I recently installed a set of plain Brembo rotors and Hawk HPS pads on the front axle of my '03 Cooper and miss the feel of the stock setup. It takes more pedal pressure to stop in low speed light pressure situations (traffic - where I do most of my driving). I guess I don't keep my brakes hot enough (I use them rarely but HARD) - they definitely get there every once in a while, but definitely cool down during driving and I miss that cold bite of the Jurids. The Hawks seem to stop better once you get on them but lack the initial bite of the stock pads. Have you all had any experience with this or heard of this? Do you think I could keep the Brembo rotors and just replace the pads with the Jurids and get back the stock feel or are the rotors a factor in the stock feel? The fact that I used ATE Superblue and not stock fluid could not be causing any of these symptoms could it? Plastilube is purely for squeeks and not necessary for propper operation is it? How come no ones how-to talks about cleaning the rust off the wheel hub or lubricating the caliper sliders?

both seem stressed in this how-to from raceshopper.com:
http://raceshopper.com/how_to_install_brakes.shtml

While I'm at it let me describe a more troubling problem: when my brakes are hot (after a few good stops or after sitting it stop and go traffic) I get a metal popping/clicking from both front brakes. There really isin't much kick in the pedal. The click sure is loud though. It seems to be going away, but under extreem pressure the Hawks don't feel as smooth as the Jurids (almost like the rotors are slightly warped) - doesn't do much for confidence under braking. Fact is they are brand new brembos - they can't be warped. I followed the bed-in procedure on the box - what have you all been doing to bed in your pads? Can EBD compensate for a higher fc on the front axle?

 

fine street/semi track pad. good wear characterisitcs, less dust than stock, not noisy, require a little heat to work...cold temp bite can be a little less than desirable on the highway specifically; highway drive ususally involeves long stretches without brake use followed by a panic stop. They won't grab initially and then they'll bite very nicely. no worries.

Not for a track only car.

 

I've noticed that my new Hawk HPS (installed 3-4 weeks ago) are not quite as smooth as the stock pads (that had 5k miles on 'em when I replaced 'em), but it doesn't feel as significant as warped rotors... I'd say that they feel a bit 'grittier', if I had to put a word to them.

The plastilube is no longer used by the mechanics at my local BMW dealer... they had to go digging back through their stocks to find me a packet. If someone reports a squeel, they use some liquid to coat the friction surface of the pads and use a tube of brown goo that comes w/ this liquid to treat the metal/metal contact points, where plastilube once went.

I've found the HPS to have very close to the same cold bite as the stock pads, but the second, third, fourth, fifth... braking events in rapid succession felt much, much better. When I bedded in the pads, I did the 60MPH to 20MPH repetition 6 times in a row... very quickly. My stock pads would have barely slowed the car by the 4th or 5th time around.

 

if i end up putting stock pads on do I need to clean the rotors first? if so, is spraying with brake cleaner and wiping off sufficient or do i need to use sandpaper?

 

This is what worries me about getting away from the OEM pads. I know nada mechanical I just like to drive street only no racing. I have never driven a car that stops as good as my Mini & while I hate all the brake dust I would much rather put up with it that loose 1 ounce of my stopping power. I was thinking about either switching to Hawk or EBC Green pads when the time comes but now I dunno

 

I've read somewhere not to use sandpaper. Garnet paper, maybe, is OK... It's been too long, but do a search through the forums and I'm sure it will pop up.

 

Bamatt,

The pad switch is easy to do. EBC has a bit more cold bite... could be better for street use. Hawk HPS are a bit more of a track pad (but definately not a full track pad).

 

Thanks maybe I will try the greens (they are cheaper than the Hawks too I think). With the OEM pads I just feel like it would be so hard to rear end anyone cause they stop on a dime & make me feel safe (of course now I have cursed myself by saying that & will probably rear end someone on the way home knock on wood )

 

I've been using the EBC Greens for about 17K miles. Cold initial bite as good as oem.. MUCH less dust and good for autoX and some short track runs of under five hard laps. More than that they start to fade.

 

If your pads are worn, then your rotors most likely will wear long beofre your second set of pads. Replace pads and rotors together. Sandpaper??? If you need to 'turn-down' the rotors, more material will be removed aiding even faster wear. Thin rorotrs also heat up much faster. Just replace the rotors.

Hawk HPS pads are a little grittier in my experience too. I barely notice the difference in noise, but definately better than stock pads.