lee33lyn

iTrader: (3)

I bought a set of Hawks HP pads. Turned rotors and put the pads on then set out to bed them.When I get back the rotors on the drivers are showing only about an inch of contact from the pads. On the outside edge of the rotor. The drivers side was better at about 2 inches of contact.Called hawks and they said that I didn't bed the brakes properly or there was rust on the rotor. So, I took them off and used a brillo pad to scrub the pads and the rotors and set out to set them again with the same results. Any ideas on what is going on?
thanks in advance Lee

9000th01ss

iTrader: (10)

Your calipers are spread, this is why I upgraded to the UMI C5 brake kit.
My brakes warped 5 times under warranty and normal driving, this is because the calipers deflect and put more clamping force on the outer edge of the rotor. It's effectivly like running a rotor with a 1" friction surface, it gets very, very hot and warps.
The only answer is new calipers, not rebuilt.
I was looking for a pic of mine when the new rotors and hawks pads did this.

Instead I found another pic of a defective Hawks pad that left similiar marks on the rotor, you can see the uneven pad surface.

lee33lyn

iTrader: (3)

my drivers side has less contact than your picture. I just rebuilt the calipers myself.Are the pads now crap too?What is the umi c5 brake kit and where to get it?thanks
Lee

9000th01ss

iTrader: (10)

The problem with the calipers is that they actually spread apart, the casting spreads apart. No amount of rebuilding will help cure this.

The brake kit is put together by UMI, a sponsor, I paid around $750 for it a few years ago. It basically uses all the parts off a C5 corvette with billet aluminum adapter brackets.

I don't care what anyone says, if this car was my grandmothers this brake upgrade was well worth it. My car now feels like it should, it stops good.
And FWIW I have two camaros, when I get into the one with stock brakes I need to relearn a bit because of the difference in stopping power. i have to start braking earlier.

toadzq8

iTrader: (43)

Had the same problem on my rears. Went to a C5 vette pressure cast caliper and no more problems. They bolt on, no mod's needed to install.

Brakemotive

iTrader: (73)

The calipers will most likely fix the problem, but part of me wonders if it is just a bad run of brake pads too. We have seen this before wit hawks on different applications where the pad surface is not always perfectly flat and not making full contact. I am not saying that the pads are bad just saying we have seen it before and it's probably just a quality control issue with their finishing on the pads.

99SSragtop

wow, this must be an isolated problem.I just stuck with GM pads and its contact area is 100% on the disc.
Take lots of pic's if every thing checks out and maybe you'll get replacement pads for free.
Did the pads slide in their place nicely ?

lee33lyn

iTrader: (3)

Everything went back together just fine.Had rotors turned , no problems there.I guess I could buy a set of cheap pads first to help eliminate the hawks pads as the problem. I'd hate to replace the calipers and then find out it was the Hawk pads.