Bedding in the brakes.

[TCL]

I usually do on aftermarket pads. Since so many part number are back ordered for mopar. Typically improves feel if nothing else.

It just make them work fully sooner if you had to do a hard stop before they mate themselves with the rotors perfectly.
If bedding in is done incorrectly you'll have more problems. Now you'll have cooked pads and material left on rotors.
Like I said, they don't tell you to do this with a new car that has brand new rotors and pads.

 

[930.engineering]

If the car has ABS, test slamming on the brakes hard enough to activate ABS.

Wrong. That would perhaps result in uneven spots on your rotors. If you really
think you need to bed-in your brakes at all - definitely never try to engage ABS
(or lock).
That said 'bedding-in' is a popular misconception. Typical daily driver pads don't
need them. If at all wait for at least 200 mls and then perform mild three or four,
at most five times decelerate from say 60 to 20 mls. Then cool down, don't stop
it to a halt if possible. Done. True track pads are an entirely different case.
.

 

[spasm3]

Wrong. That would perhaps result in uneven spots on your rotors. If you really
think you need to bed-in your brakes at all - definitely never try to engage ABS
(or lock).
That said 'bedding-in' is a popular misconception. Typical daily driver pads don't
need them. If at all wait for at least 200 mls and then perform mild three or four,
at most five times decelerate from say 60 to 20 mls. Then cool down, don't stop
it to a halt if possible. Done. True track pads are an entirely different case.
.

Thats the procedure i remember 50-60mph down to 15-20 mph rapidly several times, but never a complete stop until the brakes cooled back off.

The whole point of bedding in was to get the pads hot so they out-gas , rather than out gas when they get hot and you loose brakes in a turn on the track.

I think it would be rare to need to do this on a street pad.

 

[philipp10]

Is this even necessary these days? I have done it for as long as I've been a gearhead. Usually with the following procedure, unless instructed otherwise by the brake pad/rotor manufacturer.
- 3-4 hard stops from 45mph to 5mph.
- 8-10 hard stops from 60mph to 15mph.
- Ride around until brakes cool off.
- All stops are hard and gradual, but not enough to engage the ABS or lock up the brakes. Never to a complete stop.
So that is generally the procedure I follow, but seems like thousands of non-car people let the shop replace the brakes, and ride on with no I'll effects. Do any of you bed-in your new brakes?

Nope, never have. Brakes will bed themselves just by using them. Same for "breaking in" an engine. All silly old wives tales.

Now of course I'm not hopping on the freeway in a 10 ton truck and tailgating until they are used a bit...

 

[mk378]

If you really
think you need to bed-in your brakes at all - definitely never try to engage ABS

I meant to test a "panic stop" once, after breaking in the new pads. That's to be sure that ABS works before giving the car back to your friend, wife, customer, etc. And to confirm that the brake lines aren't about to blow out under high pressure.

 

[mk378]

I don't think I have ever heard of anyone bedding in the brakes on a new car

Someone drives each new car out of the factory to its first parking spot. They're probably told to hit the brakes hard a couple of times to make sure they work.

 

[K20FA5]

On new pads and rotors I just do a few hard 60-5mph stops and drive around like normal. When I do a pad swap and keep the old rotors, I do a full bed in process. If I don’t they always squeak.

 

[MattPersman]

It just make them work fully sooner if you had to do a hard stop before they mate themselves with the rotors perfectly.
If bedding in is done incorrectly you'll have more problems. Now you'll have cooked pads and material left on rotors.
Like I said, they don't tell you to do this with a new car that has brand new rotors and pads.

They are also putting on pads and rotors that aren’t questionable quality. No heavily oiled rotors no how know what pad compound.

After market are a crap shoot. I will continue to bed them in for the next 20 years till I retire.

 

[1000MPH]

I bed when new and try to use good braking technique whenever possible. I’ll re-bed too when I find myself on a good hill or unoccupied freeway off ramp. Brake life has been excellent. ymmv.

