OK so I bought the Hawk HPS pads for my 2004, and I saw that two of the pads had the little 'clips' on them and two didn't.... Since I was doing one wheel at a time I saw that the pads I removed on the driver's side wheel both had the clips, so naturally I replaced them with the two that had clips from the Hawk box.

...Then when I moved to the other side I noticed that the passenger side pads both had clips attached too, and all i was left with were two pads without the clips. It appears as if the function of the clip is to pull the pad away from the rotor.. Anyways, I just put the remaining no-clip pads on the passenger side and moved on... What's the correct setup supposed to be? clips on the outside pads? Clips on all four pads? <shrugs>

I dunno...

 

the "clips" are the sensors to let you know when the pads are getting low so you dont go metal to metal. I'd switch it so you have one on either side, on the outside but its not going to hurt if you dont do it.
-GP-

 

Well, since I already finished the job and went thru the bedding-in procedure, I may just leave them this way unless I see a negative effect... How do the clips work? Are they what make the brakes squeal when they're low? Will this mean my brakes will squeal when they're not low? I'm very confused. They looked pretty low-tech for some sort of a wear indicator.

Thanks for the response... you've already put my mind at ease a bunch

 

The G35 does not have brake sensors.

 

A colleague at work told me essentially the same thing... they're the mechanism by which the squealing will start when the pads wear down... The negative impact of not having them on one side will mean if that side wears out quicker than the other side I might not ever know without visually checking...

...I'll probably just leave them how they are.

 

The clips rub in the rotor when pad wear gets close to gone.

 

Cool... Since I'm not an ignorant person when it comes to the performance of my brakes and how well they're working or when I installed them, I'll just rely on my own intuition and regular checking to tell me when the brakes are low then

Thanks all for the help. Awesome!


...Incidentally I replaced my 3rd set of OEM pads @43k in the front with the Hawks because I had assumed they were worn, they just weren't gripping and they had also started to squeal a bunch; turns out they had lots of pad left - probably about 4-5mm on the insides, more on the outsides... I think they just suck

The Hawks seem to work great after sanding the rotors a little and going thru the burnishing procedure... Not as grippy immediately but when you apply the pressure they really stop you

I'm hoping to see a reduction in brake dust now too.

I think I'll probably flush and bleed next weekend.

 

Doogie - good to hear your install went well. I'll actually be receiving my Hawk HPS pads tomorrow...I too bought them for the reduction in brake dust...I have 35K miles on my car and my stock/original pads still have 4-5mm left....just need to rid this dust!

Based on your questions, it sounds like you're not a mechanic & still have questions on the install...I don't mean this in a way to put you down in any way...I am far from skilled in the brake dept. (I'm a brake virgin), but I'm going to attempt to change out my own pads myself, using the DIY on this forum. Have you done brake work a lot? I see you're not a virgin...as this is your 3rd set. Any tips you can offer? I hear it will take several hours to do....can you confirm?

Thanks

 

I'd done brakes a good many times in previous cars but this was the first time for this car. They're really a breeze. I'm sending myself a note to send you the appropriate pages from the service manual when I get home.

You bascially take off the wheel, remove one bolt, flip the caliper upward, change out the pads, adding some pad grease (for squealing prevention), open the piston all the way (since you now have thicker pads ), drop it back down and put the bolt back in. It doesn't take much. If it's your first time, it will take you 45 minutes per side, and that's going really slowly, and washing the nasty wheels too .

Just jump in there and do it though, it's just not hard at all.

Oh yeah and now you have the added knowledge about using one clip per side... I'd recommend putting that clip on the INSIDE of the brakes because as you'll see when you get them off, the inside pad will wear faster than the outside pad (since it's the side the piston puts pressure on)

 

haha
i just changed my pads this weekend as well and i noticed the clips were missing from two of the pads, so i went back to pep boys and the guy gave me two of them from a new box

and one other thing i have to add, is the brakes arent as good as everyone says, the OEM ones were alot better

 

Did you sand the rotors and then go thru the burnishing procedure from Hawk? These are leagues better than the OEMs I just trashed.

 

i had the rotors cut
and yes to the burnishing i always do it that way to every pad i change

 

I dunno then... all I know is that my OEM pads sucked hardcore.

 

How about dust? What are your impressions?

Thanks Doogie! I didn't think it'd be that hard a procedure.

 

nice