BMW M5 - New Brakes and Rotors Break In

[kjdeion21]

I recently changed the brake out on my car to go with the Hawk Ceramic compound brakes as I always had great success with them and I went with the Zinc Coated rotors... is there a special break in process to make sure the wear is even.?

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by kjdeion21

I recently changed the brake out on my car to go with the Hawk Ceramic compound brakes as I always had great success with them and I went with the Zinc Coated rotors... is there a special break in process to make sure the wear is even.?

Just go the first 200 mi with gentle application to bed in then increase approaching 200.

[M5_Raz]

I've done this procedure on countless sets and never had a problem. Make sure you do it on an empty backroad so you can follow it like it says, otherwise you risk warping them. They'll get hot and smell too, that's normal.

[kjdeion21]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Just go the first 200 mi with gentle application to bed in then increase approaching 200.

Thanks, you haven't heard of the getting on them rough at first for a bit and then letting them cool?

[kjdeion21]

Originally Posted by M5_Raz

I've done this procedure on countless sets and never had a problem. Make sure you do it on an empty backroad so you can follow it like it says, otherwise you risk warping them. They'll get hot and smell too, that's normal.

Thanks this is similar to what I have heard!

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by kjdeion21

Thanks, you haven't heard of the getting on them rough at first for a bit and then letting them cool?

I would never do it that way (on new pads.

[lucid21]

Originally Posted by M5_Raz

I've done this procedure on countless sets and never had a problem. Make sure you do it on an empty backroad so you can follow it like it says, otherwise you risk warping them. They'll get hot and smell too, that's normal.

This is what I've done with track pads in general, especially when swapping pads to get the old pad compound off the rotors. It has worked.

On street cars, I've never bothered to go through this process, slapped on the pads and drove normally and that also worked!

The biggest piece of wisdom in that note is the bit about not engaging the brakes when stopped (including parking brake) when the rotors are really hot. That will result in uneven pad compound transfer and vibrations. That does not "warp" a rotor. ("warped" rotors are the biggest piece of scam in dealership history). One way to solve the issue is to slap on some really aggressive pads and use them to scrape off the uneven deposits.