Hawk Performance Brakes for the Toyota Land Cruiser: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Hawk Performance makes two street pad compounds for the 2008-2021 Toyota Land Cruiser in the HB589 shape: HP Plus (HB589N.704) for drivers who want more bite and fade resistance, and Performance Ceramic (HB589Z.704) for quiet, low-dust daily driving. Hawk also lists a Talon cross-drilled and slotted front rotor, HTC4977, for late 200-series trucks. If you own an older Land Cruiser, the pads that fit come from DBA instead, and this guide covers those too.

What Hawk Makes for the Land Cruiser

Hawk's own application data ties both HB589 pads to the Toyota Land Cruiser from 2008 through 2021, the same pad shape used on the Tundra, Sequoia and Lexus LX570 of that era. Both are 0.704 inch thick. The difference is the friction material, not the fit.

Hawk's HB589 pad pages list the part under more than one axle position depending on the vehicle, so confirm the position shown on the product page against your truck before you order. The same goes for model years: our listing for the HB589Z covers 2008-2014, and the Talon rotor listing covers a narrower late-model window than the pads.

HP Plus vs Performance Ceramic: Which One for Your Truck

The Land Cruiser is a heavy full-size SUV, and heavy vehicles put a lot of heat into the brakes. That is the main thing to weigh when choosing between these two compounds.

Hawk HP Plus

Hawk describes HP Plus as fade resistant with smooth and predictable torque, and gives it the wider temperature window of the two, with an optimal range of 300-600 F. That higher window is why HP Plus makes sense for a Land Cruiser that tows, carries a full load of people and gear, or spends time on long downhill grades. The trade-off with a more aggressive compound is usually more dust and more noise than a ceramic pad, and it works best once it has some heat in it.

Hawk Performance Ceramic

Hawk says Performance Ceramic is engineered to cut noise, vibration and harshness, calls it extremely quiet with ultra-low dust, and says it is gentle on rotors. Its optimal range tops out at 450 F, lower than HP Plus. For a Land Cruiser that is mostly a commuter and family hauler, this is the pad most owners will be happier with day to day. To compare other ceramic options, see our ceramic brake pads collection.

Hawk also notes that none of its compounds are compatible with carbon ceramic rotors; they are designed for iron rotors, which is what the Land Cruiser uses from the factory. For owners who tow hard as a routine, Hawk's street lineup also includes a Super Duty compound that Hawk positions for trucks towing heavy loads, though we do not currently list it for this vehicle.

The Hawk Talon HTC4977 Rotor

Hawk lists the HTC4977 as a vented, cross-drilled and slotted rotor with a 13.94 inch diameter. According to Hawk, Talon rotors are cast from G3000 high-carbon iron, built to OE specifications and weights so they fit without modification, carry a Magni coating for corrosion resistance, and use CNC-milled slots to reduce harmonic resonance and keep the pad face clean. Hawk says the drilled pattern is there to improve heat dissipation and wet braking.

Two practical notes. First, Hawk's application list for this rotor is narrower than for the pads, so check your model year on the product page. Second, any time you install new rotors, install new pads with them; old pads that have worn to the shape of the old rotors will not seat properly on a fresh surface. For standard replacement rotors on other years, browse our brake rotors collection.

Older Land Cruisers and Other Options: DBA and EBC

The Hawk street pads in our catalog cover the 2008-2021 trucks. For earlier Land Cruisers, we carry DBA Xtreme Performance pads by year range:

• 1983-1990: DBA DB288XP front pads
• 1991-1996: DBA DB1199XP front pads
• 2000-2007: DBA DB1365XP front pads and DBA DB1383XP rear pads

DBA says its Xtreme Performance pads are built for heavy towing and upgraded 4WDs, among other uses, with high initial bite and consistent friction from low to high temperatures. DBA uses a carbon-fibre, low-copper formulation and scorches the pads at the factory, and it recommends pairing them with its slotted T3 4000 and 5000 Series rotors.

