Well I was at an autocross and there was a car that had squeaky pads, and the people behind me said those brakes need replaced. This made me think are the pads worn out and need replaced or are they racing pads. So then I was thinking of all the cars that I have seen run that day and only a couple had a noise like the pads were bad or that they were running racing pads, but I'm sure there were more than a couple cars there that were running racing pads.

So how do I tell when the racing pads on my car are bad? I have Hawk HP pads in the front. They don't make any noise until they are warm and then they make a lot of noise and they give off a lot of brake dust. Are these just qualities of racing pads? Or are they old and need to be replaced?


Thanks for helping me with my newb question.

 

Hawk HPs aren't racing pads. They'll squeal and dust throughout their life, so don't be concerned about that. Just keep an eye on pad material thickness, once it gets down to 1/2 or less, stopping power will decrease a bit. I just took some Cobalt Spec VRs (a MUCH more race-oriented pad) down to maybe 1/16" from the backing plate and still stopped ok, as a comparison. I'd advise changing them out before that though

 

ok. Thanks for the help. I thought that Hawk pads were considered racing pads.haha


So do most race pads (like Cobalt pads)squeal a lot?


Edit: I just made this post under my brothers name. haha

 

Some Hawk pads are racing compounds, like Blues or Blacks. The HP line (HP+ and HPS) are definitely not, and are more oriented towards street use. Just about any of the more aggressive pads (Hawk, Cobalt, Carbotech, Porterfield, etc.) will squeal and dust. That's one of the compromises that has to be made for the better stopping ability. And the racier the pad, the more squealing and dust you'll have to put up with.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Some Hawk pads are racing compounds, like Blues or Blacks. The HP line (HP+ and HPS) are definitely not, and are more oriented towards street use. Just about any of the more aggressive pads (Hawk, Cobalt, Carbotech, Porterfield, etc.) will squeal and dust. That's one of the compromises that has to be made for the better stopping ability. And the racier the pad, the more squealing and dust you'll have to put up with. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for the help. I don't think I will be getting any race pads then. I daily drive my car and the squealing and dust of the HP+ is enough for me.haha

 

They should be adequate for autox too. The advantage of the "race" pads is in high tolerance to heat absorption, which you shouldn't have to worry about. If/when you start tracking the car, the HP+ will suffice for awhile, but after some experience you'll most likely want to step up to something more aggressive and fade resistant.

 

With most pads for street use, there is a metal "squeaker" tab that comes into contact with the rotor when the pads are down to about 2 mm of material, to warn you that it's time to replace the pads. As noted above, many race pads squeal all the time. Also note that many race pads do not come with a squeaker tab.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by george34 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So how do I tell when the racing pads on my car are bad?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Take the wheels off and look at the thickness of the material on them. On some cars, you can see the edge of the pad through the spokes in the wheel without removing the wheels.

On most cars, new pads are around 11 mm thick in front, 9 mm in the rear. You replace them when they get down to 2 mm or so (in a pinch, you can run them all the way down, but if you're using them on the track or autocross, you might want more pad material to act as an insulator, like 3-4 mm).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Also note that many race pads do not come with a squeaker tab.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is why I had a problem, but you have explained enough that I can keep an eye on the thickness and know when to change them.

What is your guess on how many mile I can get from Hawk HP+ pads with daily driving and some autocross? I know it is very hard and there are lots of factors but just a guess if you can.

 

For me, I have no idea. It would depend on how much you autox, what your daily driving style is like (are you driving like a granny, in city traffic, hauling *** left and right, etc.). There are just way too many factors involved to even guesstimate that. Just watch thickness.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">For me, I have no idea. It would depend on how much you autox, what your daily driving style is like (are you driving like a granny, in city traffic, hauling *** left and right, etc.). There are just way too many factors involved to even guesstimate that. Just watch thickness.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok. Thanks for the help and I will keep an eye on the thickness.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are just way too many factors involved to even guesstimate that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Speaking of that, a guy here at work is replacing the original front pads on his Sienna. At 168,000 miles

I'm lucky to get 25k out of the Wearevers on my wagon

 

WTF?!?!? 168K miles? That's completely absurd.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">WTF?!?!? 168K miles? That's completely absurd. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The joke is that he "Flintstones" the car - stop with his feet. The reality is that he has a long commute with few stops/little traffic, and probably stops with due care and caution, unlike the "stand on 'em" stops I prefer in B0XY