ECS Motorsports Hawk ceramic performace pad (easily) upgraded - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Avalnch · 08-03-2010, 02:57 PM

Changed my OE, black and dusty pads out this weekend (long weekend for us Canadian board members). It literally took more time to set up the jacks and wash the wheels than replace the pads. Very easily done, but make sure you have the right size punch to take out the pins. Here are some tips (if not already posted somewhere else by someone else):

After you have punched out the pin from the outboard caliper, firmly press down on the retainer spring to relieve the tension off the pin and you can easily slide it out of the inboard caliper. Don't haul on the pin to try to get it out of the inboard caliper, you may end up bending something or scape a knuckle.
My front pads needed a bit more oomph to pull out. If they only come part way out of the caliper and stick, just wiggle them back and forth, perpendicular to the rotors, and they should slide out all the way.
Have your shop vac handy to vacuum up all the old dust from your calipers.
Use those blue, disposable (dry) shop towels to wipe down the rotors. I didn't have any brake cleaner on hand, but with only 1500 kms on the brakes, I figured wiping them down would be enough. Also wipe down all the pins and retainer springs.
Two of the rear Hawk pads did not have the little, metal retainer tab on them, so I split them up left and right.
Be extra careful handling the new pads and don't get grease or anything on the pad surfaces.
Get (8) sheets of paper, write the pad location on each paper and wrap up the old OE pads so if you ever have to use them again, you can put them in the same spots. (Not sure if this is necessary.)

One major set back was that the Hawk pads from ECS Motorsports did not have the high temp, red grease included in the boxes. This was very disappointing cause I had time set aside to do the re&re during the weekend. Good thing I managed to get a single package from Custom and Performance Cars (who in turn got for me from their local Lordco store). Hey AJ, what could have happened to the Hawk grease packets? I never did received answers from you to my PM or email.

The bed-in procedure should come with a disclaimer from Hawk to say that they are not responsible for any speeding tix ^_^. For us mph challenged Canadians, just set your computer to display MPH and you're good to go. Just look out for the fuzz and make sure you leave lots of space around traffic.

The new pads actually seem to be "grabbier" than the OE ones. Stops are the same, but the pedal feel is firmer (even better than when I first picked up the car and drove it off the lot).

The OE pads were filthy and BLACK when I removed them.

I took another thread's advice and went to look for replacement Brembo pad pins and the dealer's price just floored me! Are you ready for the GM list price for (1) one of these pins?? $96.30!!! Holy Sh!t I can already imagine the repair bill when the time comes for a complete caliper overhaul. I guess Brembo and GM know they have a captive audience. Needless to say, I said "no thanks" and re-used the old pins.

clg_98ta · 08-03-2010, 07:00 PM

I didn't get the grease with mine either (and I thought was supposed to).

The only thing I would add to those tips, is that if your fluid reservoir is full, you'll want to remove some before swapping the pads (down to the min level line is fine). Maneuvering the pads will compress the calipers a bit and could overflow the reservoir/

Avalnch · 08-03-2010, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clg_98ta

I didn't get the grease with mine either (and I thought was supposed to).

The only thing I would add to those tips, is that if your fluid reservoir is full, you'll want to remove some before swapping the pads (down to the min level line is fine). Maneuvering the pads will compress the calipers a bit and could overflow the reservoir/

So what did you do about the grease?? Might get squeal without it.

I'll check my reservoir tonight.

sting808 · 08-03-2010, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clg_98ta

I didn't get the grease with mine either (and I thought was supposed to).

The only thing I would add to those tips, is that if your fluid reservoir is full, you'll want to remove some before swapping the pads (down to the min level line is fine). Maneuvering the pads will compress the calipers a bit and could overflow the reservoir/

My Hawk ceramics came with grease. I got mine back in February. Wear sensor pins were only on one pad, too. Overall, appears to have less dust. Didn't notice any difference in braking for normal street driving.

ipimpthisc · 08-03-2010, 08:28 PM

how much did the pads cost

ssmike · 08-04-2010, 08:04 AM

I'm happy with my Hawk ceramics! Low dust and easy install! I used the grease that came with the pads and have no squealling! Same performance as OEM as far as I can tell!

clg_98ta · 08-06-2010, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalnch

So what did you do about the grease?? Might get squeal without it.

I'll check my reservoir tonight.

I just used some grease I has left over from my last brake job. You can buy tubes or small packets from any auto parts store.

Avalnch · 08-06-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ipimpthisc

how much did the pads cost

Send a PM to ECS Motorsport, but make sure they include the grease!

clg_98ta · 08-06-2010, 06:34 PM

Mine were just under $200 shipped from ECS - I guess that's the no-grease price

Topdown · 08-06-2010, 07:21 PM

so do the new pads come with the weights (sticky or roller-skate) to stop squeal like the OEM pads?

Chris_B · 08-07-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalnch

So what did you do about the grease?? Might get squeal without it.

I'll check my reservoir tonight.

All Hawk pads made in the last two years or so have come with the grease packs. If missing, try the Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant. It can be found in most auto parts stores by now. It's the purple stuff with a MUCH higher heat range than the standard pad greases and includes lubricant as well as anti-seize all in one pack.

Chris

Avalnch · 08-07-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topdown

so do the new pads come with the weights (sticky or roller-skate) to stop squeal like the OEM pads?

No, the Hawk pads don't come with the roller skate wheels. It looks WAY better without them.

rmnc3r · 08-11-2010, 11:20 AM

I did mine this weekend, Front and Rear. I did the front first.
Only 2 (of 4) of the Front pads had the wear indicators(?? - metal tabs) so I put one on each side. No grease packet was included.

