Getting the C63 Ready for the Track
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'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
Getting the C63 Ready for the Track
This season I did a lot of track days with the Cayman R, progressing to the level of an advanced driver. Next season, I'm planning to track our '11 C63 (no performance package) as well, and would appreciate advice on what needs to be done to make it ready for the track. I'm not interested in increasing power, but rather more essential things like:
- Racing brake fluid
- Track brake pads (are the stock pads any good?)
- Better rotors (again, are the stock rotors good enough?)
- Either street tires which can handle the track (eg, RE-11, AD08, etc.), or R-comps (eg, R888)
- Better engine oil?
- Alignment specs
I'd appreciate specific recommendations for all of the above.
Thanks!
- Racing brake fluid
- Track brake pads (are the stock pads any good?)
- Better rotors (again, are the stock rotors good enough?)
- Either street tires which can handle the track (eg, RE-11, AD08, etc.), or R-comps (eg, R888)
- Better engine oil?
- Alignment specs
I'd appreciate specific recommendations for all of the above.
Thanks!
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76
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A lot
This season I did a lot of track days with the Cayman R, progressing to the level of an advanced driver. Next season, I'm planning to track our '11 C63 (no performance package) as well, and would appreciate advice on what needs to be done to make it ready for the track. I'm not interested in increasing power, but rather more essential things like:
- Racing brake fluid Stock may be fine, Motu is a good fluidl
- Track brake pads (are the stock pads any good?) Carbotech BrakePads... swap them out at the track, simple to do with tire change, and less wear and tear on the stock pads
- Better rotors (again, are the stock rotors good enough?) stock are fine
- Either street tires which can handle the track (eg, RE-11, AD08, etc.), or R-comps (eg, R888) I'd recommend a 2nd set of wheels with dedicated track tires/kumho or Hoosier, will be much quicker... if you need to drive to the track on your tires... The Toyo's are a decent compromise, but barely better than a PS2
- Better engine oil?5w40 is fine if just a track day type use.
- Alignment specs as much negative camber as you can get in the front, and zero toe front.
I'd appreciate specific recommendations for all of the above.
Thanks!
- Racing brake fluid Stock may be fine, Motu is a good fluidl
- Track brake pads (are the stock pads any good?) Carbotech BrakePads... swap them out at the track, simple to do with tire change, and less wear and tear on the stock pads
- Better rotors (again, are the stock rotors good enough?) stock are fine
- Either street tires which can handle the track (eg, RE-11, AD08, etc.), or R-comps (eg, R888) I'd recommend a 2nd set of wheels with dedicated track tires/kumho or Hoosier, will be much quicker... if you need to drive to the track on your tires... The Toyo's are a decent compromise, but barely better than a PS2
- Better engine oil?5w40 is fine if just a track day type use.
- Alignment specs as much negative camber as you can get in the front, and zero toe front.
I'd appreciate specific recommendations for all of the above.
Thanks!
Dave
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C63 AMG
I agree with the negative camber in the front..
The car is so heavy it will roll over on the fronts.. I had RE11s and they are a great tire, but more camber is necessary to stop the fronts from rolling.
Put some white shoe polish on your sidewalls to see how far your getting over on the side of the tire.. I had to bump my tire pressure up quite a bit to get it in a good spot (rear). However, with the stock camber in the front, playing with the tire pressure did little to nothing to help.
Rear toe is a bit excessive and will contribute to high tire wear. I knocked my rear toe down a lot, the spec is very high for some reason.
Rotors are fine, pads I just used Porterfield RS4 and they worked good for me.. We have a small track though and speeds dont get over 180kmh.
The car is so heavy it will roll over on the fronts.. I had RE11s and they are a great tire, but more camber is necessary to stop the fronts from rolling.
Put some white shoe polish on your sidewalls to see how far your getting over on the side of the tire.. I had to bump my tire pressure up quite a bit to get it in a good spot (rear). However, with the stock camber in the front, playing with the tire pressure did little to nothing to help.
Rear toe is a bit excessive and will contribute to high tire wear. I knocked my rear toe down a lot, the spec is very high for some reason.
