Fero313

iTrader: (1)

OK, here's the situation. I haven't done any brake work before so this would be a first. Searchin around I saw alot of people talking about Hawk HP+(sp?) brake pads.... Are those a good choice for "slightly better than stock"?? Also, is the time and effort i'd put into it be worth the money i'd spend taking it to mieneke(sp?) I know it's something that i could do with a little instruction, so it's just a matter of is it worth the hassle. Help me here guys, but in the GTUs model, don't i have 4-piston calipers in the front? and 2-piston in the back?

so to wrap it up:

Hawk HP brakes. good? bad? any suggestions??

DIY job?? or just take it to a brake shop?

Tiers

Brake jobs are a snap , easyish, BUT a bit of a science. IMO if you have never done it, not a experienced backyard mechanic or have someone experienced to help then a shop job is actually pretty cheap. There is no real problem swappin pads, but would you know if the rotors need turning or replacing are the cylinders good etc etc. Brakes obviously are sumthin you dont want to fail redlining an RX7 with the needle buried .

Have heard good things about Hawk pads but again most good pads are sufficient unless you have upgraded other things, and this is another on the list.

Terry

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

to change pads on the front of an FC takes 20 minutes, TOPS.

if you're mechanically inclined it is NO big deal.

I've never done rear's, but I'd imagine they're not that much more difficult.

fc3seeker

I think its absolutely worth it to change your own pads and then just stopping by a brake shop for a free diagnostic for your rotors and such.

As for the pads I've heard great things about them but then get ready to wash your rims after every other drives due to the amount of brake dust they create. And so far every review I've read all mentioned the massive amounts of brake dust after a few days of driving.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

For most of us that have done brake jobs in the past, yes, replacement of the pads very easy. If you've never done it before, it can be done, but might need some assistance. Read up in the Chilton manual and give it a try. If you get in a bind just post and someone will come to your rescue. Just give yourself enough time and I'd say just do the fronts first.

Fero313

iTrader: (1)

awesome guys thanks alot... as far as pads go i hate cleaning the s5 turbo wheels... any suggestions for pads that create less dust...

again thanks
paul

Fero313

iTrader: (1)

...

n4ji

iTrader: (1)

I know how you feel, and to top you I have WHITE S5 turbo wheels. Try EBC green stuff brakes. They're supposed to reduce brake dust by 80% or so.

JKM

If you want something that's slightly better than stock, I would stay away from the Hawk HP+ pads, as they are a racing pad. What I would recommend for you would be the Hawk HPS pads, they are made for street driving (High Performance Street) and work well with a stock braking system. HP+'s also squeal and dust quite badly, the HPS's do not.

There are many people who throw on HPS for regular driving and swap it for HP+ when they get on the track.

Wankels-Revenge

I'd say the hardest part about changing your own pads is re-installing the little brake spring thing...that thing sucks.

andrew lohaus

its not a problem at all. however, if your front rotors are stuck on the hubs (which tends to happen since they are dissimilar metals) just take the whole hub assembly off and have a machine shop press them off, itl save you a lot of headaches. hopefully this wont happen to you tho.

jasonw3579

the first time i changed brakes on my 7, the back wheels took longer to take off than changing the pads, the fronts were a little tricky and i had to look at it for a bit to get it done. i personally hate spending time doing simple things, that would be my only real choice maker

chumma7

a simple pad replacing brake job cake and i think you should attempt to do it. once you've changed 1 set of pads the rest is cake. the 89 gtus has 4 piston front calipers and single piston rear calipers.
I agree with JKM and personally would not recommend HP+ pads for the street, unless you plan to go to the track every weekend and wouldnt mind spending hours cleaning your rims afterwards. the Hawk HPS pads are a great upgrade from stock while still being quiet and dust-free.

Drifter101

DIY, brake pads are as easy to change as tieing your shoes

OC_

ok, somthing you should know.
1: Its always best to have the rotor resurfaced when you change your pads.
2: theres sometimes little metal screws holding the rotors on. They are total BS and you dont need those at all. Just drill it out because your probably wont be able to take it off with a screw driver from the rust.

Some things about pads.
They are really important, i decided to try some different pads and boy... i regret it, but my loss is you gain because i can tell you that Rotex pads ($75 a pair) are really poor! They are supose to be 'high performance' but they just suck, i have over heat them doing some sporty driving on the street. They fade before the caliper is even hot to the touch.

