Installing new brake pads is only most of the job. The last step - bedding them in - is what makes them quiet, smooth, and strong. Skip it and you invite noise, vibration, and uneven braking. It takes just a few minutes.
What bedding-in actually does
Bedding (also called break-in) uses controlled heat to transfer a thin, even layer of pad material onto the rotor face. That transfer layer is what your pad grips against from then on. Done evenly, it gives smooth, quiet, consistent braking. Done poorly - or not at all - you can get uneven deposits that cause a pulsing pedal and squeal.
A simple bedding procedure
Always follow your pad maker's specific instructions. A common general method:
- Find a safe, open stretch of road with no traffic behind you.
- Make a series of moderate stops from about 35 mph down to around 5 mph - firm but not a panic stop.
- Repeat several times, allowing the brakes a little time to cool between stops.
- Avoid coming to a complete, hard stop while the brakes are very hot, so you do not leave a pad imprint on the rotor.
- Then drive gently for a few miles to let everything cool.
Before you bed in
Make sure the install is right first: fresh hardware, greased slide pins, the caliper piston compressed, and a firm pedal from pumping the brakes before you drive. Our step-by-step brake pad install guide covers all of it.
Need the pads first? Match your vehicle on the brake pads by vehicle page.