Braking system in your vehicles comprises multiple components and systems to stop or slow the vehicle down. When you press the brake pedal, it should slow down the cars and make a successful, smooth stop. However, there is a condition where your brake power might temporarily or suddenly lose its full braking power called brake fade. This condition typically occurs due to excessive heat in the system from heavy or sustained braking, and your braking components fail to dissipate the excessive heat effectively.
One of some types of brake fade is known as ‘green’ fade or early life fade. It is a form of fade that appears on newly installed brake pads. Different types of heat resistant materials are frequently linked together with a phenolic resin binder in brake pads. These are high-heat-resistance thermosetting plastic resins. These resins will cure when used forcefully on a new brake pad during the first few heat cycles. It might take some time for the new components to adjust and work properly. Green fade might catch people unaware because many people believe that new brakes are flawless and that they can be used aggressively immediately away. Green fade generally occurs significantly earlier than regular fade and is rather sudden, making the danger risk higher and might cause drivers to be off guard.
Green fade can be prevented by heating the pads to high degrees under controlled conditions, a procedure known as bedding in the pads before you have to use them hard. This permits the two mating surfaces – pad to disc and disc to pad – to transfer a layer of friction material to each other, allowing them to seat together and bring their optimal braking performance right out of the box. This friction material transfer, unlike pad fading, is useful after installing new brake pads.
Here are some tips on bedding in your ‘green’ pads from brake lines producer in the UK HEL Performance. The key is to get rid of the volatile elements of the binder resin without overheating or glazing the pad. Ever seen your brakes smoke? - That smelly stuff is the volatile resins being cooked out of your pads. Bedded pads will not smoke very easily.
It is better to bed new pads in on older discs. Older discs are seasoned and more dimensionally stable making them less likely to warp or crack while bedding. Older discs for some reason are less likely to glaze new pads. You should always run a new rotor in with bedded pads also for the same reasons.
When replacing your pads, you could lightly sand your discs with an electric drill and a 220 grit sanding disc, putting a light cross-hatch pattern on them. This helps break the glaze on the disc and aids in bedding the new pads quickly. Install your new pads and go for your bedding run. Before making the first stop after changing pads pump the brake lever carefully before you need to stop. The pistons are fully retracted into the caliper when you change the pads and the lever will feel long at the first brake application.
When bedding in the pads, be very careful as the brakes will not work at their optimum until fully bedded in. Through proper selection of brake pad material and careful bedding in, you should be able to reduce pad fade to a manageable level except in the most extreme racing conditions.
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