Anyone have any updates on their experiences with the Akebono pads? I thought people were using some other ceramic pad also.

 

Would like to know since I'll be replacing mine this summer

 

Ceramic pads have reduced bite, resulting in longer stopping distances. For the average commuter, the reduced braking capacity may be worth the benefit of cleaner wheels. It all depends on what you want.

 

hmm, i called today and got a price quote of about $160 for all 4 corners. prices were consistent with what was listed on the website for autopartswarehouse. tirerack has them for a few bucks cheaper so i guess i'll be ordering through them.

 

For Akebonos?

 

 

yes, sorry for the confusion. i was requesting quotes for the akebono euro ceramic front and rear pads. tirerack has them cheaper by a few bucks

 

Brake fade is a matter of exceeding the thermal capacity of the braking mass. One of the byproducts of converting mechanical energy is heat. The rotor has a set thermal capacity depending on the overall mass of the rotor. Exceed that capacity and you have fade.

 

I might have to pick up a set for this summer when I'm home. Do they include the wear sensors? I couldn't find anything on tirerack about that.

 

no the brake sensors need to be purchased separately. anyone know how many sensors are needed? one for each wheel?

 

I dont know about the 55, but the 32 has 3 sensors needed for some messed up reason. (only 1 in the fronts from what I recall)

 

i purchased the akebono ceramics and will be installing them this weekend. both front and rear come with grease but only the rear box came with 2 brake wear sensors. did i get gipped?

 

hmmm ya that is weird. We need to clear this up and how to get the proper sensors as well as the proper number.

 

Porterfield R4S on all 4 corners here, and new OEM front rotors...feels like hitting a wall when I brake hard & fast. The car stops way faster than it did with OEM pads. No comparison at all.

Dust? What dust?

Porterfield's were highly recommended from a buddy who races. He also told me how important it is to "break in" new pads (and rotors)...I had never really heard about this procedure (in any kind of detail).

I had always slapped the pads on and went easy on them for a couple of miles...then I would give them a good test to see how much better they worked. I would nail the hell out of them, only 10-15 minutes after installing them.

That was about THE WORST thing I could have done....and I had done it for years!!!

If you want to get most out of your Akebono's, Redstuff, Porterfields, OEM...Break them in them properly!

The procedure was a pain in the @ss, but I feel that it has made a HUGE difference in the over all performance of the pads & rotors.

Here you go...cut and pasted from a source I forgot to note.

The Proper Bedding in or “Burnishing Process”


After installing the new rotors and/or pads:

1. Test drive the vehicle braking very gently from 20 mph to 5 mph without coming to a stop. Your brakes may not “grab” at first, so allow plenty of time to slow down. Repeat 10 times.

Allow a 1/2 mile "cool off" between the ten 20 mph - 5 mph slow downs.

2. Now brake "normally" from 40 mph to 10 mph without coming to a stop.
Repeat 40 mph - 10 mph "normal braking" 5 times. Allow 1/2 mile cool off between slow downs.

3. If you are breaking in new rotors, park your car for one hour, after the above slow down cycles. A gradual cool down, for one hour, avoids warping of rotors.

4. No “panic stops” for the first 300 miles. (unless it is an emergency - duh )

IMPORTANT Note about Rotor Warping:
If you are an aggressive driver, or track your car – take your foot off the brake pedal after coming to a stop. (I just put it in park for a few moments each time after doing some post 300 mile test panic stops.)

Leaving the pad on the rotor acts like a heat sink producing uneven heat distribution and possible warping of rotors.

Why Burnishing Works…
A gradual break-in burnish reduces brake vibration and noise by controlling the pressures and temperatures new pads are exposed to. A 20 pound rotor brings a lot of heat to 3 pound brake pads. New brake pads that are pushed too hard during break-in will over heat, glaze, become too hard, may deeply groove rotors, cause vibration, noise, and not perform well.

Try it if you have the patience and time....it worked like a charm for me!

Scott

 

Bump, has anyone tried the posi ceramic pads on their vehicles and what do you think about them?

 

I've read these break in procedures before but what do you do when you burn up a set of brakes pads at the track? I don't have the time and 400 miles to break in a new set before the new session....


Anyone have any suggestions on track day pad replacement?

 

Correct bedding-in of new brake discs and pads

Far too many people make the mistake of fitting upgrade brake parts and then going out immediately and driving hard in order to test the performance their newly fitted brakes. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE! Using your brakes hard immediately after fitting new discs and pads can result in permanent damage to the discs, poor brake performance, brake judder, shortened disc life and even complete brake failure. You have spent good money upgrading your brakes. Take a little time to bed them in correctly and you will enjoy maximum brake performance and product life.

1. To avoid disc distortion and cracking.


During the disc casting process molten iron is poured into sand moulds at temperatures in excess of 1350˚C and allowed to cool rapidly into solid form. This rapid cooling causes internal stresses to be ‘stored’ within the disc casting. Gradual and moderate thermal cycling (as is experienced when bedding-in discs properly after fitment) can effectively relieve these stresses but sudden, dramatic temperature changes can lead to distortion or cracking of the disc. If you’ve ever watched a block of ice in a glass crack suddenly when a warmer liquid is poured into the glass, then you have witnessed a perfect demonstration of stored internal stresses being relieved suddenly through cracking. The stresses in the ice are formed as a result of the rapid cooling of the water, in a freezer, into solid form. If the ice block were warmed slowly it would not crack. It’s the SUDDEN change of temperature (or thermal shock), caused by the ice coming into contact with the warmer liquid, that causes the internal stresses to relieve themselves by cracking.

