Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Two operating conditions materially affect brake wear. They are bedding the pads and rotors together, plus the pressure applied and time spent on the brake pedal. Bedding new brakes is often overlooked but is vital to long pad, and especially rotor, life. The idea is to introduce new pads and rotors to each other with enough heat to transfer some pad material onto the brake rotor, but not thermally shock the rotor. By having a "transfer layer" of brake pad material on the rotor, rotor wear is greatly reduced. Typical easygoing street driving does not bed the brakes because they do not get warm enough.
A series of ten 55-mph-to-25-mph braking events would be one likely bedding procedure. Another is ten full stops from 35 mph, with 30 seconds at 35 mph for cooling between stops. Often bedding instructions are included with new pads or rotors.
The important point when bedding brakes is to brake with moderate pedal pressure. Too light a pressure will not transfer material; hard braking is like dropping an ice cube into tap water. That crackling sound is the brake rotors relieving heat stress.
Achieving maximum brake life in normal operation again involves the difficult-to-describe "moderate" pedal pressure. Baer Braking Systems says maximum brake life comes when braking is initiated and completed with authority, but without hard pedal pressures. Avoid prolonged light pedal application at the end of the stop (a common practice), and don't sneak up on brake pedal application like a limousine driver with a bowl of goldfish on the seat.
Performance Friction, well known for its brake pads, said smooth and easy pedal work slows brake wear. With more of an eye on racing and hard enthusiast driving, they recommended braking early and heavily, with reduced emphasis on trail-braking deep into the corner. Being king of the late brakers also makes one king of the brake buyers, they point out.
Staying out of the ABS aids brake and tire life because of the on-and-off chatter it produces.
On a truly long downhill stretch we'd cycle the brakes using a series of moderate pressures. Long, light brake applications are brake heaters, so don't do that.
Drum brakes reject heat more slowly than disc brakes, so we'd avoid enthusiastic braking with them if possible; the various disc brake designs should not affect our advice.
Finally, brakes are a consumable. Using them up is far preferable to overworking the transmission and clutch in search of braking economy.
A series of ten 55-mph-to-25-mph braking events would be one likely bedding procedure. Another is ten full stops from 35 mph, with 30 seconds at 35 mph for cooling between stops. Often bedding instructions are included with new pads or rotors.
The important point when bedding brakes is to brake with moderate pedal pressure. Too light a pressure will not transfer material; hard braking is like dropping an ice cube into tap water. That crackling sound is the brake rotors relieving heat stress.
Achieving maximum brake life in normal operation again involves the difficult-to-describe "moderate" pedal pressure. Baer Braking Systems says maximum brake life comes when braking is initiated and completed with authority, but without hard pedal pressures. Avoid prolonged light pedal application at the end of the stop (a common practice), and don't sneak up on brake pedal application like a limousine driver with a bowl of goldfish on the seat.
Performance Friction, well known for its brake pads, said smooth and easy pedal work slows brake wear. With more of an eye on racing and hard enthusiast driving, they recommended braking early and heavily, with reduced emphasis on trail-braking deep into the corner. Being king of the late brakers also makes one king of the brake buyers, they point out.
Staying out of the ABS aids brake and tire life because of the on-and-off chatter it produces.
On a truly long downhill stretch we'd cycle the brakes using a series of moderate pressures. Long, light brake applications are brake heaters, so don't do that.
Drum brakes reject heat more slowly than disc brakes, so we'd avoid enthusiastic braking with them if possible; the various disc brake designs should not affect our advice.
Finally, brakes are a consumable. Using them up is far preferable to overworking the transmission and clutch in search of braking economy.
really opens your eyes to proper apex setup and how fast corners can be taken. But we didn't race in snow 
