I'm having the front brakes replaced on the van today. Although the pads still show quite a bit of "meat" on them, the rotors are pretty warped and its bothering me enough to just replace them. I was able to get some OEM Ford pads (recommended on a forum for the vehicle and very reasonably priced) and have specified higher quality rotors be used (probably NAPA or Car Quest brand). Any opinions here as to whether its a good idea to use an aggressive "bed-in" (procedures for this are available) when they're new or just use them gently for a couple of hundred miles?
Installing new brakes today...bed-in or not?
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You will probably get several different answers but I believe in bedding them in. I guess if that is 'agressive' or not is a matter of interpretation. Unless it was a track type brake setup I do not think it needs to be what I would consider 'agressive'. Many manufactures have 'bedding -in' or 'burnishing' instructions.
Use them gently for the first 100miles.
Do a search on this site "pad bedding".
SteveSRT8 posted a link on the procedure. I've used the same technique since 1989 on all my vehicles. It works.
Do a search on this site "pad bedding".
SteveSRT8 posted a link on the procedure. I've used the same technique since 1989 on all my vehicles. It works.
Drive them normally for the first 100 miles. Then drive them normally for the next 50,000 miles.
For me I drive normal for the first 200-300 miles and gently pump thr brakes.
No unnecessary hard stops.
No unnecessary hard stops.
A couple of firm rolling stops from 60 to 5 mph will bed the brake pads nicely. Drive normally after that. Ed
Looking for input on a technique I use to preserve brakes. If I come to a stop from a high speed and face a longish wait - say at a traffic light - I will leave enough space to the car in front of me that I will roll forward a foot or so every 15 seconds to keep the pads moving over the disc surface and not stay on one spot for the full 2 minutes that I have to wait for the light to change.
Thoughts on whether this might help prevent brake warping?
Thoughts on whether this might help prevent brake warping?
Originally Posted By: Danno
Looking for input on a technique I use to preserve brakes. If I come to a stop from a high speed and face a longish wait - say at a traffic light - I will leave enough space to the car in front of me that I will roll forward a foot or so every 15 seconds to keep the pads moving over the disc surface and not stay on one spot for the full 2 minutes that I have to wait for the light to change.
Thoughts on whether this might help prevent brake warping?
+1 - I do the same thing. Whenever dealing with new rotors - new car or brake job - you should drive (brake) gently for at least the 1st 500 miles. You want to slowly heat treat the rotors by getting them a little hot, then cool. This will give you long rotor life and help resist warping. Excessive high speed braking or repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into "thermal shock" - they will warp and require resurfacing. You must also gently break in resurfaced rotors as the heat treat to the surface is lost.
Looking for input on a technique I use to preserve brakes. If I come to a stop from a high speed and face a longish wait - say at a traffic light - I will leave enough space to the car in front of me that I will roll forward a foot or so every 15 seconds to keep the pads moving over the disc surface and not stay on one spot for the full 2 minutes that I have to wait for the light to change.
Thoughts on whether this might help prevent brake warping?
+1 - I do the same thing. Whenever dealing with new rotors - new car or brake job - you should drive (brake) gently for at least the 1st 500 miles. You want to slowly heat treat the rotors by getting them a little hot, then cool. This will give you long rotor life and help resist warping. Excessive high speed braking or repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into "thermal shock" - they will warp and require resurfacing. You must also gently break in resurfaced rotors as the heat treat to the surface is lost.
I do 30 slow down 35mph to 5mph stops to bed in
Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
Drive them normally for the first 100 miles. Then drive them normally for the next 50,000 miles.
Best advise you can get. There is no secret plan to breaking in breaks. Just drive your vehicle like normal.
Drive them normally for the first 100 miles. Then drive them normally for the next 50,000 miles.
Best advise you can get. There is no secret plan to breaking in breaks. Just drive your vehicle like normal.
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I have found that proper bedding in will result in about 20k extra miles on average for a set of factory Toyota pads. I am also getting 150-200k from a set of factory original rotors.
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I had a set of Wagner TQs and OEM Ford on my FX4 within a few thousand miles of each other due to a problem with a front caliper (TQs first and OEM next). The braking power of the OEM pads dwarfed the TQs; so I put a strong vote for the OEMs. Additionally, the original Ford OEMs are still on the rear and have plenty of pad left. The original front pads lasted into the 80K range, which again is a testament to the durability of the pads.
I bedded the TQs, because the braking power was quite weak immediately after the brake job. I did not bed the Ford OEMs because they grabbed harder from the start. I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but should not brake too hard when bedding them if you choose to do that.
I bedded the TQs, because the braking power was quite weak immediately after the brake job. I did not bed the Ford OEMs because they grabbed harder from the start. I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but should not brake too hard when bedding them if you choose to do that.
Better pads have been heat treated to drive off the gases that could be released when first put into use. (The typical $9.99 pad set is not heat treated).
