Hawk DTC pads review

I just put a set of these on the front for Hallett and all I can say is WOW!
I had HP+ in the rears and it was a very balanced set up.

The DTC provide significantly more bite over the HP+ I was running up front. Swapping from my car to Rick's with the HP+ I really noticed a difference.

Some observations.

With the DTC you need to learn to modulate the brakes as wheel lock is rather easy to achieve. However these things don't give up. No fading, no initial warm up issues and once you learn how to use them they are simply amazing.

DTCs squeak and dust as much as the HP+ but do not chew up the rotors like many high performance pads.

As good as these pads are, I decided to save them for track use. (They're not cheap) I decided to wear out some HPS pads I had removed a few years ago before Hallett.

Observations on the HPS after running DTC/HP+

They SUCK! I can not induce lock up on dry pavement but they sure are quiet. I'm spoiled but I guess I'll try to use them up. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by black roadster

..They SUCK! I can not induce lock up on dry pavement but they sure are quiet. I'm spoiled but I guess I'll try to use them up. :rolleyes:

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Just ride them like you are driving Miss Daisy, and they'll be gone in no time

How about running the DTC in the rear and the HP+ in the front? This should take care of the wheel lock up problem and still give good stopping power. I notice that I have "glazing" with my Axxis Ultimate toward the end of the day at Hallett. I guess the Axxis can not take the heat from a full day at the track. This happened to me last year too.

I'd have those if they fit sport brakes, so its back to Hawk Blue until then. I need to try Carbotech 12's again with the ducting...but at $150 per set I'm not sure that I'm so committed to trying.

I concur with BR's review. His DTCs inspired more confidence than my HP+ pads - especially hammering his car down into turn 2. On the flip side, once I got my braking points down and quit trying to cook my pads by dragging the brakes, I thought the HP+ units performed very consistently. Compared to the HPS, there was no comparison. I may upgrade to a set of DTCs for the next track day, but I'm going to stick with HP+ on the street. Sure, they squeak a little, but they don't dust on black rims! ::Banana::

Which DTC? I run DTC 30's around town and for autocross, but the Vorshlag X MR runs DTC70's all the time.

The DTC30's have eyeball sucking, tire flatspotting initial bite, but they fall off a bit when pressed. The HT10's I use for the track are much more progressive and easier to modulate.

Are you still running stock brakes? I didn't know they offered DTC's for 1.8 sized brakes.

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Originally Posted by mr brg

I'd have those if they fit sport brakes, so its back to Hawk Blue until then. I need to try Carbotech 12's again with the ducting...but at $150 per set I'm not sure that I'm so committed to trying.

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Why are you running XP12s? I've got a much heavier car than you do, and I run XP10s up front with XP8s in back. On a non-ABS Miata, I think XP10s at all four corners would work well.

If you tell me you're using XP12s because XP10s aren't enough, you need to do some research on effective temperature ranges. Hawk Blues are pretty old technology, and they have a lower maximum effective temperature range than XP8s!

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Originally Posted by altiain

Why are you running XP12s? I've got a much heavier car than you do, and I run XP10s up front with XP8s in back. On a non-ABS Miata, I think XP10s at all four corners would work well.

If you tell me you're using XP12s because XP10s aren't enough, you need to do some research on effective temperature ranges. Hawk Blues are pretty old technology, and they have a lower maximum effective temperature range than XP8s!

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http://i34.tinypic.com/291lyqh.jpg
The pad on the piston side has 1/2 the pad left on the outsides, the center of the pad is warped in far enough that I'm on the backing plate in the center.
I thought I should try a pad that's 50% cheaper and see if I can get temps under control before switching to the big brake kit.

I also cannot get another track pad for sport brakes locally. I'd have dtc 30 or 60 if they were available. I liked the xp12 feel, but at $160 per set, I'm not going to "learn as i go" on them yet. I may pick-up another set when the wilwoods go on. However, I'm tempted to go with hawk dtc-60 and a cheap street pad since they're "quick change."

Carbotech's are pricey.

My XP8's squeal a ton on the street but the bobcats are too expensive to grab a set just b/c of some squeal.

Chris

Is that pad wear in that picture normal? It seems awfully skewed like a sticking piston or something.

No, that sort of pad wear doesn't look normal at all.