Brakes

[sovietspybob]

I've always followed the procedure from the maker of the pads, in the case of EBC it says to drive for 300 miles then do the bed in procedure.

I think the 300 miles thing might be more if you've changed pads and not discs its to wipe away the remnants of the old pad material before bedding in the new ones incase you've changed from an adherent to an abrasive type pad. But the heavy stops are very important see the top graph below, you can see the braking effiiciancy dip initially then raise to almost double the pre bedding in phase.

That graph is for the newest EBC Orangestuff pads which i have on my scooby and they are very aggressive and not for the road but the same general principle applies.

 

[Firestar_3x]

I usually go out and put the pads through a few heat cycles without fully stopping the car, has always worked for me for the past 10 or so times i've gone through this.

However, i once cooked a new set of EBC yellows at the ring after 1 lap, kept driving to let them cool down, 3 laps back to back with 0 fade, so trial by fire seems to work.......

Drive normally.

Avoid harsh braking? What am I supposed to do if someone pulls out on me, crash?

Yes, that's exactly what you should do.

 

[LiE]

Good to see some consistent procedures

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Might sound strange but i read the instructions specific to those pads..... if they dont say anything then they probably arn't performance orientated anyway. Cool down time is just as important after hard braking on new pads though, parking with the handbrake on or traffic lights with your foot on the brake can cause deposits as you havent heat cycled them enough to get the low temp burning materials released from the pad.

 

[Simon]

Exactly, it depends on the compound of the pad and its application

You don't want a track pad to be gently bedding in as otherwise the first time you brake hard is when you de-gas the pad. These will fade into the first corner. The idea of hard braking is to do all the degassing in a 'safe' situation.

 

[[TW]Fox]

They are just standard BMW discs and pads. Not race pads.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

They are just standard BMW discs and pads. Not race pads.

Which also have binding materials in so they will degas in just the same way, potentially under less load as they material isnt designed to operate as high temp, afterall they are 'not race pads'.

The main point is an emergency stopping in the first few heat cycles (whether thats 30 miles or 500miles depends on use) will be of limited success.

 

[Relentless81]

Drive normally.

Avoid harsh braking? What am I supposed to do if someone pulls out on me, crash?

Exactly this, I just noticed the brakes performed much better after 500 or so miles

 

[Simon]

They are just standard BMW discs and pads. Not race pads.

Lack of info in OP.

Just drive them normally then, thats what BMW tell you isn't it?

 

[acemastr]

How much?

Just paid £350 for new discs (302mm ones, not the standard 284 on my model(Apparently the entire front end of my car is the newer facelift style, suspension and all)) new pads and a brake fluid change because it looked like Irn Bru

All done at mates rates labour(£40)

 

[Buck890]

I did the fast brake in procedure 2 weeks ago with red stuff pads and new discs, worked a treat.

 

[Housey]

It really depends on the pads but my advice is simply take it steady and do a few cycles over a journey. I find some light earlier braking, i.e applying the brakes earlier but lighter than you might works and then harden your braking over a couple of hundred miles. Just drive with a bit more caution as you won't have full braking for a few cycles and then all will be good.

 

[mrk]

I've not heard or been told any different other than driving normally and after a few hundred miles that is all done.

When I fitted OEM discs and EBC pads all round on mine the braking wasn't as responsive but after a few hundred miles the stopping distances especially from high speed are dramatically improved.

 

[acemastr]

Fairly sure it's the same type of argument as running an engine in, some say slow and steady, some say hard and fast, there most likely isn't a 'correct' way

 

[Sin_Chase]

500 miles....yeh...no thanks. That would take me ages here.

I just drive carefully for a few miles on them with moderate braking and once I am happy they are fitted properly and work will do a few hard brakes on them. Assuming I am not in a ditch/wall/upside down just drive on them normally from there on in.

 

[naefeart]

the braking wasn't as responsive but after a few hundred miles the stopping distances especially from high speed are dramatically improved.

Who wants to cover a 'few hundred miles' with poor braking responsiveness though?

Unless you driving Miss Daisy.

 

[Dr Who]

If you are replacing discs and pads, steady for 300 miles with gentle braking, if you are just changing pads, 5-10 hard stops from 30-40 mph to reshape the pads to the discs.

That has always been my rule of thumb.

 

[Gaijin]

Every pad manufacturer I've used has a recommended bed in process and I just follow that. Why do anything else?

 

[markweatherill]

avoiding heavy breaking,

Yes, you don't want to break your brakes.
If they end up broken you won't get consistent braking.

 

[mrk]

Who wants to cover a 'few hundred miles' with poor braking responsiveness though?

Unless you driving Miss Daisy.

Oh it wasn't poor, it was still stopping quicker than the outgoing pads and discs of course but it was not as face hurling in power until after around that mileage! Now I have to force my arms tight on the wheel unless I want my body to fly forwards into the seatbelt if I brake heavily!

Confidence inspiring braking performance though.