* Source: forums.bimmerforums.com

Installation of a pair or full set of performance brake rotors is pretty simple if you understand the science behind how theyfunction.  Installing a set of brake rotors with a curved set of cooling veins is a bit different than installing a set with straight veins, so this is something to be aware of for each unique install.

Other than determining brake rotor orientation, based upon design variance, basic quality control must be performed to ensure proper quantitative variances are kept.  Just as you would check over rotor tolerance numbers when changing out brake pads, new rotors should be scrutinized as well before install.  Excessive run out and/or surface defects are what the installer is trying to identify, and each individual manufacturerproduces lit...

In this article, we are going to explain the basics of brake pad bed in and brake-in.  The information listed in this article will apply to most brake pad installations for street vehicles. 

The purpose of brake pad bedding is simple; a layer of brake pad material must exist on the brake rotor for proper friction to be generated between the pad and rotor.  During any usual brake pad bed in procedure, brake pads are heated and cooled again through a series of braking applications. 

This process ensures that an even coat of brake pad resin ends up on the brake rotor surface which allows brake pads to do their job.  If a driver rushes this procedure or forgets to do it altogether, an uneven amount of pad material will wind up on the brake rotor and cause a very lackluster performance in brak...

The benefits of using drilled brake rotors vs.stock blanks are many, but drilled rotors have their drawbacks as well.  While a drilled brake rotor will cool much easier than a standard blank rotor or slotted rotor, the drill sites are prone to cracking. 

There are different techniques for drilling a brake rotor, and later honing it to perfection, to prevent the chance of a crack, and we will discuss these techniques in this article. 

First of all, we are going to explain exactly what causes a rotor to crack.

If you have ever taken a glass and heated it up, then quickly put itunder some cold water, then you may have witnessed “temperature change” stress cracking.  This is essentially what happens to a brake rotor when it cools down too fast after becoming superheated.  The stress of cool...

Any serious performance driver will look at a brake pads in a different way than your average joe before purchasing. 

There are a few details to examine before deciding on a brand.   Of these, the main thing that qualifies a pad suitable for its particular application is its friction coefficient.  Another important number to look at is recommended operational temperature range, and such information is available from all pad manufacturers, so don’t pass it up.

* Source: aa1car.com

Most brake pads are actually very well tested in controlled environments, and are done so to guarantee a certainly level of performance at peak use. 

Pads are also often very heavily abused during these tests to determine their limits, and verify their levels of friction and wear.  Pads are also tested to prove...

When installing brake pads, there are some very specific bed in procedures to follow in order to receive the maximum available performance from  the new pads being installed.  Brake pad bedding involves transferring a layer of pad material to the rotor and aids in adding friction to the braking system.  Heat when applied to a brake pad will allow this to happen. 

This layer of brake pad film will aid in adding friction to the braking system through ‘adhesion’.   The installer must always check with their individual brake pad manufacturer in order to follow the proper bed in procedures for their specific pad.

Other than to follow the simplistic bed in procedures that has been laid out by the brake pads manufacturer, here are some other basic guidelines to follow to achieve a successful brak...