Bedding in new discs and pads.

[chris_w]

Quick question, picking up the car (996, C2) later having had new front discs and pads (all standard) put on, what's the best method for bedding in? Sure I read somewhere that a couple of hard stops from 90 down to 40 should put the pads through a couple of heat cycles, does this sound right?
Thanks,
Chris

[The Griffalo]

Nope. Using them gently at first will allow the pads to bed to the discs better. You can tell when they're ready for use in anger by looking at the face of the discs, when the cross hatching has all gone they're ready for hard use.

It'll probably feel like you've got no brakes whatsoever for the first few miles anyway

[Pickled Piper]

I always go with the heat cycles. 60mph, brake as hard as you can without inducing ABS, don't bring the car to a stop, accelerate up to 60 again and repeat for about five or six cyclec. Always does the job for me.

pp

[Sean Edwards]

Yep, go easy on them for a few miles then have 3 or 4 hard brakes to get them upto temparature. Then drive a few miles without any braking at all (let them cool down) and then brake normally for a few miles. They will be ready to use properly/normally.

[TRPLBLK]

Sean Edwards said:

Yep, go easy on them for a few miles then have 3 or 4 hard brakes to get them upto temparature. Then drive a few miles without any braking at all (let them cool down) and then brake normally for a few miles. They will be ready to use properly/normally.

Hope you're right, 'cos this is what I'm going to do to a new set sometime between now and next Wednesday, when we meet at Brands!

[carylwills]

Have a look here for a very comprehensive set of guides relating to brakes. The Pad and Rotor Bed-In Theory, Definitions and Procedures is the one you want.

I have found that following this advice is quite difficult because you need to find a very empty road to do it safely, but when the process is complete my brakes are stunning - good initial bite without snatching and very progressive, quiet and the rotors do not wear as quickly as they did before I found this advice.

Edited by carylwills on Friday 15th June 23:00

[Merritt]

Or here for Pagids recommended bedding procedure...

Steve

Edited by Merritt on Saturday 16th June 18:11

[shim]

Pete at AP racing took me through their procedure and it does need an empty road and keep an eye in the mirror.

Felt sick as a dog after it was all over!!! Must admit we aere putting high temps into the disc and pads and then letting them cool for about 2 miles then repeating many many times............

[mailey]

hi mate,i've done it a hundred times, beleive,fist take the car up to 60 -70 mph on a safe quiet road, brake hard but not aggresive untill near stop, then drive for 1/2 mile with normal braking if be, then repeat but this time add a bit more pressure to the peddle, do this several times, but not forgetting to drive for 1/2 mile interverls so as to let the brakes coll down a little,you will have good brakes at this point but not to their optimum, this will come withtime, say over the next few days(50 miles) all the best nick

[jackwood]

Thanks for the links in this thread.

Very interesting reading. I always thought the pad material build-up on the disks was a bad thing. Turns out this is exactly what is needed for perfect brakes, and exactly what the "bedding-in" process is designed to promote.

Had new front pads and disks fitted Friday, read this on Saturday, did the bedding-in as described today, and the brakes are now better than they have ever been, by a long shot.

Thanks again.

Jack

[chris_w]

Yep, thanks all. Picked up my car Saturday morning and, having only read the first couple of responses to this thread at the time, took it very easy on them. That and the fact I live in London, so opportunities for putting them through some heat cycles are non-existant... will have to do something about that this weeekend on motorway run, just hope having left them for a week won't be a problem, especially with this rain.
Cheers,
Chris