brake break in?

[632 Regal]

This is something I have NEVER read before, any comments?

Brake break in (http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm)

[PhilipJCaputo]

I've done step 1 (as recommended by someone on the board)...

but I didn't do step 2-8.... but I wish I did... it sounds like fun!!

(wonder if its too late.... well new rotors in the next couple of months anyway, so that'll be a good time)

[winfred]

looks like step two is designed to warp those new rotors that haven't been heat cycled yet, my 1st test drive on a brake job is much easyer on them and generally doesn't result in smoke or blue rotors

[winfred]

i do throw in a 120 mph hard near stop or two a month to burn off the crud to stop the squeeling brakes on my 535

[632 Regal]

sheesh, it would be like studying for a one day class...according to that link it sounds like the ONLY way to break them in, and I have read that in other places. I just cant see everyone that buys them Axxis pads doing this. Im just doing my research for a springtime brake job, did not expect that though. The internet is a dangerous place mann.

[liquidtiger720]

i did them to mine =)

[PhilipJCaputo]

i did them to mine =)
and what are the results??

[liquidtiger720]

and what are the results??

I dont know how I would quantify my results?

I probably wouldnt be able to tell the difference. I didnt do it for my parents, but the brakes work just fine.

[Mobius]

Every set of pads I've ever installed has had a similar (though less intensive) procedure outlined in the instructions that they come with. New pads should ALWAYS ALWAYS be bedded in. Some PBR pads even come with a special compound on the surface of the pad to help the process.

At the very least, it helps avoid squealing brakes.

[Paul in NZ]

looks like step two is designed to warp those new rotors that haven't been heat cycled yet,

Im sure i have read somewhere where the brake dude asserted there was no such thing as warped rotors,the pulsing attributed to warped rotors actually being pulsing due to pad material being transferred to he rotor after coming to a stop during step two OR using the brakes hard and coming to a complete stop sometime early in the new pads life.

[Mobius]

Im sure i have read somewhere where the brake dude asserted there was no such thing as warped rotors,the pulsing attributed to warped rotors actually being pulsing due to pad material being transferred to he rotor after coming to a stop during step two OR using the brakes hard and coming to a complete stop sometime early in the new pads life.http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/warped_rotors_myth.htm

[winfred]

imho that's a load of **** and ill back it up with a dial indicator, some of these potato chips you can see the warp in them

[Bellicose Right Winger]

Took the words right out of my mouth. The article is talking about a racing application that likely uses floating rotors that are far less prone to warping. Drawing comparisons to OEM rotors is not appropriate. The 'hat" section of our rotors, because it's only on one side of the rotor, interferes with the uniform expansion and contraction of the rotor disk. This isn't an issue with floating rotors.

Paul Shovestul




imho that's a load of **** and ill back it up with a dial indicator, some of these potato chips you can see the warp in them

[Bill R.]

floating rotors, but it doesn't mean that i agree with his assessment or perhaps everybody has been using the term warped incorrectly.. What i define as warped shows up on a dial indicator as excessive runout, his definition may have been different. Caroll Smith died back in 2003 so we'll never know. But i have seen frequently what i define as warped or even hot spots which act the same as a warp to me. Either way they can't usually be machined out since they seem to return right away. I've seen more cases of what i think of as warp from greatly overtightened lug nuts or bolts from the local tire guys running them down with an impact... I see this a lot from the various brake outfits , usually when they are pissed off after a customer turns down the 1200 brake job they quote on the free inspection and they just throw it back together and rattle the lugs on good and tight with a big impact..
And i've seen floating rotors warp too... the ones that were on the first speed sport car that my friends raced way back were scrounged off of aircraft salvage since thats the only things around at the time that used them and they would warp periodically trying to stop the car, early chutes weren't that great that everybody used so the brakes got a pretty good workout








Took the words right out of my mouth. The article is talking about a racing application that likely uses floating rotors that are far less prone to warping. Drawing comparisons to OEM rotors is not appropriate. The 'hat" section of our rotors, because it's only on one side of the rotor, interferes with the uniform expansion and contraction of the rotor disk. This isn't an issue with floating rotors.

Paul Shovestul

[632 Regal]

Hey Bill, what do you say about breaking these things in? Lookin at the Axxis Delux plus ones. Anyone have failures from not driving mainroads like an A-hole?

[Mobius]

imho that's a load of **** and ill back it up with a dial indicator, some of these potato chips you can see the warp in themRead:
"This uneven deposition results in thickness variation (TV) or run-out due to hot spotting that occurred at elevated temperatures."

It STARTS with poor breaking-in/bad braking habits - and ends up with parts of the rotor reaching different temperatures than the others; which LEADS to warping. He's saying rotors don't just all the sudden turn to tacos; there's a series of events.


Anyone have failures from not driving mainroads like an A-hole?Most people I know who didn't know anything of bedding in new pads have either an uncurable brake squeal or 'intermittant' warping - sometimes both. Trust me; it's not worth skipping this. :)

[Marshy]

Sounds like a slightly more extreme variation of the process outlined to me (by a chap who races, so probably does this on a regular basis).

His procedure is

3 cycles of moderate braking from 70 to 30mph
then
3 cycles of moderate braking from 70 to near 0, going hard on the brakes near the end, but not stopping
then
Drive for ages without braking if possible, to cool the brakes.

My pads were brand new and there was a noticeable improvement in pedal feel afterwards. Partly accounted for, perhaps, by the front rotors being left on the car with new pads, so the pads needed to adjust to the slightly uneven rotor surface. Perhaps :)

[Bellicose Right Winger]

Bill, your definition of warped being excessive runout is good, but I think of it as being heat related. A rotor that has excessive runout from improper machining isn't warped. Re-reading the article I think he's saying judder and vibration aren't caused by warped rotors, they're caused by non-uniform rotor thickness. He may be onto something. With floating calipers disc runout should simply causes the caliper to slide on the guide pins. But a non-uniform rotor thickness requires the caliper piston to move away as the thicker part of the rotor tries to pass between the two brake pads. This once per revolution disturbance is more likely to be noticed by the driver.

Hard spots need 1200-1300F to form. The rotor's a dull red color at that temp. Pretty tough to do on the street.

Any rotor can warp, but I'm convinced it's more difficult make a floating rotors warp.

Paul Shovestul





floating rotors, but it doesn't mean that i agree with his assessment or perhaps everybody has been using the term warped incorrectly.. What i define as warped shows up on a dial indicator as excessive runout, his definition may have been different. Caroll Smith died back in 2003 so we'll never know. But i have seen frequently what i define as warped or even hot spots which act the same as a warp to me. Either way they can't usually be machined out since they seem to return right away. I've seen more cases of what i think of as warp from greatly overtightened lug nuts or bolts from the local tire guys running them down with an impact... I see this a lot from the various brake outfits , usually when they are pissed off after a customer turns down the 1200 brake job they quote on the free inspection and they just throw it back together and rattle the lugs on good and tight with a big impact..
And i've seen floating rotors warp too... the ones that were on the first speed sport car that my friends raced way back were scrounged off of aircraft salvage since thats the only things around at the time that used them and they would warp periodically trying to stop the car, early chutes weren't that great that everybody used so the brakes got a pretty good workout