Rotors are fine, pads I just used Porterfield RS4 and they worked good for me.. We have a small track though and speeds dont get over 180kmh.
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From: Canada
M156 and LS7
Agreed on most
Motul 600 is good, but still will get soft pedal after 15mins hard braking
Motul 5w40 is doing good, no over heating with larger oil cooler
Better change with rotors to slotted, stock ones they crack after one or two track days
Carbotech XP10 squeaks as hell but never let go
I don't recommend Hoosier, suspension and swaybar are not stiff enough, NT01 CUPs and R888 are great
Motul 600 is good, but still will get soft pedal after 15mins hard braking
Motul 5w40 is doing good, no over heating with larger oil cooler
Better change with rotors to slotted, stock ones they crack after one or two track days
Carbotech XP10 squeaks as hell but never let go
I don't recommend Hoosier, suspension and swaybar are not stiff enough, NT01 CUPs and R888 are great
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Joined: Jan 2009
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C63 AMG
Agreed on most
Motul 600 is good, but still will get soft pedal after 15mins hard braking
Motul 5w40 is doing good, no over heating with larger oil cooler
Better change with rotors to slotted, stock ones they crack after one or two track days
Carbotech XP10 squeaks as hell but never let go
I don't recommend Hoosier, suspension and swaybar are not stiff enough, NT01 CUPs and R888 are great
Motul 600 is good, but still will get soft pedal after 15mins hard braking
Motul 5w40 is doing good, no over heating with larger oil cooler
Better change with rotors to slotted, stock ones they crack after one or two track days
Carbotech XP10 squeaks as hell but never let go
I don't recommend Hoosier, suspension and swaybar are not stiff enough, NT01 CUPs and R888 are great
Hey man,
Which oil cooler did you upgrade, the passenger side one or the middle?? Did it help lots at the track? My oil temp would sky rocket at the track, but never limp mode.. I just like to see it have more cooling.
How much did the cooler cost ya?
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2012 C63 2015 C300 sport
I agree with the negative camber in the front..
The car is so heavy it will roll over on the fronts.. I had RE11s and they are a great tire, but more camber is necessary to stop the fronts from rolling.
Put some white shoe polish on your sidewalls to see how far your getting over on the side of the tire.. I had to bump my tire pressure up quite a bit to get it in a good spot (rear). However, with the stock camber in the front, playing with the tire pressure did little to nothing to help.
Rear toe is a bit excessive and will contribute to high tire wear. I knocked my rear toe down a lot, the spec is very high for some reason.
Rotors are fine, pads I just used Porterfield RS4 and they worked good for me.. We have a small track though and speeds dont get over 180kmh.
The car is so heavy it will roll over on the fronts.. I had RE11s and they are a great tire, but more camber is necessary to stop the fronts from rolling.
Put some white shoe polish on your sidewalls to see how far your getting over on the side of the tire.. I had to bump my tire pressure up quite a bit to get it in a good spot (rear). However, with the stock camber in the front, playing with the tire pressure did little to nothing to help.
Rear toe is a bit excessive and will contribute to high tire wear. I knocked my rear toe down a lot, the spec is very high for some reason.
Rotors are fine, pads I just used Porterfield RS4 and they worked good for me.. We have a small track though and speeds dont get over 180kmh.
does our car have alot of adjustable camber stock?
you got the BS cooler!? do you have a p/n for it? just got it from the parts dept?
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C63 AMG
I don't think the rear has a camber adjustment.
I never had any problems with the rear. Try more tire pressure and mark them to see if it helps as you increase pressure.
Try Bridgestone Re11 the sidewall is stiff!
I never had any problems with the rear. Try more tire pressure and mark them to see if it helps as you increase pressure.
Try Bridgestone Re11 the sidewall is stiff!
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 209
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From: Canada
M156 and LS7
Rear camber are not adjustable, but if the car is lower, you will get more camber, I ran -2.2 front, -1.8 rear camber, zero toe front, 33 pounds tire pressure
Member
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From: Canada
M156 and LS7
hmm about camber. would u reccomend neg. camber on the rear as well? I had this really banked left hand sweeper and I had wear all the way past half the sidewall of my PSS. dont know if its because the sidewall were soft or because I need more rear camber (car is stock)
does our car have alot of adjustable camber stock?
you got the BS cooler!? do you have a p/n for it? just got it from the parts dept?
does our car have alot of adjustable camber stock?
you got the BS cooler!? do you have a p/n for it? just got it from the parts dept?
