How To Bed New Brake Pads

[dholly]

Pad Bedding for Street or Light Track Applications

Bedding brake pads has a couple of important effects. The friction material in semimetallic
pads is held together by an organic binder, usually a type of phenolic material.
As the pads get hot, the binder boils, and burns, from the top surface of the pad. Once this
burning or “Bedding” takes place the friction material makes proper contact with the
rotor.

Some race/performance pads, like the Performance Friction’s line of pads, are designated
as “pre-burnished” from the manufacturer. In our experience these pads still benefit from
“bedding”. “Bedding” pads establishes a wear pattern between the pads and rotor. Some
pads, like the Performance Friction pads, deposit a layer of carbon in the surface of the
rotor. They need that layer of carbon to perform at peak efficiency.

Most Baer Claw™ systems, which are equipped with PBR calipers, SS/DRAG, SPORT,
TRACK, and TRACK+, come standard with metallic pads. However, PBR based ASEDAN
systems, as well as PRO-RACE and PRO-RACE+ Systems with the Alcon
calipers feature carbon metallic pads from Pagid, Performance Friction or Tekstar.

Bedding Metallic or Carbon/Metallic Pads - (NEVER DRAG the brakes)

Note: Never “Bed” pads on rotors, which have not first been “Seasoned.” Always allow a
substantial coast down zone when bedding pads that will allow you to safely drive the car
to a stop in the event of fade.

Perform four-repeated light to medium stops, from 65 to 10 mph, to bring the rotors to
temperature.

Perform two heavy stops, back to back, at a point just pending wheel lock, from 65 mph
to about 5 mph.

Drive for five to ten minutes to create cooling airflow, without using the brakes if at all
possible.

Perform three light stops in succession.

Perform eight heavy stops, back to back, at a point just pending wheel lock, from 65 mph
to about 5 mph.

Drive for ten minutes to create cooling airflow, without using the brakes if at all possible.
Metallic brake pads need high temperatures to keep the pad “Bedded”. If you drive the
car for a period of time without using the brakes extensively, you may need to “Bed” the
pads again. This is not a problem. Simply repeat the procedure.

When switching from Performance Friction Carbon Metallic pads to semi-metallic brake
pads (something we do not recommend), you will need to wear through the layer of
carbon that the PFC pads have deposited in the rotor surface. The new pads won’t grip
well at all, until this layer of carbon is removed.

Racers should “Bed” a few sets of pads at a time. In the event you need to change brake
pads during a race, you MUST use a set of “Bedded” pads. Racing on “non-bedded” pads
leads to a type of “fade” caused by the binding agents coming out of the pad too quickly.
This is called “green fade”. These binders may create a liquid (actually a gas) layer
between your pads and rotors. Liquids have a very poor coefficient of friction. This
condition is the reason for reverse slotting or cross-drilling rotors, as it allows a pathway
for the gasses to escape.

Source: www.baer.com

[superdude]

some pretty good info in there