Bedding in brakes

PSA: The improvement in braking performance after doing a bed-in on a brand new car is impressive.

I was underwhelmed with the braking of my new car, but (a) it felt highly similar to a low-mileage 812 I recently tested, and (b) I heard from a good authority that no break-in of any sort is needed. So I put 150 miles on it to see what happened. Feeling no improvement from typical road driving, I did a bed-in.

The improvement is dramatic. The initial bite is now present and the peddle force required is far less. (Seems like that 812 was never bedded in properly.)

I’m posting this here rather than in other sections because I’m seeing lots of new-car deliveries being discussed here. And the guys who buy track-beast cars rather than GTs likely know this already. (The guys who track their cars certainly know.). But having seen little discussion despite active reading of several sections, I thought it best to mention.

 

Agreed. I stopped short (no pun) because I’m not an authority, and I couldn’t find a definitive source specific to Fcar Brembo carbon ceramics. But the web is littered with good resources, and the gist is this:

Several moderate pressure stops from a moderate speed to 5 mph, in order to get temperature into the brakes.
Then several high peddle-pressure stops from a higher speed to 5 mph to bed in once hot.

I used 35 mph as moderate and 55 mph as higher. Other resources suggested higher speeds for CCM brakes.

Then drive slowly without applying brakes to cool.

Important is to not come to a complete stop, or to be stationary with foot on the brake, until everything is cool. The brakes are very hot during this, and pads squeezed onto rotors in a stationary position can imprint in that one spot.

Enjoy the smell of hot brakes! It smells like… victory!