Breaking In Your Car’s New Brakes: Is It Necessary?
Most drivers rarely think of having their cars’ brakes replaced until it’s absolutely necessary to do so. They’re usually prompted by a high-pitched squeal or grinding sound coming from their wheels. In response, they drive to a local repair garage and have a mechanic fix the problem. If the braking assembly is the culprit, the auto technician will typically replace the pads, and if necessary, resurface the rotors. That’s a routine procedure.
Few motorists realize what the mechanic is doing when he performs a routine brake job. By the time you receive your car back, the mechanic has likely taken it for a test drive. Below, I’ll explain why new brake pads need to be broken in before you can safely drive your vehicle.
Why They Need To Be “Bedded”
To fully appreciate why your brake pads need to be broken in, it’s important to understand how your braking system works. When you press down on the pedal to stop your vehicle, the pads squeeze the rotors and create friction. That friction helps to bring your car to a stop. Over tens of thousands of miles, both the pads and rotors develop grooves from normal wear and tear.
New pads are completely smooth. They don’t have grooves. So, if you’re having your brake pads replaced, they need to be broken in (or, “bedded in”) by the mechanic before he returns your vehicle to you. This process creates heat between the pads and the rotors against which they’ll be used. The heat allows them to conform to each other. Until they are bedded in, their performance will be compromised.
How To Break Them in Yourself
As noted, if your mechanic has replaced your brake pads, he will have taken your vehicle for a test drive to bed them in. By the time he hands the keys to you, your braking assembly will be performing efficiently. On the other hand, if you have decided to replace the pads at home, you’ll need to bed them in yourself.
Your best option is to take your vehicle to a nearby deserted road (you’ll appreciate the reason in a moment). Accelerate to 50 mph. Then, gradually apply your brakes and slow your car to 25 mph. They will initially seem as if their stopping power is limited. This is due to the smooth surface of the new pads. Accelerate back to 50 mph and slow your vehicle down again. Do this several times. The heat will eventually break the pads in, and you’ll notice a marked improvement in their stopping power.
As a side note, if your mechanic fails to break your new pads in after installing them, you’re bound to notice their lackluster performance. They won’t have the stopping power to which you’re accustomed. Fortunately, the heat generated in your braking assembly during normal driving will eventually bed them in.
