Alright I just got new pads, I had less than 5% pad material remaining and HPSs were nowhere to be found, so I went OEM. I have been very very easy on the brakes since I got it back (about a day ago). I've read about four different "correct" ways to do it from reputable places, so don't just send me a link to a stoptech article and don't tell me "well i just do it this way and it seems to work, so whatever." I want to know the right way to do it, for OEM pads at least--last time I got bad shimmer under hard braking when they were hot, and I made SURE not to stop on them when they were hot or even warm, but I didn't bed them in correctly.

So, so far I've heard:
-Make 8 hard near-stops from 60mph after warming up the brakes softly, then wait for them to cool for 5-10 minutes and repeat
-Drag the brakes for 500 yards at 35mph, do NOT brake hard
-Make 6-10 moderate "slowdowns" from 35mph, then 2 hard stops from 45mph and allow the brakes to cool
-"Just drive 4-500 miles and go easy on the brakes"

I want to get back to my regular driving habits, dammit!

For OE pads, just drive the car. I'm sure they require bedding of some sort, but it's not going to matter. as long as your rotors are nice and seasoned, then you won't have a problem with anything else. since you're not doing track days (I'd certainly hope not on OE pads!!!!), there's not a big issue with the pad outgassing when they get really hot..

Cliff's Notes: Just drive on 'em.

Actually, my front rotors were replaced with the pads...

Okay... then you need to be wary of warping the rotors.. you don't want to get them really hot until the rotors have several heat cycles on them.

So.... drive carefully for the first few hundred miles (10 or more heat/drive cycles to season the rotors). after that, you should be fine. If you really want to bed in the pads at the point, you can do some moderate stops, but it doesn't really matter what you do. the point is to gradually heat them up, then cool them down. this cures any remaining resins, glues, etc in the pad material and readies them for future heat cycles that hot.. make sense?


Cliffs Notes: Drive easy on 'em for a while.

question: isn't the point of bedding the brakes in to transfer a bit of the pad material over to the rotors to allow even wear for the pads? Wouldn't you want them to get pretty hot initially in order for them to accomplish this?

I bed in my brakes just before maxus last year and I already am planning on getting new rotors/pads (this time HPS pads..) because I already have vibration when braking. I probably just got cheap pads (PBR) that caused some uneven build up on the rotors, but it could have been becuase I bed them in the wrong way. I did the first option Morpheus mentioned, making several hard stops after slightly warming up the brakes, then not touching them for 15 minutes or so. What would you suggest doing if I get the Hawk pads and brembo rotors? The same thing I did before?

I think for HPS pads you can use the procedure you described, but it's unecessary for OEMs.

Wish I had time to get HPSs... :\

Again, the big issue is doing it on new rotors.

Read the stoptech article again about always (ideally) bedding new pads in on old rotors, and vice versa..

new rotors need a bit of care to season them before you really start beating on them. the pads need heat to cure and bed properly- which can come AFTER you season the rotors if you have to replace both at the same time.
see where I'm going there?

alright, cool. So when I install my new pads/rotors, just take it easy the first couple of miles, then do I have to do the bed-in procedure or just let them be?

you'll want to go easy on them the first several hundred miles.. not just a 'couple miles'. you want to get at least ten or so heat cycles in them from daily driving.

one you've done that, it's likely that the pads will be close, if not completely broken in as well. but it doesn't really matter.. drive hard on them if you want, as it can't hurt at that point. if they're not bedded in yet, then they'll smoke and stink the first time you drive hard on them. If they are bedded in, then they'll just work. easy enough.

typing > me ... I meant the first couple hundred miles

I'll wait a little while longer, then follow your advice. Thanks again, Matt.

different pads say different things on the box....my hawks were different than my axxis and porterfields

they say different things, but think about what they're doing with them..

in a nutshell...
get the pads hot by doing several moderate/heavy stops.
drive until everything cools down.

they all have a slightly different number or speed or something stamped on the side of the box, but none of those numbers mean crapola. all they're saying is to get them hot and cool them down.

not rocket science.

i was just saying that i follow the directions on the box.....

I'm just saying all the instructions say the same thing.