The sol is in need of a brake job and instead of just going with the oem equipment I am looking to make some improvements. I have read quite a few threads and am still unsure which way to go. I don't track the car but I do drive it pretty hard on a regular basis. I see a lot of people have switched to hawk or porterfield pads and are happy with the performance but it sounds like there are some noise issues as well as more brake dust. Noise is something I deffinitely don't want to deal with. As far as break dust goes I don't mind a little more dust if I am going to get better performance but I don't want to deal with a ridiculous amount of dust. I was looking at the DDM stage 1 brake kit with slotted rotors and ss brake lines but have no idea if I would really be happy with any of the pads they offer with the kit. Any insight or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Replacing brake pads and possibly rotors as well
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I run drilled and slotted rotors/ Hawk ceramic pads/and stainless steel brake lines no issues at all with brake dust or noise , firmer pedal feel, big improvement in wet weather they don't fade like the stock ones do. Money well spent you can shop around and buy your components separately as I did, DDM did not offer a kit at the time I did mine but you can't go wrong with any of their stuff it's all first class
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8,149 Posts
I have Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads (front, part HB524Z740) and Hawk HPS Brake Pads (rear, part HB478F605) with Power Slot Slotted Rotors on front for the bling (part 126.62093SL - need 2).
No appreciable dust and no squeal. Firmer pedal, less fade. Cost about the same as stock (buying online), so win-win.
I also have SS brake lines, but did not put them on. From what I've read & heard, they offer no appreciable upgrade, but have the possibility of shorter life (due to the braid ends cutting into the lines). Given the former, I decided not to bother risking the latter.
No appreciable dust and no squeal. Firmer pedal, less fade. Cost about the same as stock (buying online), so win-win.
I also have SS brake lines, but did not put them on. From what I've read & heard, they offer no appreciable upgrade, but have the possibility of shorter life (due to the braid ends cutting into the lines). Given the former, I decided not to bother risking the latter.
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Good to know. Thanks for comments Sting. One thing I have learned is that the ceramic pads last longer and emit less brake dust but tend to wear your rotors more whereas the regular asbestos pads put out more dust and wear quicker but are easier on your rotors. as far as stopping goes, I feel the cheaper pads make less noise and tend to give a little which may account for a softer pedal feel. I bought a pair of pads from AZ a while back (for a different car) and bought the standard cheaper pads but in the box was a note saying I was part of a free upgrade promotion and enclosed were the duralast gold ceremic pads and the brake dust I usually have to wipe off the rims every time I washed the car was a thing of the past. one of the rotors was also chewed up a blittle as the wife neglected to tell me it was grinding and had I known that, I would have gotten the ceramic anyway as they will smooth and even out your rotors unlike the cheap ones.
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4,429 Posts
TS I have run braided lines on my cars for more years then I care to remember and have never had any problems .My friends who race all use them but one thing I will caution anyone against is buying a cheap set with Chinese fittings I also inspect everything over the winter every year when my car is put away . I know there are pros and cons to any mod but I feel that they are a definite improvement
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1,318 Posts
Last spring, I installed the HAWK HB524N.740 - Autocross and Track Compound Front Brake Pads and HAWK HB478N.605 - Autocross and Track Compound Rear Brake Pads; they can cause the ABS to kick in with little effort, but my wheels are covered with something like soot within a week of cleaning, and I have added anti-squeal to the front pads again, half-way through the season. I like them a lot, but not for folks who like shiny wheels and tires.
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401 Posts
@TomatoSoup: would you still recommend this setup two years later or would you recommend something a bit different?
Thanks!
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I put on better pads recommended by DDM. The difference in brake performance was HUGE. I very much like the change.
I was skeptical but Dave told me that the brakes were very good but needed better pads. He was not wrong in my opinion.
I was skeptical but Dave told me that the brakes were very good but needed better pads. He was not wrong in my opinion.
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8,149 Posts
It's been absolutely fine for me on the street - I drive 'quick' but I don't race/auto-X, so can't speak for that. Little to no dust, no squeal (at any time of the year).
I'd certainly buy again, for my car.
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401 Posts
Yeah a don't race/autox either, just looking for something with better stopping than OEM which I find to be questionable in certain braking situations.
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473 Posts
Hmmmm... I have Hawk HPS with Carbontech slotted rotors. I did these because I autocross and dealt with heat issues with the stock when autocrossing. However, even when autocrossing, I found the stock pads and rotors stopped just fine. And heat killed the stock rotors only recently at 75k miles. So, if you are not racing in some way, stock is fine. If you dont think you stop fast enough with them, tires may be the issue.
Btw, I am not slow autocrossing.
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Btw, I am not slow autocrossing.
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8,218 Posts
There seems to be a common wish to upgrade brakes just because people think it is cool to do that and they often rationalize it by alleging that they get better braking with huge rotors and calipers.
In my experience that isn't the case, and you confirm that even for solo events.
IMHO the pad material chosen by the factory is poor in terms of initial grip and that can be substantially improved by going to one of the many after market pads named. Also IMHO, there is no improvement to be had for street or even aggressive solo, by going to larger discs, calipers etc.
In my experience that isn't the case, and you confirm that even for solo events.
IMHO the pad material chosen by the factory is poor in terms of initial grip and that can be substantially improved by going to one of the many after market pads named. Also IMHO, there is no improvement to be had for street or even aggressive solo, by going to larger discs, calipers etc.
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96 Posts
Stock rotors and better pads all around are more than just about anyone needs for good street and even auto-x performance. I tried Hawk HP+ pads but they squealed like mad. Hawk HPS are far better than stock and don't squeal or dust heavily. You'd probably get similar results with a good Porterfield or Carbotech pad. Don't ignore your brake fluid either.
If you poke around and keep your eyes open you can often get really good prices on rotors on Amazon or other online sellers.
Example: Saturn Sky Pontiac Solstice New AC Delco Boxed Rear Brake Rotor 18A2409 19201425
$22/ea shipped is a steal.
If you poke around and keep your eyes open you can often get really good prices on rotors on Amazon or other online sellers.
Example: Saturn Sky Pontiac Solstice New AC Delco Boxed Rear Brake Rotor 18A2409 19201425
$22/ea shipped is a steal.
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5,172 Posts
I use the hawk pads and have slotted and drilled rotors, front and rear. No noise...as a matter of fact, my '15 Challenger with 10k on it has noisier brakes then my Solstice. I'm an above average driver (or consider myself to be...driving is my passion) and have had no issues. I replaced mine last summer and have about 7k on them now.
Hey Ghost, did you also replace the brake lines with braided? Just wondering if it's really worth the effort of that mod.
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8,218 Posts
Some cars benefit, some not so much. If your brake pedal feels solid (assuming the system is properly bled) you probably won't get much from the new lines. If it feels a tad 'squishy', then the new lines with less expansion might be desirable. Bleed it first to be sure that isn't the issue.
I have found the Solstice system to be pretty good - certainly not worth replacing hoses, BUT when the time comes to replace the brake hoses anyway as a matter of periodic maintenance, I will opt for the SS version.
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