Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 19:39:50 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Brake Fade
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reply-type=response
Interesting Tirerack write-up.
I got a kick out of this one from Brembo pads..
In a safe area, apply brakes moderately from 60mph to 30mph and then drive
approximately 1/2 mile to allow the brakes to cool. Repeat this procedure
approximately 30 times.
30 times !
that's a lot of gas and time.
I would say ..
yes....do use them medium hard some...
and don't stop with hot rotors..
like keep driving and not using brakes much once you've gotten things well
warmed up ....get things reasonably cooled down before stopping.
but yes...do 'use them' serveral good times...
30 times sounds like a lot though.
I'd say not really using them semi-hard a number of times at first would not
be good.
They do need to get 'used' a bit at first for sure.
I forget if your rotors were new, re-surfaced , or used.
Tire rack is not giving much hope for used rotors.
fwiw..
I have talked to a professional tire and brake person who 'turnsevery
disc, even new right out of the box' ..
and aother professional who said-
"I put pads on good rotors, and new rotors, I never turn a rotor. "
I always put 'disc brake quite' on the back of the pads..
I use the tiniest bit of copper anti-sieze compound on the edges of the
metal part of the pads where they slide in the caliper ..barely any ...
and on other parts that move. Very sparingly.
let us know how it goes.
I'd shoot the temps of the rear drums to make sure they're working in a
healthy manner too..
i'd expect them to be about 1/2 to 2/3rds as hot as the fronts ..
say 40 to 60 % of the front temps.
to make sure they are working ......and working about right.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Maglott" <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 6:51 PM
Subject: Re: Brake Fade
> Thanks for the responses. I have pretty fresh brake fluid and am
> pretty sure I didn't boil it. It just really wasn't that hot around
> the brakes other than the pads and rotors. I finally got a chance to
> take the brakes apart last night and the pads were pretty glazed. I
> took them to the college where I work and had the automotive guy look
> at them. He had a special pad on an air tool and removed the glaze
> lickety-split. He also gave me some stuff to put on the pads and
> some stuff to put on the rotors that is supposed to help prevent
> glazing. I will note what those chemicals are and report back.
>
> Break-in procedure. There were no break in instructions with the
> pads. I found several mentioned on the internet. Tire Rack for
> example lists procedures for the Various brands they
> sell. http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=85
> Different ways of putting heat in the brakes and then letting them
> cool completely seems to be the theme. When I talked to the
> auto-tech instructor he said that like me, he had always heard
> growing up to just go easy on them for the first couple hundred
> miles. But that now, the mfgs in general are recommending several
> hard stops then let them cool completely. I'm sure I can find the
> box mine came in and maybe figure out what that mfg recommends. I'm
> open to suggestions.
>
> Edward
