How To Prepare Your Car for the Nürburgring: THE ESSENTIALS

With the 2023 season around the corner and many failures we've had last year, let's take a look at the basics when it comes to the car preparation for the track.
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Disclaimer: the actions performed in this video are executed by professionals or individuals that consider themselves professional on a closed circuit within the local regulations.

[@TwistedSymmetryUK]

So the calliper pins… You can buy them from VW there’s 2 pins on the carrier 1 solid and one with rubber bushing jus replace the one with rubber bushing with the solid….alternatively APP Brakes in the Netherlands sell a kit who is our supplier for these kits.

[@LasseJOugaard]

Hey George. Really valuable info. I've a Golf 5 GTI I'm preparing for some TF this season. I plan to upgrade to the 340mm Golf 7 front brakes. I cannot find this pin kit you're referring to. Do you have a link or a suppliers website? Also, what's the part number for the little air vanes? They seem nifty! Cheers

[@Emil-fx7pg]

@@LasseJOugaard I also tried to find it without success. All schematics i found showed both sliders to be the same type

[@ngamber]

@@LasseJOugaard 8V0407811/8V0407812... still looking for this pin kit

[@jonboyy1327]

Personally I really enjoy this type of video. Surprisingly track prep can often be overlooked as you know !

[@TamagoHead]

Love George’s magnetic fastener dish storage! It’s a take away!

[@Chris-hw4mq]

A link to where they buy the parts would have been nice

[@Richard_Turner]

Love this video for 2 reasons, 1 it's really great info that we all need and 2nd it means we are getting close to start of the season 👍

[@RosskoPeeko]

Couldn’t agree more with this video. Anyone considering any track time should 100% change out the pads to something like ferodo DS2500 And a proper set of tyres. Even pilot sport 4 are great for track days. Also a brake fluid change, engine service and even gearbox oil. Your car will thank you 🙏

[@rotrmotr]

Excellent video Misha. Most car enthusiasts first thought for performace mods is more power. When actually it should be more control first. I believe it was an old Pirelli slogan that stated "POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL".

[@adityachampawat1414]

The red colour on the Golf with the apex livery!!! 😍

[@jaredsinn8842]

As someone with a Golf VII GTI who wants to track it at Sebring, I’m taking notes. I love these videos, thank you for giving us the insight into your fleet

[@Fantic1980]

I have a Golf 7 R and plan on tracking it also :)

[@RolingThundrz]

The brake pads really are the most important to change. Otherwise after 15 minutes you're done with the trackday.

[@adityachampawat1414]

Loved this guide!!! Thank you Misha!!!

[@BalrogSlayer666]

love these type of videos, very educational!!

[@commuterbranchline8132]

Great to see behind the scenes and Master of Spanners, George providing expert guidance of what we should really do before rocking up at the ring!

[@RMcG109]

This kind of video is incredibly helpful in terms of track prep. Inspired me to probably book a car from Apex before taking my own car on the track. Keep them coming!

[@trdartz]

Absolutely cannot wait to come visit you guys in April. All booked and set up with the always helpful Dyana! so so excited.. been waiting years for this !

[@iceb-akap77ice93]

Yeah man. Great video. Last summer was crazy with the weather. But please check your vehicle before any long journey. Most of it is common sense. 😂 thanks for the video. ✌

[@in54ne82]

We need more videos like this and more specific details to why any upgrades like these are needed or change the car behavior etc.... Great job 👏

[@Lorijenken]

heck ya finally I was waiting for something like this

[@leeredmond6420]

brilliant can't wait for part two!

[@beanmw96]

Currently prepping my car for the ring next year, this video is very helpful lol. If you want a drive of my Colt Turbo next year Misha, or maybe even this year let me know 😂

[@xiox16]

Thank you Misha for these video’s! Let’s make the ring a safe place for everyone!

[@uncleben4536]

I like this host. He just seems like such a nice guy. This channel is really enjoyable. Keep up the great work guys. Love the amazing driving!😮

[@adamrozmosh952]

Awesome video Misha.

[@997GURU]

Great video! I use Motul RBF 660 brake fluid, KW V3 suspension, regarding wheel nuts, i have never had any issues, i just take care of correct torque, in my case is 130 Nm, but i agree if the car is used like really heavy on track all season

[@zychrias]

Thank you for doing this video! From the States!

