Few partnerships can be talked about in manly circles without guys awkwardly swallowing their oat sodas, pushing back from the poker table and offering some rice paper thin excuse for leaving, like needing to pour more rock salt into the water softener or something of that ilk. For a duo to make the man hall-of-situs slot dana (and thus be safe for limited conversation), it must strike a delicate balance of greatness and toughness, with ass-taps that remain in an athletic realm that doesn’t disturb the stomach juices.
The list of inductees in the man duo hall of fame is rather exclusive. Jack & Coke. Chips & nacho cheese. Michael Knight & KITT. Stockton & Malone (who made it in spite of their shorts, oddly enough). All of these pairs partnered together to accomplish what no other tandem could, then kindly went about their own man business, making them safe to herald in certain circles—something Siegfried & Roy never figured out.
On the ballot for consideration this year, though, is the premier braking tandem of Hawk Brake Pads and Power Slot Rotors. Will Hawk and Power Slot make it into one of the most restrictive groups of all time? One would think so, as both are beefy brake parts. But, while, the two have several great traits that propel their case, you never really know for sure.
Power Slot Rotors adds the extra shot of “badass” that every great platonic man pair needs. Like Eastwood in a western, they’re just flat out cooler under pressure than their sweaty, overheated counterparts. Lesser discs warp; Power Slots stay strong. Factory parts fail; a set of these aftermarket bad boys last much longer. OEM rotors give you the confidence of inferior steel castings imported from China on a rusty barge; Power Slots are born in the USA. And, Power Slot Rotors have “power” in the name—a nice helper when you’re trying to talk about a man tandem without making your buddies squirm.
Hawk Brake Pads also have considerable name momentum on their side (only an eagle is a manlier bird than a hawk, but the hawk has the advantage of never having been the name of a crappy classic rock band). But, the performance of a Hawk pad is much deeper than the smoke, mirrors, feathers and claws of a predatory name. Hawk pads earn their keep by lasting longer than budget pads from the local auto store, and by offering more stopping bite than their mushy brethren. The unique material formula won’t glaze over like chintzy pads, either. Hawk pads walk a fine line in poker table and barbecue conversations, though, by being a member of the brake pads family—the only “pads” that don’t cause immediate nausea and twitching, just a slight shudder.
