Race Tracking Your Supra - Information exchange

[Nocturnal]

Hard braking from about 115mph to a right left hander. Very hard, probably almost to the point where ABS would have kicked in. Or, maybe it did and this is what happened.

I wonder if you have air in the ABS module if it’s only coming on at or past threshold braking?

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[theQuaybee]

That sounds like a bubble in the line or something to me. If you haven't re-flushed since this started, I would just do another flush to rule that out. Especially since you said this started after your last flush.

 

[kaj]

Did it feel like it did a little kick back? If so, that is that stupid faux brake fade/abs thing the system has. it's annoying but as long as I just push in harder it clears up. I've never felt like I was going to crash because of it.

No. It just felt solid. I thought it was normal, but I was so busy thinking "WTF now I'm gonna go off".. so maybe the pedal was harder than I'm remembering. LOL. The car slowed but just barely. When I got back on the brakes after, they were fine.

I wonder if you have air in the ABS module if it’s only coming on at or past threshold braking?

I had no air when I bled. No air allowed into the reservoir.

That sounds like a bubble in the line or something to me. If you haven't re-flushed since this started, I would just do another flush to rule that out. Especially since you said this started after your last flush.

That's where I'm at right now. Bleeding is free so will try next weekend and cross my fingers.

 

[AndyK5]

I think that's what I was experiencing a few times. I was already hard on the brakes but the pedal felt weird, almost crunchy, and when I pressed harder out of desperation there was more there.

This happened to me this weekend. About 3 sessions in, during one abs activated hard brake the pedal moved a bit more than it normally would, I felt a crunch at the pedal and had to press harder to get the same stopping power, which caused increased stopping distance and me to miss my turn in point...nothing dangerous but less than optimal obviously.

I had no air when I bled. No air allowed into the reservoir.
That's where I'm at right now. Bleeding is free so will try next weekend and cross my fingers.

So yes it sounds like air in the system but from what you are saying no air was allowed. Unless there was some that was already in there...it could be from factory or an air bubble formed after many track days that traveled up in to the abs module. In any case if someone posts how to do an ABS included brake flush (without a trip to the dealer) I'd do it with you as I am super picky about my brake feel and as I said above I have felt something similar this weekend.

 

[Rocksandblues]

Wish I had something to help. Sounds very frustrating
Haven’t encountered anything like this after 100+ track days w the Zupra I would need to drive the car and look at the components to be helpful. Wish I could

Sounds bad- but I would completely change fluid and pads.
If it still happens it is an ABS/software issue

Fwiw I change out fluid twice a year, 4 sets of pads, one rotor. I have a set of products that works- I ain’t changing

 

[Islindur]

Verus swan in da house. Spring 24, 5k usd..

 

[PaulFRDE]

Hi everyone,

Thank you very much, for this thread, lot to read and to think!

I just finished my season, this car is a beast even with the EU engine. My car is fully stock except brakes, and I want to modify it as little as possible.

That said, I have been thinking about installing aftermarket front and rear sway bars to improve the behavior in the some corners (especiqlly the chicanes), and hopefully compensate a bit for the lack of camber on stock suspension/height/geometry.
Also, it just looks stupid how much it lifts on some tracks ?

I searched in the forum already but feel like everybody is directly switching to coilovers.
Is anybody on stock shocks/height and aftermarket sway bars? Any thoughts if this is worth it, for a track and mountain road perspective?
I know mounting the rear swaybar is a b*****, so any comment is welcome to help me take a decision

 

[Islindur]

Worth it.
I did only front, car became understeery. I added rear, it became crazy oversteery on slow corners. With both prob needs front stiffest rear softest. If U wanna do 1 do just front but prepare for understeer balance. But it will be flatter with less body roll.
I'f I was doing it again I'd do coilovers + front sway + square tire setup and see how it behaves. Correct from there.

 

[Traxion]

I searched in the forum already but feel like everybody is directly switching to coilovers.
Is anybody on stock shocks/height and aftermarket sway bars? Any thoughts if this is worth it, for a track and mountain road perspective?
I know mounting the rear swaybar is a b*****, so any comment is welcome to help me take a decision

Stock suspension is fine to start out with. Front sway bar is 100% necessary IMO. Weight transfers on chicanes (or slaloms in autocross) are handled much better now. I very much like the handling characteristics of my car with only those things and an 18x10.7 square set up as a starting point. I'd put the money spent on suspension into more seat time before upgrading suspension until you really feel like you've reached the cars limit and a more experience driver agrees but if you've got unlimited funds then go for it.

 

[PaulFRDE]

Thanks for your feedbacks! Glad to hear some very positive experiences.

I like slightly oversteer, especially in slow corners, and you are both on square tire setup, which I would also like to avoid (German TÜV, etc...), so with only front bar I will definitively have an understeery pig.

My funds are definitively not unlimited, seat time, fuel, tires and brakes already makes a big hole in my pockets. ?

 

[FLtrackdays]

Thanks for your feedbacks! Glad to hear some very positive experiences.

I like slightly oversteer, especially in slow corners, and you are both on square tire setup, which I would also like to avoid (German TÜV, etc...), so with only front bar I will definitively have an understeery pig.

