[Malice]

Long time listener, first time poster. I just took delivery of my custom ordered 2022 2SS 1LE M6. As soon as it's broken in, I plan on taking it to willow springs in SOCAL for some track days. The owners manual is very comprehensive, but I have few other questions:

1. The front tow hook won't screw in without interfering with the grill. Can you remove part of the grill to make it fit?

2. Does everyone burnish it their brakepads in accordance with the owners manual? That procedures look like it would take all day.

3. Does everyone switch to DOT 4 brake fluid prior to track day, then switch back?

4. Does everyone pull off the front brake dust shields prior to track day?

5. What modes should I use for my first track day? I'm 100% newb with zero experience track driving. I'll happily admit that this is more car than I am driver. I imagine I oughtta leave some electronic nanny's on until I get experienced. I'll read about the modes as well in some other threads here.

EDIT: apparently I'm not a first time poster. Did this site spawn of camaro5?

[N Camarolina]

Congrats on your purchase. You're in for a load of fun!

I'll pay it forward and answer your questions, but you would be well served to read previous posts, as you'll inevitably have more questions as you learn more about the car's systems and maintenance requirements. Best way to search the posts is (ironically) to go on Google and type "Camaro6" followed by what ever search terms you think are most appropriate for your question/issue. Now on to your questions:

1) There is a part of the front grille (upper far left) that is removable (pops out) to access the toe hook receiver. That said, I haven't been able to pop mine out. Do a search to see recommended tools and technique

2) Very few actually burnish the brakes as per the manual. I did a modified technique based on a Youtube video made by a company that does a lot of racing brake systems: 5 stops in row from 60mph to 20mph (moderate braking force), followed by 5 stops from 80mph to 20mph (near threshold breaking force). Empty highway late at night is probably best, as you are going to need a couple miles of uninterrupted road to carry this out successfully. Speed up right away after each stop- you are trying to slowly heat up the brake pads and rotors. By the time you get to the 3rd stop from 80mph, you should be smelling the break pads smoking. Continue with the stops until you notice the pads beginning to fade - pedal force feels same, but car does not slow as quickly as it did. At this point, do not brake any more times. Instead drive the car for a couple of miles without using the brakes (you are trying to let them cool), and when you shut the car off and park it, don't set the parking brake. If you've done the burnishing procedure correctly, the rotors will have a blue color tinge and you'll see a dark-gray transfer layer of brake pad material on the rotor. It should look uniform. If you do a bunch of daily driving in between the first burnishing and when you head to the track, you will likely need to repeat because daily driving (light braking) tends to scrub off the transfer layer (the transfer layer is what makes the brakes stop optimally).

3) Yes, you have to switch to DOT 4 before going on the track. My 2021 SS1LE supposedly comes from the factory with DOT 4 fluid, but I wouldn't trust it. You can either go the short term cheap route and use a cheaper DOT 4 fluid, but with that approach you will likely need to fully flush the system before each track event. Or, if you intend to do multiple HPDE events per year, you can go with the more expensive Castrol SRF and not change it for an entire year (it's that resistant to deterioration, and performs better wet than other cheaper fluids perform when they are fresh).

4) No, no need to remove the shields on an SS1lE

5) You'll definitely want to start in one of the PTM modes, which are accessible under the Track mode. Reason being that the traction control is smarter in PTM than if you just use Tour, Sport, or "normal" Track selection. See the sticky note at the top of the list under the Track/Autocross menu selection - there is a great description of Table that explains the different PTM modes and how the stability control and traction control act in each case.

Make sure whatever HPDE event group you choose has mandatory in-car instuctors. You will need this if you don't have track skills. As for mode settings, I would suggest that you start in PTM "dry" setting until you learn the track race line and get familiar with how to roll onto the throttle smoothly and gently as you exit corners and open (unwind to straighten) the steering wheel. After that, then move up to PTM "Sport 1", which will retard traction control intervention some, giving you more power on corner exits. Do not go up to PTM Sport2 or Race modes until you are ready to catch the rear end should it step out. This car is tremendously capable, but you need to respect it as the handling limits are very high, but it has a lot of power and also weighs quite a bit.

One other suggestion: Take full advantage of the HUD. Use it monitor your speed and lateral G load at every corner. Between watching Youtube videos of other stock SS 1LEs going around the same track and your own observations while driving your car, you will quick learn how fast you can go through each corner before losing traction. Normally the limit is around 1.2 to 1.35G depending on the track surface, ambient temp, and whether you are trail braking or not.

[Dabjbr]

I’ll add my two cents…

1) It’s tricky at first but yes, you can remove the cover. I cut mine a tad so that I can leave my tow hook installed (track 6-12 times a year).

2) I did an abbreviated version… maybe half of what the manual suggests. You can make yourself nauseous otherwise.

3) Yep. Another vote for Castrol SRF. Change annually. No need to swap back to stock.

4) I installed the bigger SS brake ducts. Less than $30 and I leave them on. Can never have enough brake cooling IMO.

5) ^^^ Good advice above. Take it slow and use the nannies… incredibly engineered.

[5.M0NSTER]

N Camarolina and Dabjbr have good advice for sure!

I third Castrol SRF. I've left mine in my previous BMW M2 for 2 years, and did a bunch of hot laps in between with no deterioration of performance. You pay a lot, but it's well worth it. No negative side effects if you DD it in the cold either.

At the start the factory pads will be ok. At some point as your skills progress and you get quicker, you probably want to consider a track pad.

I'd suggest starting in PTM Dry mode (if it's dry). PTM is absolutely fantastic at optimizing slip. It's like black magic.

Work through Sport 1 and Sport 2 as af you start getting a good hang of how to catch oversteer. PTM Race is really rewarding once you can use skids to maintain speed.