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 455
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From: Luxembourg beach
C63 AMG
Sincerly, i think the car Is already nearly ready for the track!
I was with m'y estate to the racetrack two weeks ago and many people Côme to Check the car as they where surprise about the car on the track!
For the tires i use the conti 5 on the rain (and its what AMG Luxembourg préconise!) and i do the best Times of the day on the rain. (Even me dont belive it, it was some R8, GT3 and else....)
Just what i Will change for next summer as i see that its not enough for me its the coilovers and the tire for the dry session (toyo R888 or fédéral RSR)
But all the other parts its quiet enough for m'y level!
I was with m'y estate to the racetrack two weeks ago and many people Côme to Check the car as they where surprise about the car on the track!
For the tires i use the conti 5 on the rain (and its what AMG Luxembourg préconise!) and i do the best Times of the day on the rain. (Even me dont belive it, it was some R8, GT3 and else....)
Just what i Will change for next summer as i see that its not enough for me its the coilovers and the tire for the dry session (toyo R888 or fédéral RSR)
But all the other parts its quiet enough for m'y level!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2011
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'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
OK, track season begins in earnest in a few weeks, so time to revive this thread, and thanks for the replies so far.
As with most car stuff, there are some different opinions, but let my try to summarize what I'm thinking/wondering so far:
- I'll upgrade to a good racing brake fluid (ProSpeed RS683)
- 'Regular' engine oil sounds fine, but I'll probably upgrade to Millers oil for track use
- Will try the stock rotors, but will keep a close eye out for cracking. Is there a specific recommendation regarding slotted rotors?
- Will the stock brake pads work for at least the first few track days? I want to run the same pads on both street and track, so I want good track performance but don't want lots of squeal or lack of bite on the street - any pads available which are good for that dual use?
- Looks like RE-11, NT01, and R888 are good tire choices. Anyone tried Super Sports? I'm leaning R888, but curious to try NT01.
- Stock tire pressures seem high to me for track use. What hot pressures are you guys using with say the RE-11 and R888, in stock sizes?
- What's the stock front camber, and how much is it if we maximize it? What's the stock rear camber (which I understand isn't adustable)?
- Is the stock front toe zero? Leave it at zero?
- What's the stock rear toe? What's recommended?
- I'm concerned about the need for better cooling, but willing to try tracking the car without cooling upgrades. Sound reasonable?
Anything else I've missed?
As with most car stuff, there are some different opinions, but let my try to summarize what I'm thinking/wondering so far:
- I'll upgrade to a good racing brake fluid (ProSpeed RS683)
- 'Regular' engine oil sounds fine, but I'll probably upgrade to Millers oil for track use
- Will try the stock rotors, but will keep a close eye out for cracking. Is there a specific recommendation regarding slotted rotors?
- Will the stock brake pads work for at least the first few track days? I want to run the same pads on both street and track, so I want good track performance but don't want lots of squeal or lack of bite on the street - any pads available which are good for that dual use?
- Looks like RE-11, NT01, and R888 are good tire choices. Anyone tried Super Sports? I'm leaning R888, but curious to try NT01.
- Stock tire pressures seem high to me for track use. What hot pressures are you guys using with say the RE-11 and R888, in stock sizes?
- What's the stock front camber, and how much is it if we maximize it? What's the stock rear camber (which I understand isn't adustable)?
- Is the stock front toe zero? Leave it at zero?
- What's the stock rear toe? What's recommended?
- I'm concerned about the need for better cooling, but willing to try tracking the car without cooling upgrades. Sound reasonable?
Anything else I've missed?
Last edited by IAA-C63; Feb 19, 2013 at 08:40 AM.
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From: San Diego, CA
07 RS4 sold, R53 Cooper S, 2008 Cayman S, 2012 GTR
If running on the stock pads the stock rotors will be fine, you'll most likely feel fade into your 3 session tho.
