Hello,
First time posting on the racing sub-forum. I recently started tracking my car and need to upgrade brakes in the next 1 or 2 track days.
Right now, I'm running buddy club pads on the front and oem pads on the rear. (from prev owner)

I've heard great things about PMU club racers. Question is, do i need to replace the front AND rear pads? From my knowledge the fronts do most of the braking, but wasn't sure if I can keep the oem pads in the rear. They're not worn out at all as of now.

Thanks in advance!

 

Fronts do most of the braking, more than 70%. But fronts have the benefits of: bigger rotors, bigger pads, vented rotors, and more/cooler airflow. If you need higher-spec pads up front, you need them in back as well. I always run the same pads front and rear.

 

You'll also eat through your rears in no time if they're oem.

 

It's depend on the track. At my track I smoked my front pads on 1st session out. I had Cobalt pads next track day. My rear pads were less aggressive (XR2-F, GTS-R) so front pads do most of the work. My next set is XR1-F and XR3-R. More aggressive rear pads will help the front pads but not too aggressive to lock the rear.

Sound like your track is easy on the brake. You should be able to get away with just the front pads. Then wait til you got more budget to get the rear set.

I do have a DIY brake duct that help cool the front pads down a lot. Fresh brake fluid also help. I use ATE from tirerack.

 

for what it's worth.. when running stock front + rear pads, the rear pads will most likely only last 1-2 HPDE track events

 

my experience has been with a rear pad equal aggressiveness to the front pad seems to encourage a loose rear end in heavy brake zones.

this is perhaps a symptom of braking style or just a fact of square pads

when i hit DE2 level driving i was on xp10/xp8 when i hit DE4 these pad combo was insufficient and would fade by session 2 of the day so i went with xp12/10 and the rear came really lose when braking at the 2 cones

current setup is dtc70 up front and wilwood pads in the rear on a 4 pot rear bbk, before the rear bbk i used stoptech rear pads

 

Here's the basics on brakes for the track

First, replace the stock brake lines with stainless. This is simply a safety issue, and in my opinion absolutely necessary.

Next, make sure you are running a decent brake fluid, like Motul RBF 600 or better. You want to eliminate the chance of boiling fluid.

Last, use at least a "decent" track rated pad. Most who track will use slightly stronger compound on the front brakes. Carbotech guys will use 12/10 or 10/8, cobalt guys will use XR2/XR4 or XR1/XR3 something like that. It seems to balance the front to rears and makes the braking easier to modulate. Personally, even for a beginner I'd stay away from tracking the stock pads either front or rear.

In the grand scheme of tracking, these things above are really not large expenditures, and may prevent you from being injured, or the car from being damaged.

 

Wow, thanks everyone for your replies!!
After reading through all the comments, it sounds like I need to replace the rear pads (also rotors to bed them), but I should run a little less aggressive in the rear.
I will be trying almost all the brands/models, but I've been eyeing on PMU pads for some time now. What do you guys think of putting clubracers in front and HC+800 in the back? does this sound like a pretty solid setup?

 

^^ i agree with bluebarachetta change your lines while you're at it.

 

If you're doing occasional track days, I would upgrade the front pads (Ferodo makes a great hybrid pad that won’t crumble like a normal racing pad) at minimum. If you haven’t changed your lines and fluid, it’s a good time to do so. Rubber lines do fail under extreme heat, and it can be deadly. Depending on how much of the rear pad you have left, you may be able to get away with it. I usually get a cheap rear pad, like Hawk HP+ or HPS, for light track use.

When you begin to do more track days, I would buy two sets of Centric blanks, Ferodo DS2500 all around, stainless steel, Teflon-lined brake lines, and ATE brake fluid. It’ll cost you under $500, and it’s one of the best investments. (If you do decide to upgrade to race pads, make sure you have extra sets – they do not last long whatsoever. EBC’s yellow pads are cheap and do the job). If you make your own air ducts, it’ll cost around $100 (don’t waste your money on “designer” brands).

Hope that helps