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Track day maintenance

Mustang_Eh

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I'm looking to compile some maintenance information for a casual track day driver. I understand that everyone is in different climates and drives on different type of tracks (high speed, hard on brakes, etc.). However, I'd like to get some general info regarding maintenance intervals and what to check for after track days.

Some info about myself:

- Base GT (CS)
- Car is casually tracked during non-winter season
- This season I did 5 full track days, 3 autocross events
- Minimal spirited driving
- 12.5k km (~7767 miles) on the car so far

Information I'm looking for:

- How often do people change their oil? I read after each track day and ever 2-3 track days
- How often do people change trans/diff fluid? I read after each track day, once a year or according to user manual. This one here has me concerned if I should be doing it or not.
- How often do people change brake fluid? I read after each track day or 2-3 track days
- What should be checked under the car as a priority after track days?

If there is anything else you would like to add please do. If we could make some sort of guide out of this post that would be great.
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Austinj427

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Oil for me is usually after every track day.

Trans and diff, I'll probably do it every 4 days or so.

I personally do brake fluid every track day or every other. I boiled good fluid once and I'll never do that again.

Check suspension, tire wear, tire pressures, lug nuts(even throughout the day at the track), check oil after each session and check pad/brakes before each day and maybe just a peak at the pads after a few sessions.
 

TNcoupe

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Check the car front to back before and after each track day, every nut and bolt you can see. Oil change every track day, trans and diff every other track day, bleed calipers every track day.
 

OKC S550

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You are going to get a range of answers. I am on the more lax side of things when it comes to fluid changes.Oil change is every 3 track days, trans and diff are once per year, brake fluid is every 3 track days. Definitely check your pads before/after/during each track day and make sure your lug nuts are torqued before/during/after each track day.

This is on a daily driven car that is tracked about 10 times per year.
 

EFI

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I agree, especially if you are "casually" tracking the car. I don't see the need to change all fluids after a single track day.

Now if you run hardcore endurance racing where you are at 8000rpm for a few hours I would say more often than not. But after a casual HPDE where you're just barely pushing the car? Seems a bit of a waste.

You are going to get a range of answers. I am on the more lax side of things when it comes to fluid changes.Oil change is every 3 track days, trans and diff are once per year, brake fluid is every 3 track days. Definitely check your pads before/after/during each track day and make sure your lug nuts are torqued before/during/after each track day.

This is on a daily driven car that is tracked about 10 times per year.
 

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F0J

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I don't have it handy but if I remember correctly, the Ford manual states to replace the engine oil every track day and the trans and diff after every weekend. That's pretty aggressive/expensive depending on how you drive. If you're worried about the warranty it might be worthwhile to observe Ford's recommendations.

You should know enough about the car to "know" when something should be changed. It's the reason I bought a data acquisition system e.g. map oil temps for a whole day.

The harder you drive, and the higher the consequences of crashing, you should absolutely be checking the entire car over before, during and after every session. Mark every bolt and (again) know enough about the car to anticipate the currently known weak/failure points.
 
 




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