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If you want to have any chance on the track, you have to modify your car. Aftermarket modifications can make a tremendous difference in the performance of your vehicle. Some aftermarket upgrades can add up to 20 horsepower to your engine, all while reducing your fuel consumption. Although most of the modifications below could be upgraded on your daily driver, they are designed for track use. Whether you enjoy drag racing, circle racing, drifting, or even a roaring engine, the modifications below will help you take your car’s performance to the next level. Read on to learn about the top 5 performance modifications for a complete, racing car.
Tires are critical parts to the performance of your vehicle. Although your street tires work great, on track, you need the most traction you can get, regardless of the type of racing you like to do. Most track tires are not designed to drive on the streets; however, you can purchase performance tires that are designed for performance on regular roads. A lot of racing enthusiasts choose to replace their road tires with their track tires before racing, which helps the driver push their car confidently knowing they get much better traction on their track tires. If you want to feel safer on the track, competition tires will give you the ultimate grip. Track tires could vary in price and could cost you anywhere from $120 to $400 per tire.
The cold air intake is considered the first engine modification for performance gains. These kits are designed to replace your regular intake system, and it’s designed to pull cold air from outside of your engine and pushes it right into your warm engine, thus increasing its performance. These kits come equipped for your specific brand, model, and year vehicle, so it makes the installation rather simple. Cold air intake kits are known to allow the engine to flow better, which decreases any restrictions of air going into the engine. The cold air intake kits are also known to decrease the fuel consumption; this is due to the smoother and bigger intake system that allows more air to enter the engine smoothly. A lot of drivers especially enjoy the roaring sound of these kits, so if you want your car to sound better, drive quicker, and use less fuel; a cold air intake is a must for you. Cold air intakes could set you back anywhere from $125 to $500.
There is no use for your big, fast engine if your car is bouncing all over the track. The regular stock suspension on your car is not good enough for the track. The more comfortable your suspension system is, the less it will perform on the track. The performance suspensions come in different shapes and forms, some are stiffer and lower, while others come in a kit. The most important upgrade when it comes to track suspensions is to have stiffer shocks and springs. This ensures your car stays tight when you’re going around the corners at high speeds, on opposed to bouncing around and losing traction. The second important feature to have in a track vehicle is to have a suspension kit that slightly lowers the car; this allows the car to be closer to the ground, which makes its center of gravity lower, thus reducing the risk of rolling over. Most kits come with sway bars and performance linkages that allow for tighter suspension. Suspension upgrades can cost you anywhere form $200 to $3,000, and they are extremely important for track use.
When it comes to safety, the brake system is by far the most important system in your car. Racing is all about going fast, but if you can’t stop fast enough, racing wouldn’t be as much fun. Aftermarket, performance brake pads have much higher heat resistance, which means when you’re driving fast on the track and use your brakes, they won’t lose performance because they get too hot. Same with aftermarket rotors, they are designed with grooves and holes that allow the air to flow through them, thus cooling them off quickly while they are performing. You can also purchase aftermarket brake calipers, which can clamp much harder than any stock calipers would. The best brake modification to do, however, is to purchase a big brake kit. These kits come in different shapes and sizes, but the most popular ones come with everything you need to really push your car on the track. The right kit will come with performance brake pads, performance brake rotors, performance brake calipers, and even stainless steel brake lines, so no matter what road conditions or weather conditions you throw at them, the brake lines will remain safe and secure. These kits could get pricy, however, so you are faced with anything from aftermarket brake pads priced at $70 and above, to the big brake kits going as far as $5,000 and even possibly more.
If you really want to give your engine an extra boost, a turbocharger is the way to go. A turbocharger is a system that connects to your crankshaft through a belt. When the belt rotates with the engine, the turbocharger’s turbine rotates, forcing air into your engine, which gives it an unexpected boost accompanied by a hissing sound. If this is not enough, consider adding twin-turbochargers to your vehicle, which often work parallel to one another, and they are designed to double the boost of your engine. Although the turbochargers add to your engine’s performance at lower speeds, they definitely shine and are designed for when you really step on the gas pedal. That’s when the real boost kicks in, giving your engine the extra air, which gives it the extra power it needs to pass your opponent on the track. The turbochargers can be installed in any vehicle; however, they are not the easiest to install. To get one of these into your car, expect to spend anywhere from $1,200 to $12,000 if you’re looking for a top-notch twin turbocharger kit.
