[HELP] Installed new HPS Hawk Pads and braking got worse

[CONSIGLIERI]

Hello friends ! Hope you can help me...

I replaced my old brake pads for HAWK HPS (F&R)

It's been 2 weeks since I replaced it, but I realized that my braking is worse. My cars takes longer to stop than my old pads. It's like there's no grip.

My rotors wheree not resurfaced, but are OK.

The brake fluid where not changed.

What could it be ? Some people said me that I should wait something like 150miles for the pads to settle and start working right. Is it true ?

THANKS !

 

[1997_GSX]

Did you bed the pads in per hawks instructions?

The rotors should have been turned for the new pads to leave a fresh contact patch.

 

[DSMTyson]

What could it be ? Some people said me that I should wait something like 150miles for the pads to settle and start working right. Is it true ?

THANKS !

They should wear in, most pads have done that on my jetta. I was just about to buy these for my car .

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

Also... Is this a MUST to have the rotors resurfaced before installing the Brake Pads ?

Mine has signs of wear, but nothing screaming like needing urgent resurfacing.

 

[BoostedBeater]

It is best but not a must, you will not get your money out of them without resurfacing though as they cannot bed in or bite as easily.

Also, the HPS line is a great bad but the more heat it has the better it stops, build up some heat in the brakes and they bite like crazy for a street pad.

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

They most likely just haven't bedded in yet. Since you did not resurface the rotors the surface is not perfectly flat and you are not getting a full contact area between the rotor and pads. Those pad also will bite better as they get some heat in them, so keep that in mind too. I would just drive it for a while and see if it gets better.

If you want you can try to speed the bedding in process up by doing the following. (this is what I do everytime I change a set of pads) This is a good thing to do regardless of whether or not you are replacing just pads or pads and rotors though.

Drive the car about 35-45mph and begin braking with medium to medium hard pressure on the pedal, holding it until the car comes to a complete stop. Then accelerate and drive for a few minutes (if possible) without braking at all. Just repeat this process about 10 times making sure to allow for cooling in between braking so you don't warp your rotors. Do this a couple of times over the next few days and I bet your braking performance will get better. Good luck