Anyone used Hawk Performance HPS pads or Summit Racing Extreme Rotors?

[SigEpCutlass]

I'm contemplating using the following for my new brake setup on the front of my cutty:

 

Hawk Performance HPS brake pads

Summit Racing Extreme Performance Cross Drilled & Slotted Rotors

 

Has anyone used either one of these together or separately before? Thanks!

[BIGBULS]

First................watch this video:

 

Then.........

 

During that video I STILL had pedal left, and the pads lasted another 30-40K miles...........the vid was Jan '04 RIGHT after Canada did a 3400 swap in his Beretta, and I replaced the pads this last summer..............after ALSO autocrossing them multiple times AND tracking them at Heartland Park in Jul '06.

 

So yeah, they certainly take a beating.

 

Oh........and ignore Captain drunk-ass running the camera.......

 

 

 

 

Downsides: When cold, they can feel a little "uneven" and make the car wander *slightly* under very HARD braking (only happens when you heat them up FAST), and the initial "bite" the pads give isn't as firm as other aftermarket pads I've used (I have personal experience with KVR's, Performance Friction's, Axxis Metal Master's, EBC Green Stuff's and some other Hawks).

 

 

 

Overall, a good long-lasting pad that is quite adequete for street and mild track driving...........they just don't "bite" uber-hard when you first jump on them (my only real compaint).

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW..........the brakes only caught on FIRE because that was about the 12th 100+ mph to zero stop that we'd done in a row (within less than 5 minutes), with ME having to brake harder every time (due to him hitting his governor, and me blowing by....and having to get stopped back even with him).........it's a long story, but basically it was because we were doing some "testing" to see how much the 3400 had helped Canada from various speeds (the cars had been VERY close prior to the swap).

[SigEpCutlass]

Bigbuls...thanks for the info. The damn proxy @ work blocks youtube, so I'll take a look at the vid when I get home. When you mean "uneven" causing the vehicle to want to wander...I'm assuming you mean it wants to pull to one side or the other (L or R)? When you say they don't grip as firmly, are you trying to say it's almost like I have to push down harder on the pedal than I would otherwise? Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, but since I can't see the video right now I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly.

 

btw, what other Hawk pads have you used?

[slick]

Who was that running the camera, Kurt, Baimes, Chris, someone else I'm forgetting? HAHA

[White93z34]

I believe I run HPSs on my Camaro, by far the best set of pads I've ever put on that car.

[BIGBULS]

Bigbuls...thanks for the info. The damn proxy @ work blocks youtube, so I'll take a look at the vid when I get home. When you mean "uneven" causing the vehicle to want to wander...I'm assuming you mean it wants to pull to one side or the other (L or R)? When you say they don't grip as firmly, are you trying to say it's almost like I have to push down harder on the pedal than I would otherwise? Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, but since I can't see the video right now I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly.

 

btw, what other Hawk pads have you used?

 

They don't "pull" to one side, just that when you pound on them at 120mph, the car kinda "wiggles" a little before it takes a solid "set"...........like I said, I think it's the pads heating up a little unevenly, and it ONLY happens at 80%-threshold braking. It is NOT in any danger of spinning out or anything (even in the NON ABS Neon), just that it feels a little odd and was slightly un-nerving the first time it happened.

 

As for the "bite".......in my friend's 350Z (with stock brakes), you hit the brakes and BAM!, the nose drops, and the brakes slam-too. My NX does the same thing (with Axxis Metal Master pads and Motul RBF 600 fluid)...............but the Neon's Hawks don't grab quite as abruptly, so the first little bit of pedal travel, you start to slow down, but they just don;t GRAB as hard initially. Of course, part of my problem is that I only run Hawks on the front (I have a set for the rear, I've been waiting for the pads that are ON there to wear a bit more)........day to day though, they offer a nice firm pedal and good all-round, low noise/low dust use (unlike my Axxis pads which squeel like race pads when you heat them up.........oh wait, they ARE race pads ).

 

 

 

 

As for other Hawk pads..........I've only ran their bottom rung stuff (like the HPS).........never any Hawk Blue's or anything, but I HAVE driven at least TWO different generations of entry level Hawk's (I think the older one's were just Hawk "HP").

[BIGBULS]

BTW.............

 

I won't offer any suggestions about rotors, as I use a particular brand of cheapy that I've found is EXTREMELY crack resistant (and you'll see why this is a concern to me after you watch the video I posted).

