How long should new brake pads be “bed-in”?

Standard brake pads should be bed-in for at least 300 km, not braking sharply but rather progressively and softly. In pads where scorching (heat treatment of the friction material) is used, bed-in is not necessary as this process eliminates the fading phase, i.e. the loss of effectiveness when the brakes are hot.

Are there sport versions of brake pads?

Yes, but they should not be used in commercial vehicles. These pads have completely different properties, primarily due to the extremely high disc temperatures generated by the frictional force. Such pads are manufactured specifically for this type of competition, they are softer and adapted precisely to high temperatures, so they wear out very quickly.

When reducing speed and braking, the steering wheel and brake pedal start to vibrate and sometimes you even hear an unpleasant sound. Is this a problem with the brake system?

From the description, it appears that this is a problem known as a judder. The judder results from irregularities in the design of the friction material. This causes changes in the disc material, while increasing the coefficient of friction in the central part of the disc. When various braking-related processes, such as pressure, speed or…

I live in a mountainous area. Every day on my way to work I pass several hilly stretches. I recently changed my pads to new ones. Initially, I noticed a loss of effectiveness. Why is this happening? Have the pads been incorrectly fitted?

The reason is not that the pads have been fitted incorrectly. Sometimes problems called fading arise. Fading causes a loss of effectiveness when the brakes are hot. This is a problem with the friction material, the quality of which is not very good. To avoid this problem, do not overuse the brakes. It is better…