Video: How to Bed-in Brake Pads and Rotors

[JRitt]

Hi Guys,
A couple of months ago I posted a link to an article I wrote about how to choose brake pads. I’ve received a steady stream of emails and comments from forum members who benefited from that piece, so I decided to address another commonly discussed brake topic, bedding-in pads and rotors. Understanding how to properly prepare your brakes is critical for getting the most performance and longevity out of your components. Since visuals go such a long way towards adequately explaining this topic, I decided to use video in addition to a written article.

As with my prior article, this video is not intended to promote any one brand of brake pad, rotor, or brake system. The objective is to teach enthusiasts how to get the most out of whatever brake system they have on their car. My hope is that you’ll get more enjoyment out of your car, you’ll save money on brake parts, and we’ll all have fewer repetitive topics to wade through on this forum.

A few notes: When you click the link, please be patient and give the video a few seconds to load and buffer before viewing it (it’s quite long and high res). Also, if you only want to see the actual bed-in procedure or have a slow internet connection, there are links to shortened and low-bandwidth versions of the video below the main video. Finally, if you find this information useful, please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the video page. Thanks, and we hope you enjoy it!
Jeff
How to Bed-in Pads and Rotors

[stephen wilson]

One caution, don't try this on your sister's Grand-Am! I did when I was 17, and those puppies caught fire real nice! I had to put them out with a fire extinguisher. Lesson learned; A grocery-getter and parts store pads are not designed for this usage!

Also interesting, there's no real benefit for a street car unless you're preparing for a track day, as the disc coating will just wear off with normal usage.

Thanks,
Steve

[kabel]

thanks Jeff. Didn't realize there might be a necessity to do several runs initially.
I sadly warped my front rotors with in just a month of putting them on so I will need new rotors again, but should I get new pads too?

[JRitt]

thanks Jeff. Didn't realize there might be a necessity to do several runs initially. I sadly warped my front rotors with in just a month of putting them on so I will need new rotors again, but should I get new pads too?

In my video, I did a second cycle because I didn't have quite as much pad material on my rotors as I wanted to see. When we bed rotors for pro race teams, they have different specs and preferences. Some like a thick transfer layer, some like it thin, etc. It all depends on the team and the driver.

You don't need new pads to bed them in. You'll be fine with your current pads on fresh rotors.

[kabel]

It just occurred to me, many of today's cars come with multiple levels of traction control or stability management systems where the brake system is a significant component of these systems.
I do not know how intrusive these systems are on average, but it seems there is at least the possibility of uneven/non-consistent use on each corner, no?

Probably not a significant amount, but just thought I would put that out there for discussion as it pertains to retaining the proper level of pad material on the rotors.

[JRitt]

It just occurred to me, many of today's cars come with multiple levels of traction control or stability management systems where the brake system is a significant component of these systems. I do not know how intrusive these systems are on average, but it seems there is at least the possibility of uneven/non-consistent use on each corner, no? Probably not a significant amount, but just thought I would put that out there for discussion as it pertains to retaining the proper level of pad material on the rotors.

Yes....good thought. These systems definitely play a role. On my C5Z06 for example, if you drive in 'competitive mode,' you'll burn through rear brakes much more quickly because the car is trying to control yaw through the application of the brakes.
When doing the bed-in though, ABS tends to play a bigger role. That's why I always tell people to brake at the point just before ABS intervention if possible. The ABS pulsing can be distracting, and it will be grabbing and releasing the rotor, rather than a steady application of the pad against the rotor.