Then, you need to transfer some of the pad material onto the rotor, especially if the rotor is new. This transfer takes place during your first few stops. Many pad venders recommend a sequence of several moderate stops to pull this off, avoiding pressing on the pedal for a long duration after the final stop in the sequence to let the rotor cool down (or you could deposit an uneven layer of pad material on the rotor).
Not too different than the drive normal brake in sequence recommended above. But if you installed low cost pads driving off the gases is important because you don't want to lose braking effectiveness when slowing down on a very long decline on new pads.
Then, you need to transfer some of the pad material onto the rotor, especially if the rotor is new. This transfer takes place during your first few stops. Many pad venders recommend a sequence of several moderate stops to pull this off, avoiding pressing on the pedal for a long duration after the final stop in the sequence to let the rotor cool down (or you could deposit an uneven layer of pad material on the rotor).
Not too different than the drive normal brake in sequence recommended above. But if you installed low cost pads driving off the gases is important because you don't want to lose braking effectiveness when slowing down on a very long decline on new pads.
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Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
Drive them normally for the first 100 miles. Then drive them normally for the next 50,000 miles.
Lol. x3
Sound advice for regular street pads in any usual every day car.
Drive them normally for the first 100 miles. Then drive them normally for the next 50,000 miles.
Lol. x3
Sound advice for regular street pads in any usual every day car.
If in your every day driving you are getting rotor and pads HOT, you need to go back to driving school and learn to drive.
Unless you are in a panic situation, there is no reason to slam on the brakes. And light changing from green to yellow to red is NOT considered a panic situation!
Unless you are in a panic situation, there is no reason to slam on the brakes. And light changing from green to yellow to red is NOT considered a panic situation!
Best pads I have bought recently, (I used REPCO for years) are from EBC, I use them in two cars and a German bike which came with Brembo calipers.
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Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
I had a set of Wagner TQs and OEM Ford on my FX4 within a few thousand miles of each other due to a problem with a front caliper (TQs first and OEM next). The braking power of the OEM pads dwarfed the TQs; so I put a strong vote for the OEMs. Additionally, the original Ford OEMs are still on the rear and have plenty of pad left. The original front pads lasted into the 80K range, which again is a testament to the durability of the pads.
I bedded the TQs, because the braking power was quite weak immediately after the brake job. I did not bed the Ford OEMs because they grabbed harder from the start. I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but should not brake too hard when bedding them if you choose to do that.
Were they the same type of pads? Ceramic or semi- metallic? Same ratings FF GG?
I had a set of Wagner TQs and OEM Ford on my FX4 within a few thousand miles of each other due to a problem with a front caliper (TQs first and OEM next). The braking power of the OEM pads dwarfed the TQs; so I put a strong vote for the OEMs. Additionally, the original Ford OEMs are still on the rear and have plenty of pad left. The original front pads lasted into the 80K range, which again is a testament to the durability of the pads.
I bedded the TQs, because the braking power was quite weak immediately after the brake job. I did not bed the Ford OEMs because they grabbed harder from the start. I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but should not brake too hard when bedding them if you choose to do that.
Were they the same type of pads? Ceramic or semi- metallic? Same ratings FF GG?
Originally Posted By: Vikas
If in your every day driving you are getting rotor and pads HOT, you need to go back to driving school and learn to drive.
Unless you are in a panic situation, there is no reason to slam on the brakes. And light changing from green to yellow to red is NOT considered a panic situation!
I get mine hot every day but not by slamming on the brakes. On my drive to work, I drive on a 55 MPH highway that crests a hill at full speed, down a 6% grade and ends at a stoplight at the bottom of the grade. They get hot and there is little I can do to prevent it. I get a green maybe 105 of the time as the cross highway has priority in the light cycle.
If in your every day driving you are getting rotor and pads HOT, you need to go back to driving school and learn to drive.
Unless you are in a panic situation, there is no reason to slam on the brakes. And light changing from green to yellow to red is NOT considered a panic situation!
I get mine hot every day but not by slamming on the brakes. On my drive to work, I drive on a 55 MPH highway that crests a hill at full speed, down a 6% grade and ends at a stoplight at the bottom of the grade. They get hot and there is little I can do to prevent it. I get a green maybe 105 of the time as the cross highway has priority in the light cycle.
Originally Posted By: Doog
I do 30 slow down 35mph to 5mph stops to bed in
That is what I do and HAWK Brake Pads recommend this. Do about 5-10 stops, then drive or park car to cool brakes.
I do 30 slow down 35mph to 5mph stops to bed in
That is what I do and HAWK Brake Pads recommend this. Do about 5-10 stops, then drive or park car to cool brakes.
Thanks guys...I've decided to do a "gentle" bedding-in...a bunch of 35 or 40 mph to 5 mph stops to bed them in (not for any scientific reason...more because at my age "gentle" accurately describes my life in general). Quite frankly, I've done each in the past (gentle driving and bedding-in)...problem is I can't remember which method provided the best result...time will tell.
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