Hawk brake pad question?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 780
Likes: 0
From: New Port Richey Florida
Hawk brake pad question?
I picked up a set of new rear brake pads for my Vette but thier "Hawk black composition so for racing. What's the difference and will it hurt to put them on the back of my car even if I don't race.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,469
Likes: 275
From: Naples FL
Race pads are designed to work at high temperatures. They generally aren't very effective at normal street temperatures. This isn't as bad as it used to be in the old days when you simply couldn't stop at a stop sign with race pads. Nonetheless street pads are still more effective at normal temperatures.
My Wilwood A pads really don't work at their maximum until I reach over 400-degrees. Check out the graphs here for the characteristics of the various pad compounds and you'll get the idea.
I'm sure that other brake companies have similar charts, but I'm just more familiar with Wilwood.
Richard Newton
Ultimate Garage Handbook
101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984-1996
My Wilwood A pads really don't work at their maximum until I reach over 400-degrees. Check out the graphs here for the characteristics of the various pad compounds and you'll get the idea.
I'm sure that other brake companies have similar charts, but I'm just more familiar with Wilwood.
Richard Newton
Ultimate Garage Handbook
101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984-1996
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 717
Likes: 1
From: Loudoun County, VA
They'll warm up during normal street driving. If you have them on only in the back, then you'll have a lot more brake grip than normal back there and you might feel the antilock kicking on in the rear more often. You probably shouldn't be mixing race compounds with street compounds if they're on the back only.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,172
Likes: 9
From: '88 TPI L98/HotCam Powell, Ohio
One good thing is the "blacks" are on the lower scale of race pads. (not as aggressive) The down side is they will most likely squeel until they warm up and chew up your rotors a little faster.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,969
Likes: 710
From: WI
Run them if you want, they do warm up. I kept some track pads on mine from last season and I can really feel the extra effort it takes to stop for a first few miles. After they warm up there is some serious stopping though. With them just on the rear you might not notice much difference.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,253
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley CA
I believe that you will be fine with them as well. A little extra brake torque in the rear won't hurt a thing. I doubt you will even notice the decrease in friction at low temps. As others have said, it is a mild race pad. I have PFC race pads in my mostly street driven 94, I run it on the street and don't have any issues other than noise.
http://www.hawkperformance.com/motor...unds/index.php
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brake...rack+Only+Pads
http://www.hawkperformance.com/motor...unds/index.php
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brake...rack+Only+Pads
Last edited by Sidney004; Feb 29, 2008 at 07:10 PM.
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,469
Likes: 275
From: Naples FL
Once you really get into brake pads you might want to try putting the most aggressive brake pads in the rear calipers. At track days this will give you more rear braking force. It's almost like a poor man's brake bias adjuster.
I'm not sure I would do it for street driving since you really don't need it., but for track events it works nicely.
Richard Newton
101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984-1996
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
I'm not sure I would do it for street driving since you really don't need it., but for track events it works nicely.
Richard Newton
101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984-1996
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
