i finally enjoying racing my car at the track and i enjoyed it alot !!!

I dont know how to explain what im looking for because this is my second language..

i would like to know importance wise for modding my car to track racing..

1) i think first thing i should do is get better tires which shows the weakness in my suspension and not make the limiting factor of my car's handling is tire grip lmit right ??

2) if i modified car suspension and my tires handling limit is already reached, i will not get faster in turning or braking right ?

3) is there a priority modification sequence which i can get as a guide ?

I would start with the simple maintenance items like fluids and brakes, then just have fun with the car, take some driving schools and improve your driving style before modding the car too much.
At that point you need to decide what you want to do, either high performance driving, or actual competition. If it's wheel to wheel racing, then you're going to need the driver schools and a rule book.
Also what year is the car..some details would be nice.

Blacksheep-1 is spot on. No need to spend a whole lot of money just to grow out of mods. Make your car safe, make it stop and then make it turn. Simple......Right. The "Drivers Mods" are key.

One thing you did not mention was safety mods. A good helmet, driving suit, harnesses, roll bar and fire extinguisher are things to look at. Unless you are commissioning a six figure track only car, there will be compromises.

What ya got? What ya want to do?

Here is a brief overview of the order of modifications that is recommended by CorteX: https://cortexracing.com/building-a-suspension-system-step-by-step/

And guides as to why each of those components are valuable:
https://cortexracing.com/suspension/

blacksheep-1 said:

I would start with the simple maintenance items like fluids and brakes, then just have fun with the car, take some driving schools and improve your driving style before modding the car too much.
At that point you need to decide what you want to do, either high performance driving, or actual competition. If it's wheel to wheel racing, then you're going to need the driver schools and a rule book.
Also what year is the car..some details would be nice.

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thsnk you for your input ,, i already did a brake fluid change (endle rf650) my car is 2013 mustang boss 302 oem suspension setup with bolt ons. I know that i still have to improve my racing line and learn to drive fast before modifying but there is no harm in knowing the other stuff which helps me get faster too like what kind of parts are there ,, and how do i modify from beginners modification till i reach a full competing car.

plus if there is any books, website or any documents or videos which i can read and learn from kindly advise ... im glad to get the knowledge

TMSBOSS said:

Blacksheep-1 is spot on. No need to spend a whole lot of money just to grow out of mods. Make your car safe, make it stop and then make it turn. Simple......Right. The "Drivers Mods" are key.

One thing you did not mention was safety mods. A good helmet, driving suit, harnesses, roll bar and fire extinguisher are things to look at. Unless you are commissioning a six figure track only car, there will be compromises.

What ya got? What ya want to do?

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my car still on oem brakes calipers lines and discs ,, no changes there but i am reading for to know what options do i have and what my future plans may be .. for now ive got all my safety equipment from simpson which i guess is suffice

The Boss 302 platform is an extremely capable vehicle in stock form, I would strive for some longevity items, brake lines, trans cooler, better shifter, the clutch and MT82 transmissions are a bit of weak points. The guys on this page have experienced about everything you can think of with these cars, use the search button, there is literally a wealth of info here.
Again, you need to determine the long term goals, and what the rules are going to be, but for now...driving schools and maintenance items.
BTW are you in the US? because we have members all over the globe.

When you go to wider stickier tires you will start to overwhelm the stock brakes. So I'd upgrade the brakes either first or at the same time. If I recall correctly you're driving Yas Marina or Bahrain?

Welcome and since you state you are just beginning to track your car we probably should suggest some simple beginnings. You mentioned you have changed your brake fluid, but no mention about whether you are still using your stock brake pads? Though there are many items of solid advice I would follow Blacksheep's suggestion to go to a Driver's school. That comment reflects the biggest improvement you can make for your car, improving your own driving skills! Changing brake fluid to a higher temp is great, but check all other fluids too. First mods to your car after doing the above would be to do;
1. Get a full set of competitive racing style brake pads.
2. Get a set of camber plates ---M&M, Vorschlag, Ground Control, etc.
3. Get a set of competitive tires, either DOT competition tires, or 200 Treadwear rated street tires.

