After getting my car fixed at a local mechanic shop due to problems with my old set of brakes, I noticed a difference in how I was driving after I left. Interested to learn how I could possibly break in my new braking system to get the normal feeling back while driving, I consulted some articles on the internet to get all of the details.
How can you break in new brakes? The process of breaking in new brakes in your car will consist of several increments of acceleration and prompt braking, without ever coming to a complete stop. This will continue until your brakes have gotten enough practice and are worked in enough to be able to carry out these functions smoothly.
You will know when your brakes are properly broken in after noticing a certain smell from the resin while they are overheating, as well as a change in color to the brake pads. The ultimate confirmation that your brakes are broken in, however, is the smooth drive you will notice after you have finished this process.
When it comes to getting a new set of brakes in your car, they will most likely feel different than what you might be used to when you take if for a spin. Just like a new pair of shoes, the brakes in your car will need to be broke in to feel normal again.
While it is true that this will happen gradually over time, you might want to speed up the process on your own. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about breaking in new brakes and achieving a comfortable drive almost immediately after they have been installed.
How To Break In New Brakes
Breaking in, or bedding in, a new set of brakes is very important right after they have been replaced. Immediately following installation, your new brakes will most likely feel stiff and a little bit harder to use than you remembered.
For the most safe and comfortable driving, you should be able to push down on your brake pedal gently and easily for a quick stop as necessary. Whether you have gained an entirely new braking system in your car, the car itself is new, or you replaced your brake pads or rotor components individually, this tutorial will help you to restore that natural feeling that you used to have when braking your vehicle.
In this section, we will be going over the specific process of breaking in your car’s brakes. Take a look at the list below for a quick overview of these steps, along with more detailed instructions to follow.
How To Break In New Brakes:
- Get out onto an open road where you have room to accelerate and brake repeatedly
- Start at a speed of 40 mph and complete 5 stops with your brake pedal (moderate to abrupt)
- Do not bring the vehicle to a complete stop
- If you hit a stop sign or stop light, shift into neutral or leave yourself extra room to roll forward into a gradual stop
- Continue to complete 5 stops at 30, 20, and 10 miles per hour speeds (remember not to come to a complete stop)
- Finish your break in process with 5 moderate stops between the speeds of 35 mph to 5 mph
- Throughout the entire process, do not give the brakes time to cool between stops
- Drive around for about 5 more minutes repeating the same process, without coming to a complete stop with the brakes (medium speed) allowing the brakes to cool down
- Wait until the brakes return to a normal temperature, and drive as you normally would
In order to break in your car’s braking system, you will need to begin on an open road where you will have room to accelerate and brake repeatedly. It doesn’t matter where you go, but the area that you choose should not be heavily populated, with reasons to follow throughout the rest of this outline.
Start driving at a speed of about 40 miles per hour, and complete 5 stops with your brake pedal. These stops should gradually move from moderate pressure to fast and high pressure, all while never bringing the vehicle to a complete halt using the brakes.
If you happen to hit a stop sign or a stop light which will force you to stop during this process, immediately shift the car into neutral or leave yourself some extra room to roll forward into a gradual stop. It is important to avoid stopping completely during this process as much as possible.
Continue the first process of about 5 moderate to abrupt stops, moving at the speeds of 30, 20, and 10 miles per hour, one at a time. Remember not to come to a complete stop during these processes, either, and gradually move from moderate to hard pressure with your foot on the brake pedal.
Finish your break in process with 5 more of these moderate stops, this time in between the speeds of 35 to 5 miles per hour in small increments similar to the first.
Throughout this entire process, along with never coming to a complete stop, you should also avoid giving the breaks time to cool off between stops. In other words, continue these variations back to back, with no stopping time in between the shift in speeds.
Drive around for about 5 more minutes while repeating the same process at any speed that is comfortable once this is complete. This will be the time to allow your brakes to cool down.
Wait until the brakes return to a normal temperature, and proceed to drive as you normally would. If you are unsure how effective these methods were, keep reading to the next section to find out how you can tell when your brakes are properly bedded in.
How Will I Know When My Brakes Are Properly Bedded In?
Along with completing the break in process for your new set of brakes, it is equally as important to check your work and make sure that you have done so properly. Take a look at the list down below to find some tell-tale signs that your bed in efforts were a success.
How To Know When Brakes Are Properly Bedded In:
- The smell of resin will arise when the brakes have properly heated
- The brake pads will change color from initial installation (transfer layer)
- Smooth braking while driving
When the brakes are heating up during the break in exercises, the smell of resin from the inside of the car will arise. This will tell you that you have broken them in to the point where they have successfully heated to the right temperature.
After making sure that the brakes have properly cooled down, check the inside to get a clear look at the brake pads. If the brakes are correctly bedded in, you will notice a change in color than what was previously there after the initial installation.
This color change, also called the transfer layer, will be a clear giveaway that your brakes are broken in and can be used as normal.
The last, and most obvious, way to tell whether or not your brakes are properly bedded in is to continue driving your car. A smooth ride with flawless braking that feels natural will tell you how you did with the previous steps.
If you find that none of these signs are showing in your braking system, you should continue to repeat the bedding in process until they feel natural to use.