" BED IN " new brakes & rotors needed?

[N3OO]

Hi all.....I just bought new Wearever rotors and Wearever Plat Premium ceramic front pads that I will install tmrw. Now , how do I need " bed in ".....or just put em on and go.....what to do ? This is on a 2005 Camry if that matters.
Thank u for the info.......BOB

 

[bdcardinal]

What does the paperwork with the pads say for bedding in?

If nothing provided, use this procedure
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-suppor...e-system-bed-in

 

[kam327]

That's only for high-performance brakes. 99% of average Joes don't follow any special procedure off the new car lot or after a brake job and their brakes are just fine.

I can tell you I did my Explorer's brakes with top-end Napa rotors and pads, followed a bed-in procedure (multiple hard stops from 45 mph and what not), and the rotors still warped about 5k miles later. Replaced the front rotors again without any special bed-in procedure and noticed no difference in stopping power from then on out (aside from lack of vibration due to the old ones being warped).

 

[surfstar]

I've done something similar to the link bdcardinal posted for both vehicles when I put pads/rotors on earlier this year.

No complaints or issues - both vehicles had a shudder and previously worn out pads beforehand. Granted, this is my first set of rotor changes, so I don't have a 'drive-it-normal' bed-in experience to compare to.
All I can verify, is that it didn't hurt and they perform great so far.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Bedding is a well respected procedure to deal with braking issues.

If you don't have any then do nothing. But whoever made your parts should supply you with recommendations.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: kam327
That's only for high-performance brakes. 99% of average Joes don't follow any special procedure off the new car lot or after a brake job and their brakes are just fine.

I can tell you I did my Explorer's brakes with top-end Napa rotors and pads, followed a bed-in procedure (multiple hard stops from 45 mph and what not), and the rotors still warped about 5k miles later. Replaced the front rotors again without any special bed-in procedure and noticed no difference in stopping power from then on out (aside from lack of vibration due to the old ones being warped).


The rotors do not warp. They become of uneven thickness. You have lateral runout.

 

[bigt61]

I always try to brake gently for the 1st 1000 miles w new rotors. You are trying to "heat treat" the metal slowly. They will last longer like this and avoid warping. Get them a little hot, then cold, a little hot, then cold - this will harden the metal. Repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into thermal shock and they will warp. Leave extra stopping distance, apply brake lightly, lift, apply brake lightly again. The lifting part will instantly cool the surface and help with the heat treat. While you're braking gently, don't roll into the back of someone else and crash. Warped rotors are better than crashing. If you have to use them hard and come to a complete stop at a traffic light, let the car creep forward a tiny bit so the pads don't stay locked down in one place - this helps with heat distribution-dissipation. Always look well down the road when driving and anticipate stops, coast when possible and don't tailgate. These actions will greatly prolong your brake life...and your own life.

 

[RobS]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
I always try to brake gently for the 1st 1000 miles w new rotors. You are trying to "heat treat" the metal slowly. They will last longer like this and avoid warping. Get them a little hot, then cold, a little hot, then cold - this will harden the metal. Repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into thermal shock and they will warp. Leave extra stopping distance, apply brake lightly, lift, apply brake lightly again. The lifting part will instantly cool the surface and help with the heat treat. While you're braking gently, don't roll into the back of someone else and crash. Warped rotors are better than crashing. If you have to use them hard and come to a complete stop at a traffic light, let the car creep forward a tiny bit so the pads don't stay locked down in one place - this helps with heat distribution-dissipation. Always look well down the road when driving and anticipate stops, coast when possible and don't tailgate. These actions will greatly prolong your brake life...and your own life.



That's a great bit of tips.

 

[dparm]

Dave's procedure is quite effective:

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

And yes, you absolutely need to do it.

 

[kam327]

Originally Posted By: Donald
The rotors do not warp. They become of uneven thickness. You have lateral runout.


Thanks chief. But I'll continue to use the term commonly used in the industry for practical purposes, even if it's not technically accurate.

 

[kam327]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
Repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into thermal shock and they will warp.


Really? Then why do the two bed-in procedures linked here, as well as the one I followed on my Explorer years ago, recommended repeated hard stops?

I do agree with your recommendation to not come to a complete stop after a hard stop thereby distributing the heat evenly over the rotor. I try to do this every day.

