Bedding brakes... how immedite does it have to be?

**NSXDreamer2** · 06-01-2012, 17:40

Originally Posted by docjohn

not a good idea to switch pads with the same rotors..I tried that for 2 seasons and had too much shudder at the track....I now use a combo street/track pad as a compromise and it works good enough for me....ferodo ds 2500 front-brembo... xp-8 rear on the oem calipers.

In my first few years of tracking, I swap my rotors and pads everytime before and after track day. I got the best prolonged life on both setup. Then after awhile, especially I don't daily drive the car anymore, I figured cleaning the wheels once in a while is better than all the work (and time) involved of changing pads and rotors.

to op: carbotech do advertise they have same compound for their whole lineup, so you may potentially swapping bobcat to XP10 without any bed-in using the same rotors. (BBK calipers also quite easy to change pads. so worth a try.)

**UnhuZ** · 06-01-2012, 19:08

Hi,

Originally Posted by CL65 Captain

Not with street pads. Because their temp rating is relatively low the process of "bedding in" occurs through normal street driving. The pad material gets transferred to the rotor. They do not require high temperatures for this to take place.

got it.... i just said that because it is a Stoptech bed in procedure and that is a high-end stoptech kit, so i assumed stoptech delivers the kits with pads a little above normal street specs... but you know: Assumptions are the mother of all F$%#/&

FYI, here is a graph comparing the Project Mu Pads specs:

Mine are the pink ones: LEVEL MAX900i

Thanks,
Nuno

**nsxtasy** · 06-02-2012, 05:19

Originally Posted by NSXDreamer2

So I did it at the track and worked the bed-in in first session per instruction. Brakes felt fine suprisingly and I didn't have the "oh oh" moment of gettting green fade either.

Then you were lucky. Before I learned about bedding, I used to just drive on the track with new ones. The problem with doing so is that the layer of brake pad material deposited on the rotor can end up uneven, either during the track session or when applying the brakes afterwards, and this can quickly lead to severe brake shudder. That's why it's better to bed the brakes off the track, where you have the chance to drive home without using the brakes to let them cool down overnight, thus resulting in the uniform layer thickness needed to avoid shudder.

**TURBO2GO** · 06-02-2012, 07:26

Do any of you guys know if I can tell which stoptech pads I have by looking at them?

And what pads does this system use now? Are they ST-40 specific? I'm going to have to go drive 30 miles outside the city at 3:00 am to bed these things.

"Wanna tell me WTF you are you doing??" .... "I'm bedding my brakes officer"...

**Hapa88** · 06-02-2012, 07:53

Are they already installed? Is there any numbers printed on the back/sides of the pads?

**Hapa88** · 06-02-2012, 08:05

Originally Posted by nsxtasy

Then you were lucky. Before I learned about bedding, I used to just drive on the track with new ones. The problem with doing so is that the layer of brake pad material deposited on the rotor can end up uneven, either during the track session or when applying the brakes afterwards, and this can quickly lead to severe brake shudder. That's why it's better to bed the brakes off the track, where you have the chance to drive home without using the brakes to let them cool down overnight, thus resulting in the uniform layer thickness needed to avoid shudder.

I disagree, you should follow the bedding instructions. But I think of all places to bed, the best place to bed them is on the racetrack. Carbotech specifically states to only bed their AX and XP brake pads on the racetrack. If you follow the instructions carefully you shouldn't have any issues.
When I bed my Mazdaspeed3's XP10s, I basically wasted the first session bedding. After reading the instructions, they essentially just say do a few warmup laps, then progressively get more aggressive and brake harder until you feel brake fade. Once that occurs, slow down (I took an extra cool down lap not using my brakes) and came into the pits, mostly engine braking the whole time. Parked the car in gear and let it cool down until the next session (~1.5 hrs later).

http://www.ctbrakes.com/faqs.asp#bedding4

Originally Posted by Carbotech Bedding Instructions

Proper bedding instructions for AX-Series & XP-Series Compounds :

All new brake pads require a bedding process, start this process by pumping your brakes a few times to assure proper installation. Once on track perform several moderate (medium) near stops (to a very slow rolling speed) to thoroughly warm up the pads and rotors. This should take 1-2 laps. This allows a thin layer of the pad material to be transferred into the micro-grooves of the rotor.
After the pads/rotors are warm, perform a series of hard near stops (to a slow rolling speed) until some brake fade is felt. This process should take about 2-4 laps (depending on the track). Once this occurs, then stay off the brakes (as much as possible) and bring your car into the pits/paddock to completely cool. Do not lock the tires during this operation.
Allow brake pads and/or rotors cool down to ambient temperatures; no less than 30 minutes. The total bedding procedure should not take more than 5-6 laps or about 10-15 minutes.

NOTE: The proper way to bed your brake pads and brake discs (rotors) is to bed them on the racetrack, NOT on the street (excluding the Bobcat 1521 compound).

Warning: Failure to properly bed in your pads could lead to friction material to chunk and break up resulting in poor pad performance and pad life. Improper bedding can also lead to overheating your pads and causing them to glaze over resulting in the car not being able to stop or slow properly.

**TURBO2GO** · 06-02-2012, 08:08

Originally Posted by Hapa88

Are they already installed? Is there any numbers printed on the back/sides of the pads?

Already installed, guess I should have looked.

**ANYTIME** · 06-02-2012, 09:03

Originally Posted by UnhuZ

Hi,

I used the Stoptech procedure with my Project Mu Level 900 pads on RB 2 piece rotors... 3 series of 10 hard stops from 80 to 6 mph.... in between each series i drove at about 80mph for 5m to let them cool....

i used a highway at about 2am and it was desert..i don't remember seeing any other car.

This setup is awesome and i don't think i will ever need anything more powerfull (if there is one)

Thanks,
Nuno

Damn, that is my setup and did the bedding on a deserted highway. I love mine!

**Hrant** · 06-02-2012, 09:03

Stoptech came with street only Axxis as their standard brake pads. And if they are chafed, that is an indication that they are mostly likely/definite street pads.

**nsxtasy** · 06-02-2012, 11:36

Originally Posted by Hapa88

I disagree, you should follow the bedding instructions.

Well, it's best to follow the bedding instructions for the pads you're using. Maybe Carbotech pads are different; I don't know, I only used theirs once and wasn't happy with the results. With the other 41 sets of pads I used on my NSX - mostly stock, Hawk, or Cobalt Friction, with a smattering of other brands - they were perfectly fine after bedding them on the street. With the proper bedding procedure, as described in the white papers on Stoptech's website, they get very hot, even if you're doing it on the street. As noted above, if you're doing it right, you should be able to smell the pads.

**cantdrive55** · 06-02-2012, 14:51

Im almost 100% sure you have what they call there street/performance pads or street/occasional track day pads. I have the same pads front and rear on my BBK. I have used them on the track with no fade what so ever..but then again im no pro and dont do that many days a year. I bedded them in using the recommended procedure from stoptech and have had no problems. I did it down an empty road.