Joe's NA6

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:51 pm

Sad face...

So my car has been developing progressively more and more play in the steering over the last few months, and I figured I should get it fixed before the club track day on the 3rd. Dropped the car off at Carco this morning and Dave has already given me the news. The problem is in the rack itself and a new one is on it way. Not exactly what I wanted to be spending money on at the moment (supposed to be saving for a new car for my girlfriend and I) but far better than something going horribly wrong on the track. Should be here early next week so getting it done in time for Wakefield shouldn't be a problem.

Edit: Also! Forgot to add that even with my dodgy performance on Sunday, I still managed a class win. Ok, so I may have been the only person in the class again...

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:42 pm

And I ordered a power steering cooler today too. One of these specifically.

Bizi · Postby **Bizi** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:25 pm

Imari wrote:Wow, those look really good in orange.

Would be interesting to see flouro orange wheels on a white or black MX5!

PaulF · Postby **PaulF** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:30 pm

Bizi wrote:
Imari wrote:Wow, those look really good in orange.

Would be interesting to see flouro orange wheels on a white or black MX5!

<Insert Bensale's car here>
... OK, fine, I've dug up a picture.

Plenty more in his Garage thread.

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:57 pm

Lol, as Paul linked I run fluro orange wheels as my track wheels.

Plenty of pictures from this page onwards.

Sorry to hear about your steering rack Joe =( Hope you get it fixed soon, not such a fun thing to replace... As a matter of interest, what is an mx-5 rack worth?

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:42 pm

One is being shipped up from some mob in Melbourne, I think the quote was about $600 for the replacement rack itself?

bensale · Postby **bensale** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:05 pm

Ouch... Not cheap... Though it could be worse.... My Dad's 07 Alfa Spider needs a new rack soon (water got into it :shock:

) and they're apparently worth $3000..!

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:14 pm

Yeah, when I first told my house mate how much it cost he just giggled at me. He paid $1500 for the rack in his MX6 about 12 months ago.

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:22 pm

MX5 Club trackday - 3/7/11

Twas a good day! Rain was forecast but didn't arrive, nice cool conditions and PB's all over the place.

I did my usual preparations before a track day on Saturday but for the first time I now had a dedicated set of track wheels and tyres. The plan was always just to drive up and back on my semis but with rain forecast and a distinct lack of tread, I decided against it. I sat there and looked at them for a while thinking how to get a full set of wheels in an NA? I know you can get all four across the rear parcel shelf and tie them to the roll bar, but as it was going to rain anyway this wasn't really an option. For shits and giggles I decided the throw one on the passenger seat to see how it went. One quickly turned in to three before I knew it, then just one in the boot and and bam! Even managed to get my track tool fit + a healthy selection of fluids in the boot too, leaving only some snacks, a jacket and my helmet in the car with me for the trip.

Uneventful but successful trip up, complete with a stop in at Goulburn maccas, saw me get to Wakefield just after 7:30. Unloaded the car and swapped wheels, finally giving me a chance to see what the wheels actually looked like on the car. It's certainly not the kind of thing I'd do for nice wheels and in isolation I don't even think it looks that good, but for its purpose I like it

I'll also throw in here that these tyres are incredibly used. They're 4-5yr old A032's that have done a full Targa...

Throughout the day I managed to get 6 sessions. My previous PB was 1:17.72
Went out for the first run, my first ever time on semis, and wow was it slippery. As in coming into turn two fairly gingerly at about 70~ and the back was all over the shop. Dragged it back in to line in time for turn three, backed off even more and still got well sideways. This basically went on for the first lap or so until some heat actually got in to the tyres, but boy did things pick up. No traffic for the whole thing. My times for that first session went something like 1:20, 1:19, 1:18, 1:18, 1:16.9. Woot! New PB on the first run!

This pretty well went on until lunch as in my first four sessions I set three new PB's, never getting close enough to catch Allan in front of me, but still keeping far enough ahead of Guy behind me. The third was the first run where I didn't break my own record, but it was my most consistent run of the day as I peeled off four clean laps all within 0.3 (I think?) of each other.

In the second last session I got held up for the first time, then managed to grab 2nd instead of 4th while trying to overtake him on the main straight. Didn't break anything but obviously stopped that maneuver. I caught up to him in the next lap so that was pretty well the end of that session.

The last session saw me trying to be much more aggressive into turn 2, which I think was really working for me. However I wasn't doing quite so well on turn 10 so I think that more than made up for anything gained.

Overall, really happy with the organisation, my times and really just the day as a whole. For my first ever run on 'not-street tyres' I was really pleased. No they probably aren't the greatest but they were still miles better than the RE001's I normally run on. Will have to get my hands on a set of decent semis in the nearby future and see what I can do then.

-alex · Postby **-alex** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:35 pm

Great times... Super awesome looking wheels =)

Guran · Postby **Guran** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:54 pm

Great stuff Joe! Knocking a while second off your PB is an excellent day. Using R-specs takes some getting used to and teaches you heaps about sensing grip levels. Once they're warm you can really lean on them but they're worse than street tyres when cold. All that happens in a four lap run, so you have to be really focussed to get the most out of them.

With the spare tyres in the car, I use the "Munnings Method" - one behind the seat and two standing vertically on the seat. I then use a compression strap to hold them super steady. Plenty of room then to operate the handbrake.

slug_dub · Postby **slug_dub** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:49 pm

I like the orange wheels Joe, nice one!

How wide are the tyres on them? I've done 4 tyre transport in the car but 205's just won't go in the boot!

I didn't think to try 3 in crossways as you've done there either, I usually do 2 for-aft facing on the seat, one behind the seat and one squished in the parcel shelf... sacrifice the rearview though :lol:

Whereabouts will you mount the power steering cooler?

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:16 pm

195/50/14 and it was an incredibly tight fit in the boot. Will have to try the 'one behind the seat' logic next time.

No idea on the power steering cooler. Will just have a look when it arrives and see what I can come up with.

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:05 pm

And some photos courtesy of Zohxoco.

Postby **NitroDann** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:34 pm

sounds like youve already put the cash down for a steering cooler, but most factory coolers are just stainless pipe.

Basically to make one you cut the return hose (low pressure) and you hose clamp a length of stainless pipe curved to fit wherever you can get a couple feet in, often snaked like a tight 'S'.

The surface area alone even when mounted in the engine bay is enough usually. And its almost free.

Dann