 

[bdcardinal]

Another thing, if your parking brake uses force applied to the face of the rotor, do not use it if at all possible when you are done with the bedding procedure. I was at a SVTOA HPDE a few years ago and they were telling all the Mustang owners to use rocks for hand brakes after a session to prevent the pads from melting to the rotors.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: kam327
Originally Posted By: Donald
The rotors do not warp. They become of uneven thickness. You have lateral runout.


Thanks chief. But I'll continue to use the term commonly used in the industry for practical purposes, even if it's not technically accurate.


My point was not what you called it but the fact that you probably have lateral runout and it will keep happening (or may) giving you warped rotors until the lateral runout if addressed.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Another thing, if your parking brake uses force applied to the face of the rotor, do not use it if at all possible when you are done with the bedding procedure. I was at a SVTOA HPDE a few years ago and they were telling all the Mustang owners to use rocks for hand brakes after a session to prevent the pads from melting to the rotors.


That is still the case at any track day. I always put it in neutral, turn the car off, and jam something against the tires to hold the car in place.

 

[bigt61]

Originally Posted By: kam327
Originally Posted By: bigt61
Repeated hard stops on new rotors will send them into thermal shock and they will warp.


Really? Then why do the two bed-in procedures linked here, as well as the one I followed on my Explorer years ago, recommended repeated hard stops?

I do agree with your recommendation to not come to a complete stop after a hard stop thereby distributing the heat evenly over the rotor. I try to do this every day.


I don't agree with repeated hard stops on any normally driven street cars. If you're talking about race cars or hi performance street cars intended for track use, time constraints may force you to speed things up. On my race cars I would dedicate a whole practice session just for brake bed in....when possible. Most owners manuals that I've seen...and I've sold cars in one form or another for the last 35 years....state that you should drive the car gently for the first 500 or so miles. That being said, do what works for you.

 

[N3OO]

I'm the OP...very interesting answers indeed and a great topic. I've been driving for many years and I never did " BED IN .....BEDDING...SEATING IN....BARNISH " the brakes. In fact this is the first time ever I needed to change rotors on a car or truck. And I bet 99% of the people on the road never heard of doing this. People just buy a new car and drive it till...well, never giving a thought about it ;press on the brake pedal and the car stops.
Seems to me that the damage is done when the rotors and brakes are hot.....and we come to a complete stop.....melting the pads onto the rotor , and time after time it just builds up on the surface of the rotor in one place. It doesn't take long for brakes to get hot to do this: just coming off a long off ramp and stopping is enough to do this day after day I believe. Or putting on your parking brake when brakes are warm as mentioned. How about coming down a step grade , brakes are hot......then a deer jumps out / or a car pulls out and you apply full brake pressure.
I always brake easy and plan my stops and try never to leave my foot on the brake pedal when brakes are hot......but I think it's those panic slam stops that do the rotors in. ? !
BOB

 

[Mr Nice]

Drive gently the first 500 miles.

 

[kam327]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: kam327
Originally Posted By: Donald
The rotors do not warp. They become of uneven thickness. You have lateral runout.


Thanks chief. But I'll continue to use the term commonly used in the industry for practical purposes, even if it's not technically accurate.


My point was not what you called it but the fact that you probably have lateral runout and it will keep happening (or may) giving you warped rotors until the lateral runout if addressed.


I've never heard of lateral runout being a cause for warped rotors. By the way you just admitted warped rotors exist after saying they didn't. Which is it?

Lateral runout can be due to the hub, the mating surface, the rotor surface ( uneven pad deposits) or the rotor itself. Since my Explorer's brakes operated perfectly smoothly after my brake job I would guess the initial lateral runout was within spec. Lateral runout can eventually develop later due to pad deposits or over torqued lug nuts, one of which I assume happened to me.

Anyway, start a new thread if you wish to debate this further so as not to continue hijacking the OP's thread.

 

[EricF]

In my area, all I could say is good luck to anyone who has a shop (even the dealership) bed-in brakes. To a shop, time's money and they'd rather lose money by just slapping pads & rotors (either new or machined) and sending the car out.
Then we get blamed for "squeaky" brakes when it's usually shoddy installation.
Rarely do we see any caliper lubricant on the pad ears, at best we see that sticky disc brake squeal elixer that doesn't do anything for shimmed pads.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Just drive it normally, there's no need for any bedding.