Best way to bed in new pads and rotors?
- Thread starter Vanne
- Start date
Paulwirral
Active member
Vanne said:
People advise different methods , some say take it easy for the first few hundred miles and don't go nuts , others say give them hell from the off .
I've always been in the latter camp , gently run them up to temp with some easy braking then go 60 down to 10 mph a dozen or so times emergency stop type braking so they really are stinking hot then drive around for half hour or so to let them cool off properly , this is what I've always done apart from when I put red pads in a z4 and got distracted and forgot . I went to the ring a couple of weeks later and had major fade after half a lap .
Hard bed in works for me but I'm sure the easy approach works for others .
Up to temperature. Do 7/8 80-20 if you can and make sure you don't stop completely as you'll get lumpy deposits/potentially warp the rotors. Drive around for half hour allowing everything to cool down. Check the rotors for a nice even pad deposit. If not clean them up and go again. If you can go on track then 100-20 runs are even better.
Paulwirral
Active member
It's also worth trying this method before deciding your discs are warped , saved me money a couple of times as it does work and it's free , free is always worth a try !
I would strongly argue that new OEM pads and rotors should be gently broken in.
The brake to near stop, drive, repeat routine is to clean off pad deposits on already well bedded in setups, where vibration problems arise due to pad deposits on the surface.
The brake to near stop, drive, repeat routine is to clean off pad deposits on already well bedded in setups, where vibration problems arise due to pad deposits on the surface.
Paulwirral
Active member
I was always told to do it from new, but I did say from the start there would be different opinions . I've done it from new and in between to clean and never had any problems apart from when I forgot from new and had brake fade . I'm genuinely interested in the softer approach to bedding in , for and against .
Well I've never seen a set of pads or rotors that said 'drive like you stole it to bed in'.
They need to degrease, mate pad and disk surfaces and several heat/ cool cycles.
They need to degrease, mate pad and disk surfaces and several heat/ cool cycles.
Paulwirral
Active member
I said there would be different opinions , I'll stick to mine as I know it definitely works for me and I'm comfortable with that . If you crash after using my method , please don't try to sue , I've got nothing and you would be wasting your money on a solicitor !
My method:
Get up to 100km/h, brake hard (but evenly/smoothly) down to 20, then get back up to 100 and repeat.
By about the 4th/5th cycle you'll smell the brakes cooking, might even see some smoke and you'll feel the brakes fade.
Repeat one or two more times (so about 6 cycles in total) and then let the brakes cool off.
Best way to cool off is to drive at about 100/120km/h for about 10 mins without touching the brake pedal.
Drop a gear if you need to slow down and switch off traction control as it may apply brakes while cornering.
All of this should be done on a quiet and straight road.
You'll know the discs got to the correct temp if they're blue after that
:driving:
Get up to 100km/h, brake hard (but evenly/smoothly) down to 20, then get back up to 100 and repeat.
By about the 4th/5th cycle you'll smell the brakes cooking, might even see some smoke and you'll feel the brakes fade.
Repeat one or two more times (so about 6 cycles in total) and then let the brakes cool off.
Best way to cool off is to drive at about 100/120km/h for about 10 mins without touching the brake pedal.
Drop a gear if you need to slow down and switch off traction control as it may apply brakes while cornering.
All of this should be done on a quiet and straight road.
You'll know the discs got to the correct temp if they're blue after that
:driving:
NavZ said:My method:
Get up to 100km/h, brake hard (but evenly/smoothly) down to 20, then get back up to 100 and repeat.
By about the 4th/5th cycle you'll smell the brakes cooking, might even see some smoke and you'll feel the brakes fade.
Repeat one or two more times (so about 6 cycles in total) and then let the brakes cool off.
Best way to cool off is to drive at about 100/120km/h for about 10 mins without touching the brake pedal.
Drop a gear if you need to slow down and switch off traction control as it may apply brakes while cornering.
All of this should be done on a quiet and straight road.
You'll know the discs got to the correct temp if they're blue after that
:driving:
I used to believe the above method but EBC makers of pads/rotors used by many on the forum advocate gentle conditioning of new pads and rotors for reasons explained in their articles on 'all things brakes' which seem pretty authoritative.
http://ebcbrakes.com/articles/how-to-bed-in-your-new-brakes-for-streeturban-driving-2/
Brake articles
http://ebcbrakes.com/technical-articles/
Ewazix said:NavZ said:My method:
Get up to 100km/h, brake hard (but evenly/smoothly) down to 20, then get back up to 100 and repeat.
By about the 4th/5th cycle you'll smell the brakes cooking, might even see some smoke and you'll feel the brakes fade.
