Problems with Brakes and/or Rotors
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 217
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From: Bay Area
2001 CLK430 Cab; 2008 GL550
Problems with Brakes and/or Rotors
Hey guys,
I installed my front rotors today with new pads from iRotors and after the install, the brake pedal is pulsating now. Feels like the rotors are warped and it shakes really bad when I brake from a high speed. Could it be the rotors are warped out of the box or defective brake pads or is there a break-in period needed. Has anyone experienced this or tell me what I can do to fix the problem? Thanks.
I installed my front rotors today with new pads from iRotors and after the install, the brake pedal is pulsating now. Feels like the rotors are warped and it shakes really bad when I brake from a high speed. Could it be the rotors are warped out of the box or defective brake pads or is there a break-in period needed. Has anyone experienced this or tell me what I can do to fix the problem? Thanks.
Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 202
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From: City of Angels
02 CLK 430 Cab
Hey guys,
I installed my front rotors today with new pads from iRotors and after the install, the brake pedal is pulsating now. Feels like the rotors are warped and it shakes really bad when I brake from a high speed. Could it be the rotors are warped out of the box or defective brake pads or is there a break-in period needed. Has anyone experienced this or tell me what I can do to fix the problem? Thanks.
I installed my front rotors today with new pads from iRotors and after the install, the brake pedal is pulsating now. Feels like the rotors are warped and it shakes really bad when I brake from a high speed. Could it be the rotors are warped out of the box or defective brake pads or is there a break-in period needed. Has anyone experienced this or tell me what I can do to fix the problem? Thanks.
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1967 Morris Cooper "S", 1983 911SC, 1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 HD FXSTB, 1998 C43
You may want to bed-in your new pads properly
From my original post ----> LINK
BEDDING PROCEDURE BELOW (Courtesy of www.rimier.com and STOPTECH)
What is brake pad “bed-in” anyway?
Simply stated, bed-in is the process of depositing an even layer of brake pad material, or transfer layer, on the rubbing surface of the rotor disc.
The all-important transfer layer
The objective of the bed-in process is to deposit an even layer of brake pad material, or transfer layer, on the rubbing surface of the rotor disc. Note: uneven pad deposits on the rotor face are the number one, and almost exclusive cause of brake judder or vibration.
It only takes a small amount of thickness variation in the transfer layer (we're only talking a few ten thousandths of an inch here) to initiate brake vibration. While the impact of an uneven transfer layer is almost imperceptible at first, as the pad starts riding the high and low spots, more and more variation in the thickness of the transfer layer will be naturally generated until the vibration is much more evident. With prolonged exposure, the high spots can become hot spots and can actually change the metallurgy of the rotor in those areas, creating “hard” spots in the rotor face that are virtually impossible to remove.
Bedding fundamentals
In general, bed-in consists of heating a brake system to its adherent temperature to allow the formation of a transfer layer. The brake system is then allowed to cool without coming to rest, resulting in an even transfer layer deposition around the rotor circumference. This procedure is typically repeated two or three times in order to ensure that the entire rotor face is evenly covered with brake pad material. Sounds easy, right? Well, it can be if you have the proper information.
Because the adherent temperature range for brake pads varies widely (typically 100°F-600°F for street pads and 600°F-1400°F for race pads), each bed-in needs to be application-specific. One could try to generate a one-size-fits-all procedure, but too little heat during bed-in keeps the material from transferring to the rotor face while overheating the system can generate uneven pad deposits due to the material breaking down on the rotor face.
In summary, the key to a successful bed-in is to bring the pads up to their adherent operating temperature in a controlled manner and keep them there long enough to start the pad material transfer process. Different brake system designs, pad types, and driving conditions require different procedures to successfully accomplish the bed-in. The recommended procedures below should provide you with the information you need to select the bed-in procedure appropriate for your application.
When a system has both new rotors and pads, there are two different objectives for bedding-in a performance brake system 1) heating up the brake rotors and pads in a prescribed manner, so as to transfer pad material evenly onto the rotors and 2) maturing the pad material, so that resins which are used to bind and form it are ‘cooked' out of the pad.
The first objective is achieved by performing a series of slowdowns, so that the brake rotor and pad material are heated steadily to a temperature that promotes the transfer of pad material onto the brake rotor friction surface. There is one pitfall in this process, however, which must be avoided. The rotor and therefore the vehicle, should not be brought to a complete stop with the brakes still applied. This risks the non-uniform transfer of pad material onto the friction surface.
The second objective of the bedding-in process is achieved by performing another set of slowdowns, in order to mature the pad itself. This ensures that resins which are used to bind and form the pad material are ‘cooked' out of the pad, at the point where the pad meets the rotor's friction surface.
The bed-in process is not complete until both sets of stops have been performed.
Bedding-in Street Performance Pads
Caution: After installing new pads/rotors or a big brake kit, the first few applications of the brake pedal will result in little or no stopping power. This is normal. Initially, apply the brakes a few times at low speed in order to build up some friction before any high speed driving.
In summary, the key to successfully bedding-in performance brakes is to bring the pads up to their operating temperature range, in a controlled manner, and to keep them there long enough to start the pad material transfer process. Different brake system designs, pad types, and driving conditions require different procedures to achieve a successful bed-in. The procedures recommended above should provide a useful starting point for developing bed-in procedures appropriate to individual applications.
BEDDING PROCEDURE BELOW (Courtesy of www.rimier.com and STOPTECH)
What is brake pad “bed-in” anyway?
Simply stated, bed-in is the process of depositing an even layer of brake pad material, or transfer layer, on the rubbing surface of the rotor disc.
