Do road brakes glaze?

[BigMonk]

I fitted standard pads, discs and fluid to my mondeo about a year ago and did a track day shorlty afterwards, they were good. SInce then I have done 11k of casual motorway miles on them, but today i decided to test them and they were really crap.

Slamming on at 40mph there was no ABS and no aggression, just an abrupt stop. I did a few more from various speeds and I think it got better, I was eventually getting some tyre squeal and a bit of ABS but I was being careful not to cook / over do it.

So do discs and pads lose their effectiveness if they are not used regularly, and will the "bite" come back with harder braking?

[HellDiver]

BigMonk said:

will the "bite" come back with harder braking?

Yes, it will. My motor spends a few weeks tottering about town, never getting over 30mph. When I go on a long run every other weekend, first few braking applications are less than inspiring. By the time I've gone down the side of the mountain, they're squealing and pulling hard again.

Mondeos have big brakes (same size as a E36 M3!), and they need a caning every now and again.

[unpc]

Yes the brakes on my 147 GTA would regularly glaze and would only come back after a severe pounding. Wouldn't say it's common though.

[mnkiboy]

I thought glazing was when the pads were over-heated and the friction material started to melt?

I've not heard of brakes losing efficiency due to lack of heavy use.

[BigMonk]

Glazing would be the wrong word, perhaps - but thats how it feels, when either the surface of the disc or pad is not optium.

[dvance]

Interesting ... I've never managed to make the brakes in my VR5 upset the ABS, but then again I've never had to do any emergency stops -- shall investigate on the weekend!

[BigMonk]

When my brakes were fresh, I was getting almost full aggressive ABS at 90mph....today it wouldnt do it at 40mph lol. PEdal feels good, its not the fluid, as said it did get better but I didnt try too hard.

[JM]

BigMonk said:

Slamming on at 40mph there was no ABS and no aggression, just an abrupt stop. I did a few more from various speeds and I think it got better, I was eventually getting some tyre squeal and a bit of ABS but I was being careful not to cook / over do it.

Which was giving you the shorter stopping distances, the first "abrupt stop" or the subsequent tyre squeals and ABS intervention?

What are the tyres like?

[BigMonk]

JM said:

Which was giving you the shorter stopping distances, the first "abrupt stop" or the subsequent tyre squeals and ABS intervention?

What are the tyres like?

The stops with the ABS were much better, by far. THe first stop was just uncomfortable braking, seriously it was worrying hence I did a bit more testing. Road surface was good and try, tyres are relatively fresh and top of the range.

[HellDiver]

BigMonk said:

top of the range.

Who's range? Kingpin remoulds have a "top of the range" too.

[Dave_ST220]

Which model Mondeo is this?

[Ari]

Yup, brakes need a good hard stop occasionally I find to maintain efficiency.

[BigMonk]

its an old shonky mondeo with volvo brakes.

[dylan0451]

i find the same thing with standard and metallic pads - day to day they're ok, then the first heave can feel quite dull. get some heat in them and they come back like new. don't remember the same happening to organic compounds though

[MattVXR87]

ive had this in the astra but just assumed the pads were "tired".