Yesterday I did a maintenance brake job on my MY03
I got my slotted rotors machined and new hawk HPS pads installed rear and front.
I upgraded the brake fluid to Motul 600 and used the gravity bleed technique described here on s2ki on a sticky...

I noticed the brake pedal has less travel than before and become FIRMER a lot quicker. I performed some medium speed braking for Bed-in pads procedure ...

My concerns.

1. Stopping distance is drastically increased.
2. I drove around about 2 hours with normal stop and go. The I tried a really hard brake and I felt very difficult to stop the car with the pedal hard pressed!

I ask if this is normal, this is my first time installing Hawks pads and I'm not sure if this is how they behave when brand new. OEM pads were very easy to bed-in and response was faster.
Also this is my first time bleeding the system using gravity. I Followed Billman's steps on a sticky on s2ki. Still not sure if I did it correct.

Thank you in advance for suggestions.

 

If the pedal is firm then your hydraulic system is most likely OK and the gravity bleed worked. I use Hawk HP+ pads and I know there is a specific bed-in procedure on the Hawk website. I followed it when I got my new pads and they are awesome!!!!!

I don't like to bust peoples' bubble, and although I have no first-hand experience with HPS pads on the S2K, I have read on this forum the HPS pads are not that great. My friend has them on his Mazdaspeed3 and he said he will be upgrading to the HP+'s before his next track day.

The HP+ pads are great for the money. There are better pads out there for tracking, but I drive these on the street and track occasionally and they treat me well except for the dust and occasional noise.

Try the bed-in procedure on Hawk's website. It's a little bit more involved than a few "medium speed braking" runs, at least it was with the HP+'s. Good luck and let us know if there's any improvement.

 

I was tempted to buy the HP+ but since I track the car just once in a while, I thought it would be and overkill.

I must have missed the bed-in tips n the web, I saw no instructions in the box, so I went with OEM bed-in procedure I used to...

 

According to few fellow mechanics I should drive around more to allow the bonding between the rotor and pads for a proper bedding.

 

make sure the rotors were cleaned before install and make sure the pad/piston are aligned properly in rear

 

Rotors are not new, they have been resurfaced, prior to install I sprayed them with brake cleaner anyway.
Believe me I'm really meticulous doing this kinda of jobs even thou I'm not a mechanic. Yes I double checked everything before storing the tools and hit the road.

Thanx

 

HP+ description says they are noisy and really abrasive. How much they last on your car? Dusty?

 

Track pads usually require heat to reach their effective friction level. I don't know about the compound you installed but I know when I used competition pads the first lap required care because braking was simply not what it needed to be.

 

I've hated all Hawk pads. We ran the HPS pads on a sedan and the brake performance was almost dangerous. I followed a bed in process that was 40-5,60-5,80-5,100-5 and a cool down drive. The pads had better bite after the bedding but. Even after this process I couldn't get abs to kick in. My experience is stock honda pads are better than anything hawk can sell you.

 

From the Hawk website HPS page:
1. After installing new brake pads, make 6 to 10 stops from approximately 30-35 mph applying moderate pressure.
2. Make an additional 2 to 3 hard stops from approximately 40 to 45 mph.
3. DO NOT DRAG BRAKES!
4. Allow 15 minutes for brake system to cool down.
5. After step 4 your new pads are ready for use.



They can be noisy, I find the hotter and firmer you brake, the quieter they are. It's when I'm creeping in traffic and slowing from low speeds they ring/or squeal. I've done 2 track days (about 100 miles) and about 5000 miles on the street and they still have 70-80% of their original pad thickness. The rotors have shown some wear, but considering the OEM pads took NOTHING off the rotors, I'm willing to compromise for the performance. Dusty??? Yes.

The car is currently a DD, but will not be in the next few months. I will probably go ahead and switch pads before and after track days in the future because of the dust issue, but since I couldn't afford the car to be down and sometimes i'm lazy, I never went back to OEM pads after my previous track day.


Yes, to OP, I always give a couple firm stops when I leave for work in the mornings. This helps the pads perform better.