Hayes Dominian A4 pad-rotor combo discussion
Hi everyone!
I'm running the Dominion A4s on my Stumpjumper Evo. I'm using the Sram HS2 rotors. 220mm in the front and 200mm at the back. I'm using the sintered Hayes pads. Generally, I'm very content with the feel of the brake. However, at times, when the brakes get really really hot on long hard descents, the surface of the brake pads seem to get glossy (if that's the correct term, I'm not sure). They start to squeal and the brake power gets worse as well. After they cool down and the brake gets some lighter use, this glossy surface seems to rub away and the brake performs normally again. I'm wondering if this phenomenon could be eliminated by using different pads/rotors. I've tried the green Galfers on a set of Shimano brakes in the past, and I did not like them at all. They faded very quickly on descents, so I'm not really sure if I want to give them another try. Are there any other pads worth taking a look at? What about rotors? Could it be that the combination of the Hayes sintered brake pads and HS2 rotors just don't match all that well and some other rotors would solve the issue?
I'm curious to hear your insights and thoughts on the matter.
Posted Mar 3, 2026, 11:27 AM UTC