Top 5 Things To Check on a Winter Rebuild

Winter is fast approaching and with it the start of rebuilding race cars ready for next season. We thought now would be a good time to take a look at the top five things to check/remember over the winter months and hopefully save you having to panic in the weeks leading up to the new season. We will look at the

Tip 1: Harnesses
Something that is easily missed but can cause big problems if you don't check it now. On your harness there will be a label (usually on the shoulder strap) showing the date that they will no longer be valid. Harnesses usually have a five-year life regardless of how often you use them. This means that if you want a new harness for next season it is worth buying it after January rather than now to get the best out of it. There new regulations on harnesses which we will cover in a future update. You should bear in mind that in the months leading up to the start of the race season the lead-time on harnesses increases dramatically. Usually we quote between 2-4 weeks for a harness (depending on the manufacturer) but this will increase at the start of the season to 4-6 weeks and even longer for a custom design.

Tip 2: Extinguishers
There is no specific life span for extinguishers according to The Blue Book (the regulations for UK motorsport). However, it does state that you must keep to manufacturers guidelines. For Lifeline extinguishers the manufacturers guidelines are for them to be serviced every two years and replaced after ten years. Other manufacturers give similar guidance but you should check with them to be sure. Most Lifeline extinguishers can be purchased as 'bottle only'. This is a good option if you are looking to replace the bottle in your existing car. The lead-time on extinguishers is usually 7-10 days, however it can go as high as four weeks (although this is rare) in the build up to the start of the season.

Tip 3: Make a List & Plan Your Time
It's a good idea to write a list of everything that needs doing and everything that needs replacing at the start of your race car rebuild. Not only will this help you plan the rebuild but if you send a copy of the list to us at Raceparts we may be able to find ways that you can save more and/or improve the quality of what you need. We will also be able to make recommendations as to when to order certain parts. We've already talked about the lead-time on harnesses and extinguishers but other items also increase in lead-time as we approach the start of the season. AP Racing products will be at least 8 weeks for example (in the past it has even reached as high as 12 weeks) so it's important to get the timing of your order right.

Ticking off the list as you go is a great way of keeping track of your progress particularly when you feel like you're not accomplishing anything as is likely to happy mid-way through the build.

Raceparts also recommends keeping a to do list throughout the season. Often we get people asking us for components for large jobs which they then decided to put off until the off season (only for them to forget when the time comes and remember at the first race of the new year). For example, installing dry-breaks into a fluid system, replacing all the nuts with K-nuts and installing a pre-heater style system often falls into this category of jobs people want to do but then forget when it's time to do them.

Tip 4: Check For Wear on EVERYTHING!
People never retire from a race because of a failure of a big expensive component, it's always the cheap little components that will cost you the result. Whilst doing your winter rebuild its worth checking every rod end, nut/bolt and bearing for wear. It's a lot easier, quicker and cheaper to replace these sorts of components now then it is in the middle of the paddock at your first event in the year. This also includes re-greasing and oiling parts that need it. Raceparts recommends using a good multi-purpose grease such as Prolong EP-2 grease or SPL100 penetrating spray.

Tip 5: Don't Forget the Consumables
People often put off purchasing items such as tapes, fluids and brake pads then realise that there is a limited availability (or their own budget) for such items in the week before the start of the season. Don't forget to order plenty of the following:

• Brake Fluid
• Engine Oil
• Transmission Fluid
• Cleaning Spray
• Brake Pads
• Coolant
• Rain X (especially for pre-season testing)
• Tank Tape
• Tyre Pens
• and so on...

Raceparts will sometimes offer discounts for bulk purchases of these items, for example purchasing your brake fluid for the season will be cheaper than buying it individually (not to mention saving on the shipping cost) so it's worth looking at buying these items by the box rather than individually.

We hope you have found these suggestions useful as you prepare for the winter months and your race car rebuild. Don't forget to keep checking back for more useful articles and advice.

N.B. - We've used some phrasing in this article that might be a little vague. For your information we view the start of season as being from the second weekend in March up to the Easter weekend and the off season being from early November through to late February. These dates obviously can differ depending on the championship you are competing in but are a useful guide.