The HP+ is pretty close to a race pad. I would not run that if my car was only a street car.
The problem with running a race pad on the street is there operating temp is really high, they dont make good friction untill they are hot. So if you just cruzing along and you need your brakes for an emergency stop, its not going to stop well.

I ran a Performance Friction 'Z rated' pad a while ago in a different car, i think thats a great street pad. I would recomend that.

I have never had the rotor stuck on the hub to the point of taking of the hub and getting it pressed off. A mallet does the trick.

poor college student

i would go Hawk HPS pads for the street if you're not doing any track stuff...

and as far as changing your own pads goes, see if you can find a friend to kind of show you how to do one and supervise you doing the rest. offer beer and pizza if necessary, that way you have someone making sure you do everything right, and you have someone to show you the first time...

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I would definetly NOT cut the rotors unless absolutely necessary due to wrappage or grooves, etc. Contrary to popular belief, rotors, just like a flywheel, do not need to be turned each time new pads/clutch installed. Just rough it up if you want, and your good to go. There is only .008 (.004 ea side) of useable material until the rotor is out of spec. Naturally most people go beyound that, but that surely compromises heat dissapation and can lead to more problems.
As usual my 2 cents.

GTUser

The only thing you can do that is easier on your car is change the windshield wipers, put air in your tires, or add oil. Yes, by all means do it yourself. You will end up with a much better job than you'll get at almost any brake franchise and you will know what the new pads and your rotors are like.

The only tools you'll need are jack stands to hold your car up, a lug wrench to remove the wheel, a 8"- 9" C clamp to reseat the caliper pistons so that there is enough clearance to clear the new brake pads, a wrench or rachet set to loosen and tighten the bolts that hold the caliper to the hub. You'll also need some "Brake Cleaner" spray to clean your calipers and rotors by spraying them down and washing off the dust and dirt. This is an alcohol based liquid that evaporates quickly and will not leave any deposit on the parts or cause them to rust.

One of the off-the-shelf maintenace manuals will give you all the help you will need if you can't find a friend to supervise your first try.

Falcoms

Okay, changing pads on the s5 RX-7 is a snap, being that they designed it as a race car, with the ability to change pads rather redily. The rear caliper, you just take the lower bolt out and piviot it up and pull the pads off the slider rails. The fronts, just pull the two bolts (the little ones)on top of the caliper, NOT THE CALIPER ITSELF, and pull the pads out, keeping track of the springs and plates on the pads. You want to use disk brake quiet, which is typically red goop that you put inbetween the plates, pads, and pistons to prevent squeeking. To reassemble, just repeat the steps you followed taking the pads out. Also, have a bigger screwdriver to wiggle the rotor inbetween the cooling fins to spread out the pads to remove them, otherwise you have about .003 of an inch to play with, and with a ridge at the top of the rotor that can be up to .050 or more, you need all the room you can muster.

Also, when changing or cutting (turning) rotors, do it at a different time as the pads. I know that this is a royal pain in the ***, but to have pads and rotors properly seat, you need new on old, NO EXCEPTIONS. You can get away with doing it all at once, but it is not reccomnended.

Also, if you want to start getting real technical with brake stuff, if you are racing / auto-x'ing your car, if brake gasses build up and cause brake fade (this is an interesting experiance, just ask anyone who has encountered it going into a corner deep and having a nice pedal, but no brakes), you can set the rotor on a mill, mount it through the lug holes, hold it securely in place, and cut a set of paralell slots across the rotor, about 1/4 the total thickness of the side you are cutting, coming as close to the raised hub part of the rotor and beyond the edges of the rotor. This will expell exhaust gasses very readily, and will not reduce braking power at all, in fact it will probably increase it. I know this is a heck of alot more in depth than I needed to go here, but I hope sombody finds this helpful.

Also, if you do grove the rotors, DO NOT CUT THE GROOVES AT THE SAME POINT ON BOTH SIDES, AND DON'T CUT THEM PERPINDICULAR. You want the grooves near perpindicular to each other (side to side, not grooves on one side), but about 20-30 deg. from perp.

I guess it shows that I play with this stuff a little.