The all-important transfer layer
The objective of the bed-in process is to deposit an even layer of brake pad material, or transfer layer, on the rubbing surface of the rotor disc. Note: uneven pad deposits on the rotor face are the number one, and almost exclusive cause of brake judder or vibration.
It only takes a small amount of thickness variation in the transfer layer (we're only talking a few ten thousandths of an inch here) to initiate brake vibration. While the impact of an uneven transfer layer is almost imperceptible at first, as the pad starts riding the high and low spots, more and more variation in the thickness of the transfer layer will be naturally generated until the vibration is much more evident. With prolonged exposure, the high spots can become hot spots and can actually change the metallurgy of the rotor in those areas, creating “hard” spots in the rotor face that are virtually impossible to remove.
Bedding fundamentals
In general, bed-in consists of heating a brake system to its adherent temperature to allow the formation of a transfer layer. The brake system is then allowed to cool without coming to rest, resulting in an even transfer layer deposition around the rotor circumference. This procedure is typically repeated two or three times in order to ensure that the entire rotor face is evenly covered with brake pad material. Sounds easy, right? Well, it can be if you have the proper information.
Because the adherent temperature range for brake pads varies widely (typically 100°F-600°F for street pads and 600°F-1400°F for race pads), each bed-in needs to be application-specific. One could try to generate a one-size-fits-all procedure, but too little heat during bed-in keeps the material from transferring to the rotor face while overheating the system can generate uneven pad deposits due to the material breaking down on the rotor face.
In summary, the key to a successful bed-in is to bring the pads up to their adherent operating temperature in a controlled manner and keep them there long enough to start the pad material transfer process. Different brake system designs, pad types, and driving conditions require different procedures to successfully accomplish the bed-in. The recommended procedures below should provide you with the information you need to select the bed-in procedure appropriate for your application.
When a system has both new rotors and pads, there are two different objectives for bedding-in a performance brake system 1) heating up the brake rotors and pads in a prescribed manner, so as to transfer pad material evenly onto the rotors and 2) maturing the pad material, so that resins which are used to bind and form it are ‘cooked' out of the pad.
The first objective is achieved by performing a series of slowdowns, so that the brake rotor and pad material are heated steadily to a temperature that promotes the transfer of pad material onto the brake rotor friction surface. There is one pitfall in this process, however, which must be avoided. The rotor and therefore the vehicle, should not be brought to a complete stop with the brakes still applied. This risks the non-uniform transfer of pad material onto the friction surface.
The second objective of the bedding-in process is achieved by performing another set of slowdowns, in order to mature the pad itself. This ensures that resins which are used to bind and form the pad material are ‘cooked' out of the pad, at the point where the pad meets the rotor's friction surface.
The bed-in process is not complete until both sets of stops have been performed.
Bedding-in Street Performance Pads
Caution: After installing new pads/rotors or a big brake kit, the first few applications of the brake pedal will result in little or no stopping power. This is normal. Initially, apply the brakes a few times at low speed in order to build up some friction before any high speed driving.
- Accelerate to a speed of about 60mph and gently apply the brakes to slow the vehicle to about 45mph, then accelerate back up to 60mph and repeat this couple of times to bring the brakes up to operating temperature. This will prevent thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.
- Now make a series of eight to ten near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do this by pressing on the brakes firmly without locking the wheels or engaging ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely you will imprint pad material onto the hot rotors, which can lead to vibration, uneven braking, and could even ruin the rotors as discussed above. (Note: With some street pads, you may need to do fewer than eight near-stops. If your pedal gets soft or you feel the brakes fading, then proceed to the next step.)
- The brakes may begin to fade slightly after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade is normal and will not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even smoke, is possible.
- After the 8th near-stop the brakes need 5 to 10 minutes to cool down, so drive the vehicle using the brakes as little as possible. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still hot.
- Add four near-stops from 80 to 10mph if bedding-in club race pads such as Hawk Blue and if bedding-in full race pads such as Performance Friction 01 or Hawk HT 14, add four near-stops from 100 to 10 mph.
- After the bedding-in cycle, there should be a slight blue tint and a light gray deposit on the rotor surface. This blue tint indicates that the rotor has reached bedding-in temperature and the gray film indicates pad material is starting to transfer onto the rotor surface. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors as described above.
- After the first bedding-in cycle the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle maybe necessary. This is usually the case if you have installed new pads on old rotors or have installed big brake kits. Pedal firmness will often improve after the second cycle and we recommend bleeding the brakes when the second cycle is complete.
In summary, the key to successfully bedding-in performance brakes is to bring the pads up to their operating temperature range, in a controlled manner, and to keep them there long enough to start the pad material transfer process. Different brake system designs, pad types, and driving conditions require different procedures to achieve a successful bed-in. The procedures recommended above should provide a useful starting point for developing bed-in procedures appropriate to individual applications.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 217
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area
2001 CLK430 Cab; 2008 GL550
I've been driving my car trying to follow the instructions above on how to bed the new brakes, but still having slight vibration and shaking. I'm hoping it will go alway soon. I also feel like I have to put hard on the brakes before, with the oem brakes. Krayie 99, did you experience the same thing in the beginning and how long did it take you, before all the shaking and vibration went away?
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 626
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From: Los Angeles, CA
'03 E55 (My Daily), '01 ML 320 (Wifey), Twin Turbo '69 Camaro (In Progess)
I had this problem with my new drilled Brembos and it went away within the first 100 miles. I followed the strict break in process that came with my Porterfield pads.
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CLK430
i have always had my rotors cut to insure they didnt warp in transit or from banging around. i dont know if it would help any. Usually thats what causes the pulsing during slowing down. otherwise the brake pads usually wear out before the rotor will.
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