People just aren’t sensitive to brake temperatures. I try to come off the brakes in a long hard brake intermittently to allow for cooling. And if I’m a stoplight after just cooking them, I’ll try to come off the pedal and I may even creep just to allow for pad separation from the rotor. I don’t want to soak in heat from the pads into one spot of the rotor while the other parts are cooling. In a manual I may just stay off the brakes completely.
Driving technique and its impact on pad deposits/"warped" rotors
- Thread starter TiGeo
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I'm just suprised her brakes on that Atlas ever get hot enough the way she drives to cause an issue. They are 335mm brakes so not tiny.
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But we're not on a track.
Lets assume we're daily driving a car and need to stop at intersections. You're at 50 mph on a country road and need to reach 0. Your choice is; slow and steady brake until stopped, or wait until last second and hit brakes to stop hard.
I'm not smart enough to calculate this, but in both cases you're bleeding the same speed, seems to me the slower option has more time for the heat to dissipate (less buildup), all while generating less heat due to less friction in the first place.
Rub your hand lightly for 10 seconds; no issue. Now rub it with high pressure for 3 or 4 seconds. What feels worse to you?
The car has the same kinetic energy, so no matter how quickly you stop, it's the same total amount of heat being dissipated. Yet if you stop quickly you're dissipating that heat more rapidly, which is more power (energy / time) delivered to the pads & rotors resulting in higher temperatures. So yes, even though it's dissipating the same amount of energy either way, braking faster (all else equal) means higher temperatures. Basic physics.
Another important factor is how the brakes dissipate that energy. Heat dissipation is more effective and uniform when the wheel is spinning and there is airflow. Not when you're stopped.
Another important factor is how the brakes dissipate that energy. Heat dissipation is more effective and uniform when the wheel is spinning and there is airflow. Not when you're stopped.
Every time one of our guys comes down a mountain I have to repair the rotors. Either have them cut or replace them. They turn blue from the heat and will shake your fillings out.
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Interesting topic. I definitely don't drive like a grandma, but I don't slam my brakes unless it's an emergency stop.
Not to derail the thread topic, but what is the difference in wear between braking hard for a short time, and braking soft for a long time?
Not to derail the thread topic, but what is the difference in wear between braking hard for a short time, and braking soft for a long time?
What role does bedding play in this? When I got my S4 I went through I think 4 sets of pads and rotors on the front and one set for the rear. I never bedded them and was always hard on them. I remember once literally after getting them replaced at the dealer, I did a hard fast stop and they warped immediately. Once I started paying for brakes I did the bedding process and never had them warp again.
I however am NOT an expert nor haver I ever been on a track so I have no general knowledge of this.
I however am NOT an expert nor haver I ever been on a track so I have no general knowledge of this.
Are you me?
coming down mountains brakes work better (don't fade) if you brake hard, then coast back up to speed and let the brakes cool for a minute rather than riding the brakes constantly. and i always coast as far as reasonable before a stop, then i brake pretty hard at first and let off as i come to a stop. idk if my way is the best way, its just how i was taught to drive. my dad would freak out if i braked at the last moment, so i always brake early and then roll to a stop.
On rotor set #3 on the Atlas after ~3 years on the last set/~26K miles due to pad deposit vibration during highway-speed braking. OEM set lasted until 22K/2 years. Next set 20K/2 years....there's a pattern
Just easier to swap them for free using FCP at this point. I can re-bed and get some relief but once it's there it always comes back. Swapping back to the OEM-type semi-metallic Pagids and ditching the Centric ceramics...I'll deal with the dust to have a bit more heat management...maybe that will help but the OE pads did this..not sure if those were organic or not.
Just easier to swap them for free using FCP at this point. I can re-bed and get some relief but once it's there it always comes back. Swapping back to the OEM-type semi-metallic Pagids and ditching the Centric ceramics...I'll deal with the dust to have a bit more heat management...maybe that will help but the OE pads did this..not sure if those were organic or not.
Wow. Is it a brake cooling issue? I wonder what experience @edyvw had with his Atlas in Colorado.On rotor set #3 on the Atlas after ~3 years on the last set/~26K miles due to pad deposit vibration during highway-speed braking. OEM set lasted until 22K/2 years. Next set 20K/2 years....there's a pattern
Just easier to swap them for free using FCP at this point. I can re-bed and get some relief but once it's there it always comes back. Swapping back to the OEM-type semi-metallic Pagids and ditching the Centric ceramics...I'll deal with the dust to have a bit more heat management...maybe that will help but the OE pads did this..not sure if those were organic or not.
Has to be involved - I've had this issue on several vehicles as I've noted. Larger/heavier vehicles around town mostly...just sitting at stop lights with hot pads against the rotors. I don't believe that they "warp" but who knows, I've just never had a vehicle in this use like this that keeps smooth rotors for more than a few years.
have you tried getting the brakes real hot and rebedding them? I've had luck with that.
Yes...I posted that above.
Yea id swap to a better more heat capable pad. Dust is life 
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Nope. It does not have enough carbon. Had same issue with rotors when I bought car, got OE VW (Brembo made), again, same issue after 6,000mls.
Get ATE rotors. I abused them on Atlas here with OE (ZF) pads, downhill, uphill, braking with engine, not braking with engine, fully loaded etc., and they worked great.
VW pulled the same thing on Atlas that Toyota, Honda, etc are doing. Rotors are big, but materials are definitely on the budget side of things:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vw-brake-disc-ate-3qf615301f
By the way, the price DOUBLED since I bought them! I paid them $88 a piece.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Serious question:
Ever notice Ford Expeditions leave those deposits on the wheels?
Ever notice Ford Expeditions leave those deposits on the wheels?
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Wife driving the family car and excessive heat? I doubt it. Probably just way more simple instead.
I'd almost bet it's no deposits but just runout (resulting in DTV) due to poor (not so perfect) installation.
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Wife driving the family car and excessive heat? I doubt it. Probably just way more simple instead.
I'd almost bet it's no deposits but just runout (resulting in DTV) due to poor (not so perfect) installation.
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Most of the time it's deposits. The non-metallic pads tend to overheat easily in stop and go driving, especially if mountainous areas. Pad imprints/deposits on the rotors are very common.
Sorry, I never understood warped rotors, WHY would a rotor warp, WHY? Very (extremely) low quality rotor? What deposits?