Following a moderate and progressive bed-in process is an effective way to stress-relieve new brake discs and avoid ‘thermal shock’ that leads to disc distortion and/or cracking. Although Powerbrake™ discs undergo proprietary ‘weathering’ processes that stress-relieve the castings and increase their resistance to distortion and cracking, they will still benefit substantially from correct bedding-in.

2. To achieve maximum contact area between friction material and disc surface.


The friction surface of a new set of brake pads is far from being perfectly flat. To a lesser extent the braking surface of a new disc also has minute ‘peaks and valleys’ left by machining or grinding during manufacture. The result is that a new set of discs and pads start off by braking on only a percentage of the maximum surface area that is intended to do the work. The parts of the friction material that are initially in contact with the disc will overheat very quickly. Similarly, the areas of the disc surface that are initially making contact will heat quickly while the non-contact areas remain cooler. This differential heating of the disc surface can result in disc distortion. Proper bed-in allows the new disc and pads to achieve maximum contact before being subjected to intense heat.

3. To allow a layer of friction material to be evenly transferred to the disc surface.


Correct transfer of pad friction material to the disc surface is essential in order to avoid brake judder and maximize brake performance. Following the correct bed-in procedure allows a thin layer of pad friction material to be EVENLY transferred to the disc surface. Running the brakes too hot before this layer has been established will result in random, uneven ‘spot’ transferring of fiction material to the disc. This results in DTV, which in turn causes a downward spiral in which the brake discs can be permanently damaged. (To learn more about DTV and brake judder click here).


4. To ‘burnish’ the brake pads.


Many pad compounds use organic resins in conjunction with binding fibres to bind the friction material together. At high temperatures these resins start to evaporate. The gases that are formed as a result of the evaporating resins can form a film or ‘cushion’ between the pad and disc surface causing ‘pad lift’ and reducing friction. This phenomenon is called “outgassing” and is one of the causes of brake fade. Outgassing is far more prevalent with newly installed pads in which case it is often referred to as “green fade”. Bedding-in a new set of pads correctly will burn off the resins near to the contact surface of the friction material resulting in stable friction co-efficient. The above process is referred to as “pad burnishing”.

Bedding-in procedure for new discs and pads


IMPORTANT: Brake function and performance will ALWAYS be reduced during the period between the fitting of new brake discs and/or pads and the completion of the manufacturers recommended bed-in procedure. CAUTION should be exercised during this period until the brakes are operating at full efficiency. If at all possible cycle 1 and 2 (below) should be conducted in a quiet area, away from traffic and other obstacles. Allow plenty of safe run-off space in case of the onset of severe “green fade”. The amount of “green fade” experienced will differ from one friction material to another.

Pre Bed-in Cycle:

• Drive slowly for 1 week (at least 300km’s) after fitting new discs and pads. Use moderate brake applications during this time and try to avoid long brake applications from speeds in excess of 100 kph. Normal urban commuting, using your brakes from moderate speeds about once per kilometre is ideal. Long stretches of open road driving do not count, as the brakes are not being used. Increase following distances during this time making provision for “green fade” in an emergency stop. Never left foot brake or drag the brakes! None of the MTR temperature recording paints should have changed during this period.
• At the end of the first week it should be clearly visible that the pad friction material has achieved maximum contact area with the disc surface. The ‘pad track area’ of the disc should have none of the silver disc coating left on it and should be an even light-grey colour.

Bed-in Cycle:

1. Drive slowly for a few kilometres, using the brakes gently to bring them up to a moderate operating temperature.
2. Perform 6 consecutive brake applications of increasing intensity from 100 km/h down to 30 km/h. If wheel lock-up (or ABS activation) is referred to as a 100% brake effort then you should be aiming to build up to a 60 - 70% brake effort for the last 2 applications. The applications should be performed consecutively, accelerating normally back up to 100 km/h after each application, before braking again.
3. If possible, do NOT come to a complete stop throughout the 6 brake applications described above. Doing so canl result in ‘pad etching’ during which friction material is unevenly deposited onto the brake disc causing DTV and brake judder. The will be visible as the outline of a brake pad on the disc surface. (To learn more about pad etching and DTV click here)
4. It is normal to experience a strong smell and even see a small amount of smoke rising from the brakes from the 4th application onwards. This is not a problem. Be prepared to experience “green fade” from the 4th application onwards.
5. Drive on, using the brake as little as possible, for a number of kilometres allowing the brakes to cool substantially in the air-stream before parking the vehicle and allowing the brakes to cool completely. This cooling cycle is important.
6. Gradually build up your driving style over the next 500 - 700 km's while keeping an eye on the MTR temperature measuring paints on the discs. If the red paint turns white, you are running your discs over 610 deg C and disc life will be reduced as a result.

NOTE: In some cases, particularly when using high-performance road or race pads, it may be necessary to repeat the above bedding-cycle once after long periods of very gentle brake use. Pads transfer material to the disc surface optimally when operating within their recommended temperature range. Operating the pads below this temperature range my lead to a scrubbing off of the friction material layer on the disc surface. Repeating the bedding cycle will re-establish the friction transfer layer and re-burnish the pads resulting in optimum performance.


From: http://www.powerbrake.co.za/tech_info/tech_02_bedin.htm