[@cbr1928]

ah yes perfct intro :D part 2 asap hehe, good informative vid🤓😎

[@BiglumpADV]

Love the tech talk videos 👍🏻

[@R19Robbin]

Always interesting to see videos like this

[@ErikB750]

Price quotes are for popular/common cars. If you’re tracjing something more exotic/rare, prices rise quickly. Looking forward to part 2, 3, 4, 5, ….

[@Emil_Bucholc]

Always good to see George 👍🏻

[@VonF85]

Nice Video & Content. Thx.

[@Roy974]

Great video as usual !🔥 Now i know what to do with my golf 7 1.6 tdi 🤣

[@walesbe1028]

Very interesting video. Hope others will follow to build kind of a series.

[@hnkfrance]

It looks like George has a LOT of valuable knowledge, Misha ! Make sure he shares it with us :)

[@qlikbox]

Great video. Just my 2c for people wanting a daily driver that works on the track, too - consider the products out there and try to avoid the hype. Fluids are quite obvious - however surrounded in myth and folklore - check your coolant levels and that the coolant type is correct for your car. You might want to change your brake fluid to something with a higher boiling point. But don't jump straight to Castrol SRF as Sunoco R Extreme is also a good option (25% of the cost with similar spec). And stick to your car's recommended oil weight, avoiding race oils (unless you like to change this a lot).

[@ricardoribeiro308]

Great tips !! Love that GTI . More videos about the new GTI rental :)

[@rakanboumatar6128]

I love the cinematic shots!

[@strife3084]

just wanted to clarify, steel braided lines can indeed Crack. they are a Teflon hose wrapped in steel braiding. they can fail.

[@brandonhuggins1736]

Great video.

[@lucatilocca4217]

No bullshits, only really good tips, can't wait to meet you and george this year😄😄

[@m.k.videos4361]

Thank you for saying this really quality informations

[@diogoleitao8628]

This is very good Misha. Coming from experience makes this type of content unique not just theory. You mention in the video about tyre pressures. I believe there isn’t a Single video on KZbin on how to discover the correct tyre pressure considering the weight, inch’s of the wheel etc. Let’s say for example you have an older car and you want to do a project to be a track car. The specifications of the manufacture on tyre pressure won’t help to find the right one in order to have the best performance of the car. If you can do that it would be very cool 👏🏻👏🏻

[@larslinderlegacylarsa8363]

You give the people the right way to update your car for trackdays, I've made the same choices for my cars through time. Good brakes, and a lot of gasoline, will get you far..

[@mdev8846]

And a good cooling system.

[@xerxes278]

Love the "more technical" Videos.

[@mdev8846]

Cooling system and bushings are important too.

[@chrispetty5058]

I would love to see a tire psi. What rule of thumb you use to get a desired press for grip vs wear. If there is difference in pressure decision for 100 and 200 tread wear tires.

[@evanthomson661]

Bought a mk7 for my daily/track car just because of this vid. If there is a write up on a parts list that would be awesome!

[@johnhabraken2375]

You should do a complete series about the build. So George working on the car and showing the details about the parts and installation! ❤

[@mervynmontague1811]

Interesting and informative 🇯🇲

[@matteomoroni97]

More videos like this!!! 🤩

[@michaelmorgado]

Great video and much needed based off of some cars last season. …I think that some more time should be done with regards to brake fluid. Maybe explain the different grade’s available along with the service intervals depending upon what grade you are running, as well as a brief explanation of how old fluids boiling point is reduced due to its contamination. ….There are plenty of cars on track with extremely old fluid that may not survive a few corners.

[@Wolfpack310]

Actually I think a set of eibach Sportline springs works nice on the mk7 gti Clubsport and oe dampers. Perfect for daily driving and occasional track use

[@sandermark100]

Nice video! Can you make a video about alignment?

[@SRTCAT]

Thanks💫🏎️

[@LothianValet]

Good to see and hear what would need to be done. Ive done just about them all apart from brake hoses and calipers. Will be there in May whuch im really looking forward to. Does the taxi runs need to be booked in advance or can that be done on the day? David

[@sebafumi]

Valuable advices. Is there a pricelist for a pre-check of a track car? Would like to make sure everything is done right before hitting the curves 🖖🏻

[@cocochauv9779]

Great video as always!! What brand are the lug nut on the golf?

[@mgcharoudin]

Maybe George will answer this, but I assume just something copper😬

[@Rick-Wiggelinkhuijsen]

Great video, interesting part about the wheel studs. I think i will also swap them because i am always a bit worried about the wheel bolts getting loose so i check them every few rounds just to be sure they are tight. I also heared you need to change the studs every season because they might break over time, is that true?

