Hello - new member, but I've been lurking for a while. Looks like a good site - lots of tech w/o the bovine scatology

Time to put brakes on the '89. I have the J55 brake option.

I've been looking for pads and notice everywhere I look only one part number is listed. Are the brake pads really the same, regardless of rotor diameter? Want to make sure before I pull the trigger on a set of pads.

Ah, might as well hyjack my own thread - anyone have opinions on or have used the Carbotech AX6 pads? I've run the Hawk HP+ pads on my FS Trans Am and like them alot, am thinking about putting the HP+'s on the 'vette. Wanted to see whether there were any first hand comparisons between the AX6 and the HP+.

Do the autocrossers use the same compound front and rear, or a less aggressive compound on the rear?

Thanks,

Jeff

Welcome to the site, I think you will be very comfortable here. I do not have the the answers you are looking for however, there are more than a couple people on here who will, so sit tight.

As for the pads... again I have not used the AX6's but I have used the Hawk's, and absolutely love them. They are a fantastic pad; IMO if you find something good, stick with it!

DG

Pad size for the JL9 or J55 caliper is the same. The rotor on the JL9 is 12" x .75" with the J55 being 13" x 1.0"

Will you be using this for a street car or autocross?

Matthew

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Welcome aboard, Jeff.

C4s are biased towards the front so you would need a more agressive pad on the rears. Before you try that, have you installed the better bias spring (like DRM)? That will help the nosedive and actually get the rears to do some work.

Both Carbotechs and Hawks are good pads. Both are not recommended for the street but (as you know) some guys run them. The AX6s are not recommended for the big tracks on cars over 3000 lbs. but may be OK for autox.

Different compounds F&R is an experiment and a lot depends on your driving style, how agressive you use the brakes (both on and off). What works for one guy's setup may not be right for you, costs $$$ to really find out.

I use a lot of Hawk stuff and like their product.

Thanks for the replies and welcome, and thank you for the confirmation on pad sizes. I didn't want to get all the old stuff off to find the new pads were the wrong size...

The car sees both street and autocross use, at least for the near future.

I used HP+ on the front, cheap autozone pads on the rear of my Firechicken. Drove that combination on the street as well as autocross. I had few issues on the street - during the cold winter months, take it a little slow and drag the brakes a bit when I first start out, after that they were fine. As for dusting, I think of it more as powder coating the wheels - it's a race car ;-) I like the Hawk's a lot.

F-bods use pad compound splits to help fight rear axle hop. No axle to hop in the IRS set up, so it looks like I'll go Hawk HP+'s on all four corners of the 'vette.


It's still a stock class car, so I'll probably pass on the bias spring.

Welcome! We do our very best to keep this a BS free zone. There are enough other sites out there who have BS. And it's free.

I think you can sneak in the bias spring... it fits inside the master cylinder!

I got one and really like it.

I agree with the Hawk pads. They are a nice part. Now, I live in LA, so air temps are less of a concern. But once they get a touch of heat in them, they are great. Nice bite without being grabby.

I'm running a different setup, but to increase rear bias I installed race compounds back there along with a stiffer bias spring in the m/c.

Welcome!

Hawk HPS. I love'em.

BTW, NC Kid. You have a PM.

i used PFC's but they are a little dirty

I’m probably the only person who had problems with Hawks HPS. I had SBS pads that came with my J55 setup but never could find where to buy them. So installed the Hawks a just could not stop the car safely. Took them off after 500 miles.

I ended up with Brembo pads which are working out great for me. Basically as good as the SBS pads. Perhaps I would have done better with the HP+ pads as suggested by others but to late now as I have bought an additional 3 sets of the Brembo pads.

Speaking of brembo

there's a clearout on them right now

$20!

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes ... 3&autoModClar=&perfCode=S

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You shouldn't notice any benefit from a racier pad on the street if it's bedded properly. If anything, it'll stop worse than the stock pads, because it needs more heat before the friction coefficient will increase above the stock pads.

The advertising on those Brembo pads makes them look like a similar application to the HP+. Can't beat $20.

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Since Hawk makes several compounds, what were you using?

HPS is a compound.

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I didn't see it in there when I read it, or just forgot about it when he said SBS pads.

There should not be a problem with the HPS pads at all. I would suspect something else causing the problem.