. and they make a great set of anti-deflecting toe plates for the rear.
Viper Days will be at V.I.R. July 15 - 17. You should participate, but at least come by. I'll give you some ridealong laps, but you will have way more fun in your own Viper!

 

[Eric H]

Another little item I learned the hard way, the heat shield kit for the ball joints, tie rod joints, and sway bar joints. It's cheap and keeps all the rubber dust shield from melting and puking grease everywhere.
Also, Autoform roll bar, TeamTech 6 pt. Harnesses, and Stoptech Big Brake kit. Call Jon B at partsrack.com, a great source of info. and parts.
Also, Russ at Archer Racing, great info. and they make a great set of anti-deflecting toe plates for the rear.
Viper Days will be at V.I.R. July 15 - 17. You should participate, but at least come by. I'll give you some ridealong laps, but you will have way more fun in your own Viper!

Thanks! i have a set of Sparco 5pt harness's i'll probably use, but i am looking at the Autoform bar...........where do you get the deflecting plates for the balljoints? partsrack.com?........Stoptech big brake kit is probably not going to happen for awhile, so i'll make the most of the brakes i have first. Thanks for all the great info!!

 

[FlyBryViper]

Jon B at partsrack.com is one of the sources for the heat shield kit. I prefer this one because it is made from a flexible material, easy to install, last several seasons. And all the V-TEN Racing team members use it!

 

[Eric H]

know how much they run offhand? i'll give him a call soon!

 

[FlyBryViper]

I can't find my receipt. I was looking for the P/N. Jon B is away until Jan. 17th. I don't recall if they are on his website. I think they were approx. $200 or there abouts. They are worth it.
There is another type available but it is the metal, aluminum foil type. All the road racers cautioned me not to get them as they tear-up easier.

 

[Eric H]

thanks! all great info!

 

[Eric H]

what about tranny and Diff fluid? It probaly needs to be changed anyway. @24k miles... any suggestions?


I got the brake fluid chnaged out today to ATE Super Blue.. old stuff was nasty!

 

[ViperRay]

I would install Cone's brake cooling ducts.

Your track time will be ruined by boiling brake fluid, I guarantee you, even with the higher boiling point fluids.

If you don't, I'd recommend bleeding the brakes after every track session if possible or at least on the lunch break and end of day (get speed bleeders to help).

You should also get the upgraded (larger) oil pan with baffles and larger fan (I believe the larger fan started in '99 but someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Check with Parts Rack for these.

 

[Eric H]

Cones cooling ducts?


to make this easy on me, if you recommend something.........post a link! hehee
I have a whole list of parts to order and install by february.....UGHH!!

 

[ViperRay]

Cone cooling ducts are simply 3" ducts going from the front fascia to the front brake calipers/rotors.

Henry and Janni Cone (on this board) devised these with nice intakes that attach to the fascia and plates to attach the other ends to the lower control arms and great instructions (you have to drill holes in the radiator supports to run the hoses through).

Jon B. at Partsrack.com should carry all these items.

 

[Bugeater]

Eric,
You live in the SAME TOWN as Henry and Janni Cone. FYI - Henry ran a 2:02 at VIR, so take his advice with a little more than a grain of salt.

PM my user id...

 

[Eric H]

oh i plan to, i have heard great things about them, i actually PM'd them and asked for their advice.

 

[Catwood]

I am a rookie so take if for what it's worth.

High temp brake fluid and harnesses.

I lost the brakes at Willow last August going into 1. The felt funny in 8 so I started braking real early into 1. with a quick pump I got most of them back. By turn two they were gone.

Harnesses not only for safety but to hold yourself in the seat.

I'm going to Willow again for Viperdays in a week and just had WCV fluch the brake and clutch fluid and install race pads on the front. I would have gone to Stoptech but I just can't afford them at the moment. The car is more capable than me at the moment or at least more capable than my huevos.....

 

[Janni]

Eric,
I'll answer your ????s here - instead of PM.

Our motorsports business sells a brake cooling kit through PartsRack. We do not sell retail. It decreased our rotor temps approx. 200 degrees on a track like GingerMan / Mid Ohio. VIR isn't as ******* brakes - long straights give time to cool, but cooling ducts will acentuate the cooling.

At least - you should have Porsche air deflectors.

High temp fluid - AP 600 / Castrol SRF are favorites. Motul is good, but VERY hygroscopic and will need to most frequent bleeding.

Stock pads are actually pretty good - we have a club member running 2:14/2:15 in an ACR on street tires using the stock pads. Brakeman #3 is easierto modulate, but go away VERY fast if you exceed the heat rating. PFC 01s are more of a finesse pad, higher temp and longer lasting, but probably not the right pad for a non-ABS and a fairly rookie driver.

Harnesses - safety first. Will help you feel what's going on with the car.

Tires - street tires are really good on the Viper and more forgiving - they'll give you more warning than R compound. And, there's something to be said about getting as good as you can on street tires before going to a more aggressive compound. Using the ViperDays times from years past will give you something to shoot for - rule for me - until you are going as fastas the 2001/2002 Super stock guys on street tires - there's more there... Lastly - DO NOT add sticky tires until you do the front frame recall.

Fresh fluids for diff, tranny, clutch.

Alignment - pull the sport shims, but then you have to reset toe. Invest in a tire pyrometer - NOT INFRARED - and check your temps - this is the only way to tell if your alignment is working and how to make additonal adjustments. Otherwise - you are wasting your $$$$

Rear anti toe brackets are good - Bobby Archer sells them, as does Archer Racing.

Feel free to call either me or Henry to discuss any of this further.

And enjoy - it's great having VIR so close!

 

[Rich Wesorick]

I was waiting for Janni to ring in - Long live the Queen!! She will not steer you wrong.

I wonder sometimes how many people Janni and Steve Fess have helped over the years... They are the very definition of the VCA.

 

[2002_Viper_GTS_ACR]

I was waiting for Janni to ring in - Long live the Queen!! She will not steer you wrong.

I wonder sometimes how many people Janni and Steve Fess have helped over the years... They are the very definition of the VCA.

I know of at least ONE !!

 

[Bugeater]

Yeah their kinda good...

 

[ntmatter]

Add an extra quart of oil to your crankcase to avoid nuking your engine from oil starvation.

I'm afraid I'd advise against this - in fact, I try to run the car at about 1/4 way up the fill mark on the dipstick and no higher. If you run the car with a full or too-full oil load, that oil will puke onto the valves under hard braking. This can cause your engine to run rough and can fill your cabin with nasty acrid oil smoke. A big oil plan and baffles are a better way to go, a warning light also helps, and finally you need the discipline to back off in corners if your driving style or the track leads to starvation.