Do i have to break in new brake pads and rotors?

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I just got new rotors n pads installed and wondering can i drive and stop however i like or no? cause the other day i had to brake a lil hard cause the car in front of me stopped fast so its hard with city traffic to just brake easy. I just dont wanna warp the new rotors i mean there just stock pads n rotors i got from autozone.
 
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If you drive normally and stop early and easy they will bed fine.

On a side note i would recommend upgrading to top of the line pads if you want to get better braking performance. The bottom dollar pads at most parts stores suck, but the top of the line ones at most part stores are good FF rated friction pads.

GG is attainable, but hard to find unless you know where to look; like Akebono performance pads are Raybestos Element3 EHT

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I always drive like a slug and brake early and easy etc. By buddy beds in his pad differently: gets his 3500 ram to 90mph and floors the pedal makes the pads smoke. I call him an idiot, but he wears pads out just the same as I do, and trusts his raped pads to stop his truck and 3 cars on a trailer. Maybe they make pads better since bedding was first a practice.
 
Some very high end makers do not recommend any bedding proceedure (I believe Akebono does not, for example).

I split the difference and do a relatively mild one.

10x firm but not abusive decelerations from 60 to 30mph, with a 1/2 to one mile distance in between each one to cool rotors and pads.

I have seen this recommended by major pad makers both for cars and motorcycles. I've used it on both for 15 years with 0 issues.
 
IMHO, drive and brake normally as you do everyday!
Most people that bring in their vehicle to the "brake" shop to have the tech's install normal replacement parts, do just that...drive the way they drive everyday!
 
The brakes will feel better after 500 miles or so as they wear in\mate with the rotor surface. But hard stops before that will not warp the rotors. Very few people have warped rotors. A lot of people have rotors with pad deposits welded to the rotors so that makes them feel warped. Don't use the cheapest pad and that won't happen. Try to use at least an fe or ff pad.
 
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Mainly I increase my stopping distance until the brakes are fully seated (as evidenced by an increase in stopping power when they are broken in). That is my break in procedure.

As far as avoiding hard braking, I try to avoid doing that anyway until some idiot pulls out in front of me and I'm forced to do so.
 
I never understood the concept of breaking in pads. Normal driving will eventually wear the pads to the rotors. The only benefit I see is that a hard stop will seat them quicker. BTW, your buddy doing 90 and smoking the pads....thats just plain stupid.
 
The tech rep at Wagner Brakes told me to "bed" my pads/rotors. Told to drive at 20 mph and brake, they said to do this 20 times.
Google is your friend on "bedding" and the reasons why to do it.
 
When installing new pads and rotors, I've done the accelerated bed in process (about 20 progressively harder slow-downs from about 60mph) several times and I've done the "just driving normal" bed in process several times. The end result was always the same. Neither process netted me with better pad life or bite out of the pads.

However, on several occasions, the accelerated bed in procedure, performed on used pads and rotors that developed a pulsation over time, did help curing it.
 
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I do several medium-pressure near stops (not complete stops) from a decent speed - 25 to 50 mph or so. That gets things started and after that I just drive normally.

Some of the break-in techniques that are often repeated online are pretty aggressive and may be too aggressive for street pads.

I actually overheated a new set of Bendix CT-3 pads after using one of the oft-recommended aggressive bedding methods.
 
I think the most important thing about break-in is just avoiding a bad break-in; coming to a complete stop with really hot brakes.

I also agree with Stephen9666, leave the most aggressive break-in for the racing-type pads that need it.
 
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I did what the cardboard box told me to do. Mostly. The road and the traffic on it where I did the 'bedding in' had a lot to say about the slow downs I did.

I love these pads. So much braking power available if requested. No reports on longevity or dusting, but the braking ability has never been better.
 
Originally Posted By: philipp10
I never understood the concept of breaking in pads. Normal driving will eventually wear the pads to the rotors. The only benefit I see is that a hard stop will seat them quicker. BTW, your buddy doing 90 and smoking the pads....thats just plain stupid.
Originally Posted By: Smoky14
I wonder why new cars don't come with bedding instructions if it is so important?

Smoky


Depends on the pad manufactuer. Some don't instruct to bed in, some, like hawk do. Depends on the materials and binders used.
 
I believe in bedding. I do about 10 40 to 5 then accelerate gently to 60 and do one pretty brisk to 5, then let them cool. Some fool may pull out in front of you and then you have to panic brake. You will want them mostly bedded.

Rod
 
I always bed in new pads. 25-30 gradual stops from 35mph to 5 mph with cool off in between. It usually takes me 30-40 minutes.

Brake pads always last me 65-75,000 miles after and rotors 150-200,000 miles.
 
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