Hawk Blue or DTC?

[jdraper08]

Hey guys,

I need to get brakes on my car for the upcoming season, and I can't decide between the Hawk Blues (which I've had in the past) or the DTCs.

If anyone has any experience with these two, I would love to know which would be best for an ITA Honda CRX.

Also, if anyone has any other recommendations besides these two, please let me know.

Thanks

[darthmonkeyIT]

No experience yet with them but I have heard good things about Carbotechs. I am going to try them for my first season.

After calling Carbotech and talking to Dave I believe it was he recommended XP10's for the fronts on a 90 CRX Si. For an extra $20 they can pre-bed them for you so you don't need to use track time to get them prep'ed.

The car was setup on Hawk Blue's before and according to the previous owner these worked well for heat and performance. Heard the heat wear on them can be a little iffy and that the carbotechs are supposed to last longer.

I will be writing a review of the Carbotechs after I have some track time on them and see how well they handle heat and what their life is.

My .02$ which after currency exchange is probably like .005$. But none the less. :D

[EV]

Has anybody tried porterfields on the Hondas? Have been using them on my Nissan, and really like them. I tried hawks once and found them too grabby as compared to the porterfields. I also am able to run almost an entire season on one set of pads.

[CRallo]

Threadjack!

Bill, what kinda Nissan? I'm not real happy with the Hawks and was looking towards PF...

[JeffYoung]

A lot of folks have had good luck with the Raybestos STS-41 or -43, I can't remember which....

[EV]

Threadjack!

Bill, what kinda Nissan? I'm not real happy with the Hawks and was looking towards PF...I have a 96 200SX SE-R (2 dr. Sentra).

To get more track time as a newer racer, I instruct at lot of track days. We get close to 3 hours of track time during a weekend. I usually do 2 or 3 a season in the car, plus 3-4 races which get me maybe 60 minutes on track a race. Last season my front pads went all but the last two sessions of the last PDX.

Given all that track time, I would say Porterfields have worked out well for me. I would say that if I wasn't instructing, I could get an entire season on one set of pads.

The biggest difference in the PF is the feel. Hawks have great bite, but to me, they are hard to modulate. I seem to flat spot tires with the hawks where I never do with PF's. I also find that the PF's stand up to the heat well. No fade, and no cracking at all.

YMMV

[CRallo]

Thanks for the reply!!!! My opinion about the Hawks is the same... What PF's are you using? Thanks again!

[EV]

Thanks for the reply!!!! My opinion about the Hawks is the same... What PF's are you using? Thanks again!
No problem...

I have only ever used the R-4's, but porterfield says the R-4E's last a bit longer, need less heat to work, but I would assume don't work as well at extreme temps. See their descriptions here http://porterfield-brakes.com/images/portrace2008_11_06_02_43_53.pdf

[Chip42]

We use Hawk DTC 60s on the EF civic Si FP, same brakes as your CRX and LOVE them (car is ~2000lbs as raced). We used to use carbotech XP10 or 12 (been a while). both have better feel than the blues, which are felt to be too grabby. Dave (driver) prefers the linerarity of the DTCs and XPs.

I've seen porterfields used on an FP integra DA - I can't remember the driver's name but I think the car wound up as Kevin Ruck's runoffs winner. don't know what brakes Kevin used, but the thing braked really well on the porterfields when I saw it. I don't know how helpful that is, though.

[EV]

oh ya, one more thing. If you order from porterfield if put your SCCA or NASA member number in the comments, you get 20% off listed price (it's adjusted by them before they bill you). I paid $170 delivered for my R-4's just a month or so ago.

They aren't the cheapest up front, but after using Hawks and seeing the heat cracks with 50% of the pad left, I think they work out to be cheaper across a season of use (esp. when you consider the flat spotted tires), not to mention the improved feel.

[erlrich]

Hey guys,

I need to get brakes on my car for the upcoming season, and I can't decide between the Hawk Blues (which I've had in the past) or the DTCs.

If anyone has any experience with these two, I would love to know which would be best for an ITA Honda CRX.

Also, if anyone has any other recommendations besides these two, please let me know.

Thanks

Jesse - have you tried getting in touch with AJ, or spoken with Mike or Gregg? Those are the guys whose opinions I would be looking for w/r/t making a CRX go (or, in this case, stop :D).

[shwah]

I definitely prefer the DTC 70 over the Blues.

It just sucks to have to make them...

[Crispin38]

Both are a great pad IMHO,
I think the blues will get the job done but the DTC's will help you have an edge over others. Especcially the 70's.
Personally, i think PFC has a wayyy better pad out there though. Even the older compounds. After using PFC's at the runoffs last year, i won't use any other pad or rotor brand.

[ITA_honda]

I have run Carbotech pads for 3 seasons and absolutly love them. They are the best.
I run a 1990 Honda Civic Si in ITA.
XP-10's are the way to go. Make sure you get them pre-bedded. It is totally worth the extra $20.00.

[shwah]

Do they come with the rotors they were pre-bedded with? Do you send them the rotors for pre-bedding?

2 big aspects of the bedding process are transferring pad material to the rotor surface, so that the pad material is essentially acting upon 'itself', and heat cycling the rotor itself. At least that is what I have read...

[CRallo]

I think this is where the term "burnished" comes in... These pads are not pre bedded, regardless of what they have done, for the reason you mentioned.

[mossaidis]

I run an 92 Civic Si with 9.2" non-ABS rotors. I ran Hawk Blues up from 2004-08 and DTC-60 fronts and OEM rears after that. The DTC-60 are much better, I could go deep in the corners with no fade, very important at turn #3 at NHMS. I have no experience with the DTC-70's but the math says they might be too much for a 2270 lbs car/driver. Good luck!

[JIgou]

Do they come with the rotors they were pre-bedded with? Do you send them the rotors for pre-bedding?

2 big aspects of the bedding process are transferring pad material to the rotor surface, so that the pad material is essentially acting upon 'itself', and heat cycling the rotor itself. At least that is what I have read...

Carbotechs have a VERY specific bedding procedure, and in my experience if it isn't followed TO THE LETTER, the driver will be very sorry. Doing it during an on-track session that "counts" is NOT a good idea.

And, also based on my experience, it has less to do with transferring pad material and more to do with further....curing, I guess?....the friction material.

Can anyone here comment on the bedding procedure for the Hawk DTC pads? I know the Hawk Blues always had a "recommended" bedding procedure, but I also know several people who just slap them on and go race...