[GregWeld]

Since some of us are actually using our cars on the track -- and we've recently had a discussion on Wheel Bearings and their service intervals. I found it timely that NorCal Shelby Club has just added some information for it's members about service items.


- Steel braided brake lines can degrade and should be regarded as replacement items. Look particularly at the ends for fraying where they enter the banjo fitting or tube into it. Run your fingers gently over the lines and feel for any fraying. Pro race teams replace these lines regularly, but since we run fewer events than them, we can get a bit longer service from them – but should still consider them replacement items.


- Wheels themselves, particularly OE wheels, are often overlooked during inspections, but have been found to have cracks in them. Wheels that are painted or powder coated need particular attention because those coatings may hide cracks initially, but will reveal them as rusty lines eventually. Yes, even aluminum and magnesium wheels will show a rusty like line of corrosion. The way to check your wheels is to wash them off really well, dry them, and then look them over really well under very good light. Think of what a blown up wheel could do to your weekend and then, with that thought in mind, inspect your wheels for any cracks or other defects.


- Watch aftermarket parts for cracks in welds. Many of us with Fox body Mustangs, for instance, have modified our suspensions by installing tubular front K members, light weight tubular front control arms, bumpsteer kits, rear torque arms, rear tubular control arms, rear panhard bars and much more. These parts all have some to many welds in them which can be overstressed by our large sticky tires and track use. Clean these parts off and check for weld cracks at the edges – and watch for telling rusty tracks in the paint! The OTEC team has had bumpsteer studs sheer, and found cracks in welds in all of these parts over the years – now admittedly we flog our cars quite hard on the track, but this exposes the weakness of products supposedly designed for the track.


- Tires. We know that tires are already on the list, but we have found that folks are not always inspecting their tires as closely as they should.


- Lug nuts and wheel studs. OTEC members have had lug nuts disappear and have had studs crack and fall off as a car cooled down in the paddock. Since we change tires more often than street cars and have the wheels off more often for inspections, we put more stretch/release cycles on the studs from tightening and removing the lug nuts. We all use studs made by ARP and encourage you to also. ARP makes their studs out of carefully designed and controlled alloys that deliver exceptionally strong and tough fasteners. Even ARP studs should be regarded as wear items in our sport and replaced every few years, along with the lug nuts.



- Heim joints/rod ends. If you use these, you should consider them to be service items. Inspect them, wiggle them, replace them if they have any play, and in any case replace them every 5 to 10 years just because.



- Brake caliper pads. While pads on street cars are often used until they are paper thin, pads used on track cars should be used if they are worn thinner than the backing plate of the pad. As we slow for corners during track sessions, we subject our track cars to exceptionally hard brake usage that results in heating rotors, calipers and pads far beyond the temperatures seen on the street and for much longer than even so-called “mountain driving” conditions.
We suggest that you add these items to your check list when preparing your car for an on-track event.