Sparta Rotor Bed-In Procedure
To properly bed-in your Sparta brake rotors, please follow the instructions carefully.
Please download the PDF for the complete instructions.
Here is a brief overview.
1. While the vehicle is stationary, pump the brake pedal to ensure pad contact. The brake pedal should feel firm, and have standard travel.
2. Drive the vehicle cautiously a short distance to test fit and function. The brakes should be smooth, with no vibrations, judder, etc.
3. Drive the vehicle to a remote area and perform at least 20 brake applications of 3-second duration. Use light deceleration with varying starting speeds. Stoplight traffic can work well for this.
4. The purpose of this procedure is to gradually increase the temperature in the components without inducing thermal shock, and to mate the brake pad and disc friction surfaces.
5. After the repeated stops, drive the vehicle for several miles (on highway generally) with little or no braking in order to adequately cool the components. While on highway, perform 10 braking applications using light to medium pressure for periods of about 5 seconds
6. After the above process is completed, the system is ready for normal use.
a. Note: that pads and discs are a set once mated together. Changing to a different pad material after the previous material is bedded into the disc may cause pedal judder, vibration and squeal issues.
7. Because of the heat buildup in the brake system during extreme use, you need to let the brakes cool down by driving normally for a short distance before stopping. This cool down period not only helps the longevity of the brake system, but also the entire vehicle.
Additional Notes for Race Specific Bedding
1. Rotors are bedded differently than pads and need to be done first. Rotors need to be brought up to temperature gradually, kept there awhile, and then cooled. Used pads are the preferred choice when bedding new rotors. The binders/resins at the pad face are already cooked off and make it easier/cleaner to bed new rotors. Be sure NOT to drag the brakes as this will glaze the rotors and pads by producing too much heat too quickly. The idea is to bring the discs up to temp gradually, using easy and then moderate braking actions. Once you’ve reached 700- 800F allow the rotors to return to near ambient temperature, this will take a few laps to complete.
2. Once rotors have cooled, you can focus on finishing bedding the pads. The whole system needs to have some heat in it before you start pad bedding. Start by gradually increasing temperature as done previously when bedding the rotors. Multiple deceleration events with moderate pressure works well. Once the system has some heat in it, the real bedding can begin. At this point, refer to pad manufacturers bedding instructions. Each have their own procedure they would like followed. In general, they all involve multiple stops from increasing speeds and pressures until things are really hot, then allow time for cool down. Repeat this process once.
3. When everything is very hot, NEVER sit stopped with your foot on the pedal for any period of time. This will cause the pad to print to the rotor in one location and will lead to judder. It also could warp the rotor locally due to the pad acting as a heatsink. Chock the wheel in the pits to keep the car from rolling if necessary.
Still have questions? Contact us at hello@spartaevo.com
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