How To Properly Bed-In Disc Brake Pads

Brake pad bedding is an important process that removes impurities from the surface of the brake pad and lays down a thin layer of pad residue on the rotor surface.

Proper bedding starts with new pads being run through one complete heat cycle and then cooled before using them — either in race conditions or before you put your faith in your binders on the open road, where anything can happen.

Follow these easy guidelines and enjoy quiet, smooth, and long-lasting braking. While every manufacturer has a different method for bedding in their brake pads, the basics remain the same — regardless of brand.

Warm Up The Pads and Rotors

• Find an open length of road with enough distance for you to safely start and stop your vehicle several times.
• Accelerate to 35 mph and apply moderate brake pressure to reduce your speed to 5 MPH, not a complete stop.
• Accelerate again to repeat this process several times (3-4 times or so, the goal here is to warm up your brake pads and rotors)

Bed the Pads and Coat the Rotors

• Now repeat the same process as above, but accelerate to 45 mph and braking down to 10 mph and repeat this process 3-4 times. It’s key to avoid coming to a complete stop during this process. Simply accelerate to speed, brake firmly to decelerate, and repeat.
• Park the car and allow the brakes to fully cool (generally 30-60 minutes). Avoid pressing the brake pedal when parked.

Used or “Seasoned” Rotors

The best performance and overall results will come from bedding new pads on an already bedded or “seasoned” rotor — used rotors must of course be flat and smooth. New pads can be effectively bedded to new rotors if some care is taken at the first break-in.