Brake pad review: Z32 Hawk Ceramic


  • Brake pad review: Z32 Hawk Ceramic

    Just a quick review of these for those interested. I have always been a big believer in experimenting with different pad compounds and feeling a real difference. Recently I did a z32 26mm conversion and wanted a pad that was a good street performer yet gentle on the rotors (cross drilled, slotted cheapies which are prone to stress cracking) Car will never see the track so a super aggressive high temp pad was not on the menu. Having used Hawk HPS in the past on a few Subarus I was always pleased with them but stumbled across their ceramic line accidentally. Seemed to fit the bill so I gave them a shot.

    Cold: good initial bite, no noises or squeaking
    hot: much better bite, still noise or "grumbliness" which I associate with an aggressive pad
    modulation: superb, although this may also be due to the Z32 calipers
    dust: really none to speak of yet, only have a few hundred miles on them yet

    Just under $100 shipped, good so far

    Maybe we can make a pad review sticky and everybody post up their individual results with "x" brand?

  • #2
    Z32 26mm 4 Piston Calipers (Front)
    - Design Rotor Technology slotted, drilled
    - Hawk HPS Z32
    -Speed Bleeders
    -Magnum Stainless Steel Braided Lines

    Z31 calipers (Rear)

    - Design Rotor Technology slotted, drilled
    - Hawk HPS Z32
    -Speed Bleeders
    -Magnum Stainless Steel Braided Line

    -Z31 Master Cylinder
    -Valvoline Synthetic 5.1 Brake Fluid
    - Spirited Driving, no Auto X, No Track, less than 500 miles

    After about a 100 mile bed in, I noticed much better initial bite, more consistent braking and slightly increased pedal feel. Pedal wasn't as stiff as I expected, but that may be due to the Z31 MC.

    Cold braking was better than the stock replacement pad. Warm braking was superior to the stock replacement pads.

    *Recently added Hawk HPS pads and EBC rotors to the Murano. Excellent braking characteristics compared to OEM.

  • #3
    Gregmatic wrote:

    Cold: good initial bite, no noises or squeaking
    hot: much better bite, still noise or "grumbliness" which I associate with an aggressive pad
    modulation: superb, although this may also be due to the Z32 calipers
    dust: really none to speak of yet, only have a few hundred miles on them yet

    Just under $100 shipped, good so far

    Maybe we can make a pad review sticky and everybody post up their individual results with "x" brand?
    I too have the Hawk Ceramics. I wasn't sure if I wanted them at first cause they are more performance oriented than street use, due to the better bite as temps rise. But after I got them on my car, I felt like they were a good street pad as well. They performed just fine in stop and go traffic. Although, I have yet to aggressively test them.
    85 Z31 6.0 LSX turbo 766whp/792wtq
    04 GTO, LS6, big cam, porting, N20… underway for summertime daily driver.

  • #4
    So where does the HPS rate vs. the Ceramic?

    What do you guys feel is a better street pad/weekend track pad lets say… 3 or 4 times a year? Or should I buy a set of spare pads and just switch them over the weekend before?

    Are the Hawk HPS the same as the PBR Metal Axxis? I read they were from the same manufacturer.