Bed-In Your Race Car Brake Pads Correctly

There are two ways to bed-in new brake pads: the right way and the wrong way. Given those options – and what it means when you choose poorly – the right way is obviously the best way. But especially when it comes to race cars, bedding in brake pads is far from simple – these are vehicles that are likely not street legal, making traditional brake bedding methods unachievable. For tips on how to get the job done right, we turned to the company that is the official brake products of the SCCA®, Hawk Performance, which in turn led us to TA2 and GT-2 racer and Msports Inc. president Bill Moore.

“Motorsport brake systems work in extreme environments,” Moore explained in a video produced by Hawk Performance. “Whether it’s a Trophy Truck, a Spec Miata, or a TA2 Camaro, these extreme uses put brakes to the test.”

The brake bedding process is key, because brake pads don’t simply rely on a pad pressing against a rotor; rather, key to a brake’s success is the pad pushing against brake material that has been properly transferred to the rotor. “Creating this transfer is what we refer to as bedding brakes – and the more extreme the environment, the more we need to focus on proper bed-in,” noted Moore.

Bedding in brakes involves heating the brakes by applying brake pressure, then cooling them through backing off on the brake pedal, repeating the process multiple times. In a street car, you might do a series of 30-40mph runs, slowing the car three to five times, then moving to a series of harder braking passes from 60-80mph, remembering never to come to a complete stop. But when you’re talking about dedicated track cars, this process is different.

“If we’re at the track, we can do the same thing during our first session, focusing on bringing the system up to temperature using medium pedal pressure at half pace, then moving to race pace and braking full force just before ABS comes into play or the tires lock up,” said Moore. “Similarly, three to five good examples of each will help us get the material transfer we need.”

After this, allow the brakes to cool so that the material layer has time to cure. “This is often simply the time between your first and second session or your drive back to the garage,” Moore said.

Moore also noted not to drag the brakes or engage the brake while the vehicle is stopped with hot brakes as this can cause an uneven pad material transfer that could mimic a warped rotor.

All new brake pads and rotors should be bed-in, although you can re-bed brakes to resolve braking issues. When reusing brake rotors with new pads – or when re-bedding – Moore suggests the removal of transferred brake pad material. “When reusing an old rotor, it should be cleared of previous material before bedding new pads by scuffing with 120 grit sandpaper, or having them turned,” said Moore.

When it comes to the extreme environment of track use, correctly bedding brakes is key to not only success, but also safety.

For everything discussed above – and more – check out the video below.