flymybird

About to pull the trigger on HB249Z-575

I have never bought these so I don't know how much they're supposed to cost. I'm thinking 4, but just wanted to clarify before I hit the Submit button.

Also - is it okay to get these just for the front and maybe the cheap Wearever ceramics for the rear?

Thank you and sorry for the stupid questions

Element

iTrader: (5)

Four, as in, a full set for the front? Should be.

I just use Wearever Golds and Advance Auto rotors in the back....no autocrossing, and the back doesn't do enough to warrant me spending the money on ATE rotors and Hawk pads.

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

a lot of road racers feel the that there is too much rear brake bias stock, many people run good pads up front and stock replacements out back

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

If you drive the car on the street a lot, the HPS pads are very very hard on rotors...I loved how they worked (very very good behavior), but man they murdered rotors fast, so I had to get away from them.

flymybird

What do you suggest I get? Right now I got a set in my garage waiting to be put on, but something was telling me I should "splurge" for something a little better. This is a daily driver, mostly work and back and around town. I'm also putting in new Centric rotors in the front.

Thanks!

Element

iTrader: (5)

I've run the **** out of a set of HPS pads and my Brembo blanks are still fine. If you bed them in properly, you shouldn't be eating rotors.

Shockwave179

iTrader: (7)

+1

I've had mine (front and rear) on since 2005 and my rotors are still pretty mint. They've been on the car probably for 20K miles too.

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

Well, I do a LOT more miles than you guys...20K is only a few months for me...and I average a set of pads every year (45-50K).

To be honest...this time I went with the top of the line AutoZone pad lol...performance is pretty dam comparable to the Hawks I was running, and the rotors are a LOT happier.

Last time around 1 set of HPS pads, properly bedded, brought brand new Brembo blanks down below minimum thickness before they (the pads) were even halfway worn, and previously another set of HPS pads had done the same to ATE rotors.

Also...the dust from HPS pads is KILLER...I have to clean my wheels every day anyways (go 150 miles a day and you'll see why), but the dust from other pads is a lot easier to clean off the rotors...especially if say, you drive a few days in the rain and can't clean the wheels until the rain stops...3-4 days of buildup (so 600 or so miles) in the rain is a LOT of brake dust...the HPS dust used to be baked in, and I'd have to clean the wheels with compound to get it off...with the regular pads, I can just use car wash soap...waxing the wheels helped a little, but not as much as switching pads.

Like I said, they're GREAT performers, but if you drive the car a good distance, daily, they're ridiculous on rotors and difficult to clean up after.

Element

iTrader: (5)

Eh, mine were on a daily and while I did get some wear on my Brembos, it was actually a good bit less than I expected. I didn't put a huge amount of mileage on the car, but I did get stuck in stop-and-go traffic quite a bit and the rotors still held up pretty well. I know a lot of it is just how each person drives, though (my brother can go through a set of brake pads in 3 months).

I do agree that the pads dust a good bit, but that's to be expected from a more aggressive pad compound. Any performance pad is going to dust more than OEM-style replacements. Can't say that I thought the HPS pads were only a marginal upgrade over stock pads, though - with HPS and Brembo blanks, the car felt much better stopping, both in stop time and pad response, compared to stock pads and rotors (both which still had plenty of life in them).

I'd still recommend HPS or the comparable EBC pads (not sure how their "color" scheme works) and good blank rotors, with the caveat that the user understands that performance pads are going to be dirtier and potentially cause more rotor wear than a set of OEM replacement pads.

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Please refrain from posting links and prices to non-sponsors.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Ahhh, are you sure you had HPS and not HP Plus? I, and others, use a ton of HPS's and the wear is pretty much like stock.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Also the part number the OP Put up, those are Hawk Ceramics.

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

I have hps on my vette with baer 2 piece rotors and YES they ATE THE HELL out of the rotors. all 4.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

That's not normal. Could be I suppose--but I've never seen that on any of my cars, or my customer's cars running actual HPS. I only say what I said because I see folks often say things like "HPS Plus" and there is no such thing--but it's what they think they have. If it's a Plus it's not an S.

The car I've been autocrossing the last 3.5 years has HPS all around and is still on it's OEM rotors.

flymybird

I ended up getting a set of HB250F.653, the semi-metallic Hawk HPS pads. Will put Wearever Golds in the rear

Thanks for all the input, guys!!

libertyforall1776

iTrader: (2)

It's also got to depend on how much you actually drive the car, and really use the brakes...

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

Positive, ran HP Plus on my other car once and agree...they were FAR worse on rotors than the HPS I ran on the Camaro...and I also thought it was a little nuts, so like I said, I tried them on the Camaro twice with 2 different kinds of rotors (the ATE rotors were actually first ,the Brembo blanks were second), ordered over a year apart as well, so I KNOW it isn't like they were from a bad run with a more agressive compound or anything like that.

For what it's worth, I actively rev match down shifts to let the engine slow the car down as often as possible too...150 miles a day, no matter how you drive...takes it's toll on tires and brakes.