Just bought some Hawk performance street pads for my new Grand Sport with 1700 miles. Hawk instructions say to sand rotors with 150 grit sand paper to remove contamination from old pads. Do you guys do this when replacing pads? I guess it makes sense but first time I'm seeing that. I also saw the bedding instructions so I get that part.

 

I use a scotch bright pad. Seems to remove the previous brake pad material just fine.

 

I've never bothered doing that. The break in / bedding procedure should do the trick. Just find a safe place since the first few stops and the last few might take longer then expected. If the brakes squeak or vibrate afterwards then maybe sand the rotors and repeat the bedding procedure.

I switch between street (PowerStop) and track (Raybestos) pads every few months and don't even bed them anymore. The first few stops after a change you can feel a little difference then everything evens out.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Whenever you change to ceramic pads it is important to clean the rotors of the old dust to give the new ceramic pads a clean surface without contaminates from the old stock/standard pads. Wash the rotors well with CRC Brakleen or equivalent and be sure to clean the slots in the rotors as they collect a fair amount of packed dust.

 

^^^^ This.
I tried everything. Scotch Bright works the quickest and leaves the least mess. Whatever you do, do not use steel wool.

 

Thanks. This is really helpful info.

 

I agree. The bedding procedure does the same thing or a few miles of operation will do the same thing although you do have to use extra caution when first using the brakes since stopping distances may be a little longer. Not a big deal.

Bill

 

I am also waiting for my Hawk ceramics to arrive. Just a rookie question: When you talk about Scotchbrite or sanding to clean, are you taking the rotors off to do this? Not quite sure I want to go that far, but thought I should ask.

Just one other question regarding the Hawk bedding instructions. What do they mean by: DO NOT DRAG BRAKES. I have read a lot of techniques for bedding, but have never seen the term "Drag Brakes" before.

 

No, you don't need to remove the rotors, just turn them a little, scotch bright, turn a little, repeat.
Bedding, just follow the Hawk instructions. Dragging refers to holding some brake pressure while holding a speed with the gas. I don't think any pad company beds this way anymore.

 

Thanks much!

 

I first used warm soapy water and a boar hair detail brush to clean the caliper and rotor thoroughly. I then sprayed my calipers with Iron X. I then rinsed the Iron X off the calipers (follow directions on Iron X bottle). I then used a Magic Eraser and plain water to clean my calipers and also wipe down the rotors. I then waited for the brake to air dry. You can use an air dryer if you have one. You will now have a slight coat of rust on the rotor. I then used a dry Scotch Bright pad to sand the rotor clean. All the remaining rust will come off the rotor. Concentrate getting the grit off the face and clean and the channels on the face of the rotor. Next, install you brake pads and lube the back of the pad on the 3 spots where the pistons contact the pads), the pins, and the brake edges. A very light coat is all that is needed! I then clay barred the calipers. After the clay bar, I then used IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) to wipe everything down. Finally, I then put a ceramic coat (2 coats) on just the calipers. "DO NOT COAT THE ROTORS!!!" If you take these extra steps to clean your brakes and coat them you will be rewarded with a set of brakes that look better than new. They will also be much easier to clean as well.

When they tell you not to "Drag" the brake, they mean not to brake with a light brake pedal. When you burnish the brakes pads, they want you to apply very firmly on the brake pedal coming to a greatly reduced speed (don't come to a complete stop). Brake quickly. Do not brake your vehicle like you coming to a normal stop. For your safety, just make sure to do this when nobody is driving behind you.

 

If you want to improve the surface much like a turned rotor without removing the rotor use a Flex Hone (available in fine, medium and coarse grit). They work great and put a nice non directional pattern on the rotor and give the new pads a nice surface to bed into. Be sure to clean the rotors after use.