Ok, going to get some new brake pads for my car, setup for autocross.

I've heard good things about Hawk, and better things about porterfield, but I can't find anyone who sells porterfield. Anyone out there have suggestions on which pad, and info on who sells porterfield?

TIA

 

I've used Hawk and the HPS are okay for street only (and still fade sometimes). HP+ dust and squeal too much for street pads, IMHO. But they do give nice pedal feel and are more resistant to fading.

Porterfield sound better, but I haven't used them personally. You can get them from http://www.porterfield-brakes.com/

-Max

 

You might try the EBC Green Stuffs, if your application is mostly road and autocross.

I've had great success with Porterfield R4, and R4-S. I will be trying their endurance compound, R4-E tomorrow and the weekend at Putnam Park Road Course.

 

The Porterfield R4Es are awesome...hard pedal brake pedal during every hard driving session...highly recommended

 

I have run both HPS and EBC Greenstuff on the street and can hardly tell any difference. The Greenstuff seems to need at least one stop to be fully effective where the HPS seem to work even stone cold. Either should work for autocross using STREET tires but will undoubtedly fade on a roadcourse or Autocross w/ RACE tires. I ran the Greestuff at the Streets of Willow and did not get any fade (a novice running on sippery V rated street tires I don't push the brakes nearly as hard as Max Cooper does) however I did use up 85% of the pads in less than 2 hous of track time. I now have a set of HP+ waiting for my next track day.

 

I faded some worn Hawk Blues that day! (actually, I think I just boiled the fluid, but that was the worst loss of brakes I have ever experienced).

-Max

 

I have been using PF93 pads, they are a good track pad and yet they are mild enough to use on the street. I bought several sets a while back after I was told they were going out of production. I have heard good things about the R4E's but I have not heard if they are ok for the street?

 

Yup, they are usable on the street...I still have them on from this past weekend's PCA event at Putnam Park

 

What're a good aggressive pad for the street, a little bit of dust is ok (but not enough to clean your wheels twice a day ) and squealing would probably be the biggest annoyance.

 

I've got Hawk HP+'s in the front and HPS's in the rear. I only notice them squeal under light braking at low speeds once in a while. Break squeal is a pet-peeve of mine and they have never bothered me so they aren't bad.

Now as far as dust goes...that is another story! If you are **** about your wheels not having dust on them, you will be cleaning your wheels everyday! The HP+'s do dust pretty bad.

I hit my first AutoX next weekend, so I'll report back on how they feel under heavy (yet relatively low speed) breaking.

K

 

note to self: buy dark wheels
my moms brakes squeal under light braking, but thats because she doesnt take care of the car. i can't stand it and have found the "g-spot" to make it stop squealing while not braking too much

 

i heard the hawks tend to eat up the rotors... is that right?

 

I saw somewhere that Hawks leave lines, or something like that, I forget and can't find whereI read it, but that Porterfields almost polish the brake disc

 

Yes Hawk Blacks left deep grooves on my rotors, while the Porterfield R4Es polished the rotor faces very nicely.

Don't forget to bed the R4Es before hard use!

 

btw, here is a really good website to help people who aren't experts on brakes out. I found it very helpful
http://www.se-r.net/brakes/

 

Erik, I run Hawk HP+ on mine. They do dust and they do squeal, but I have yet to fade them on any of the courses we have run. They wear suprisingly slowly as well, I won't change pads before sometime next season and you know we run a lot. Seems some have said the Porterfield can perform as well with no dusting and that would be good, but I can get HP+ for $45 an axle; can't beat that.

I am still on the same rotors. I bought a spare set a long time ago because everyone said that the HP+ will eat rotors. Don't believe them, I get excellent wear; no grooving at all.

 

Never had a rotor-grooving problem with HP Plusses, only with the Black compound...

 

I've had the R4Es on the road for a week now. The Porterfields dust as much as the Hawk HP Plusses. R4E cold braking is amazing and is superior to Hawk HP Plusses. Track braking will obviously be superior with the R4Es, as the HP Plusses WILL FADE after 8 laps of hot driving.

If you plan to switch to Porterfield, you'll need to burnish your rotors BEFORE installing the carbon kevlar pads. The burnishing will remove your old pad film, and prepare the rotor surface for the new carbon kevlar film to be laid down by the Porterfields.

You'll need to bed the Porterfields in. Take a few hard stops until you smell the pads outgassing. Park the car with the e-brake DIS-ENGAGED. After the Porterfields have cooled, you'll be all set to brake HARD!

 

POrterfields are soo superior its not really debatable.. They grip harder and seem to remain present longer... On a road by my house i found this out :

Stock pads- Faded after 1 mile of curvy roads
Hawks- Faded after 2.5...
Porterfield- road isnt long enough (5 miles) and i couldnt get em to fade!

This is on brand new brembo rotors! Not drilled or slotted!

 

I run hawk blues on my circuit car with great success. how much for set of Hb155's in the states?

 

~$150 for the fronts

 

Hey SleepR1, if you dont mind me asking, where did you get your R4E's? Did you shop around good for the best price? How much for all the way around?

Thanks,
STEPHEN

 

www.porterfield-brakes.com

 

Thanks for the info, we pay in USD close to USD $300! Sh__ I think I shoud order them from the US, any idea how I can do that?

 

Stephen, I order direct from Porterfield. $208 is retail for fr/rr on both R4 and R4E. R4Ses are cheaper.

Twister, you can probably order Hawk brakes from Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development.