hurleysurf24

iTrader: (3)

Immediately after I had my shop install brand new Brembo rotors and new Hawk HP+ Pads, and before, during, and after properly breaking them in (following Hawk's specific break in) the pads have sounded like a freight train. You can literally hear them from about 6-7 blocks away.

I called Hawk up, they pretty much shrugged me off and in essence, told me I was exaggerating the sound, and that all HP+ typically had LOW levels of noise

I've driven other RX-7's and other vehicles running Hawk HP+ and have never heard pads on those cars sound anywhere near the level of mine.

Here's a video of my RX-7 so you can hear the pads. It would be about 10 times louder if I were outside the car, and I didn't have the wind blowing in the car from the top being down.

RETed

Never liked the HP+...

Use the HPS for street use and mild performance applications like autocross.
The HP+ was designed for in between autocross and occasional track time on a road course.
In reality, they suck for both!
The HP+ disintegrate for even limited track time - use the Hawk 9012 Blues instead - and they DON'T like working when "cold", as you have found out.


-Ted

arghx

iTrader: (3)

are you sure the shop lubricated everything properly when they installed them? lazy *** mechanics...

Don49

iTrader: (3)

It sounds like the pads are vibrating and causing the noise you hear. I would look to a poor job of installing them(calipers not cleaned, pads not sitting square as a result). Years ago on GM cars the answer was to glue the pads so they wouldn't vibrate. There was a service bulletin on this.

Black91n/a

While that's a bit worse than what mine did, what are you doing running a semi track pad on the street anyway? It's not like there's not lots of info out there about the noise and the never-ending supply of corrosive brake dust.

If you modulate the pedal you can often get the pads to quiet down. I do this when driving my race pads to and from the track and it can work fairly well, but it's not magic.

Boost Lee

iTrader: (3)

Hawk HP+ tend to make tons of noise anyways. My cohorts and I have come to the conclusion that it's because the edge of the pad is perpendicular to the surface of the rotor. We've all experienced squeal with new pads and it occurs primarily with a pad with a squared edge. We have begun to start putting in a taper along the leading edge of the pad. It seems to work.

If you don't get what I mean, do this... Put your finger on any part of the brake rotor surface.... rotate the rotor towards the pad.... The edge of the pad that you touch first (or would touch if the caliper and other crap wasn't there) is the edge that we bevel.

Here is an explanation of why we think it works. Imaging a large high friction surface on the ground. Then try and run something like a brake rotor surface over it at a constant rate. It doesn't happen easily... the rotor surface will get caught on high points and drop into low points. If you try it with enough momentum you'll get heat (expected) and sound (damnit!). Now if you make the entry onto the high friction surface a little easier the amount of sound will be reduced. Granted, there isn't as much surface area on the pad to slow you down but you wanted it quiet, right?. An example can be seen if you look at pictures of EBC brake pads...

It seems to work!!???!!!

hurleysurf24

iTrader: (3)

i take my car to autocross and events often so hp+ seemed like the way to go
also i was told the noise was minimal .. the noise on the pads are far from that.

Even when I autocross with them they are horrible. Stopping power is minimal and they still are loud as hell.

Also, I'm sure the shop installed them right. They do everyones work in the Orlando area, and all the high power turbo cars (900hp evos, etc etc)

fonzi581

iTrader: (1)

I put the Hawk street performance pads on my vert and the squeaking is WAY too loud. I installed them myself so i know that i put them in there right but the squeaking only happens if i am stopping slowely. But if i stop fast then of course the noise goes away. Hope this helps

Black91n/a

I've done many autocrosses on regular parts store type pads with no problems. Maybe the HPS would be more appropriate, or there's other options, like the Porterfield R4S.

If you're getting minimal bite then maybe they are bad or something, because I never had that problem, nor have others that I know who've used them, but they all report noise.

Were the rotors used? That may be part of the problem, as the different transfer layers might not be playing well together (especially if race pads have ever been used on them). Maybe you should try getting the rotors turned, grind off the surface layer of the pads, bevel the edges and try again.

rotarychainsaw

Mine made the dumptruck noise with teh hawks and brembo rotors. I think the brembo's are the problem, cause I've had friends with hawks on other rotors that were fine.

WingsofWar

Sounds like a crap load of vibration, either your rotors need to be checked for warpage or there is some uneven surface wear. The pads should make noise but not so much that it begins to chatter like that. If your rotor is fine, the caliper might be in question.

mine makes the same noise, but i already know the problem with mine, the caliper has not been properly cleaned and lubricated. I took apart one side and cleaned with a brash brush and some brake clean and solvent, lubbed up the slide rods and walla! no more train noise during braking, on one side of course. I still have to take apart the other one. Bottom line is for a 20 year old car, those brake parts are exposed to some major heat and the inners are prone to rust, especially the areas that move. Inspect the caliper if all seems gold, and the brake pedal pressure seems right, then switching to another pad might be at hand. Some metalic and semi-metalic pads require them to be heated before they grab better.

Valkyrie

There's a reason why the HPS have the letter S in them...

