another brake question

[Chris]

I replaced my roommate's front rotors on his 03 Escort ZX2 a couple weeks ago and was just wondering how a typical shop would bed in the pads on new rotors? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't take out someone's car and do several hard stops.

Since I've been working on cars I always do the full bedding in process and the brakes seem great afterwards. I just had him try a couple stops when he could, but I know it wasn't near enough to be considered bedding in.

They seem fine now after being driven on for a while, but its still not the same feel as before... will it just take a while or should I still take his car and bed them in?

[Mike]

i've never bed street pads and have never had any issues related to soft brakes or premature wear.

[HAULN-SS]

I usually do like 3 or 4 40 -> 0 stops, and I've never had a problem - brakes felt good afterwards.

[Andy]

Bedding in street pads help mitigate/eliminate any possibilities of brake squeal. I normally just do a couple of 40-0 stops. Once I start smelling brakes, I know it's good.

*edit* shit-derek and I think alike.

[white_2kgt]

Shops don't bed in pads. I still do bed in street pads, doesn't take long to smoke them though, nothing like some XP14's. I had christina's mazda bedded in after 2 stops.

[PDenbigh]

Shops don't bed pads but then again 99% of drivers wouldn't notice or need the difference. I still bed street pads. It's fun! Nothing like rolling back into town with plums of smoke coming from the wheels.

Much of the reason many car's brakes smoke when going over Rt. 33 for the first time is because they were never bedded - until just then. I just feel like its good measure.

In my truck, for example, I make sure the pads are good and bedded . The last place I need a bunch of outgassing/fading is going over a mountain pulling my car.

[jongp3]

At the shop i worked at, we bed the pads. It was really cool taking someones car and slamming on the brakes a few times, sometimes the customer would watch as we did it. Only one guy got real pissed, then when he noticed his brakes actually stopped he stopped bitching. Of course this was an old man driving a 350Z like an old lady. Then when he took off, we noticed he was a 2 footed driver. 1 foot on the brake and 1 foot on the gas, so he'd going up hill with the brake lights on... ouch.

[NTIman]

They seem fine now after being driven on for a while, but its still not the same feel as before... will it just take a while or should I still take his car and bed them in?

We never bed in pads. If using OEM stuff, chances are you'll never need to.

However, sometimes you'll have to adjust the rear brakes slightly to regain some pedal after doing front brake pads. Why? I have no fucking idea, but a lot of times you'll have a low, weird feeling pedal after doing front pads.

[Andy]

They seem fine now after being driven on for a while, but its still not the same feel as before... will it just take a while or should I still take his car and bed them in?

We never bed in pads. If using OEM stuff, chances are you'll never need to.

What's the difference between OEM and regular pads? Bedding in pads is bedding in pads. You're trying to burn off the bonding resin and curing the friction material. I don't see how OEM manufacturers go around this.

[.RJ]

What's the difference between OEM and regular pads? Bedding in pads is bedding in pads. You're trying to burn off the bonding resin and curing the friction material. I don't see how OEM manufacturers go around this.

When you're bedding in pads you're transferring a layer of friction material to the rotor - thats the primary purpose, since thats what stops the car - the rotos are just a heat sink. Most OEM's use friction material that isnt very aggressive, and it beds onto the rotors very easily so a bedding process isnt required.

[Andy]

That's one of the functions in addition to the ones I stated but there isn't a significant difference between OEM street pad and a Bendix/Wagner/Akebono street pad that you buy from Autozone/Advance/Olympus. None. They're made to OEM spec. So that whole, if you buy OEM, you don't have to bed in pads sounds like koolaid talk to me.

[.RJ]

Unless the car already had OEM pads on it, and you're not changing the rotors....

*most* OEM pads are a little better than what you get at the parts store.

[white_2kgt]

That's one of the functions in addition to the ones I stated but there isn't a significant difference between OEM street pad and a Bendix/Wagner/Akebono street pad that you buy from Autozone/Advance/Olympus. None. They're made to OEM spec. So that whole, if you buy OEM, you don't have to bed in pads sounds like koolaid talk to me.

If you just CHANGE pads not change BRANDS or types you do not have to bed in pads to the rotors again. This is one big reason why I suggest everyone get a set of 'street' rotors/pads and 'track' rotors/pads. Once you bed in the street pads on those rotors you don't have to do it again, even if you get new 'street' pads of the same type. I would go through a set of rotors per year and about 4 sets of pads. I'd bed in the rotors once a season.

[Evan]

if using new rotors, building a transfer layer on the rotors will improve feel. never felt much difference after bedding street pads, but the rotors do make a difference

[NTIman]

They seem fine now after being driven on for a while, but its still not the same feel as before... will it just take a while or should I still take his car and bed them in?

We never bed in pads. If using OEM stuff, chances are you'll never need to.

What's the difference between OEM and regular pads? Bedding in pads is bedding in pads. You're trying to burn off the bonding resin and curing the friction material. I don't see how OEM manufacturers go around this.

There is a huge difference between the material used in pads from autozone or wherever and the pads that come from Toyota. It just goes back to the thread a couple weeks ago about the difference between OEM and aftermarket stuff.

I'm not saying that there wouldn't be an advantage to bedding in pads, I'm just saying that as long as the brakes don't make noise and pass inspection, the average customer doesn't really give a damn. I don't know how many times we've had customer complaints about brake noise that was remedied by simply replacing their $15 pads with a set of OEMs.

[white_2kgt]

They seem fine now after being driven on for a while, but its still not the same feel as before... will it just take a while or should I still take his car and bed them in?

We never bed in pads. If using OEM stuff, chances are you'll never need to.

What's the difference between OEM and regular pads? Bedding in pads is bedding in pads. You're trying to burn off the bonding resin and curing the friction material. I don't see how OEM manufacturers go around this.

There is a huge difference between the material used in pads from autozone or wherever and the pads that come from Toyota. It just goes back to the thread a couple weeks ago about the difference between OEM and aftermarket stuff.

I'm not saying that there wouldn't be an advantage to bedding in pads, I'm just saying that as long as the brakes don't make noise and pass inspection, the average customer doesn't really give a damn. I don't know how many times we've had customer complaints about brake noise that was remedied by simply replacing their $15 pads with a set of OEMs.

uh, you can get OEM equivalent from places like autozone. In many cases it's the exact same thing, just sold under a different brand.

[NTIman]

You can, but most people usually opt for the cheapest thing possible.

[white_2kgt]

You can, but most people usually opt for the cheapest thing possible.

yup, then bitch and scream when the pads won't shut the fuck up.

[Jewels]

You can, but most people usually opt for the cheapest thing possible.

yup, then bitch and scream when the pads won't shut the fuck up.

That would be me right now. I have certainly learned my lesson. We put the cheapest pads on my car, and I'm about ready to go nuts. Though I realize it is my fault so I'm trying not to bitch too much.

[NTIman]

You can, but most people usually opt for the cheapest thing possible.

yup, then bitch and scream when the pads won't shut the fuck up.

Pretty much.

I mean, I put the cheapest possible brake pads on my old ZX2 and never heard a peep out of them. But looking back on it now, I think I was just lucky.