Congrats and welcome, it's a fun hobby you chose!

[Malice]

@North Camarolina: where do you race in your area? I just moved to SOCAL from ENC. After paying $5/gallon for gas & $10/lb for bacon, I have every intention of moving back.

Thank you all for the replies & warm welcome.

[mlee]

... and yes this site and Camaro 5 are basically one in the same as far as your post count is concerned. Welcome to 2022

Dot4 is probably the most important swap and all this means is you'll need to change it out a bit more often than you would Dot3 but always run dot4

[N Camarolina]

Originally Posted by Malice

@North Camarolina: where do you race in your area? I just moved to SOCAL from ENC. After paying $5/gallon for gas & $10/lb for bacon, I have every intention of moving back.

Thank you all for the replies & warm welcome.

VIR primarily. It is definitely one of the best tracks in the US.

But have been to CMP and intend to go back semi-regularly. Next year will also likely include Road Atlanta (6 hour drive, but probably good to do at least once- a lot of concrete barriers though).

[kropscamaro16]

1. The front tow hook won't screw in without interfering with the grill. Can you remove part of the grill to make it fit? not sure i have 16

2. Does everyone burnish it their brakepads in accordance with the owners manual? That procedures look like it would take all day. yes do it

3. Does everyone switch to DOT 4 brake fluid prior to track day, then switch back? no switch and leave it

4. Does everyone pull off the front brake dust shields prior to track day? yes 100% and remove your rain guards off your hood also


also we are going to buttonwillow 12/12 if you want to go with us !

[cdrptrks]

On the set of stock brake pads that I installed about a month ago, I didn't have time to do any brake burnishing but the first track session did it for me. That didn't cause any issues except that I could smell the brakes more than usual during/after that first session. The general advice is don't set your parking brake after burnishing or a session on track to prevent pad transfer but not sure if our electronic parking brake shoes are different than the old fashioned manual parking brake in that regard.

For your first time out it is a good idea to watch videos to familiarize yourself with the track layout and the line to drive in the weeks leading up to the event so you are less overwhelmed but I would ignore the speed overlay or watch some that don't have it. You are going to end up going a lot slower than someone else who is experienced on your first track day and trying to hit someone else's speeds and braking points could result in you losing control of the car and/or going off track.

HUD is helpful but the biggest mistake new track drivers tend to make is not looking up/ahead enough and focusing too much on the HUD is likely to contribute to this problem. I mostly use it to target shifting around 75mph (2nd to 3rd), 104mph (3rd to 4th), and rarely 140mph (4th to 5th...rev limiter is 142mph). It also doesn't update fast enough under threshold braking...you have to target about 10mph above the intended speed.

The car has no lift shift (NLS) but you have to keep your foot fully planted while clutching in and shifting which is harder than it sounds. I usually use it on the 3 to 4 shift but regular shifting is fine too. If you mess up you will feel the car jerk but once you are used to it messing up is very rare. I don't like to use it for other shifts because imo an accidental 2 to 1 shift instead of 2 to 3 (or 4 to 3 instead of 4 to 5) could happen more easily while using NLS which will void your warranty and possibly damage the engine and/or transmission. Similarly don't downshift while braking before you are below the rev limiter for the gear you are going into to avoid over-revving the engine. It is safest to verify you are in the correct gear on the HUD before releasing the clutch even though you give up some engine braking and use a bit more brake pad material while waiting for the gear # to update, or just wait until you are nearly done braking to release the clutch for the safest way to handle it. If you use active rev matching, it will spike to 6500rpm if you select a gear too soon (or the wrong gear) which is a warning not to release the clutch yet.

I agree with PTM Dry to start with. You may hear the exhaust note change when it is limiting power which will give you an idea of where you might oversteer if you reduce or turn off the traction and/or stability control in the future. If you have the PDR option you can look for the blinking traction icon to see the same thing on video playback if you are using the track overlay option.

Also disable cruise control before each track day because accidentally pressing one of the cruise buttons while on track will kick you out of the PTM mode you are in without warning.

I am still happy with the stock brake pads on stock tires 3 years later even though I already had a few years of HPDE experience before getting the Camaro including driving on track focused Carbotech XP10/8 pads on my previous car. OP should be fine to stick with stock replacement pads for at least a few years especially being new to HPDEs. Rotors will last longer with stock pads than more agressive track focused pads too.

Once you switch to DOT4 brake fluid you leave it. Most organizations require you to change it every 6 months or 1 year on their tech inspection form since it absorbs moisture that lowers the original dry boiling point faster than DOT3 fluid does. RBF 600 and StopTech 600 are good choices for stock brake pads and stock tires but something with a higher boiling point may be needed if you get more agressive brake pads and/or tires with a lower treadwear number in the future. Capacity is about 800ml. If you are into DIY, the Motive pressure bleeder that screws into the master cylinder in place to of the cap is helpful but I don't trust putting fluid directly into the Motive product.

The biggest thing is to have an instructor in the passenger seat when you are starting out. Enjoy!

[Dabjbr]

Another option for question #1
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=564964

[6spdhyperblue]

The new ‘22 has dot 4 on the cap and the ‘16 has dot 3 printed on the cap

[cdrptrks]

But the minimum required dry boiling point to meet DOT 4 standards is lower than what is recommended in the manual for track driving.

DOT 4 minimum requirements: 446°F dry boiling point / 311°F wet.

2020 Camaro manual page 158 recommends a dry boiling point greater than 534°F for track driving.

[6spdhyperblue]

I run SRF

[Jonnydz]

Get srf and u won't need to bleed calipers after every race or every couple. Just flush and redo every 12 to 18 months