Brakes

ON THIS PAGE:

Breaking-In New Pads
"Seized" Pads, Good Calipers, metallic smell
Caliper Pins, Grease
Brake-Types with the BEST STOPPING POWER


Breaking-In New Brake Pads

If you have just installed new brake pads and/or shoes, you may notice that they're not as "grabby" as your old brakes. The pads have to be broken-in to perform properly.

To start, lightly apply the brakes a few times at low speed to build up some grip before doing any serious driving. Without this, they won't hold good enough for sudden stops or emergency situations.

When performing this breaking-in regimen, avoid doing it near other vehicles. Try for early in the morning, or such a time and place that will provide a clear, safe stretch of road to apply these maneuvers.

  • From about 60 mph, gently apply the brakes and slow down to about 45mph, then accelerate back up to 60 mph. Repeat this four or five times to heat up the brakes to operating temperature. This prevents thermal shock to the rotors and pads during the break-in procedure.

  • Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing on the brakes firmly, just short of locking the wheels or activating the ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph. Don't come to a complete stop! (Note: With standard street pads and/or stock calipers, you won't have to do this as many times. If your pedal gets soft or you feel the brakes fading, then you've done your job. Go on to the next step.)

  • While doing this, don't come to a complete stop because that can cause some of the pad material to "bond" to the hot rotor, possibly causing vibration and uneven braking.

  • The brakes may begin to fade slightly after the 7th or 8th near-stop, depending on the type of pad. The fading will subside, and will completely go away once the brakes have fully cooled. You will normally notice a metallic smell from the brakes, and even some smoke during this.

  • After the 8th near-stop, drive normally for as long as possible without using the brakes (except, of course, as needed). They will need at least 10 minutes to cool down.

  • After the break-in procedure, you may notice a blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of pad material across the rotor surface. This minimizes squealing, and increases braking power.

  • After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second break-in session may be necessary - after the brakes have cooled down - before the brakes operate at their best. If you've installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you want. The pedal will become noticeably firmer after the second break-in.

Related Links

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

http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/bedbrakes.html



"Seized" Pads, Good Calipers, & "Metallic" Smell

If your disc brake pads are "sticking," it may mean the pins (bolts holding the caliper in place) are causing the pads to stick. Remove the bolts/pins & apply aome anti-seize compund on them. Move the bolts in-and-out a few times untill they move freely.


Caliper PINS (Bolts, Slide Guides), & Lubricant

Results for Caliper Grease

The mounting bolts on brake clipers also serve as pins for "slide guides" inside the rubber boot. The bolt AND the outside of the slide guide need to be lubed. Can't use petroleum-based, can't use lithium.

It goes by a mix of names: brake lube, caliper grease, caliper slide pin lube/grease, etc.


Brake-Types with Best Stopping Power

Information gained the hard way.

  • AVOID CERAMIC PADS! Ceramics lack "in-a-pinch" stopping power in an emergency. They do not stop till they get hot. My experience with ceramic pads has been horrendous, having one close-all after another, having to shift into "neutral" while braking to give every "edge" possible to these Teflon-like ceramics.

  • Metallic and Semimetallic: These are the "standard" brake material. Switching back to these gave me a MASSIVE INCREASE IN STOPPING POWER over that of the ceramics. Semimetallics are a mix of organic material and metals which may include steel, iron, and copper, molded and bonded to form the pad. "Metallics" are the original, formed of a variety and mix of pressure bonded metals. Advances in semimetallic pad composition have made metallic pads more obscure.

    My preferred pads at the moment are the Bendix TitaniuMetallic, which is a semi-metallic pad with aTitanium-metallic coating intended to reduce the initial "break-in" time for the new pads. I have noticed a great increase in "gripping power" after installing these & giving the ceramics the heave-ho.


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