Brake pads - hawk vs stoptech

[Fenixgoon]

Anyone want to chime in on their experience? I have hawk HPS and they stop like champs, but I believe it's time to replace my pads.

A new set of hawk HPS or HP+ run about 210 while Stoptech 309s are a mere 140. Both sets would work fine I'm sure. I just don't know whether the hawks are worth the premium

Anyone have experience with both?

 

[thomsbrain]

I highly recommend against any of those "performance" street pads. They don't improve stopping distances, they fade FASTER than stock pads, they are hard on rotors, they dust, and they cost three times as much. HPS are dangerously crap, HP+ are roughly the same performance as stock.

OEM pads for street/autocross driving. True track pads for track driving. Swap as needed. If you want better braking performance, get better tires.

 

[brainhulk]

I've used project mu and carbotech track pads. great

i've also used ebc yellow "high performance" pads. crap

my friend uses hawk, but uses the dtc60's track pads. he likes them, but he says they dust way more than carbotechs. but he likes their feel better

 

[Raizinman]

High Performance brake pads don't make a high performance vehicle. For a street vehicle I go with Wagner, Raybestos or any other aftermarket high end brake pad. My preference is Performance Friction Carbon Metallic street version. I work on police cars and this is what they use. Auto Zone or Amazon has these pads. They are not real expensive, about $60 for fronts and rears.

 

[nakedfrog]

I put Wagner Thermoquiets on one of my cars within the last year, and Bosch Quietcast on the other. Satisfied with both of them.

 

[Midwayman]

I highly recommend against any of those "performance" street pads. They don't improve stopping distances, they fade FASTER than stock pads, they are hard on rotors, they dust, and they cost three times as much. HPS are dangerously crap, HP+ are roughly the same performance as stock.

OEM pads for street/autocross driving. True track pads for track driving. Swap as needed. If you want better braking performance, get better tires.

Well the performance pads generally have better heat tolerance which is great if you're driving aggressively up in the cayons or something. But yah, they do take more time to warm up.

For street I always like ceramic pads. Dust is so much better and less noise issues.

 

[evident]

I had some type of hawk branded street pads, they worked fine and didn't have any brake fade at all. i've been using akebono pads as of late and they are cheaper, good performing and long lasting.

 

[DaTT]

I use Hawk HPS. No problems. I have about 80k KM on them and they still have meat and stop just fine.

 

[Sabrewings]

Centric Posiquiets for street driving. Come in your favorite flavor of material.

Project Mu for performance driving. Loved them in the OEM Brembos on my STI.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I use Carbotech's street pads. Great pads, too expensive probably not worth the price, doubt I"ll buy again. Very low dust. On my car forum everyone has liked the Hawks HPS, but avoid the HP+ like the plague because they're very noisy. Most people over there have been pretty disappointed with the Stoptechs.

 

[rsutoratosu]

like above mentioned, i tried both, didn't feel any better than stock. Accord & TSX. OEM or something else

 

[Imported]

I liked the Stoptechs on my G35. Less dust and noise than the HPS.

 

[tweakmonkey]

EBC Yellow Stuff if they make them for your car.

 

[thescreensavers]

I have gone though many sets of these pads (Stoptech performance Pads)

I would recommend them, I have autocrossed on them and tracked them my Rotors where glowing but the pads kept working.

They do dust a lot but thats a tradeoff.

Also

Our Street Performance pads are rated up to 1300F and have an FF friction rating which indicated 0.35 – 0.45, which is variable based on pad temperatures.

Thats a massive range hawk has nothing on that

 

[SithSolo1]

I liked the Stoptechs on my G35. Less dust and noise than the HPS.

I had two sets of Stoptechs on my G35 as well, no issues with braking but I had a lot of dust with mine. The pads(can't remember the brand) on right now dust and squeal like crazy. I've got a set of Akebono ProACT pads going on next week so we'll see how they do.

 

[thomsbrain]

Well the performance pads generally have better heat tolerance which is great if you're driving aggressively up in the cayons or something. But yah, they do take more time to warm up.

Unfortunately some of them actually have less heat tolerance (Hawk HPS for instance). They're designed to create a grabby first-application feel that provides the sensation of improved brake performance so people think they're "sporty". They do that by focusing on mechanical interlocking friction, which is rough on rotors and works at low temperatures, but does not work at higher temperatures because the pad surface melts and can't hold anything.

True high-temperature pads work more via molecular adhesion to create friction (interesting side note: so do race tires!). That's why they need heat to generate their highest friction levels, and why they are so resistant to fade (they rely less on the mechanical interlocking that stops working when the pad surface is melted). But the flip side is they don't feel "grabby" when they are cold. The higher you climb the heat-resistant/endurance ladder here, the more cold bite you give up, because the pad compound focuses more on molecular adhesion and less on mechanical interlocking.

Project Mu, Performance Friction and Carbotech all make good track pads and are worth paying for. For street driving, I don't see a need to pay the premium of those brands.

 

[Jimzz]

Unfortunately some of them actually have less heat tolerance (Hawk HPS for instance). They're designed to create a grabby first-application feel that provides the sensation of improved brake performance so people think they're "sporty". They do that by focusing on mechanical interlocking friction, which is rough on rotors and works at low temperatures, but does not work at higher temperatures because the pad surface melts and can't hold anything.

True high-temperature pads work more via molecular adhesion to create friction (interesting side note: so do race tires!). That's why they need heat to generate their highest friction levels, and why they are so resistant to fade (they rely less on the mechanical interlocking that stops working when the pad surface is melted). But the flip side is they don't feel "grabby" when they are cold. The higher you climb the heat-resistant/endurance ladder here, the more cold bite you give up, because the pad compound focuses more on molecular adhesion and less on mechanical interlocking.

Project Mu, Performance Friction and Carbotech all make good track pads and are worth paying for. For street driving, I don't see a need to pay the premium of those brands.

I put performance fiction on my old Chevy and my 2009 Dakota truck. Neither has ABS and the lack of locking up when cold really helps. The truck will lock up faster than the Chevy but no where near as bad, or scary, as standard pads.

But I do agree unless you need performance pads standard gold/Plat pads from advance/AZ work great. If ordering online Raybestos or Centric Posiquiets are also good pads. I skip Wagner now as their quality has really dropped.