How Do I Break In My New Brake Pads?
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A Brake Pad is one of the most crucial components in a brake system. They create the friction that helps stop your car when they’re pressed against the brake disc (also called a brake rotor or brake drum) that rotates with the wheel.
Brake pads are like normal wear items, and they have to be broken in and replaced over time. When a driver applies the brakes, they may hear a screeching sound. Follow the tips below on how to break in your brake pads:
1. Find an empty parking lot where all your break-in tests should be done in an empty area to reach speeds up to 65 miles per hour (mph) without traffic around.
2. Engage hard braking at 40mph — Hard braking at 40mph allows you to engage the brakes and warm them up for more efficient use. Just take note that when you are braking hard, avoid coming to a complete stop.
3. Go 50mph and jam the brakes until ABS engages
Employ hard braking with this step and once you reach 50mph, slow your car down hard and fast enough for the ABS to engage.
4. Repeat Step #3, four more times
Do repetitions in order to fully break your pads in. As you repeat step 3, remember to make sure you never reach a complete stop. Try keeping your minimum speed to 10mph for maximum efficiency.
5. Reach 65mph, then slow the car down to 15mph
After reaching 65 mph, slow the car down to 15mph as fast as you possibly can without reaching a full stop. Full stops are detrimental to the new brake pads and their break-in period.
6. Let your brakes rest for 20 minutes
Your car will need a good cool down after performing these steps. Let your car rest for about 20 minutes as this allows the brakes to cool down and settle into their new form.
To prevent rotor warping, breaking in your brake pads is necessary. This will be completely preventable if you perform the steps above.