Is there a large performance gap between the Hawk HP+ and HPS? How big is it really? Can the HPS not take as much heat as the HP+? Is the pad material of the HP+ better than that of the HPS? Is there more "braking power" in the HP+?

 

http://www.hawkperformance.com/performance/

-OR-

email hawk direct and get all the answers from the source.

 

I've always thought of it as the HPS' being more for street use, due to them having more of an intial bite that the HP+.

 

put it this way. i have driven on track with hp+. i would never do that with hps

 

the HPS is more of an aggressive street pad not really suited for track use. the HPS pads also do not squeek and arent as dusty. i'd suggest you go with the HP+, it offers better stopping once it reaches its optimal heat range.

 

<--- Accidentally drove on track with HPS Thought they were HP+, didn't last even one full session. Oops.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Stinkycheezmonky &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">&lt;--- Accidentally drove on track with HPS Thought they were HP+, didn't last even one full session. Oops.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yikes

 

i just installed the hps and have about 600 miles on them and they are horrible. i don't know if they still need to be broken in but the new disc have definitive grooves and SEEM to be broken in. they just feel glazed and don't have the stopping power I'm use to w/ the oem brakes. w/ the oem i could out brake the tires and engage the abs in the dry but can't even come close w/ the hps. I'm utterly disappointed and wouldn't recommend them to anyone as this stage. I hope they get better.

 

I had the same result actually. I swapped back to OEM pads, even for the street. They're just really terrible.

Edit: <TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lo-Buck EF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
yikes </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah...

 

Oh wow....looks like I should return these puppies and send for a set of HP+ eh?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dumkopf &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oh wow....looks like I should return these puppies and send for a set of HP+ eh?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would. I really like the HP+. Mine don't squeal (even with street use), nice bite, hold up well on the track. I like 'em...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lo-Buck EF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">put it this way. i have driven on track with hp+. i would never do that with hps</TD></TR></TABLE>

I did one event with HPS pads with valvoline fluid. I would not run these pads again on the track. Maybe for street only. But for the price, might as well run the cheapo pads.

Now I'm deciding between the HP+ and GT-Sport pads. I think I'm going to give the gt-s pad a try with Motul fluid.

 

I have never tried the HPS, but I wouldn't use them on a track.

I really like the HP+ pads in the rear of my Integra (Blue's up front). I think they help balance the brake bite since there is so little weight on the rear and they won't reach the same temperature as the front.

 

Hawk is garbage for race use if you're any decent driving. Their HT10 is supposed to be better but who knows. I currently have Hawk Blue's in the front and HP+ in the rear and these pads are not linear at all, if you do any left foot braking, the pad torque rises with the heat = no no!!! I bought this setup because it was a little bit cheaper than what I had before, what a mistake. My previous setup was Ferodo DS3000 F and DS2500 R, it was the best brake setup I ever had.
BTW this is in an RSX-S

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by georgiajdm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i just installed the hps and have about 600 miles on them and they are horrible. i don't know if they still need to be broken in but the new disc have definitive grooves and SEEM to be broken in. they just feel glazed and don't have the stopping power I'm use to w/ the oem brakes. w/ the oem i could out brake the tires and engage the abs in the dry but can't even come close w/ the hps. I'm utterly disappointed and wouldn't recommend them to anyone as this stage. I hope they get better.</TD></TR></TABLE>
A word of advice, take the pads off the street. I'm trying to help save you from a wreck or worse. My HPS's did the EXACT same thing. They were, as you guessed, glazed to hell. I've come to the conclusion after 2 sets of HPS's in two different cars that HPS's require a really strange break-in process. For the first 1000 miles or so, they're VERY easy to glaze. You won't notice that they're gone in daily driving because it happens slowly, but as soon as you try to stop in an emergency they will NOT be there for you. My car spun into oncoming traffic when I was forced to brake hard because of a collision in front of me coming around a corner because the front brakes did nothing at all and only my (OEM) back brakes worked. I got lucky, but I won't take a chance with the HPS's bizarre break-in again. I took the set that caused all the problems in the Integra off and sanded them with very rough grit sandpaper and installed fresh rotors and the Hawks have been perfect since. They to perform well for a street pad, IMO. Their strange break-in habits are downright scary, though. Just my .02.

 

I thought my HPS's were just getting low. They were being used for autox, and I found that they would not seem to bite then they'd suddenly lock up... maybe they had the same glazing issue, I need to take a look at them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AltimaXX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
A word of advice, take the pads off the street. I'm trying to help save you from a wreck or worse. My HPS's did the EXACT same thing. They were, as you guessed, glazed to hell. I've come to the conclusion after 2 sets of HPS's in two different cars that HPS's require a really strange break-in process. For the first 1000 miles or so, they're VERY easy to glaze. You won't notice that they're gone in daily driving because it happens slowly, but as soon as you try to stop in an emergency they will NOT be there for you. My car spun into oncoming traffic when I was forced to brake hard because of a collision in front of me coming around a corner because the front brakes did nothing at all and only my (OEM) back brakes worked. I got lucky, but I won't take a chance with the HPS's bizarre break-in again. I took the set that caused all the problems in the Integra off and sanded them with very rough grit sandpaper and installed fresh rotors and the Hawks have been perfect since. They to perform well for a street pad, IMO. Their strange break-in habits are downright scary, though. Just my .02.</TD></TR></TABLE>


scary makes me wonder if i should just get oem pads now instead of hawks

but the hp+ shouldn't have this problem right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 90_EX_Civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but the hp+ shouldn't have this problem right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Right.

 

alrighty then. sounds good.

 

Last year i did a brake upgrade, i looked on this site to see what other people had and the HPS seemed pretty popular. This is the most negitive that i've heard about them. I auto-x and tracked a few times, and i wasn't too impressed. First i heard of the glazing too. I was going to upgrade to HP+ in the front and leave hps in the back. Is that an OK set up?

 

I like the way the HPS's perform now that they're broken in, it was only their initial performance that was so bad. I do want to try something better next time around though...

 

I had HPS and hated them for any type of driving. HP+ for daily and track.

 

go with plus

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FerreiraCompetitions &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hawk is garbage for race use if you're any decent driving. Their HT10 is supposed to be better but who knows. I currently have Hawk Blue's in the front and HP+ in the rear and these pads are not linear at all, if you do any left foot braking, the pad torque rises with the heat = no no!!! I bought this setup because it was a little bit cheaper than what I had before, what a mistake. My previous setup was Ferodo DS3000 F and DS2500 R, it was the best brake setup I ever had.
BTW this is in an RSX-S</TD></TR></TABLE>

Interesting, I guess I wont be getting hawks again cause regular autoxing has worn out my HPS'.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SkankyEJ7 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Interesting, I guess I wont be getting hawks again cause regular autoxing has worn out my HPS'.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's ridiculous!

Every brake pad maker (including Hawk) makes a variety of pads, including track-only pads for best performance on the track, street pads designed for low noise and dusting, and street-track pads with a blend of somewhat low noise with better performance.

If you want higher-performance pads, you can try a higher-performance Hawk pad, like the HP+ or one of their track pads. It doesn't make any sense to just write off the entire brand because YOU bought the wrong pad.

What you're doing is like getting one of those cheap Chevy Aveos, then claiming that all Chevys are slow and that's why you would never buy a Corvette.

Hawk makes a variety of brake pads, which are excellent as long as you get the right pad for your needs. So do other brands like Cobalt Friction, Carbotech, etc. Just get the pad that works best for your needs. For autocross, it's not the HPS.