You should expect any high-performance brake pad to make noise and not last very long.

But I think you should tell the shop to check their installation... that's almost race pad-like noise, IMO...

OTOH, I personally think HPS pads are a little weak, at least on single-piston brakes with old lines. They can barely do a minute-long autocross course before getting too hot to lock up the tires without having to mash the brakes.

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

BAH, you people are over analizing.

Track pads are noisy. Especially on our cars because non-floating 4pot aluminum calipers resonate any pad squeal ten fold.

Heat em up good once or twice and get some good pad transfer and they will quiet down. My track pads on fresh rotors sound exactly the same. My girlfirend hates it. I get evil looks at stop lights etc...

If you want quiet brakes, track compounds are not for you. And if all you do is autox even the HP+ compound is overkill. Try HPS. Or better yet. Quietest street pad with the best fade resistance in light track/autoX driving i have ever used are the porterfield street compound.

Did your shop install ALL 8 shims? Not having the all the stock shims also makes for noisy brakes with the stock 4-pots....

And to the other opinions in this thread, i have fully cleaned and lubed my setup to a point where you would think it is all brand new stuff. Still squeals at me like a ****.

You should hear new carbotechs on new cryo rotors. My god you would think you hearing was gone.

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

I would tend to agree with Ted. Crossover pads are basically bad at both track and street use.

Run a crossover in the rear, and swap your fronts out at the track between a street compound and a full race compound.

Black91n/a

As someone who has faded my rear brakes I say get real racing pads on all 4 corners, then if you do run into problems you've got spares for all corners, not just the front.

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

I was more refering to someone occasionally light tracking and mostly autoXing. Because you have brakes for turn 1 but then you really have brakes after that. Plus it would be hard to fade rears unless you are full on racing. And non enough rear brake is FAR BETTER than too much.

mazda13B88

mine were loud too when i got them. i just got tired of them and got some bendix pads from discount. they have a lifetime warrenty and they are quiet. they dont stop as good as the hawks but all i daily drive my car so no reason to have "racing" brakes. they also had brake dust so bad. i could wash my wheels, drive for an hour, and it would look like my wheels are gunmetal, lol

hurleysurf24

iTrader: (3)

yea same thing here .. its a bit rediculous you know? anyway I will be selling them soon .. or sending them back to hawk for further analysis

the rotors are brand new and i would never install anything used brake wise, not worth the chance. they have no warpage and the calipers are fine because the brakes before this set didnt do this.

I actually only have about 500 miles on the brakes

BrettLinton7

iTrader: (33)

ahhh, ear piercing

Black91n/a

I faded the rears at a track day using street tires (Kumho SPT's). They were the solid rotors, but I was using 550 degree fluid with racing pads and the pads showed signs of the heat.

I really don't agree with it when people reccomend using race pads only in front, while you might get away with it, it's not that hard to change and then you'll have better brakes too. I've street driven my Porterfield R4 pads and they grip just fine when cold, so there's no problem with the brakes from the first corner all the way to the last one.

I wasn't trying to imply that you'd bought used rotors or anything, but most people just keep the same rotors on when swapping pads.

13b_cookie_monster

iTrader: (14)

i'd start with checking if they were properly installed. Were the hubs free from rust before slapping on the new rotors? were the shims and sliders all lubed up? but i agree those pads are crazy annoyying. I run the hps with some slotted rotors and haven't had issues but only time will tell with more track events. do the work yourself so you know whats going on.

Circuit Theory

iTrader: (52)

You all failed to ask the most important question(imo).
Why did you have a shop install brake pads and rotors for you? That is almost as basic as changing your oil or removing a tire. If you cant install your own brake pads you definately should not be using this type of pad.

Eva001Ikari

iTrader: (7)

Wow, i bought the blank cross drilled rotors from mazdatrix and Hawk HPS pads, broke the pads in after installing everything myself (took a couple hours cuz i didnt understand my calipers) and once everything was done they worked fine. I have had absolutely no problems with my pads at all, they drag just a little bit and they dont work very well when they're cold but all you gotta do is warm em up and they run just fine.

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

Bingo. I was a little puzzled as to why you were fading rears. Non-vented rotors says it all. It takes a huge punishing to fade rears on our cars. I can start my fronts on fire without fading my rears at all. But when i had a car with solid rears they would fade while street driving. Gotta have those vented ones man....

RockLobster

iTrader: (7)

This is very normal for race compound pads, ESPECIALLY, on virgin rotors. When you track your car you get very used to it. Its way better than the alternative. Which is pads overheating and brake fade all day long.

Hawk and carbotech race compounds are very loud and dust like crazy. When i have my race pads on the car and i wash the wheels they are all dusty again in less than a mile of driving. But hell some companies stock pads are that way now (Ford, Chrystler).

The porterfield pads are somewhat better, their kevlar compounds are quieter and make less dust but i dont know how well they hold up to full on track abuse. When i got into track driving i did some parking lot stuff first and was running the porterfield street compound. I was very happy with how they worked for light autoX type use.