Like the old saying goes, you don't get something for nothing.

These Hawk HP plus pads are really awesome pads. I only do street driving - no autocrosses yet - but I do get a bit aggressive at times. Hey, if you can hit the brakes and just about get thrown thru the windshield, you're gonna tend to drive a little harder into the turns before you hit the binders, right? :>)

I just wanted to post the pictures of what I found after about 4K miles of screetching brakes (my fault, should have put the disc brake quiet goop on earlier!! It has really helped).

As near as I can tell, the hot gas and particulates generated from these pads really cannot get out of the caliper fast enough. They get channeled out thru the center cut in the pad, then impinge upon the rubber dust boot. The boot is obviously not temperature resistant enough.

I do want to mention that the piston and the piston seal were still perfect. There also was not any loss of fluid yet. Eventually, without the dust boot there, junk would have traveled inside and chewed up the seal - how fast is anyone's guess...

(This is my first time posting pictures, so it may take me a few tries)




The fronts were fine - but I'll keep an eye on them. I would advise anyone running these pads to check their rear calipers!!

 

Welcome

It takes a long time for the seals to go bad. I had mine in all season and they have worked fine. I do have ducting so that helps. If you run an aggressive pad hard the boots will not survive no matter what you do. The next thing to burn will be the ball joint covers.


[Modified by John Shiels, 10:13 PM 2/23/2004]

 

Interesting pics. Must have gotten really hot to do that.

 

To do that on the street, you must be really riding/hammering the brakes. I have never come close to doing that on my '02 and have done it on my'91 Taurus SHO, but only after 2 hard days at Road America!!

 

Gosh! It's hard to imagine doing enough continual heavy duty braking to cause that damage on the street without being pulled over for wreckless op! :eek:

 

I have had my car at Thunderhill twice and countless autocrossing. I have never had this happen. I think there is somthing wrong with your brakes.

 

I agree with John. The boots go up almost immediately with any type of agressive pad. Never had a problem with the seals. I usually rebuild the calipers 1-2 times each season. Not a big deal, just the price you pay for getting some bite into the brakes. :hurray:

 

:eek: :eek: :skep: :skep: :nonod:

 

I'm kinda surprised that no one's come out with some high temp silicone boots to help out the auto-xer's.

 

Yeah, that's what I wondered too. I suggested it to the guys at VBP.

I may get hard on the brakes from time to time, but I also start out with ambient air temps at 110+F in the summer - so they never cool off - until November :mad :D :D :D

 

Something else is going on here. I have never seen a car driven on he street do that, particularly the rear. On the roadcourse yes but the fronts tend to go first. I wonder if your pads aren't dragging in the rear? I have seen several instances where the sliders weren't greased and the caliperrs didn't "float" and the pads drag. Also I have seen a case where somebody put shims in a pad that didn't require it and the pads dragged due to lack of clearance.

Click to enlarge:

 

I agree, the odd thing it that it was the rears. Did you find the same in the front? I would check for another source of heat. Have you pulled your rotors to check the emergency brake parts too? :eek: