Bedding-in
What is bedding-in?
The term 'bedding-in' refers to an essential process for preparing and seating your new brakes to ensure optimal performance.
Generating strong friction whilst minimising heat is key for efficient braking, and this is affected by the efficiency of what is called the 'adherent friction process'.
Adherent friction
When the pads are pressed against the disc, they create intense heat that causes the surface material to break down at a microscopic level. This mechanical process actually causes particles from the pad's surface to bond to the face of the disc.
This particle exchange is known as the bedding-in process. It creates a layer of brake pad material on the disc, ensuring a perfect physical match and increasing the coefficient of friction. Proper bedding-in through adherent friction can improve stopping distances by up to 20 percent.
The transferred material creates a barrier between the pads and the disc preventing the pads and disc from being prematurely worn.
Bedding-in procedure
Bedding-in is an easy process that just requires a little care.
After fitting, the vehicle should be driven at 25-35mph and the brakes should be applied with gradual and normal pressure to bring the car's speed down to around 4-5mph. This process should be repeated for 8-10 times in quick succession - no more than a minute or two between braking. The discs need to maintain a sufficient temperature to activate the pads.
Ongoing care
Once the bedding-in process has been completed, extra care should be taken for the first 200 miles of normal driving. Heavy or sudden braking should be avoided if possible, but the new brakes are still completely safe.
Adherent friction is a continuous process after bedding-in. Harsh or emergency braking can disrupt the materials, so it can be reperformed as required to ensure optimal performance.