I have found a source for rebuilt OEM Brembos for a good price. But only the fronts. Any harm in using Brembos up front and OEM non-Brembos on the rear? I can't think of any offhand.

 

I came from Carbotech pads before I tried the DTCs and they are indeed comparable pads. I don't think they will disappoint.

 

I haven't done the math but I'd be willing to bet your brake bias would be way front heavy. I fought a ton of bias issues with my 240sx, they aren't fun. For my 350z I got my set of Brembos for just under $1000. I did have to buy brake lines and pads and rotors so factor that cost in as well.

 

To be honest, I just don't know. I will say this though. When I was asking some brake questions when I first got my Z, someone told me not to get different pads for the front and rear. I was just looking at my brakes, and the rear calipers have changed to a more "burnt orange" color. I've read about this indicating that the Brembos will change color when they are getting hot. The fronts haven't changed color nearly as much as the rears. So I think I'll try matching them next time. It would appear that the backs are working harder than I would have expected.

Keep in mind that I've only had my Z since this spring. I just started doing track days this summer in HPDE. So hopefully someone beyond HPDE 3 can answer this. But I'd sure think that Brembos up front and OEM in the back would be better than OEM front and rear.

 

Seems like that could be adjusted via pad choice but I don't know for sure. I may ask this question as a separate post in the 'brakes' section.........but I seem to get better answers here in the 'motorsports' section.

 

It is so popular to run staggered compounds, and even recommended by manufacturers...but our platform does not need additional front bias. Non staggered compounds will even out the wear and yield better ultimate performance. It is not uncommon to see certain cars do the opposite, running a slightly higher mu out back. Obviously this can be disastrous if done incorrectly, but yields dividends in performance. This is why manufacturers usually recommend a stagger, because it is safer. But it usually does not perform better.

 

I have always run a staggered setup because Carbotech recommended it but did not really know why other than saving a little money on the pads in the back. ;-).

 

well, in the case of the Z, the recommended stagger setup is to deal with the great heat difference between the front and the back. While the XP12+'s will generate more heat at the pad surface and the rotor, they do a better job keeping that heat out of the caliper itself and the fluid.

The rear's surface area is much smaller, and a lot less bias, so by going to a lighter pad, they can keep the heat down better overall without effecting overall performance that much.

The bottom line is your braking distance is determined by your tires. Most pads can lock up the wheel even with street pads the first time. The pads are heat management more than anything else. The more you keep out of the caliper and fluid, the more consistent your braking will be.

 

I'm running Project Mu HC+ Plus with the Akebono setup and got the vibration issue as well due to deposits (I guess). Only on the rears however. I too thought this might be cool down lap related but maybe its more of a pad issue?? I was thinking of moving to Hawk. Still debating if I should go with dedicated track pad or not. Any thoughts. Track is Homestead-Miami if that matters.

While switching pads is easy, swapping rotors constantly is not something I desire. My Z is both track and daily driver... and pretty much dead stock except the BBK.

 

Definitely I agree with this bit. Though I have never run into rear brake heat issues on our platform regardless of rear pad choice...only noticed more even pad wear f to r and better braking feel and performance. Likely due to the higher brake torque generated due to the higher mu of the pad on that side as all other variables remain the same.

 

Thought I would also add that moving bias to the rear will actually help with brake temps where they can be a problem, on the front.

 

I don't think all pads require swapping rotors, but I might be wrong. Carbotechs need to be bedded into a clean rotor, new or cut, (according to Carbotech) so I have a set of track rotors and a set of street rotors. It is a pain in the rear as my Z is also my daily driver.

I'm pretty sure with some other pads you don't have to change rotors but you do have to bed them in each time you use them after having used the street pads on them. Worth looking into because I'm not certain about this or which pads it might be true for.

 

Late to the party, but here's my $0.02 from a road racing perspective. Once you find a pad with the appropriate temp range (I like Cobalt Friction's XR-2 compound), stick with it. If you are getting heavy pad deposits, you are either overusing the brakes or using a pad that is outside the heat range required. Try using a thermal paint on the outside of the rotors to see how hot the rotors are getting. The paint changes color the hotter it gets. Factual data is always better than guessing.

While all racing pads leave a thin film on the surface of the rotors, that film can be "cleaned" without having to do a lot of sanding or changing the rotors themselves. Just don't expect normal braking (or normal brake distances) until the pad film dissipates.

 

I have sanded these deposits off and it did work but it is a real pain.

I think it was possible that I was overusing the brakes a bit, but I did not have any trouble with them at VIR which has long stretches without braking to cool them down. The pads still looked like new after a 2 day event. Carolina Motorsport Park has multiple hard braking zones with minimal stretches for cooling. I think the cumulative effect is that the brakes get very little chance to cool down. Overusing them a bit just makes things worse.

Rotor temps were in excess of 500 degrees even after a 1/2 lap cool down. That session was my fastest but the brakes went downhill from there in terms of vibration and deposit build up. We also ran 5, 30 minute sessions that day, 4, 20 minute sessions the next day and by the next day I only got 2 1/2 sessions and there was no pad left.

 

Traction control off? With the VDC on doesn't the system engage the rear brakes as needed to control the car?

Anyway... I've got some pictures of my car at a night track event and rears were glowing just as red as the fronts. And I've killed more rear pads then fronts - but always figured it was due to the tiny rear OEM rotors.

I've heard (or read) that as long as you stay with the same brand that you can swap. For example you run Carbotech 1521 for DD, then switch to XP 8/10 for track days. Can anyone confirm?

 

My Z does not have VDC and plain traction control does not use the brakes...and I run a square tire/wheel setup so I have to turn TC control off anyway.

I've never had rear pad issues. They have always worn a little less than the fronts, never more. Never had deposits on rear rotors either. Not to say that they don't get hot, just no problems.

 

Yes with Carbotechs since they are all carbon ceramic pads you are fine with swapping one compound for the other, they say so somewhere on their site iirc.

In all the years autoxing and tracking the z VDC has done nothing but cause bad things on-limit, so I always turn it off. Though it is not a system that will dial in brake bias as needed, that isnt really the way it works. Do you leave yours on while on track?

 

Mine does not have VDC. I had a 2006 G35 6mt coupe that did. VDC tortured the rear brakes and hindered track performance. I had to turn it off on my first day ever on track.

TC on my 07 Z is also a hindrance on a dry track. With a square tire set up it is unusable, wet or dry track.

 

Thanks for confirming what I thought about swapping compounds.

And yes I currently run with VDC on the track. It has saved my bacon a few times, mostly due to poorly timed downshifts that upset the car very badly causing the rear to setup out violently. I've pretty much eliminated any slip lights on corner exit so my power application and apex skills have improved.

I know VDC doesn't adjust brake bias, but it does (I'm pretty sure) apply the brakes (fronts, rears, sides, any/all) in an effort to get the car pointed the right direction again. In that regard it seems to work well. The problem with VDC is the power-cut - it basically kills the RPM anytime the infamous slip light blinks. Thus I agree it sucks on track for time attack runs... however at my skill level I don't mind, right now I'm more focus on refining my line (braking zones, apex points, etc) and not looking for all out speed, just consistency.

 

Nothing wrong with using TC of VDC on track except that the VDC is going to cause your rears to wear as fast or faster than the fronts.

Also, compared to more modern version of traction control (think GTR or C7) our systems are very crude and have no 'sport' or 'competition' mode. In that regard, at some point in the near future as your skills improve both TC and VDC are going to start holding you back rather than improving your lap times.