For 2008-2021 trucks with the 5.7L there is one more pad worth knowing about: the EBC Bluestuff NDX DP51816NDX. EBC rates Bluestuff NDX at a friction coefficient of 0.52 and says it works from ambient up to 550 C (about 1000 F) rotor temperature, with low noise and dust. It is the most aggressive pad on this list and suits a driver who wants maximum bite and accepts a performance pad's manners.

If you need a caliper on a 2016-2020 truck, we also list the DBA Street Series front left caliper DBAC1336 and the matching front right caliper DBAC1337. More options are in our brake calipers collection.

Signs Your Land Cruiser Needs Pads or Rotors

• Squeal or grinding when braking. A high squeal often means the wear indicator is touching the rotor. Grinding means metal on metal and should be checked right away.
• Pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel. Usually uneven pad deposits or rotor thickness variation, often after hard braking followed by holding the pedal at a stop.
• Longer stops or a fading pedal on long grades. A sign the pads are overheating. This is where a higher-temperature compound helps.
• Pulling to one side. Can point to a sticking caliper or a contaminated pad, not just worn pads.

Hawk points out that many squeals have nothing to do with the pad itself: loose hardware, debris and worn rotors are common causes. Replace or clean the hardware and lubricate the contact points when you change pads. Our brake hardware kits cover that part of the job.

Installing and Bedding In

A pad and rotor job on a Land Cruiser is a reasonable driveway job for someone with a floor jack rated for the truck's weight, proper jack stands, and a torque wrench. Tighten caliper and wheel fasteners to the values in the factory service manual, and check the brake fluid condition while you are there.

Bedding in is not optional. Hawk explains that bedding lays a transfer film of pad material onto the rotor so the pad grips that layer rather than bare iron, which improves stopping power and reduces wear. Hawk also recommends machining or replacing rotors when installing new pads. EBC's instructions for Bluestuff NDX call for five stops from 70 mph to 20 mph, a cool-down, then five stops from 80 mph to 20 mph. Each brand includes its own procedure in the box, so follow the one for the pad you install.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Hawk pad is best for towing with a Land Cruiser?

Of the two Hawk pads we list for the 2008-2021 truck, HP Plus has the higher temperature window and Hawk describes it as fade resistant, which makes it the better choice for towing and loaded mountain driving.

Are Hawk Performance Ceramic pads quieter than HP Plus?

Yes. Hawk describes Performance Ceramic as extremely quiet and ultra-low dust, and positions it for comfort and cleanliness in daily street use.

Do I need new rotors when I change pads?

Not always, but the rotors must be above the minimum thickness stamped on them and have a clean, flat surface. Hawk recommends machining rotors when fitting new pads, and replacing them if they are worn or warped.

Do Hawk pads fit my 2005 Land Cruiser?

The Hawk HB589 pads we list are for 2008-2021. For 2000-2007 trucks we carry the DBA DB1365XP front and DB1383XP rear pads.

Can I pair a Hawk pad with a different brand of rotor?

Yes, as long as the rotor is iron and correct for your truck. DBA recommends its T3 slotted rotors with its XP pads, but pads and rotors from different makers work together when both are the right fit.

Sources

1. Hawk Performance - HB589N.704 - 2008-2021 Land Cruiser fitment, 0.704 in thickness, HP Plus compound
2. Hawk Performance - HB589Z.704 - Performance Ceramic fitment and thickness
3. Hawk Performance - HP Plus compound - 100-800 F operating, 300-600 F optimal, fade resistant
4. Hawk Performance - Performance Ceramic - 100-650 F operating, 100-450 F optimal, low dust and noise
5. Hawk Performance - Street compounds - Super Duty for towing, iron rotors only
6. Hawk Performance - HTC4977 Talon rotor - 13.94 in vented cross-drilled and slotted rotor, Land Cruiser fitment
7. Hawk Performance - Talon rotors - G3000 iron, Magni coating, OE spec, CNC slots
8. Hawk Performance - FAQs - bedding in, rotor machining, causes of noise
9. DBA - Xtreme Performance pads - towing and 4WD use, carbon-fibre low-copper compound, T3 rotor pairing
10. EBC Brakes - Bluestuff NDX - 0.52 Mu, up to 550 C, bed-in procedure