[@martinchapman2168]

Good video

[@marc9283]

I've had a front spring break on me (not on track), definitely can't recommend :D

[@grencan]

My mk7,5 gti 245hp car, overheated with stock power. I think its good to upgrade water and air coolers. clubsport/tcr has side coolers too, is better solution than in 245hp gti.

[@zukko666]

Misha, thank you very much for the video! Tell me, is it worth installing an oil pan with an iABED Industries type anti-drain system on a golf 6 for track use. What else should be installed? Maybe a larger radiator, DSG oil cooler, Wagner tube and fin type intercooler? Thanks!

[@thf1403]

Amazing explanation of everything as always by both of you. Is the black Golf also running 5w30 LM 4200 like you presented a couple of years ago?

[@TwistedSymmetryUK]

Indeed! 5w40 also

[@thf1403]

@@TwistedSymmetryUK which one? I have the ED35 and I plan to use 5w40 also because I find that I use some 300 to 500ml to 5000km depending on the use. Thanks a lot

[@fishmate5443]

Being a MK6 owner, I loved this, but Misha..... MORE George please. He's very interesting to listen to and know-nothings like me learn a lot.

[@carlosoruna7174]

Nice , yup. Brakes suspension are first. Call it basic maintenance. Even on road cars.

[@tomellingham8627]

That Golf looks beautiful.

[@justmalkin1328]

1600+ likes and only ONE dis! Wow!!!! Always good stuff! I like it!

[@shepardman993]

Fantastic please if possible could you list the details and products

[@328TurismoInternazionale]

More tech videos Misha!

[@Emil-fx7pg]

What sliders are you using to replace the rubber insert on your GTI? It's being mentioned around 3:05

[@CMR556]

Hi Misha. I See this car is also running NS-2R like the other smaller rental cars. Can you recommend these tires? I have a set of these lieing at home but was not sure about the safety aspect of them running on the street cause I need to drive 160 km to the ring (besides that car is not driven daily). Would you recommend them over for example an Michelin PS4s? Also considering the safety aspect vs better being better on the track than a PS4s? ✌️

[@AmirPomen]

interested to know more of the reason for using copper lug-nut

[@samdajellybeenie14]

Just for some reference, the Endless MA45B brake pads are $785USD.

[@gogolglaus]

I can recommend the Endless MA52B over the MA45B.

[@MDEV-86x86]

Why ?

[@EFDRicci]

I have a question regarding bolts vs studs. George mentioned the heat transferred to the bolts making them lose, etc... with studs, does not the same happens? I'm wondering if because it is a two piece (stud and nuts) and not just one, the heat transfer is different... and also about studs, are there any other advantages? Any material for stud and nut that is more recommended for racing purposes? Thanks guys

[@filip000]

Great video Misha, as always :) I plan to go on the Ring for the first time this year. My preparations so far are practicing the ring on Assetto Corsa; and for the car: added ducts for brake cooling, added a large oil cooler, refreshed all coolants and fluids (engine, oil, brakes, diff), new tyres and a few suspension tweaks. Anything I missed?

[@jamescollier6723]

I would add braided brake hoses. I had braided hoses for my first ring trip last year and didn't experience any fade whatsoever. This was in 2 tons of E61 5 series on stock discs and pads. Absolutely murdered the discs and pads on lap one, but didn't have any fade.

[@Dathumm]

That's more than good if you are doing the first laps. Other than that I would rather pay attention on a good braking technique (brake harder and shorter than longer and softer) and avoiding dangerous situations by always keeping the traffic in your eye.

[@iamthatguy8207]

Please do a follow up on tyre pressures

[@stoneeh]

Good video. A couple of notes: most people will probably want a good compromise between street and track ability. Too aggressive brake pads won't develop full friction when cold, and they might also be noisy. Any normal brake disc will also warp quickly under heavy use (not sure if dependent on car / calipers), so I'd use heat treated ones, which of course are more expensive. Or swap the cheaper ones regularly. Easy cooling improvement is said to be to remove the dust shield btw., but I'm not sure that'd be street legal. Oh, and lighter wheels also improve braking - less rotating mass to slow down.

[@imnota]

Too aggressive pads can also eat up your discs quite quickly. A nurb lap is long and you want to make the trip worthwhile and be able to do a bunch of laps before you grooved your discs to hell.

[@mdev8846]

@@imnota Then what brand - model brake pads do you choose to don't eat brake discs ?.

