I have a 99 Cobra. I ran Hawk Blue race pads and Road Atlanta. They worked great at stopping me, but they ate my expensive Baer rotors. I tried running my Hawk HP Plus at Putnam Park and ran out of pads. I've been running cheap solid Brembo rotors with Carbotech pads and they work great. Even better they are not as dirty or noisy as the Hawk pads and they are cheaper. I also use stainless steel brake lines and motul 600 fluid.
Almost forgot about this thread. Had no idea there were already so many choices out there for us S197 guys. I'm going to try and make the 45th annivesary road race in Alabama in March at which time I'll try one of those 3(performance friction, cobalt, or carbotech). I'm also running SS lines and Brembo LCF 600 fluid. No problems with fade with that combination.
I pulled off the Hawk HP Plus pads a few weeks ago on the front because the noise and dirt were driving me crazy. Also had developed a thud when going in reverse and hitting the brakes. I've seen posts on other forums that implied the clips were not well made and there have been a few break offs. Didn't find that they were broke on mine, but still too many issues with those pads.
Anyway, they went in the trash as they were almost completely gone. Surprisingly now, my rotors are looking much better with the OEM pads back on and I haven't even turned them.
Hope to have enough to get front brake ducts by then too. I know that will help even more than pads.
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It's better to burn out than to fade away - The Kurgan
Hawks are noisy and very aggressive, even the HP Plus, they will eat your rotors and make noise. They do work on the track though.
Your rears will never, ever wear even half as fast as the fronts, there's about 65-70% of the braking going on at the front. This holds true in racing and normal street driving.
You are also going to smell your brakes, if you don't, your not braking hard enough, the track will kill your brakes, plain and simple. I can go through a set of front pads in 3 track days with my 400+ lb lighter Fox bodied car that has larger brakes on it.
I have used Performance Friction and Hawks. The Hawks work better, I know because I always lock my front wheels up with them (no ABS). I have an adjustable prop valve so I can add more rear pressure, of course, too much and the back end gets jittery (as you have experienced). I like the PF because of the price but I'm probably going back to Hawks or Carbotechs. Lots of the guys at the track are using Carbotechs and say they are work well but are not as brutal on rotors as Hawks, are quieter, and don't make as much dust.
My recommendation is to try the Carbotech (maybe even the Cobalt, I have never heard of them but that doesn't mean anything). Use that pad in front and stock replacements in the rear. The rear being loose seems to happen on cars with panhard bars/torque arms such as S197 Mustangs and Camaro/Firebirds. One guy I know with an LS1 Firebird used the cheapest pads on back and Hawks on front and he got rid of some of that looseness at the back. I think it comes from the rears having so much rear pressure they are near locking up and there's no weight back there especially under full braking.
I know it sucks to try out different pads but it's part of racing, your driving is different from other peoples and you'll find you may like one product better than another. Testing and getting results for yourself is the only sure fire way to get good results.
I think I'm ditching the HP +'s and going with the carbotechs. I do have 1 more day left on the HP+ ones, so not just yet.
MMmmm the smell of burning brakes and rubber!
Let us know how it works out! How your rotors looking? lol Mine have actually recovered from the Hawk pads since I put the OEM pads back on the front. Squeaking is gone from the front too. Now they just squeak in the back where I still have the HP+ pads
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It's better to burn out than to fade away - The Kurgan
Well I was lazy and ran with my drilled slotted rotors. And well, they did just what everyone said they would, cracked, lol.
Warranty no problem. But stock rotors are cut and sitting in boxes waiting for the next event.
The hp plus is a street pad not a race pad. The temp range is 100-700 or lower. You would need to install something better. Like the dtc-70 and dtc-60 front and rear combo. These will have a hi temp range 400-1500. ( not sure and those numbers but close) They will handle the heat. You just have to warm them up.
Just got them for my 03 cobra. I will let you know what I think?
Has anyone used this set before?
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1988 coupe race car 2700lbs 366rwhp
1965 2+2 fast back 4 speed tri power
1968 gt/cs 347 5 speed
1970 mach 1 428scj 4 speed v code 410 rwhp stock
1990 gt drag car 780hp on motor
1994 gt, 1998 svt cobra
2003 svt cobra 456rwhp
blue are great i had them on a 94 gt then put hawk plus s back on for the street and wow what a difference. Ran blues in the front and blacks in the rear
ALL RACE PADS EAT ROTORS. That is racing people. That is like saying I did not like my drag slicks they wear every time I do a burn out.
The best pads I have used is the hawk dtc-70 on the front and 60 on the back. They are really good pads. The price is a little high I think $450 for all 4 sets
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1988 coupe race car 2700lbs 366rwhp
1965 2+2 fast back 4 speed tri power
1968 gt/cs 347 5 speed
1970 mach 1 428scj 4 speed v code 410 rwhp stock
1990 gt drag car 780hp on motor
1994 gt, 1998 svt cobra
2003 svt cobra 456rwhp
I would run hawk blues in the front and stock in the back. It worked so good on my 1994 gt it has cobra brakes and ss lines the brakes are really good.
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1988 coupe race car 2700lbs 366rwhp
1965 2+2 fast back 4 speed tri power
1968 gt/cs 347 5 speed
1970 mach 1 428scj 4 speed v code 410 rwhp stock
1990 gt drag car 780hp on motor
1994 gt, 1998 svt cobra
2003 svt cobra 456rwhp
Hawk HP+ pads are great for autocross and street driving. I had used Hawk Blue(No longer available) and they ate my rotors until they cracked at Road Atlanta. I was put on to Carbotech brake pads and they seem to work as well as Hawk race pads with-out all the damage to the rotors. By the way, I was told that the Hawk HP+ pads where good for track use. I tried them at Putnam Park and used ALL of the front pads. Anyway, try the Carbotech's, they work as good, they are cheaper, and cleaner than the Hawk pads.
1988 coupe race car 2700lbs 366rwhp
1965 2+2 fast back 4 speed tri power
1968 gt/cs 347 5 speed
1970 mach 1 428scj 4 speed v code 410 rwhp stock
1990 gt drag car 780hp on motor
1994 gt, 1998 svt cobra
2003 svt cobra 456rwhp
I am going to try out the Performance Friction pads at Hallett this fall. I will hopefully have brake ducts installed by then too. I've heard very good things about those pads, but if they don't work well then I'll go to the carbotech too.
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It's better to burn out than to fade away - The Kurgan
Try Carbotech Brakes 
.Is anyone going April 25-26?
