Maintenance Tips
GBrakes Rotor Maintenance
- GBrakes Wave® rotors are made of a proprietary high-carbon-content 420 stainless steel. This steel has many great characteristics, but due to the carbon content of the steel (which gives the rotor better memory retention and strength), some surface rust may occur.
- When installing any GBrakes Wave® rotor, we recommend you use the OEM factory torque specifications for the vehicle’s wheel. To maintain your warranty, you must use GBrakes brake pads.
- Offset the rotors (on dual front brakes) so they are not mirrored left to right on the Wave® profile. This will help with the feel of the system. We recommend getting your wheels rebalanced since many of our Wave® rotors do not weigh the same as OEM units. GBrakes Wave® rotors usually “break in” after the first 100 miles. This process should be done with gradual braking at various speeds and pressures. Do not overheat the brakes.
- All brake rotors tend to build up brake pad compound material over time. Pad build embeds itself into the disc and can retain heat, which promotes disc warping. To prevent this from happening, and to ensure your pads always brake on a good and clean rotor surface, we recommend getting your discs bead blasted at least once a year. If you are racing or use the bike for heavy sports use, you may need to do this more often during the year. Call us; we can help with this procedure.
GBrakes Paid Maintenance
- When installing new GBrakes brake pads, be sure to clean around the pistons of the caliper according to your service manual. This helps the pistons slide more easily and gives you better release for the brake pads.
- We recommend cleaning the caliper pad slide pins if equipped. This will help the pads retract when the lever is released. Most systems will not reuse the OEM brake pad shims or heat plates. Your choice.
- Always check your brake fluid level in your reservoir. New pads and rotors are thicker than the old ones and too much fluid in the system can apply the brake when you are not on the lever.
- Brake pads should be bedded in to clean rotors (see rotor maintenance). Start with slow stops ranging from 10-15 mph and increasing in blocks of 10 mph until about 40-50 mph. Repeat this step 2-3 times and resume casual riding. Bedding in brake pads helps prevent glazing and helps to mate the pads to the rotor surface. Do not come to a complete stop using the brake set that you are bedding in. When the brake starts to get hot the pad will bake on to the rotor and will leave to much pad material in one spot of the rotor. That will cause the brakes to pulse.
- Changes to the brake system are known to affect the suspension of your vehicle. You may need to adjust the settings of your suspension after upgrading your brake system.
- If you are also installing brake lines with your pads and rotors, we recommend that you do the brake lines first in case brake fluid is spilled on any of the components. Brake pads can absorb brake fluid and will contaminate them.