EPC or Hawk brake pads???

[4U2NV1986]

Any thoughts on which is the best brand and/or best bang for the buck in brade pads? I'm looking to upgrade my factory brakes to either EPC or Hawk pads coupled with Brembo cross drilled rotors. Any scoop for an ex-mopar guy that saw the glimmering C4 light.

Thanks for any input on the subject.......

 

[FX GS]

I can't speak for EPC pads but I run the Hawk HP Plus and can't be happier. I've run numerous high speed track events and the Hawks have outperformed any of the other brands I've tried. Additionally, they, at least for me, have also been very rotor friendly

 

[4U2NV1986]

Hawk brake pads

Fx GS,

Thanks for the insight. I think I'll give Hawk a try. Any thoughts on Brembo cross drilled Rotors? I don't race, but I like to terrorize the wife while she's riding in (my) Vette, that she thinks is hers.

Have a good evening, and thanks for the insight. :cool

 

[FX GS]

Can't get much better than Brembo's. If you are not going to the track, Brembo's are overkill for the street. but the cross drill design looks great, especially if you have wheels that will allow them to show. If you are just going to be street driving, with occasional w.o.t. bursts, you might want to look at Baer Eradispeed rotors. A quality rotor with a nice cross drill design similiar to the Brembos but at a much lower cost. I've used them and never had any problems. Plus with the $$ you'll save, you can put toward some other performance mods

 

[c4cruiser]

I had run the Hawk HPS (street) pads on my 92 for autocross and occasional track days. They performed very well for autocross with good cold initial bite and they worked excellent for street use. I did get some fade on a couple of occasions at a track day but the car is an auto, so I was pretty hard on the brakes. Getting cooling air to the front rotors or calipers would be helpful if you intend to do any amount of track use.

I'm running EBC Greenstuff pads on my 87 autocross car as it's very difficult to find rear HP pads for it. Hawk doesn't have a rear pad nor does PF so I went with EBC. These pads perform pretty much the same as the Hawk HPS pad. Both brands of pads dust heavily with heavy brake use. The Hawk pads are worse than the EBC green; after one day at Portland Int'l Raceway the chrome AFS wheels on my 92 were completely black!!

If you intend to use the car for serious track or high-speed use, stay away from cheap drilled rotors. They will crack near the holes and eventually fail. I buy cheap stock replacement rotors at the local parts store and get them with the lifetime warranty. Then after a couple of track events, I take them back and complain that something must be wrong with them as they were wore out after just a few weeks! Got three sets of rotors that way

In any event, flush the brake fluid with a good DOT3 or 4 fluid and flush at least once a year for street use. I use the Ford HP fluid for autocross and Castrol LMA for street. If I do a weekend track event, I'll switch to ATE Super Blue. I have Speed Bleeders on the calipers so flushing is a quick and painless job. Also consider a good set of braided steel hoses like Earl's or Goodridge. They will provide a firmer pedal feel and look pretty cool too!

 

[sothpaw]

I like my Hawk pads also. Much better than stock for street use.

 

[4U2NV1986]

Brembo, Epc and Hawk pads

Hey, I never thought of lifetime warranty Trick! Thats one way of keeping it all fresh up there. Great Tips from all, Thanks.

 

[Eagle85C4]

You might also look at Raebestoes Pro Pads...I have run them for three years. They last a long time, stop you on a dime and don't cover my polished ZR-1 rims with dust. I could not ask for anything more....