Need some helpful advice. . .

I installed Stillen/Brembo slotted rotors yesterday with Porterfield R4-S Carbon Kevlar brake pads on the front.

I'm reading the break-in instructions provided by Stillen & Porterfield & they both conflict with each other. What's the right thing to do?

Stillen:

"Initial stops should be made from no more than 35 mph using light to moderate pedal pressure to reduce speed by 5-10 mph. Repeat this procedure 10 times with approx. 1/3 mile cool off interval between stops. . .allow components to cool off gradually by driving at a moderate to slow pace. You should avoid any high speed stops for the first 300 miles. Any deviation from this procedure can cause pad or rotor hot-spots or glazing, which can ruin the friction surfaces permanently."


(Stillen's are the break-in instructions I have always followed in the past with other brakes)


Porterfield:

-From the "FAQ" page on their website (http://www.porterfield-brakes.com)

"The Carbon Kevlar pads have a bedding-in procedure. Make light to medium deceleration stops to slowly heat up disc. This must be done slowly to avoid thermal shock to the disc. Make a series of hard stops, allow to cool slowly."

I'm guessing that the Porterfield bedding-in procedure departs from the norm because the pad composition is different (not organic or semi-metallic, etc), but I don't want to end up glazing my brand-new rotors with only 15 miles on them.

I will contact Porterfield 2morrow, but I'd appreciate any insights you all have on this, asap.

Thanks in advance.

Hmm..

I would go with Stealin on this one. My opinon. I would be very careful in driving. I got Power Stop Rotors and new pads and it was rough, But your pads seem to have a higher temp, Thus longer warm up time.

And the wrong time to need your brakes is when they are cold and LEAST effective.

But this is a very good question.

Thanks 4 the feedback!

Just so everyone's clear, my question only applies to initial break-in of the friction surfaces, not operation of the brakes after they're broken in. . .

According to Porterfield anyway, the R4-S performs well either cold or hot, unlike more race-oriented pad compounds. I guess I'll see in time if this proves true. . .

-K-

I installed new slotted rotors and pads and used the 60-0 method about 5 times. The brakes definitely faded, took off the cad plating, and smoked, but they bedded into the rotors as well. Now over 15k later my pads and rotors are still doing a great job
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ighlight=brake
-hype

I would be concerned about either glazing the rotors or pads doing that immediately, based on everything I've learned about brakes. I guess that's why the Porterfield R4-S bedding-in procedure seemed so odd to me. (They seem to have you doing several "hard stops" almost immediately).

The other thing that occured to me though, is that Porterfield's instructions could possibly apply to replacing pads only with old rotors, and not bedding them in to new rotors.*

*Pure speculation on my part.

I upgraded to Porterfield pads with my original stock rotors. I used their bedding procedure. Even after the bedding procedure, it took a few hundred miles to see an improvement in performance over stock pads.

It's a good question, the rotor manufacturer is saying go easy at first and the pad manufacture wants a good heat cycle in the pads. Let us know what you come up with as an answer.

The Porterfields do dust more than stock also. So if you have alloy wheels, be prepared to clean off the black dust.

The R4-S shouldn't need a break in like that. Those instructions should be for the R4 compound. I would go with the break in procedures for the rotor and that should also bed the pad in just fine. The agressive stops followed by the cool down period are more critical for seriously high performance pads that need to be operated at a high temperature.

Yeah, I dunno. The instructions came straight off the Porterfield FAQ website & they don't make any distinction on bedding in procedure based upon the different pad compounds:

Q: "Is there a bedding in procedure for your pads?"

A: "Yes. The Carbon Kevlar pads have a bedding in procedure. . ."

(instructions r in my first post)

After consulting with Phuong at www.eatricezone.com (Thanks Phuong!)

I think I'm going to follow this procedure: (still awaiting a direct reply from Porterfield)



1) Initial stops should be made from no more than 45 mph using light to moderate pedal pressure to reduce speed down to 5-10 mph.

2) Repeat this procedure 10 times with approx. 1/3 mile cool off interval between stops.

3) Allow brake components to cool off gradually by driving at a moderate to slow pace 15-20 minutes.

4) Park car for at least 1 hr. to allow brakes to cool.

5) Do no more than moderate stops, as if you are decelerating from a highway exit ramp for about (200 miles city), or (500 miles highway). If your driving is mixed, (300-400 miles).*

6) After this period - the brakes should be ready for full-range use.


*Avoid any high-speed stops/hard braking for the first 300 miles, except in case of emergency-braking/collision-avoidance.


PS: This is only an opinion, & what I've decided is right for my specific equipment - if you think there's a better way, I'm all ears, but please don't flame. I'm by no means here to dictate "absolute truths." Thanks.

"The R4-S is just a street pad, so the bed-in is simple: just take it easy the first two days you have them in there and then you are fine."

-Porterfield Support email response



So, there you have it folks - I'm going to follow the Phuong-ed version of the Stillen break-in & that's good enuff 4 me!

Thanks to all who replied!

Funny. I did the high speed break-in procedure on my car. Not on the Maxima (haven't made the upgrade yet, but will), it was in my 200 HP '71 Datsun 510. (which was later replaced with a '70 Datsun 510 with 340 HP) Anyway, I got up to 100 mph and laid on the brakes, really hard (threshold braking on the verge of lockup), down to about 5 mph, then foot to the floor back up to 100 mph and hard on them again. No fade either times. It's obvious that even most race cars won't have to go from 100 to 5 mph and definitely not twice in the matter of a minute. Anyway, the Porterfields just got better with time. I won't use anything but them. Just my 2 cents.
Gary Savage
www.Savage-Gurney.com

disclaimer: this break-in procedure was done by an experienced road racer in a controlled environment. This example is not a recommended or implied method of standard break-in procedure.

Well, 475 miles on my brakes & so far so good. First time I got on the brakes hard (after about 400 miles), it was a little scary though - pads hadn't fully bedded-in like they do after a few good hard stops, so my braking distance on that stop was surprisingly long. (Coming to the bottom of a fwy exit ramp at pretty serious speed - had 2 apply way more pedal effort than I expected 2 scrub off the speed in time)

Ever since then tho, like you said, they've only been getting better. I'm really glad I went w/ the Porterfields. So far, I think these pads kick serious a$$!

-K-