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Frequently
Asked Questions
Top
Q: What are brake pads made from?
A: Racing brake pads are made from a variety of ingredients like
metals, resins and fillers. The combination of ingredients and the
size and weight of the ingredients used in the friction formula can
create very different performance levels and characteristics.
Top
Q: With all the different brake compounds available
today, how do I make the proper choice of what to use on my race
car.
A: Choosing the proper brake pad compound that will provide the best
performance for your motorsports application can be made easier by
following some guidelines.
- Determine what compounds
and styles of brake pads are available for your calipers and
type of racing.
- Determine the operating
temperature of your cars brake system. Heat sensitive paint can
be applied to the brake pads and rotors to help you gauge
temperature. Tire pyrometers can be used but due to the cool
down time the temperature numbers may not be accurate.
- Upon learning your system's
temperatures, or if you do not know your temperatures contact
Hawk performance for recommendations regarding proper brake
material for your application.
- Other drivers that share
your driving style will sometimes provide valuable information
that may allow you to learn what brake pads other drivers have
used and liked or disliked.
- Contact your local racing
products dealer and inquire as to what brake pads they offer and
recommend for your application.
- It’s important to
understand different types of racecars, racing surfaces and
driving styles may require different levels of braking
performance, and many drivers expect the brake system to have a
certain feel that suits their individual needs. Because of this,
it should not be assumed that what works for one driver would
work for all. In some cases the best way to learn what is best
for you is to experiment with a variety of friction compounds to
determine how a particular pad differs from another regarding
issues such as pedal feel, consistency, and rotor and brake pad
wear.
Top
Q: What are some noticeable signs that I have made
the wrong pad choice for my motorsports racing application?
A: When a friction compound is used in a substantially higher
temperature range than intended, the material can quickly lose its
ability to perform correctly. Generally an overheated brake pad will
continue to provide a hard pedal but require more foot and pedal
effort to achieve even marginal performance. Continued use during
this type of circumstance can result in complete brake pad failure.
- It’s important to
understand the chain of events that take place when a brake pad
becomes too hot to work correctly. As the pad begins to lose
performance effectiveness the driver may try to compensate by
pushing harder and longer on the pedal. This may cause friction
surface temperature to increase thereby increasing the brake
problem. When this occurs, great stress is put on the friction
material and the material can begin to crystallize. In extreme
cases delaminating between the friction material and the pad's
backing plate can sometimes occur. This type of situation may be
corrected by choosing a friction compound designed to withstand
higher temperature.
Top
Q:
Why should I perform a break-in procedure on new brake pads?
A: Correct brake pad break-in (bedding) is important to assure
quality braking performance over the life of the pad. This procedure
allows the rubbing surface of the brake pad to slowly be brought up
to racing temperatures. Proper bedding creates a transfer layer film
of friction material to be applied to the rotor surface. This allows
the brake pad material to rub against itself rather than the bare
rotor. This increases the stopping performance of the brake pad and
can reduce pad and rotor wear.
Top
Q:
What is the proper procedure for braking in new brake pads?
A: Brake pad break-in procedure.
- After reaching medium speed engage brake pedal to
slow car without coming to a complete stop. Release pedal
quickly and do not drag brakes. Repeat four or five times.
- At higher speeds engage brake pedal to slow car
without coming to a complete stop. Release pedal quickly and do
not drag brakes. Repeat five times.
- At or near race speed engage brake pedal to slow
car without coming to a complete stop. Release pedal quickly and
do not drag brakes. Repeat three times. Allow a few seconds
between brake engagements while car is in motion.
- Do not hold brake pedal. Park car for
approximately 20 minutes or until brake rotors are completely
cool to the touch.
- If during the above steps the brake pedal becomes
soft or brake fade is noticed, park the car immediately for
approximately 20 minutes. Do not hold brake pedal.
Important reminders:
- Do not attempt to use badly worn or damaged
rotors with new brake pads.
- Do not drag brakes while car is moving during
break-in procedure.
- Do not engage pedal while car is stopped at any
time following the break-in procedure.
- Upon completing the procedure, allow the brake
system to completely cool before racing.
- Applying the pedal a few times before the start
of the race will allow the brake pads to heat up before
attempting to reach race speeds.
- Clean a used rotor surface with fine sand paper
or steel wool, rinse with water, dry and install before bedding
new pads.
- Some forms of racing don't allow time for the
proper break-in procedure to be performed. However, it is still
very important to attempt to perform at least the core of the
procedure: slow heat build up and complete cool down.
Top
Q:
What can happen to my brake pads if not bedded properly?
A: Proper break-in will assure that small amounts of heat are
introduced to the brake pad. Brake pads that are brought up to
temperature too fast and not properly allowed to cool down may
quickly become glazed and not perform as originally intended. The
pads' rubbing surface reaches extreme heat levels during racing use.
The surface needs slow temperature increases to help prepare the
pad. Large amounts of heat all at one time can cause the brake pad
rubbing surface to become somewhat liquefied and coat the pad
surface with a glaze. This will dramatically reduce stopping
performance as certain ingredients in the friction compound break
down and cause glazing of the rubbing surface of the brake pad.
Top
Q:
How can I tell by looking at the brake pad if my pads have been
glazed over?
A: When a brake pad glazes over the friction surface develops a
cloudy or glassy looking coating. It is possible to remove the
glazed surface by using sand paper to grind away the damaged layer
and expose a new layer that will require the proper bedding
procedure.
Top
Q:
What is a pre-bedded brake pad?
A: Some brake pad manufactures offer a pre-bedded pad and/or a
pre-bedding service. Pre-bedding is performed by placing a pad in a
caliper and running them with a mechanical driven rotor. The rotor
and pads are then slowly brought up to temperature and allowed to
cool down over several cycles. This process simulates on track
situations while the two surfaces mate correctly. While this process
can be very expensive, it greatly reduces the break-in time prior to
pad purchase. In most cases the rotor and the pad would then be sold
as a matched set.
Top
Q:
What is a pre-burnished brake pad?
A: Some brake pads are pre-burnished during the manufacturing
process. Pads that are pre-burnished in this way have had high
temperature applied to the rubbing surface to simulate the first few
engagements on an actual racecar. The process will allow the pad to
break-in quickly and to begin working more effectively in a shorter
time. Pre-burnished pads still need to be properly bedded to help
assure that the pad and the rotor have an opportunity to mate
correctly.
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