car hardly gets driven but when it does it needs to slow down. i have braided lines, power slot rotors, ate fluid, and hawk hps pads and it just doesnt stop for crap imo. esp at 140-150 mph. is there a pad anyones used thats got a good bit of bite to it? like i said i dont drive it much so i dont care about wear.

 

Hey Tommy! I am starting a cult following for the StopTech pads...seriously a force to be reckoned with for street use and some track duty. After 8 laps around the road course, they were still biting really nice. I couldn't believe it for a street pad. I use the Hawk DTC-70 pads at Sebring but ran the HPS on the street. After going to an autocross and the pads fading pretty fast, I went with the HP Plus pads. They kicked out a little too much dust for me, so I would run 3 different sets of pads altogether. (Street/AutoX/RR)

I recently switched to StopTech after talking with their engineers, they claimed their pads provided consistent brake performance up to 1,500-degrees...IN A STREET PAD. I had to put them to the test and now I'm down to two sets. StopTech for street, autoX and minimal road racing but the DTC-70s are the only thing I would use at a track day.

I've tested these suckers pretty hard and I can confidently say they're the only pad I'll ever use on the street...until something cooler comes out. haha
- Kevin

 

Do they need to be cycled or heated up at all? When I do drive the car its 10-20 miles tops on most cases. And it also needs to slow me down from 150 mph on the drag strip and itll be right off the trailer there.

 

Hawk DTC-30's... http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...=190&ModelID=7

They are a dirt-track pad compound actually, but work cold, and have excellent bite. They will squeal some, but man they stop. Power is similar to an HP Plus but with a much nicer, more linear torque curve. In fact they are very similar to Ferodo DS2500's which I use a lot (and are stock on C6 Z06's and Grand Sports).

 

Nope, it's a legitimate street pad. You just throw them in, bed-in (suggested), and they will operate just fine.

Hop in the car and have the slam on the brakes a block away from you house? No problem - I've done it.

They have enough bite to activate ABS even when they're cold, once you've gotten a decent amount of heat in them, that's when they really have a nice, linear pedal feel with applied braking. They're great for threshold braking because they maintain a consistent bite. I'm very happy with them. They also happen to be cheaper than some other, more popular performance alternatives.

I also don't want to take anything away from the Hawk pads. The HPS was a terrific street pad and the HP Plus did a nice job when I used them. I just found them to be limited for how I use my car and I feel the StopTech suited my needs better for a variety of abuse.

 

Dude, If you faded HPS at an autocross you are doing something DRASTICALLY wrong. I managed to win 5 National Championships on HPS's.

 

I have no idea what I'm doing. jk

Not every course is the same. Some of the autoXs I've done had bad setups with werid braking zones. Hot lapping also contibuted with my small run group.

 

If you want to talk about autocrossing, then let's do it. Clearly you aren't running a normal autocross, so you shouldn't leave the impression you are. But having said that, I ran a tire test for Hoosier about 2 months ago on a 101 degree day, and was hot lapping a car on HPS's. The rotors were purple, and the pads were smoking some, but I still had brakes...

I guess YMMV, but this is the thing that always annoys me about the internet in general, and some posters specifically. Always have an answer, details never seem to matter.

Look I don't much like BMR, and I know BMR hates me. I have no issue with you, I don't know you. I'm just doing what I think it right, and what's worked for me. I'm a small business. I don't have 3 or 4 employees on these forums ready to answer at a moments notice. It's me, I'm here because I have an interest in the cars who's forum's I frequent.

 

Sam,
For the record, BMR does NOT hate you. We respect your driving skills and we think that you are the best autocross driver on this forum.

I know that we have had some history in the past, but we don't hold a grudge. I am sorry that you don't much like BMR, but maybe that will change in the future.

 

I dont think the hps fade, i just dont think they stop the car very well. My tbss stops in half the distance. Perhaps im doing something wrong? Ive replaced all the calipers thinking they needed rebuilt. No better. Just swapped to ate fluid and braided lines. No better. So this is the next thing I can think of.

 

HPS have good, but not great bite. They do need to be properly bedded in and get good material transfer to the rotors to work their best. But certainly you might want more power, which is why other compounds exist. Even Hawk's website tells you that the HP Plus are much more aggressive (and they are, but they are dirty doing it). http://hawkperformance.com/performance/

That said, if your Trailblazer SS truly stops in half the distance (which is hard to believe, let alone it stopping shorter at all), then there is some other issue going on. I can't think of any other time where I heard that HPS's just don't stop. Might want more power, but if your claim is true that's way beyond needing more power.

 

First, understand I have a tremendous level of respect for you and your driving accomplishments.