My funds are definitively not unlimited, seat time, fuel, tires and brakes already makes a big hole in my pockets. ?

A good friend ran his stock, with only sway bars and tires. He has lots of experience and hauled ass. A lot of people didn’t like that he was so fast with so little mods. I wasn’t the only one he‘s lifted the engine bay for ?- So yes, sway bars front and rear will stiffen you up quite a bit. Tires are a must. Whoops, brake pads too… He ran Hawk DTC 60/30. Fastest Supra at the Miami/Homestead track. I’m so close to beating his time and I have coilovers. Sad ? hahahaha… Proof you can go a long way with just that

 

[Eyelise]

Hi everyone,

Thank you very much, for this thread, lot to read and to think!

I just finished my season, this car is a beast even with the EU engine. My car is fully stock except brakes, and I want to modify it as little as possible.

That said, I have been thinking about installing aftermarket front and rear sway bars to improve the behavior in the some corners (especiqlly the chicanes), and hopefully compensate a bit for the lack of camber on stock suspension/height/geometry.
Also, it just looks stupid how much it lifts on some tracks ?

I searched in the forum already but feel like everybody is directly switching to coilovers.
Is anybody on stock shocks/height and aftermarket sway bars? Any thoughts if this is worth it, for a track and mountain road perspective?
I know mounting the rear swaybar is a b*****, so any comment is welcome to help me take a decision

Thanks for your feedbacks! Glad to hear some very positive experiences.

I like slightly oversteer, especially in slow corners, and you are both on square tire setup, which I would also like to avoid (German TÜV, etc...), so with only front bar I will definitively have an understeery pig.

My funds are definitively not unlimited, seat time, fuel, tires and brakes already makes a big hole in my pockets. ?

I have stock springs and struts and did Eibach front sway bar and later added the rear. I ran all summer on the OEM PSS tires. The car actually felt fine with just the front sway bar but as I got faster, with OEM set-up, really beat up the front left tire. I added camber (Verus) plates and the rear bar and boy the car is fantastic on the street and track. I may try a 200TW tire, the same tire size, on the OEM wheels. Sway bars and camber plates on stock suspension is great.

 

[PaulFRDE]

A good friend ran his stock, with only sway bars and tires. He has lots of experience and hauled ass. A lot of people didn’t like that he was so fast with so little mods. I wasn’t the only one he‘s lifted the engine bay for ?- So yes, sway bars front and rear will stiffen you up quite a bit. Tires are a must. Whoops, brake pads too… He ran Hawk DTC 60/30. Fastest Supra at the Miami/Homestead track. I’m so close to beating his time and I have coilovers. Sad ? hahahaha… Proof you can go a long way with just that

I have stock springs and struts and did Eibach front sway bar and later added the rear. I ran all summer on the OEM PSS tires. The car actually felt fine with just the front sway bar but as I got faster, with OEM set-up, really beat up the front left tire. I added camber (Verus) plates and the rear bar and boy the car is fantastic on the street and track. I may try a 200TW tire, the same tire size, on the OEM wheels. Sway bars and camber plates on stock suspension is great.

Thanks for your feedbacks!

I also consider the supra to be a little beast out of the box. I'm not as talented as your friend, but regularly keep up and overtake >100k€ cars that should let me in the dust.

For tires I run the Goodyear eagle f1 supersport. They are not semis or 200TW but have nice stiff sidewalls so I can deal without camber plates for now. Btw amazing tires to have fun if you are not looking for the best lap time.
With the brakes I have the stock system except added front brake duct. It's so good I can run the stock Brembo pads for "most" tracks.

Anyway I am convinced now, I need to wait for April (season plate number) to have the Eibach installed and will post here again after I burn enough tire with them

 

[Eyelise]

Yes the car is super capable out of the box.

 

[theQuaybee]

Hi all, my turn to come to you with a problem (besides ongoing cooling issues). When I brake, even a medium amount, track or street, my entire car rotates to the right, every time. It also doesn't quite seem to be EXACLTY when I press the brakes, but almost after a split second. Honestly, it's very hard to pinpoint exactly what is happening. All I know for sure is, after I press the brakes, the car rotates right after the nose dives. But, once it "settles" during the braking, after it has rotated, it doesn't keep pulling to one side. It's like it settles in at that weird angle, and I just have to countersteer at a consistent angle during the braking zone.

I've changed brake pads back to OE, still the same. I'm still slightly suspicious of a caliper issue or something, but the car had 3500 miles on it when I bought it earlier this year, and this was my 4th track day. I also would expect the car to keep pulling to one side during the entire braking period if it were related to brakes, but that isn't really the case... again, best I can tell.

I've had alignment checked like 3 times and by different shops, I can say with confidence that it isn't related to alignment. Unless there's something everyone missed.

All my bolts look torqued via paint pen marks, but I haven't checked every single one. Things suspension-related I've changed myself are:

• Nitron R1 Coilovers
• SPL Front LCAs
• SPL Front Caster Bushings
• SPL Rear Traction Arms
• SPL Rear Toe Links
• AMS Front Sway Bar

Could it be something electronic? To me, to the best of my knowledge, it feels like something is maybe loose and shifting under braking, aka dynamic alignment. Thoughts are appreciated.

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