I personally really like our stage 1 package as we built it around aggressive street driving with occasional track use.
ACG W204 C63 Stage 1 Brake Package:
- Endless MX72 Front and Rear Street/Track Brake Pads
- Complete Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
- Motul RBF 600 Racing Brake Fluid (2 500ML Containers)
You can always save a little by not doing the rear pads, as the majority of the abuse will be on the fronts.
If you want to run a street tire, drive in and drive out, the RE-11' or AD08's are great... don't know if hankook makes a RS3 in your size configuration but that is another great option. I'm personally not a fan of tracking on the PSS, i feel they are a little too sloppy once hot.
As for tire pressure it really depends on the tire... different tires of different sweet spots in terms of pressure.. on the Toyo's start at 30psi hot.
I personally really like our stage 1 package as we built it around aggressive street driving with occasional track use.
ACG W204 C63 Stage 1 Brake Package:
- Endless MX72 Front and Rear Street/Track Brake Pads
- Complete Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
- Motul RBF 600 Racing Brake Fluid (2 500ML Containers)
You can always save a little by not doing the rear pads, as the majority of the abuse will be on the fronts.
If you want to run a street tire, drive in and drive out, the RE-11' or AD08's are great... don't know if hankook makes a RS3 in your size configuration but that is another great option. I'm personally not a fan of tracking on the PSS, i feel they are a little too sloppy once hot.
As for tire pressure it really depends on the tire... different tires of different sweet spots in terms of pressure.. on the Toyo's start at 30psi hot.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 440
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'11 C63, '22 GLS 63, Porsches, M3, M4
If running on the stock pads the stock rotors will be fine, you'll most likely feel fade into your 3 session tho.
I personally really like our stage 1 package as we built it around aggressive street driving with occasional track use.
ACG W204 C63 Stage 1 Brake Package:
- Endless MX72 Front and Rear Street/Track Brake Pads
- Complete Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
- Motul RBF 600 Racing Brake Fluid (2 500ML Containers)
You can always save a little by not doing the rear pads, as the majority of the abuse will be on the fronts.
If you want to run a street tire, drive in and drive out, the RE-11' or AD08's are great... don't know if hankook makes a RS3 in your size configuration but that is another great option. I'm personally not a fan of tracking on the PSS, i feel they are a little too sloppy once hot.
As for tire pressure it really depends on the tire... different tires of different sweet spots in terms of pressure.. on the Toyo's start at 30psi hot.
I personally really like our stage 1 package as we built it around aggressive street driving with occasional track use.
ACG W204 C63 Stage 1 Brake Package:
- Endless MX72 Front and Rear Street/Track Brake Pads
- Complete Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
- Motul RBF 600 Racing Brake Fluid (2 500ML Containers)
You can always save a little by not doing the rear pads, as the majority of the abuse will be on the fronts.
If you want to run a street tire, drive in and drive out, the RE-11' or AD08's are great... don't know if hankook makes a RS3 in your size configuration but that is another great option. I'm personally not a fan of tracking on the PSS, i feel they are a little too sloppy once hot.
As for tire pressure it really depends on the tire... different tires of different sweet spots in terms of pressure.. on the Toyo's start at 30psi hot.
I think I'll try the stock brake pads first, but will move to track pads if they don't last or perform well. Do you have a link to more info on the Endless pads? I haven't heard of that brand before.
I've had good results with the RE11 and AD08 in the Cayman, but leaning towards trying the R888 since the C63 is so much heavier. 30 psi hot seems mighty low compared to the recommended 40ish cold street pressures, but I'll play around with it and see how it goes (I have a probe pyrometer). Even in the Cayman, people are using around 35 psi hot with the R888s.
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2012 C63 coupe
I had great success on MX72 pads and SRF fluid.
Super Sports are fine but RE-11 are way better at the track (although the SS are awesome dual purpose street/track tires). The R888 are even better again... LOVED the R888 on the E36 M3 last summer.
Super Sports are fine but RE-11 are way better at the track (although the SS are awesome dual purpose street/track tires). The R888 are even better again... LOVED the R888 on the E36 M3 last summer.
