Brake Pads
 

I've read some comments here about brake pads but doing a search, I'm not finding much.

I just put Wilwood D52s on and I realize that those calipers themselves aren't going to improve braking over stock. But the pads don't feel great. I haven't done a full force application yet but I've pressed hard enough that I think they should lock , but they don't. Of course, they wouldn't lock before either which is part of the reason I changed them.

What are your favorite pads for street use?

Are your front hoses new?

Yep, I got the Wilwood braided steel hoses to replace the factory rubber.

I use Hawk HPS pads on teh front of a 500+hp 72 firebird that runs low 11s with ease, stock rear drum. That car stops better than even my 81 t/a with 4 wheel disc & another brand of carbon fiber "performance" pads up front.

The 72 is mostly a street car and the hawk pads have very little dust and stop just as good when cold as hot, they act like OEM pads when cold or normal braking, but when needed they stop the car noticeably better than a mostly stock 4 wheel disc car. Very little or no noticeable rotor wear too.

Talk with a Wilwood tech about brake pad compound choice.

https://wilwood.com/Pdf/Catalogs/BrakePadCatalog.pdf

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i use cheap organic d52 pads on the front of my 65 gto. such a massive improvement over the original front drums ...

Yeah, I don't know which pads come with the calipers. I'll have to call them. Also need to bed them. Maybe that will help.

They will improve your stopping power a little. Larger piston surface area

Did you use just the Hawk pads with stock type rotors or get Hawk's kit with the pads and Talon rotors?
Thanks

You can use D153 pads. They use the same plate as the D52. Their application is light duty 3/4 ton pickups, 87 and earlier.
They have more friction area than the D52's.
I always use semi-metallic pads, usually Wagner.

1. "D52" calipers can have several piston sizes. Depends on how the casting is machined. Bigger pistons = more clamping force per PSI of fluid pressure.

2. Seized, or semi-seized (sticky) pistons will reduce clamping force. There may be "zero" clamping force if the piston is seized totally.

3. About the same for seized mounting pins/sleeves. If the caliper can't float on the mounts, braking force is dramatically reduced.

4. LOOK at the pads/shoes you're considering buying. The "cold" and "hot" friction ratings are marked on the pads/shoes using a two-letter code. The farther down the alphabet you go, the more friction the pads have. "AA" would suck, "GG" isn't bad, and letters higher than "G" are pretty good. First letter is "cold" friction, second letter is "hot" friction.

One photo attached. These shoes are "GG". Sometimes the friction rating is inked onto the friction material itself.

I put these Wilwood D52 callipers on my 71 Trans Am. They fit under 15" Ralley II rims with a little clearancing of the callipers. I didn't know this when I put them on so the wheels did the clearancing for me.. :D

Anyway, I never even considered using the pads that came with. You can put D614 pads (I think Impalla SS or Malibu SS or something is the application). They're the biggest pads that fit a D52 calliper.

Those Willwood D52 callipers come in "front" and "back" flavours. The "back" ones have smaller pistons. If you do the maths, even the "front" ones have less piston area than a stock calliper but then again they weigh less than half!

I'm using EBC greens since I mostly daily drive but underwhelmed with them. Will probably use yellows when I replace the pads next.

Sam

D52 calipers from Wilwood are a dual piston...so they should be an improvement over stock. When i put the D52's on my car they definitely improved, I used pads from Wilwood and honestly don' remember which ones(their recommendation). I have upgraded since still using the same D52 calipers but with 12" rotors front and rear(DynaPro Lug Mount rear). My car stops incredibly...plus smooth a silk and no dust.

I used the Wilwood brake pads and mine stops great.

I dindt use the hawk kit, just the hps pads on powerstop OEM type slotted rotors & stock reman'd calipers. After 7+ years they are working & wearing great with little to no noticeable rotor wear. I did bed them in according to instructions with the pads.

This car stops so much better than my 81 4wheel disc car. The 81 turbo does mid 14's, (99% stock) have to use very firm pedal pressure to make the 2nd turn off on the track at upper 90's mph... the 500+hp firebird runs low 11's with ease averaging 119-123mph, I can make the first turn off with just mild brake pedal force, its amazing how well this car stops with stock rear drums. Can definitely tell the difference on the street too.

Very impressed with the hawk pads, I was considering rear disc for this car but dont really feel the need to upgrade to rear discs, looking into larger drums &/or performancce shoes at this point.