Bedding in New Brake Discs and Pads
 

What are the thoughts on how to bed in new pads and discs? The article on StopTech site "The "Warped" Brake Disc and Other Myths of the Braking System" by Carroll Smith states:
"All high performance after market discs and pads should come with both installation and break in instructions. The procedures are very similar between manufacturers. With respect to the pads, the bonding resins must be burned off relatively slowly to avoid both fade and uneven deposits. The procedure is several stops of increasing severity with a brief cooling period between them. After the last stop, the system should be allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Typically, a series of ten increasingly hard stops from 60mph to 5 mph with normal acceleration in between should get the job done for a high performance street pad. "

But the instructions with my new Ferodo discs states: "Road test the vehicle taking care not to stab at the brakes or keep the pedal depressed for more than 3 seconds......The user should run in the new discs and pads for at least 200km applying the brakes gently and sparingly and without activating the ABS."
Pads are Brembo and they state:
"always observe the bedding in instructions of the vehicle manufacturer" and
"Do not apply excessive force or perform continuous braking applications in order to achieve faster bedding in".

:Confused:

I run a track car (Audi TT) and I bed in pads as follows:

10 stops from 80 to 20/30 firm pedal (about 70% pressure) and in a straight line.

Not had a problem with warping or anything yet, I think the 200 miles thing is a misnomer.

Believe me when I saw that I really don't want brake failure at some of the speeds I do on track!

I bed in my road cars the same way

I always use brake cleaner on the discs to remove any protective oils and then just drive normal with my left foot on the brake pedal a few times while going along, not for ages obviously

Interesting. Thanks for the comments guys. +++ The 200km thing is, I think, just suggesting that you dont do fierce braking/ street racing /track days in the first 200km.
However, there still seems to be a discrepancy between what the manufacturers say and what others suggest. I haven't fitted the pads/discs yet so I have some time to think about it!

interesting looking at the Ferrodo details you posted...

http://www.ferodoracing.com/products...g/pad-bedding/

As you say, interesting.
I am thinking that a procedure - as you suggest - involving a series of braking from 60 - 20mph using moderate braking force (about 60-75% of full force) lasting no longer than 3secs followed by a cool down should be OK. The Brembo pads are just standard pads (and not Brembo Sport which are designed to operate in the 2-300degC and up to 600degC) so its not as if they need to generate high temps to bed them in but just enough to ensure even transfer of material to the disc face.