[@imnota]

@@mdev8846 ferodo ds2500 is good for a dual purpose pad. But it's all down to preference and your experience, I was just giving the global advice that you probably don't want to go to a pad as aggressive as what you would chose for a track only car on a smaller track, because given the length of the ring, longevity becomes a factor.

[@mdev8846]

@@imnota O.k. Thank you.

[@nampmuj15]

Part #2 ¡¡ por favor !!

[@lambrosstamos4494]

If only you do your annual winter visit to Manthey/Raeder, please, say something about their modified i20n.

[@marvinvisser5039]

I didn't watch it yet... But I guess cooling is a good one taken from last year. Oil cooler and a better radiator haha

[@8gti9]

Check, check, check and etc, etc. My car is ready 19th March.

[@Republic3D]

Maybe weird question, but are slightly vibrating brakes an issue in an inspection / MOT? The brakes grip and feel symmetrical, there's just a bit of vibration.

[@dct124]

This video should be made relevant/re-uploaded or updated annually. KZbin tends to bury video's like this after a few months. Just for street driving alone this is a very important video. Too many people skip brakes and tires.

[@syuis7949]

Can i know what brand for the stud conversion kit you’re using in the video ?

[@redrum707monkey]

more golf vid's please

[@tristanmayor6302]

How essential is it that I fit a plastic boot wing and a Nurburgring sticker? Asking for a friend

[@BasMolenaarSnuckleBuckle]

What oil grade do you run on the black Golf? My golf runs hot aswell

[@neilturner4346]

Please do a video on tyre pressures

[@keizeph4655]

could we get a parts list for the red gti specifically interested in the studs and nuts you are running.

[@pmrrmm]

I didn't quite get what they do with the brake slider. Can someone help me?

[@grimmig13]

Can't wait to see what George does to the E46 🤤

[@Priapos93]

Best wishes to George

[@benguini.]

Hey Misha, what ever happened to the Blue M5 you purchased some time ago?

[@optimusprimevil1646]

thinking about the best bufget track mule for the ring. you see loads of 3 series, but seems like you want to go as light as possible to keep the costs down. miata is light and cheap, parts and repairs are cheap, simple to work on. it's a beautifully balanced little as car albeit with some suspension work required, the biggest inhibiting factor as usual with the miata is power, but a supercharger or k20 would get it to 250bhp per tonne and sub 8mins.

[@paullangley1332]

What width size Protrack one 18” wheels are best for GTI TCR on Eibach sport springs?

[@ngamber]

Where do you get the caliper pin upgrade?

[@TheJordan221992]

Question for George, when converting from wheel bolts to studs do you have to change the hub or is there a kit that uses the original?

[@TwistedSymmetryUK]

Studs just screw in replacing bolts on the hubs you have, loctite and torquing them is essential also!

[@jaybates2974]

I really enjoyed this video, George was talking a slightly different oil grade to keep temps down what grade are you running?

[@TwistedSymmetryUK]

5w30 normally but also run 5w40 in the summer I may also go to 15w50 on the cupra for the track days etc.

[@jaybates2974]

@@TwistedSymmetryUK only reason I ask is I’m staying at Apex in July just wasn’t sure on what oil to run? 2017 Golf GTI Clubsport 350bhp currently running the 5W30. I don’t plan on going crazy on the track, do you think the 5w30 will be ok?

[@TwistedSymmetryUK]

@@jaybates2974 that will be fine man 👍🏼

[@jaybates2974]

@@TwistedSymmetryUK would you recommend any brand at all? I’m running Castrol in it at the moment? Also was going to ask what sort of oil temps do you see in the summer out there?

[@GuruJoshProject101]

Where can you actually buy Endless brake pads for a golf gti/golf R ? I can't find anything online

[@nikoyannaros48]

This year I'm going to visit the nordschleife with my 131ps dacia dokker for the first time ever. There aren't much tuning parts for this car available. I believe I should change the braking fluid . But I've no idea which fluid i can put and if it could cause any damage to the break system. I even don't know who to ask and who could do that work. My official dacia renault garage won't do that for sure. Maybe you can tell us where to go . Greetings!

[@mgcharoudin]

Make an appointment at Manthey/Raeder

[@mdev8846]

Mobil brake fluid is compatible.

[@yenocools5500]

so you guys mean as an upgraded coolingsystem, oilcooling or intercooler?

[@rh105_2]

Anybody know what nuts are used on the MK7?