Repeat one or two more times (so about 6 cycles in total) and then let the brakes cool off.
Best way to cool off is to drive at about 100/120km/h for about 10 mins without touching the brake pedal.
Drop a gear if you need to slow down and switch off traction control as it may apply brakes while cornering.
All of this should be done on a quiet and straight road.
You'll know the discs got to the correct temp if they're blue after that
:driving:
I used to believe the above method but EBC makers of pads/rotors used by many on the forum advocate gentle conditioning of new pads and rotors for reasons explained in their articles on 'all things brakes' which seem pretty authoritative.
http://ebcbrakes.com/articles/how-to-bed-in-your-new-brakes-for-streeturban-driving-2/
Brake articles
http://ebcbrakes.com/technical-articles/
Good read, happy that this is similar to what I do. On a third set of front disks now and don't go on track much. I do use my brakes though.
:driving:A short quote from the EBC article on bedding in new rotors http://ebcbrakes.com/articles/how-to-bed-in-new-rotors/
"Assuming that a brake disc has been made properly, with a good pearlitic structure to begin with, the onus then rests on the user to not create the conditions of heating and rapid cooling that will cause structural changes and therefore cracks to be formed in the braking surfaces. In other words getting a rotor very hot and cooling it very quickly is not good news especially in its early life.
The best way to bed in new rotors is to use them gently over the first few hundred miles, not getting them too hot and letting them cool gently, for certain avoiding hard braking if at all possible (safety considered). If you can do this by moderate street driving for up to 1000 miles you will condition your iron disc or rotors and that is the best way to bed in new rotors."
"Assuming that a brake disc has been made properly, with a good pearlitic structure to begin with, the onus then rests on the user to not create the conditions of heating and rapid cooling that will cause structural changes and therefore cracks to be formed in the braking surfaces. In other words getting a rotor very hot and cooling it very quickly is not good news especially in its early life.
The best way to bed in new rotors is to use them gently over the first few hundred miles, not getting them too hot and letting them cool gently, for certain avoiding hard braking if at all possible (safety considered). If you can do this by moderate street driving for up to 1000 miles you will condition your iron disc or rotors and that is the best way to bed in new rotors."
A
Anonymous
Guest
I'm no expert
But oem drive and bed in slowly
Race pads like my DS2500
Different matter
That's 60-10
Till you smell them burning
8-10 times then 30 mins driving no braking
Get it home leave in gear brakes and hb off
Allow to cool
Rip face off after that
But oem drive and bed in slowly
Race pads like my DS2500
Different matter
That's 60-10
Till you smell them burning
8-10 times then 30 mins driving no braking
Get it home leave in gear brakes and hb off
Allow to cool
Rip face off after that
Good posts above and vindicates my earlier posts about gentle bedding in from new as the correct method.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Exactly buddy
Oem aren't race pads or race ready
Blasting them will warp and glaze them
Effectively destroying what you've paid good money for and will now need replaced
Race types are designed for that
From new to first corner at speed and brake
Oem aren't race pads or race ready
Blasting them will warp and glaze them
Effectively destroying what you've paid good money for and will now need replaced
Race types are designed for that
From new to first corner at speed and brake
D4dawg said:Exactly buddy
Oem aren't race pads or race ready
Blasting them will warp and glaze them
Effectively destroying what you've paid good money for and will now need replaced
Race types are designed for that
From new to first corner at speed and brake
With respect D4awg I think it's important for people reading 'how to bed in my brakes' get some authoritative information and what you suggest for even racing pads IS NOT advocated by racing pad manufacturers like Ferrodo, Pagid etc. Im no expert and honestly believed the method you mention for racing pads (and even road) but having read the technical info from the actual makers realise it's not a good idea to toast your friction material out of the box, and that even racing pads are NOT designed to hammer when new, even when purchased as pre-bedded.
https://uber9s.com/Pagid_bedding_in_procedure.pdf
http://www.ferodoracing.com/products/car-racing/pad-bedding/
A
Anonymous
Guest
Just looked at ferrodo site and they've changed their tune!!
As I'm sure all those running 2500s like me will agree that as I explained to run in, was in fact their hard break in method
So apparently they've gone the softly softly approach
So my reply was informative until the new method
As I used hard break in
And the pads worked second time of use and will stop you v v quickly as must cook pads to bind them
Guess they back tracked, how on a track it'd work I don't know
As I'm sure all those running 2500s like me will agree that as I explained to run in, was in fact their hard break in method
So apparently they've gone the softly softly approach
So my reply was informative until the new method
As I used hard break in
And the pads worked second time of use and will stop you v v quickly as must cook pads to bind them
Guess they back tracked, how on a track it'd work I don't know
