MaddMatt

Several of you guys have purchased various flavors of our Panther track pad. I just wanted to make sure the bedding procedure was well known.

Here's what I generally do and it works very well for all Panther compounds.

5 or 6 stops from 40 mph using light-moderate pedal pressure, followed by 5 or 6 stops from 60-70 mph using moderate pedal pressure. Don't hammer the brakes during the bedding procedure.

The goal is to get the pads to "green fade". This is caused when when resins and binders (generally organics) burn off and get trapped between the pad and the rotor. Green fade only occurs on brand new pads, and once it happens, it won't happen again. So the goal, hopefully, is to get this to occur on a deserted stretch of road where you have PLENTY of room to stop, and not going into turn 1 at 120+ mph.

Generally after about the 4th or 5th stop from 60ish mph, I can feel the pads beginning to fade. You'll know it when it happens. I can usually smell the brakes pretty good by then. It is not necessary to get the pads heavily smoking, on fire or throwing sparks during the bedding process!! After I get the pads to green fade, I drive around for a bit to let the system cool a bit and then park it to allow the system to cool to ambient temp.

Now your first session on track with these pads should be a relatively easy one. First off, that just makes common sense not to go out and try to set a lap record Saturday morning 1st lap. Second, you'll want to make absolutely sure you have the pads all the way bedded before you crank off a whoop-*** lap. So I generally take it easy the first session for ~12-15 minutes, then get on the brakes pretty hard for a couple of corners. If you didn't get them bedded in all the way on the street, they should be by now. Park it, let them cool, and they're ready to rock and roll.

Q: What will happen if I don't bed the brakes?
A: If you don't bed the Panther compound, the most likely senario is that you'll get them to fade HEAVILY during your first track session. What then happens is the pad will likely glaze, and possibly smear friction material on the rotors. You may also experience accelerated wear of the pads. In any event, you will likely now have less than stellar braking for the entire weekend. Bedding is VERY important with these compounds.

As always, if any of you have any questions about anything brake related, give us a call.

Matt

droideka

Matt,

Couple of questions for you...

1. Why do pads start to score rotors? Two weeks on the street with the EBCs and I had no scoring. The second day of my recent track event where I was much harder on the brakes I didn't lose much pad material, but started to score the rotors. Please don't give me **** about the EBCs. I tried them out at no cost so it was no skin off my back to do so. The rotors had to be turned anyway because they were shot from the stock pads.

2. Can you bed-in track pads, remove them for street pads, drive to the event and put the track pads back in? Sorry if that's an asinine question, I really don't know.

2003z

iTrader: (7)

Acutally, not an asinine question, I would like to know also.

imntcrzy

iTrader: (4)

off the porterfield website :

The Carbon Kevlar pads have a bedding in procedure. Make light to medium deceleration stops to slowly heat up disc. This must be done slowly to avoid thermal shock to the disc. Make a series of hard stops, allow to cool slowly.

I usually do this till I can smell the pads

I wonder if the ebc pads are mettalic at all.... perhaps this leads to the scoring of the rotor

MaddMatt

1)That's interesting. EBC usually prides itself on "zero rotor damage"

I do not know EBCs formulation, but generally speaking, it is the carbon part of carbon metallic pads that score rotors. Under intense heat and pressure, the carbon forms iron carbides. Iron carbide is what they make drill bits out of...because its so hard. This is why Carbotech began experimenting with ceramic as a matrix years ago with the original Panther formulation.

I will say I met a guy at the track a few weeks ago running Redstuff on a Mercedes. His rotors were so scored I thought he was stopping the car with the backing plate. Worst looking rotors I've ever seen.

2) To a certain extent yes. The green fade issue will be taken care of. However, you'll need to do a few stops once you reinstall the track pads to get the track pad material onto the rotors for best results. Might take a few stops, might take more I dunno.

Keep in mind our Panther series of pads are very streetable. Meaning they will not chew up the rotors if driven on the street (remember my earlier statement about ceramic composition?). And the friction coefficient at colder temps is approximately that of a typical OE pad, so they will stop your car when cold. These pads are ideal for someone who wants to put them on at home and drive to/from the track without having to screw with changing brake at o'dark:30 Saturday morning. With a hangover. I've never done that before

2003z

iTrader: (7)

so have you got the brembo pads worked out yet? btw, with the brembo's its only a few minute job to change em!

westpak

iTrader: (19)

The non Brembos are quite easy as well, the ongest time is taking the wheels off, with Rays on it looks like you could almost do it through the spokes and not take the wheel off

droideka

Thanks for the reply, Matt. That makes a TON of sense. The EBC Greens are NOT meant for a heavy car like the Z on track days. The brakes were VERY hot and burning heavily on track during my last two sessions and I bet that's were I overheated them. The scoring I've got is very fine, almost like an LP, NOT the ridiculous grooves I got from the stock pads. When I resurfaced the rotors, the shop took a full 2MM off to get them evenly surfaced. I'm at the minimum thickness now of 22MM.

So, If I start with new rotors, SS lines and Motul 600, what pads would you recommend? Panther + or Panther XP. I began working on my threshold braking on day two of my event so I will defintely be doing that all weekend next time out. It's starting to get hot in Dallas now and I'm not too concerned about cold temps of the rotor/pads in the mornings and evenings. Obviously I could go to a Bobcat compound during the Winter when track events are not even an issue.

dvlad

Isn't the ABS acting like threshold braking?

MaddMatt

Yep, got them. I'll be posting a "get this stuff off our shelf" deal for the rear Brembo brake in Panther compound (the original) soon.

Also: We have pads for the Stoptech kit, too

Michael-Dallas

Brad, my brotha, just give up on them stock brakes. You know you want them Wilwoods. I'm probably going to get them fitted next Sunday, wanna come along?

BTW, Matt, if you want somebody test your track pads, then let me know. I'm headed to Hallett May 3-4, will try to get into a PCA event in June, and do at least one more in the Fall.

Michael.

MaddMatt

I think we've got a handle on it

XP (1108 compound) finished 2nd and 3rd in T2 at last years Valvoline runoffs. I think its safe to say that stuff works. Guys running our just-released 1109 compound are shattering track records here on the east coast. One guy lowerd the T2 track record at Road Atlanta by 3.5 SECONDS!

Thanks though