We are assuming you are required to have a Snell Rated Helmet and will be adding harness belts as TMS suggested. You can not do everything at once, and simply driving the car on the track ( acquiring seat time) as often as possible is , suggested especially by Blacksheep, is your very best modification, in my humble opinion.

blacksheep-1 said:

The Boss 302 platform is an extremely capable vehicle in stock form, I would strive for some longevity items, brake lines, trans cooler, better shifter, the clutch and MT82 transmissions are a bit of weak points. The guys on this page have experienced about everything you can think of with these cars, use the search button, there is literally a wealth of info here.
Again, you need to determine the long term goals, and what the rules are going to be, but for now...driving schools and maintenance items.
BTW are you in the US? because we have members all over the globe.

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i still didnt go for brake line change, am i gonna feel the difference if i change the brake line to stainless steel ? since i dont have transmission cooler... what is reason of adding transmission cooler.. will hot oil affect transmission internals ? ... for the clutch and line i already did a clutch and flywheel change and added the mgw race spec shifter .. also stainless steel clutch lines are already on the car.

actually im in Kuwait and we have a track in Kuwait now. Usually we go to Bahrain since there are a track over there but now we have one here in Kuwait

Bill Pemberton said:

Welcome and since you state you are just beginning to track your car we probably should suggest some simple beginnings. You mentioned you have changed your brake fluid, but no mention about whether you are still using your stock brake pads? Though there are many items of solid advice I would follow Blacksheep's suggestion to go to a Driver's school. That comment reflects the biggest improvement you can make for your car, improving your own driving skills! Changing brake fluid to a higher temp is great, but check all other fluids too. First mods to your car after doing the above would be to do;
1. Get a full set of competitive racing style brake pads.
2. Get a set of camber plates ---M&M, Vorschlag, Ground Control, etc.
3. Get a set of competitive tires, either DOT competition tires, or 200 Treadwear rated street tires.

We are assuming you are required to have a Snell Rated Helmet and will be adding harness belts as TMS suggested. You can not do everything at once, and simply driving the car on the track ( acquiring seat time) as often as possible is , suggested especially by Blacksheep, is your very best modification, in my humble opinion.

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Yes my brake parts are all oem ... i think ill be going for aftermarket once i do a couple of more runs on the track and in the mean time ill be searching about pads and disks for my car ..

im not a truely beginner in circuit racing ,, i had been in circuits before and had plenty of time karting .. i do know that there is still much more improvement gap in my driving skills but im not like a newbie at all .

The standard brakes are actually quite capable , and often folks find a cost effective upgrade can be achieved with just an aggressive racing pad and lighter , two piece rotors. Do get a camber plate , as you really need some negative camber up front for better steering response, plus better track tire wear.

Blacksheep1 has a lot of knowledge, expertise and should be considered a guru for racing suggestions, and I agree wholeheartedly with him about going to a driving/racing school. I have advocated this to many of my customers and students over the years, and even though you have been on circuits before, this is your best way to fine tune your skills and even learn how to further improve them.

This is an area many drivers ignore, but keep in mind even Tiger Woods has a coach , and there are many professional drivers who attend schools to improve -- I have been to school 10 times and I always learned something new.

Bill Pemberton said:

The standard brakes are actually quite capable , and often folks find a cost effective upgrade can be achieved with just an aggressive racing pad and lighter , two piece rotors. Do get a camber plate , as you really need some negative camber up front for better steering response, plus better track tire wear.

Blacksheep1 has a lot of knowledge, expertise and should be considered a guru for racing suggestions, and I agree wholeheartedly with him about going to a driving/racing school. I have advocated this to many of my customers and students over the years, and even though you have been on circuits before, this is your best way to fine tune your skills and even learn how to further improve them.