Down in my neck of the woods there is a large variety to the autocross courses, and I presume it's same everywhere. Most people I know who run them, don't run sanctioned events because they're just looking to go out and have some fun without falling into a vehicle class. A lot of folks are just looking to get out there and stretch their car's legs, not compete.

Many of the course layouts reflect that too. I've done an SCCA autoX layout and, having come from drag racing and road racing, I was itching for more speed. I found a group here that usually sets up a pretty cool, recreational autoX that is higher speed (80-95mph). I've also found that most non-SCCA autoX courses are goofy and are pretty tough on brakes for what they are.

Well the name's Kevin, Sam. I've owned/modded three LS1 fourth-gens, and a GTO while racing all of them. I've dabbled a little bit into everything and gone deeply into road racing (solo) for the past four years after being around friends doing it for years. Throughout the past nine years, I've been drag racing fourth-gen F-Bodies. Probably doing a Z06 next time.

I autoX for fun every month or two and get on a road course at least twice a year, permitting funds. haha Looking to hit Sebring again before year's end, Daytona, and PBIR.

I'm also speaking from my experience to someone - Tommy - that I know. I've made extensive use of multiple pad sets from Hawk and found their limits, including brake fade with DTC-70 after late sessions at Sebring hitting a 145 on the back straight before heads/cam. Knowing the limits of these pads and that I'm always looking for the best "bite", I suggest this or that to people. The HPS doesn't deliver the same performance as the HP Plus, but they're better on the street IMO. I don't come on here trying to throw weight around and never will. I was a member here before and I'm just on here helping people out because it's my job. I'd be a geek at home doing the same thing if I weren't.
- Kevin

 

I dont know where else to look. And my tbss stops waaaaay better. So does my buddies gto which is a couple hundred lbs heavier also.

 

Kevin--

With all due respect, there is something not right here. Fading DTC-70's? Wow, impressive as that's as big and bad as it gets, and 145 isn't that much speed for those pads. These are pads you see on GT-1/Trans-Am and World Challenge cars.

Autocross is pretty specific. Sounds like you might run into some more Solo 1 type speeds. And I'm not unfamiliar with those either. I also run track days, etc. In fact there is an in car video of me running one last year in my Camaro @ Beaverun here in PA. And I'm doing it on HT-10/HP Plus pads, a long way from DTC-70's... And Beaverun is HARD on brakes. Short lap, two braking zones after long straights, the second of which is literally one corner after the first. Well into a session I almost cram into a GT3 911 because I was braking much deeper than he was. Looks further than it is due to the wide angle lens (just look at how far the dash seems away from the camera to get a sense of scale). And on that short lap, I'm touching 120-125 at the end of both straights and dropping down to 2nd and 3rd gear for the subsequent corners, about 45-70 mph... and I did it all day long, and ran those pads another day.

Autocrossing is generally topping out at 65 mph. SCCA is by far the major sanctioning body for it and that's who I generally run with. I just posted a video of a Corvette event when I'm driving a C5 Z06 which didn't have to meet SCCA rules, still topped about right about 65. This is not hard on brakes. You want brakes that work, but it's not hard on them.

 

Have you checked, or better just replaced, your caliper slide pins? The GTO has basically the exact same brakes you do... This is not a pad issue. Pads with more friction would help since well, more power is more power and you need more power. But something is clearly amiss with your system. Is your ABS/EBD system still working, or did you delete it?

 

i just pulled the fuse on the abs this month due to the larger tires i just installed on the rear it kept going into inop and low traction all the time. i havent gone through the ordeal of removing the abs block yet. i tried to unplug it and it said service vehicle so i plugged it back in and just pulled the fuse. this is honeslty an issue ive had for a while before the diff tires/ abs fuse) i just always forget since i dont drive it much. coming into the cooler weather im going to be driving it more and want to get it sorted out. i just got the braided lines and ate from you last month and it didnt help at all.

i have no replaced the caliper slide pins but i did clean them and lube them when i put on new calipers. the reason i was looking at pads is the gto just swapped to new rotors and pads this month and now hes bitching it wont stop for crap. (same rotors he already had just not warped and diff brand pads)

 

I agree about the details, better to over communicate than under. Colleges teach the burden of communication is supposed to be on the communicator...


BMR who? Looks like they have an identity Fabrication crisis, now they are "BMR Suspension"? Or now "BS" for short?

 

alright guys enough back and forth. im in need of information not bickering. lets keep it to that thank you.

 

I'm trying man, I'm trying. I just noticed your car is pretty nasty. Big cam? Could you have a lack of vacuum that's causing a loss of power brakes???

 

I agree......