None of the rear pads included a wear indicator(?)

but the box did have a packet of grease. I wish I had opened and inspected both boxes before installation

- I didn't bother to take the front pads off and put
on grease...
...but after 4 days of driving, I have not noticed a squeal - hopefully my
luck will hold.

I tasked my daughter and her friend to clean the rims - then I coated them
with Armor All Wheel Protectant (NOT Tire Shine - different stuff)
http://www.armorall.com/products/vie...?product_id=33

So far, so good, but I'm keeping the OE pads as backups.

08-03-2010, 02:57 PM	#1
Avalnch Drives: Rally Yellow Camaro+Avalanche Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,110	ECS Motorsports Hawk ceramic performace pad (easily) upgraded Changed my OE, black and dusty pads out this weekend (long weekend for us Canadian board members). It literally took more time to set up the jacks and wash the wheels than replace the pads. Very easily done, but make sure you have the right size punch to take out the pins. Here are some tips (if not already posted somewhere else by someone else): After you have punched out the pin from the outboard caliper, firmly press down on the retainer spring to relieve the tension off the pin and you can easily slide it out of the inboard caliper. Don't haul on the pin to try to get it out of the inboard caliper, you may end up bending something or scape a knuckle. My front pads needed a bit more oomph to pull out. If they only come part way out of the caliper and stick, just wiggle them back and forth, perpendicular to the rotors, and they should slide out all the way. Have your shop vac handy to vacuum up all the old dust from your calipers. Use those blue, disposable (dry) shop towels to wipe down the rotors. I didn't have any brake cleaner on hand, but with only 1500 kms on the brakes, I figured wiping them down would be enough. Also wipe down all the pins and retainer springs. Two of the rear Hawk pads did not have the little, metal retainer tab on them, so I split them up left and right. Be extra careful handling the new pads and don't get grease or anything on the pad surfaces. Get (8) sheets of paper, write the pad location on each paper and wrap up the old OE pads so if you ever have to use them again, you can put them in the same spots. (Not sure if this is necessary.) One major set back was that the Hawk pads from ECS Motorsports did not have the high temp, red grease included in the boxes. This was very disappointing cause I had time set aside to do the re&re during the weekend. Good thing I managed to get a single package from Custom and Performance Cars (who in turn got for me from their local Lordco store). Hey AJ, what could have happened to the Hawk grease packets? I never did received answers from you to my PM or email. The bed-in procedure should come with a disclaimer from Hawk to say that they are not responsible for any speeding tix ^_^. For us mph challenged Canadians, just set your computer to display MPH and you're good to go. Just look out for the fuzz and make sure you leave lots of space around traffic. The new pads actually seem to be "grabbier" than the OE ones. Stops are the same, but the pedal feel is firmer (even better than when I first picked up the car and drove it off the lot). The OE pads were filthy and BLACK when I removed them. I took another thread's advice and went to look for replacement Brembo pad pins and the dealer's price just floored me! Are you ready for the GM list price for *(1)* *one* of these pins?? $96.30!!! Holy Sh!t I can already imagine the repair bill when the time comes for a complete caliper overhaul. I guess Brembo and GM know they have a captive audience. Needless to say, I said "no thanks" and re-used the old pins.

08-03-2010, 07:00 PM	#2
clg_98ta Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,698 View My Garage	I didn't get the grease with mine either (and I thought was supposed to). The only thing I would add to those tips, is that if your fluid reservoir is full, you'll want to remove some before swapping the pads (down to the min level line is fine). Maneuvering the pads will compress the calipers a bit and could overflow the reservoir/ __________________ Black 2SS ordered 1/4/2010, received 2/19/2010

08-06-2010, 06:34 PM	#9
clg_98ta Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,698 View My Garage	Mine were just under $200 shipped from ECS - I guess that's the no-grease price __________________ Black 2SS ordered 1/4/2010, received 2/19/2010

08-06-2010, 07:21 PM	#10
Topdown The wait is over! Drives: 2010 Camaro, IOM, L99, Auto Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Washington Posts: 1,081	so do the new pads come with the weights (sticky or roller-skate) to stop squeal like the OEM pads? __________________ Ordered - 4/17/2010 Delivered - 5/29/2010 AlphaDamp CLD Mat - Get more Sound Deadening with less Sound Deadener

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08-03-2010, 08:28 PM	#5
ipimpthisc Banned Drives: @twinturbo, cammed, intrcooled@ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: nyc, EAST COAST HEAVY HITTERS Posts: 739	how much did the pads cost

08-04-2010, 08:04 AM	#6
ssmike BL1ZZRD Drives: '16 Camaro 2SS, '20 Equinox Redline Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 7,840	I'm happy with my Hawk ceramics! Low dust and easy install! I used the grease that came with the pads and have no squealling! Same performance as OEM as far as I can tell!

08-11-2010, 11:20 AM	#13
rmnc3r Drives: me up the wall. Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Lakewood, CA Posts: 471	I did mine this weekend, Front and Rear. I did the front first. Only 2 (of 4) of the Front pads had the wear indicators(?? - metal tabs) so I put one on each side. No grease packet was included. None of the rear pads included a wear indicator(?) but the box did have a packet of grease. I wish I had opened and inspected both boxes before installation - I didn't bother to take the front pads off and put on grease... ...but after 4 days of driving, I have not noticed a squeal - hopefully my luck will hold. I tasked my daughter and her friend to clean the rims - then I coated them with Armor All Wheel Protectant (NOT Tire Shine - different stuff) http://www.armorall.com/products/vie...?product_id=33 So far, so good, but I'm keeping the OE pads as backups.