This is an area many drivers ignore, but keep in mind even Tiger Woods has a coach , and there are many professional drivers who attend schools to improve -- I have been to school 10 times and I always learned something new.

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definitely right sir, but still its a new circuit and once they provide driving schools or tutorials i will definitely join .. and in the mean time im just enjoying open days.

i felt like the brake response was poor on the mustang.. it felt like the brake pedal had empty space on the pedal .. whats the reason for that and is there a way in which i can have a better brake pedal response ?

Ok, for starters, make sure the car and suspension are in good condition, if the car doesn't have them, find some steel braided brake lines, then contact one of our sponsors on here like Optimum Performance and get a set of brake pads all the way around. I would definitely do something with the transmission cooler, the MT82 is the weak point so making that live would be a priority. If the car is mostly track only you can increase the camber, you will have to cut into the strut towers to do this, but guys on here can guide you through that, if not then get a set of camber plates and increase the camber as much as you can.
At that point, I would stop and evaluate your driving skills and decide where you want to go, what I suggested will get you through 99% of HPDE stuff.
With regards to what you are experiencing with the brakes, it could be the lines, it could be the pads, if could be something called knock back, all will result in a long pedal, there are several remedies for this, including what I mentioned, including floating discs...but...but... you might want to upgrade the entire front brake system at once, calipers and rotors at the same time..and of course, brake ducts as well. It's not like you can have too much brake, what you don't want to do is spend money on a minor upgrade, then in 6 months, upgrade some more, just build you the best system you can to begin with (the term Brembo comes to mind)..but, as stated, the stock brakes are pretty good.
That, along with the safety equipment should get you headed in the right direction for awhile.

Good chance it is your pads, and assume you are aware you should change your brake fluid quite frequently? Two piece rotors will be lighter, run cooler , and of course that is an advantage in your part of the World. You might consider going to a Driving School in Europe , or if possible make a trip with a group of your friends to the Ford Performance Driving School in Utah.

How fast is the track you have? I found the stock brembos with race pads and cooling ducts are great up to 220 km/hr. After that.... Not quiet so confidence inspiring!! Pads make all the difference though....

A long pedal could be caused by overheated fluids. Flush out what you have and run a quality dot 4 fluid. Replace the pads and rotors. Add ducts in that order. Then get out there and have some fun.

Try the Speed Secrets books and newsletter. Good information on how to become a faster and safer driver.

https://speedsecrets.com/

Likely one of the very best books ever written , as the explanations are done in a concise way and easy to understand for beginners -- yet it is a valuable read for experienced drivers. I always try to reread it about every 2-3 years just to refresh the old brain!

Bill is dead on with his 3 points. I dont like telling a new guy to do anything but drive unless I see an obvious issue. One time i saw s guy with larger rear brakes than front for instance.

Caster camber plates are two fold. They pay for themselves in less chewed up tires. If you track frequently, get a set of MAximum Motorsports plates, excellent people to work with over j&m. Set them all the way in and all the way back to maximize camber and caster. Finding a shop that will install thek correctly is tough. Finding a shop that will set the alignment the way you ask is almost as troublesome.



You want all the negative camber those plates allow, and toe set to 0. You may have to find a performance chassis shop.

Brake pads and fluid are more important though. Good recommendations above. I like the ST43 front ST41 rear option personally. Ive even run the dtc60 in the back just fine.

And get a good summer tire. I’d recommend the Americam 340tw continental extreme contact or new michelin pilot sport 4s. I ran the old michelin pilot sport ps2 through DE4 and it’s still my wet track tire choice. Otherwise i run hankook rs4.

I’m not sure what the equivalents in the middle east would be


The s197 is a capable chassis from the factory. Modify the driver until he can run laps consistent to within tenths of a second. Otherwise, you’ll never know if the mods actually made you faster