 

[wlk]

I just do 3 or 4 hard-ish 30-40mph to 5-10mph's and then roll for a bit on the first test drive. Then I try and be easy on them for about a week and seems to be okay for me.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Many pad/rotor manufacturers recommend bedding in the pads when pads and rotors are replaced. One of the most recommended brands of pads/rotors on many forums, including this one, also highly regarded (not by me per experience), highly recommends bedding-in the pads. They have specific instructions on doing it.

I don't understand the disconnect of falling down over the "awesome" performance of this brand's pad and rotor and the replies of bedding in the pads is not needed....

 

[tickerguy]

I always do it, including with new vehicles. Funny how many others have "judder" problems and think their rotors are warped; a couple of times I've stuck a dial indicator on one of those allegedly "warped" rotors to prove they're wrong and.... no it isn't. What DOES happen is uneven deposition of material.

You choose, but doing it is a good idea. The concept is to get the pads and rotors good and hot so you get a nice even deposition of material on the rotor, then do not stop until they're both fully cool. This requires a place (e.g. a freeway that isn't very busy, or a long enough state highway) where you can perform multiple hard braking runs in a row from, say, 60-15mph -- 4, 5 or even a few more back-to-back, then you have to be able to drive without stopping for a good 10-15 minutes so they cool down. When you get done you will have a nice, even color of material obviously transferred on the rotor.

I've switched to Powerstop Z23s on all my vehicles; they're very predictable and do not fade, even under serious use (e.g. towing when you really need them to work NOW) or if driven in a "spirited" way on twisties. They also have excellent wear characteristics and are low-dust. For the street I've found nothing that is anywhere near them on an "all around" basis and they're not crazy-expensive either.

 

[Marcozi]

I think the decision whether to bed the brakes depends on the car and the pads. When I replaced the factory pads on my car with Performance Friction 08 pads I did a half-azzed bedding. The next time I went to the track I had some vibration in the front end. Turned out not fully bedding in these pads was the cause.
I bet bedding isn't required when you replace the pads with OEM pads.

 

[tickerguy]

Well it is certainly true you don't have to. They will eventually "bed" on their own through ordinary use.

The risk is that if you get them nastily hot before that happens, and you stop, you'll wind up with an uneven deposition of material on the disc. If that occurs that's then a higher-friction location and will continue to preferentially transfer material from the pads and can, if you get 'em hot enough once that starts, lead to judder.

Most people will probably not run into trouble but since you can't predict when you might have to stand on the brakes and come to a complete stop for some period of time before they do transfer pad material evenly through ordinary driving it seems to be rather crazy not to take the half-hour to do it up front.

After all you're the one who will get to eat the new set of pads and rotors long before they would otherwise have to be changed if it happens.

 

[Tifosi]

The following is just my opinion, as I am not an expert automotive technician.

I think the recommended bedding procedure from aftermarket manufacturers are for the following purposes. 1) To rid of themselves of potential legal responsibility should something were to happen. They can always claim the customer did not bed in the brakes properly. 2) Bed-in procedure are to speed up what will occur normally on a DD. It is more applicable for people that tracks or plans on tracking their vehicles. 3) When one changes from one type of brakes pads to another w/o changing or resurfacing the rotors.

Because just about every single owner's manual I ever came across has a new vehicle break-in procedure. All states to take it easy on the brakes for X amount of miles etc, and I am fairly sure that bedding in brakes does not equal to an emergency situation. The attached 3 photos are taken from the OM of the 3 DD in my household at this moment. The STi has factory Brembo 6 pot/2pot, it may not have track pads on them but are more performance oriented than the other two. And yet, it still tells the owner to take it easy for the first 1,000 miles.


2019 STi

2022 WRX

2017 Sienna

 

[camrydriver111]

Last time I followed a bedding in procedure the brakes were smoking and the rotors got glazed.

Unless a reputable brake manufacturer requires it I wouldn't do it. If you do it, remember to take it take it easy.

 

[jkasch]

The PowerStop Z-26 pads I installed called for a bedding in procedure.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

130 day update. Brakes are still performing flawlessly. No abnormal wear or discoloration on the working surface of the rotor. Surface rust did start a month ago on non-working surfaces, such as hub and cooling fins.