Trackday Pads - Front Only?

[Rsipad]

Hi all!

I am getting ready for my next set of trackdays around my local tracks (Laguna Seca and Thunderhill). I have only had 3 trackdays (all at Thunderhill in 105+ degree weather) and I managed to overheat my brake fluid (Motul RBF 660) and got my front EBC Yellowstuff pads to metal-metal. I replaced the front pads with Stoptech Sport 309s for daily driving, and am still running the Yellowstuffs in the rear.

For my upcoming trackdays, I plan to keep the Yellowstuff rear pads but get a dedicated set of front pads (leaning towards PFC 08s). Would it be fine to run the aggressive street pads in the rear and track-only pads in the front or would that throw the brake bias too far off and/or confuse the ABS system? I would be running the pads with Zimmermann blank rotors, Castrol SRF fluid, and Kumho Ecsta V730 (200TW) tires.

For reference, I am pretty hard on the brakes as I have 80+ hours of sim racing time in the Z4 around Thunderhill and Laguna Seca and am familiar with the corners/braking zones (but I'm still really bad at nailing them ).

 

[brillomaster]

firstly, PFC 08s are great pads. ran them in my E85 Z4 track car, seemingly last for ages (think i managed 8 days with them, and they still had material left) with great stopping power.

can't comment on running different spec pads front and rear in an E85... i only ran a matched set. however, in a boxster 986 i tracked, i just ran decent pads in the front (Pagid RS42) and standard brembo rears, and that was fine.

one other little suggestion - if you've got an early E85, you can remove the fog lights and the access panel behind them, to get some air flow into the wheel wells which i think helps keep front brake temps down.

 

[Ed Doe]

With my old 3.0si I ran Bog-standard OEM Brembo pads in the standard rear calipers on my old 3.0si and DS2500s on the fronts in the big BMW Performance-6pot calipers - car performed perfectly.

I'm also currently running Pagid RSL29 rears in AP Racing 4pot Calipers, and Raybestos ST45s in the front AP Racing 6-pots, this is comfortably the best braking setup I've ever experienced on track.

Point being you'll be fine with differing pad specs front to rear - the fronts will do the majority of the work stopping the car, so putting the higher performance pads on the front will work nicely.

 

[plenty]

On my M I run PF08 front and Textar OEM spec rear on standard calipers and discs. I don't track my cars, but have given my brakes a good workout up and down European mountains in peak summer heat. I really like this setup. Considering how effective the PF08s are they are remarkably quiet and usable on the road. The only downside, as with any proper pad, is dust.

 

[TheDan]

I've found the E85 is actually incredibly stable on the brakes even when throwing the bias super far forward which I have done. I have used many different front/rear pad combinations with my latest being Carbotech XP8 front pads (very similar in performance and spec to PFC 08) and rear EBC bluestuffs. As well as this, my fronts brakes are upgraded to the Megane 3 RS Brembo 4 pot calipers with E46 M3 discs, throwing the bias even further forward. I have had no problems with ABS which still works as if this setup was stock from factory.

Last year I upgraded from ATE Typ200 (Super Blue) to RBF 660 and was rather disappointed in the RBF fluid. I plan to try the RBF 700 and failing that just throwing Castrol SRF in and forgetting about it.

my local tracks (Laguna Seca and Thunderhill)

PS, lucky!

 

[Rsipad]

Thank you all for the helpful responses! Looks like I'll be running PFC 08 up front with EBC Yellowstuff on the rear

one other little suggestion - if you've got an early E85, you can remove the fog lights and the access panel behind them, to get some air flow into the wheel wells which i think helps keep front brake temps down.

Unfortunately I have a post-LCI Z4, so no foglight ducts for me. Hoping to find a similar solution in the future though!