Just found all this about changing brake pads and the different pads 350Z owners are using. Seems the Hawk HPS are the popular ones and I have found a local source in Toronto, Canada. They certainly aren't cheap! What experience are others having with them? Do they live up to the claims on the Hawk website of being virtially dust free, quiet and long lasting along with better braking? I use my car on the street with the odd track event. My current pads need replacing at about 20,000 kilometers including 2 track events.

 

1) No pad is dust free
2) There have been many people with squeak complaints with the Hawk HPS (I feel from improper pad install or break in procedure)
3) They are not track pads, if you want to track switch out the pads to something more aggresive when you go to the track

 

Allow to highly reccomend seperate track and street pads. Tracks pad will squeak, dust, and eat your rotors on the street. Street pads will fade and then wear very quickly at track tempetures. You'll save money in the long run since your pads won't wear as quickly. I wore out my factory pads in 4k miles and one track event.

If you have the non-Brembo brakes, about the only track pads you can get are from Carbotech. They work well but they tend to wear quickly and leave deposists on the rotors. They also make a fantastick street pad, the Bobcat. I have them and love them. No noise ever and no visible dust. They even brake harder than the stock pads. Of course, they're expensive. I know a few people that run Panther+ pads for track and street both but they're occasionally noisy and dusty compared to stock.

If you have the brembo brakes, I've heard good things about Cobalt Friction pads. I run a Stoptech kit (same pad availability) and I've tried Carbotech XP-9's and Pagid Orange pads for it. The Carbotechs worked great but left awful pad deposits that I'm still trying to remove. I've had fading problems with the Pagids and the Coefficient of friction is lower than other race pads. I'm trying Cobalt Friction pads next.