Off-roaders are a unique group. While most car enthusiasts will see a stock vehicle on the showroom floor, most of them see themselves driving it as it is. Not off-roaders, however. We see a new Jeep or other four-wheel drive vehicle sitting there looking all shiny and new, and we immediately think of what we’d do to it to make it into a proper vehicle for when the pavement ends. Most of us think about where we can go with it, and maybe even how fast we can get there, but we also need to be keenly aware of how to make it stop. That’s where the pros at Hawk Performance come in. They are experts at making your trail rig stop when and where you need it to.
Going Big
Jeeps are known for their off-road abilities, and the company also knows that there is little chance once a Jeep gets driven off the lot that it will remain stock. Let’s face it, most Jeeps don’t even look right with stock wheels and tires. Whether you’re adding a little size to your tire and wheel package for some ground clearance and traction, or you’re really jacking it up for some seriously beefy tires, that has an effect on the brake system, and not in a good way.
When you take a stock brake, it is designed to stop the stock-size wheel and tire combination. With Jeeps, these brakes can handle a little more because Jeep offers models with slightly bigger and heavier tire and wheel combinations. However, they aren’t really designed to handle what you may end up throwing on the machine. When you increase the size of the tire and wheel, this creates more rolling mass. As we all know, once an object is in motion, it takes force to stop that motion, and the greater the mass, the more force needed to slow it down.
Then you have the variables to add in of speed, weight of the Jeep and the passengers and one more thing that you should consider – the environment you’re in. Air temperature plays a role in how things work, too. Let’s say you’ve added 35 pounds of extra tire, and you’re out wheelin’ on a hot August day with an air temperature of 95 degrees. You’re doing a lot of hills, which has you getting hard on the brakes. Want to trust the stock brakes to stop you?
The Performance Edge
Hawk Performance LTS brake pads are exactly what you need for your Jeep. Even if you haven’t done anything to your stock Jeep, you will see a dramatic improvement in performance over the stock brake pads. The secret is Hawk’s Ferro-Carbon friction material it uses for the brake pads. This material reduces brake fade by giving you the best grip, even as the temperatures of the rotors heat up. How hot can it get? The Hawk pads are rated for a 100-700 degrees Fahrenheit operating temperature range and provide better fade resistance than the competition. This means you can crawl down a steep hill and still feel secure in the brake performance. In fact, you will get up to a 40% increase in stopping power over stock brake pads across the board. That is a legit performance you can feel every time. And Hawk backs it up with a limited lifetime warranty against mechanical defects, too.
About Hawk
So where does Hawk Performance come from? As you might guess, the brand started out on the racetrack over 30 years ago. Racing is a hard core proving ground for any performance product, and knowing that it designed its brake pads to excel in the punishing environment of a race track, and the amount of pressure and heat that is leveled on brake systems during a race, it is easy to see why you should seriously take a look at going with Hawk Performance.
Hawk Performance brake pads are a vital part of your Jeep, and is an easy modification that you can truly feel right away. These pads are made in the U.S.A. and are one of the best values you will find when it comes to your Jeep and your off-road adventures. If you want to go, you need to be able to stop. If you’re driving along a ridge and want to park the Jeep on the edge for the best view on the trail, do you really want to trust any other brake pad to stop you?
Learn more on the Hawk Performance website and find the right brake pads for your Jeep. See you on the trail!