just replaced the OEM front brakes on the 04 DC with new HAWK HPS ferro-carbon pads. rotors in good condition - no groving. lightly sanded per instructions from hawk with 120 grit paper to remove any residue and installed new pads with fresh caliper grease. break in went as expected with no surprises. time will tell if there is any performance increase or other improvement over the factory pads.
i made it to 85k with original pads towing heavy trailer frequently. could have made it further but preferred to do it on my schedule in the comfort of my own garage rather than have some stranger do it in a different state or during a snow and ice storm.
adjusted the rear shoes (very minimal wear) and lubed the chassis while i was under it.
as far as i'm concerned, there is NO problem with the 04 double cab braking system if it's kept correctly adjusted.
Can't imagine why you would go with a aftermarket pad when you nearly tripled the average pad life with OEM.
Mike
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“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them” (Albert Einstein) Moderator Brake Forum
don't remember you being a moderator last time i was on the board! congrats on the "promotion"?
anyway, i think i was ready for something different. i wanted a bit more grab and stopping power then the oem pads offered. am hoping these hawk pads will be the ticket. i was pretty happy with the toyota pads, though....
i think i will bleed the entire system when my "helper" (wife has a cold today) is feeling better and can pump the pedal!
Thanks for the congrades, I'm fighting a cold myself. Guess it's that time of year.
I have never tried any Hawk products myself, but from what other have told me they use a lot of racing compound materials in their pads. This means that cold braking performance could suffer. Just be aware that you will likely need to warm up the brakes before they stop well. I would also expect them to be very hard on the rotors.
Mike
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“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them” (Albert Einstein) Moderator Brake Forum
this is also my first time with a hawk pad. i've tried axxiss metal masters in the past on a sporty car with excellent results after bed in. i'm hoping i selected the hawk pad that will not cause the problems you mentioned. they offer several different street and track categories. i went with the HPS pad. here is the description from tirerack which may or may not be a lot of marketing hype. i'm in the "repetitive heavy braking" category as i tow a lot and the trailer is fairly heavy although it does have its own electronic brakes.
i'll try to post back after i get a few thousand miles on. yesterday, around town driving seemed like a minor improvement over oem on modulation and pedal feel. cold out of the driveway, it took about two slow downs for curves to get a good, warmed up bite. not any worse then the oem pads before.
;-)
Hawk Performance HPS-High Performance Street disc brake pads are designed for sports cars, coupes, sedans and pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles used for high speed driving or that may encounter repetitive heavy braking. Hawk Performance HPS Ferro-Carbon compound brake pads provide advanced braking characteristics to enhance the driving experience. This unique compound combines the safety and quality of aerospace design partnered with the braking technology of motorsports.
Hawk Performance HPS pads offer 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than most Original Equipment or standard replacement pads. This makes them more responsive and durable than most standard original brakes and makes Hawk Performance HPS pads the first… and least expensive…way to increase the stopping power of cars and light trucks.
As standard brake pads wear, brake dust is released as the friction material wears in everyday braking. Hawk Performance HPS brake pads are formulated to run cleaner and release extremely low levels of dust in normal street driving. Key Features and Benefits of Hawk Performance HPS Brake Pads:
just replaced the OEM front brakes on the 04 DC with new HAWK HPS ferro-carbon pads. rotors in good condition - no groving. lightly sanded per instructions from hawk with 120 grit paper to remove any residue and installed new pads with fresh caliper grease. break in went as expected with no surprises. time will tell if there is any performance increase or other improvement over the factory pads.
I was thinking about replacing the pads on my 06 DC only 35k miles with brand new OEM pads. Problem is I was wondering if I have to replace the rotors since they're in great condition. Is the sanding of the rotors a real option for me or because I'm using the same pads, not a problem and I can just swap the old pads out for new ones and not worry about the rotors?
That makes sense. I may still lightly sand just in case though. The current pads are making that high-pitched warning sound when driving so i figured it was time. But the first 9k miles, I drove about 36 miles in 3.5 hours in the morning, and back home in 2 hours every day for 10 months. It was crazy stop and go traffic 6 days a week. Also, I towed a lot during the summer for recreation towing about 4000-4500 lbs almost weekly as well as towing my brother's mustang gt to the track a couple months every summer. All of this on oversized tires.
Add the fact that I like to drive fast, and there you have it. I have a great service shop that always offers to adjust my rear drums, whenever I get an alignment (got an a lifetime alignment package with my first alignment job). I've probably gotten the rear drums adjusted every 10k.
I'm not too suprised the brakes are going, they're not completely worn but is very noticeable last time I towed the car a few weeks ago.
first new front brakes - 85,000 miles
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