 

BUT.........

 

Do NOT forget brake fluid.

 

I strongly recomend a "flush" (open the bleeders and squeeze the old shit out), refill and bleed with a good performance fluid. I am really particular to Motul RBF 600...........it covers both DOT 3 and DOT 4 specs, has a 594 deg F DRY boiling point (and like 421 deg F WET), and I have NOT gotten any to boil off.

 

Hell........maybe even thow some braided stainless lines at the car at the same time (IF any are made for W's). Either way, even with just the fluid exchange, you WILL have a firmer feeling brake pedal.

[per0781]

wow i remember that video when you first posted it

[SigEpCutlass]

Bigbuls...thanks for the info. The damn proxy @ work blocks youtube, so I'll take a look at the vid when I get home. When you mean "uneven" causing the vehicle to want to wander...I'm assuming you mean it wants to pull to one side or the other (L or R)? When you say they don't grip as firmly, are you trying to say it's almost like I have to push down harder on the pedal than I would otherwise? Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, but since I can't see the video right now I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly.

 

btw, what other Hawk pads have you used?

 

They don't "pull" to one side, just that when you pound on them at 120mph, the car kinda "wiggles" a little before it takes a solid "set"...........like I said, I think it's the pads heating up a little unevenly, and it ONLY happens at 80%-threshold braking. It is NOT in any danger of spinning out or anything (even in the NON ABS Neon), just that it feels a little odd and was slightly un-nerving the first time it happened.

 

As for the "bite".......in my friend's 350Z (with stock brakes), you hit the brakes and BAM!, the nose drops, and the brakes slam-too. My NX does the same thing (with Axxis Metal Master pads and Motul RBF 600 fluid)...............but the Neon's Hawks don't grab quite as abruptly, so the first little bit of pedal travel, you start to slow down, but they just don;t GRAB as hard initially. Of course, part of my problem is that I only run Hawks on the front (I have a set for the rear, I've been waiting for the pads that are ON there to wear a bit more)........day to day though, they offer a nice firm pedal and good all-round, low noise/low dust use (unlike my Axxis pads which squeel like race pads when you heat them up.........oh wait, they ARE race pads ).

 

 

 

 

As for other Hawk pads..........I've only ran their bottom rung stuff (like the HPS).........never any Hawk Blue's or anything, but I HAVE driven at least TWO different generations of entry level Hawk's (I think the older one's were just Hawk "HP").

 

Thanks for going into more detail about the pads to describe their performance.

[Coop]

My wife's Grand Am seemed to chew through a set of pads every year and need the rotors turned about every 6 months, tried the cheap Autozone pads/rotors route with no luck, tried the authentic GM replacement parts with no luck...I think it might be the way she drives it, lol. Anyway, I decided to go a performance aftermarket route so after some research I got a set of Hawk HPS pads and powerslot rotors and that was 3 and a half years ago and I haven't had to do a thing to them, they stop better, the rotors haven't warped, the pads last at least 3x longer maybe more (still waiting for them to wear out), no squealing or anything. Only downside is they do seem to dust a little more than some but not as much as the cheapo Autozone pads.

 

When the front pads on my Regal got bad and I tracked a vibration down to a warped rear rotor I decided to not even screw around with it and put Hawks/Powerslots all the way around and haven't looked back yet.

[SigEpCutlass]

My wife's Grand Am seemed to chew through a set of pads every year and need the rotors turned about every 6 months, tried the cheap Autozone pads/rotors route with no luck, tried the authentic GM replacement parts with no luck...I think it might be the way she drives it, lol. Anyway, I decided to go a performance aftermarket route so after some research I got a set of Hawk HPS pads and powerslot rotors and that was 3 and a half years ago and I haven't had to do a thing to them, they stop better, the rotors haven't warped, the pads last at least 3x longer maybe more (still waiting for them to wear out), no squealing or anything. Only downside is they do seem to dust a little more than some but not as much as the cheapo Autozone pads.

 

When the front pads on my Regal got bad and I tracked a vibration down to a warped rear rotor I decided to not even screw around with it and put Hawks/Powerslots all the way around and haven't looked back yet.

 

I was hoping to get some good life out of them because I have been dealing with what you described with your wife's car, only on what seems to be a yearly basis. Thanks for the good first hand info!

[Coop]

It was actualy yearly for me too because I usually ignored my wife and only replaced them when they wouldn't pass state inspection, lol.