Hawk Brake Pad Compound Guide

Hawk Performance brake pads come in street, street/track and race compounds. The notes below summarize Hawk's own compound descriptions from hawkperformance.com. Race compounds need heat to work and may not suit daily street driving. Hawk pads are designed for iron/metal rotors and are not compatible with carbon-ceramic rotors.

Street

  • Performance Ceramic - clean, quiet and quick stopping power for luxury imports and domestic cars, with long pad and rotor life.
  • HPS (High Performance Street) - Hawk reports 20-40% more stopping power than standard replacement pads, along with higher thermal capability, better pedal feel and less dust.
  • HPS 5.0 - built for big motors and aggressive torque: aggressive torque, great rotor and pad wear life, smooth and predictable control, and consistent brake release. Aimed at American muscle cars, European touring sedans and tuner cars.

Street / track

  • HP+ - for track days and autocross while still working on the street; wide temperature range of roughly 100-800°F, so it can get you to and from the track without changing pads.
  • HPX - Hawk performance compound (no further description published by Hawk that we could find).

Track and race

  • DTC-30 - medium torque with consistent, smooth braking and good cold effectiveness; 100-1,200°F operating range, 100-800°F optimal.
  • DTC-50 - a race compound that can be used as a split compound for tuning and for endurance racing.
  • DTC-60 - high torque with superior release and torque control and very low abrasive rotor wear; 400-1,600°F operating, 700-1,100°F optimal. Recommended with DTC-70 when split friction between axles is wanted.
  • DTC-70 - high-torque, high-performance compound with excellent modulation and release; 400-1,600°F operating, 800-1,200°F optimal. A winning race solution on its own or as split friction with DTC-60.
  • DTC-80 - Hawk DTC-80 race compound.
  • Blue 9012 - medium-to-high torque with low pad and rotor wear and good modulation; about 250-1,000°F.
  • ER-1 - developed for endurance racing, with a higher coefficient of friction than competing endurance pads at matching or better pad life.
  • HT-10 / HT-14 - Hawk race compounds.

Not sure which one fits your car and driving? Contact us and we will help you choose.