I'm swapping in new pads and rotors (front) on the '98, and I want your opinions regarding the bedding in (break-in) process.

Most sources (including the FSM) say to (or more precisely, assume you will) install and bed the new pads and new rotors together; however, a few sources claim it is best to install the new pads, bed the new pads on the old rotors until they are past the "vapor fade" stage (assuming the old rotors are in decent condition), then install the new rotors and bed them with your now "slightly used" pads.

What do y'all think? Is there really any benefit to the more labor-intensive seperate-bedding idea?

If it matters to what I should do, the old pads were standard semi-metallics installed by Sears 60k miles ago, the new pads are Raybestos Quiet Stops, the old rotors are the OEM originals (AFAIK) that were turned when Sears installed the old pads, and the new rotors will be Bendix premiums.

I always do pads and rotors...

I always take a sanding disk to the pads and Rotors then give a few stops from 110kms then cool then repeat.

bendix says 30 stops from 30 mph with atleast 30 seconds between each stop. Although break in / bedding is no where near as much of an issue as it used to be.

Dont bed them on the old rotors.

Some of the best pads for the least break in period are Bendix TitaniuMetallic pads and new Bendix rotors. They break in super fast, normal braking is nearly immediate. Great products.

But my thinking would be to always break in new pads on new rotors, it wouldn't make sense to me to do it any other way.

Your front pads last 60k??? I'll be lucky if mine last 10

But since I got all Bendix brakes, I did the bendix break in procedure....

Yup. Got all 4 brakes and new tires done when we got the '98 5 years ago at 36k; car just hit 96k. Doing the front brakes soon and just got new tires. Rear shoes still have 5/16" thickness all around, so no worries there.

My wife mostly drove the '98 until about 6 months ago (when we got her the '04)...bet the next brakes and tires on the '98 don't last for 60k

I did my 1995 SLE just a few months ago. Bendix Ceramic CT-3 Pads and their rotors also. Amazing stopping power. The key to stopping rotor warp before it happens, are a few things. One main one is a proper bed-in. I had done tons of research and did it the proper way and yet to date, the car stops smooth as can be. Find yourself a really open road with nobody on it and do about 6-10 stops from 30 to NEAR 0 but DO NOT FULLY STOP ever. After you do that go up to 50 (or 60) and do another like 5 stops from that to NEAR 0 but do not fully stop!!! Make sure you smell heavy brake smell, that means they are burning a thin layer of pad onto the rotor. For the next 200 miles also, try to never hold the brakes at the stop, throw her into neutral or park at the light. Hot brakes at a stop can leave a mark of pad residue on the rotor, which in turns causes what we all know as "rotor warp". Rotor warp is simply uneven buildup of pad residue onto the rotor, which causes an uneven spot.

I know to most this doesn't sound right, but I read EXTENSIVE documentation and looked into it. Apparently from this company called "stoptech" my friend showed me an article from them. It was nothing to make them money so they gained nothing from doing this, they basically explained how pad residue at very high temps "transfers" and it actually is the pad material transferring unevenly when the brakes are not bedded in right that causes "warped rotors", because cast iron simply does not bend like that, it would have to be so much hotter than what they EVER get to to warp it would be insane. What happens is the surface of the rotor infact "warps" from the pad material burning on. To note: When I first put on the new bendix rotors and pads, you can tell that new color to the rotor. Well when I went out and broke them in (As stated how-to above) and came back, you could even SEE the transferred pad material in an even fashion across the enitre rotor...it was a glossy silverish color from the ct-3 ceramic pads. Feel free to investigate through the brake company called "stoptech" I believe for more info.

Oh and JR's3800...yes...cooling off insanely fast is not a good idea either (from rain, etc), that too can cause the material that is hot on the surface to cool off and harden unevenly, then you hit those brakes and it transfers onto the uneven temperature surface and yeahhh....

And as far as cutting, you are right, no conventional cutting method can fix certain instances of uneven rotor, my friend had stated there are few places that do this certain way of cutting down other than normal, I'll ask him tomorrow and post the name of it on here, cause I could have swore he told me about it, and that way would infact fix any issue.

This is all from what I read, and a month-long debate with my friend quite a while ago before I did my brakes, because I too never believed that rotor "warp" as it is called really isn't what they say it is. Everything I say here is a result of that month-long debate and research involved in it. If you can look into it and find anything different, hell let me know if it'* proven and I just re-won the debate with my friend lol. But I don't think that is happening, this debate went on for what seemed forever. Everything said here also fits consistently with how brakes work and warp. Ever since I bedded them in right, I have come to horribly fast stops, been through the rain, and whatever else...and really have not noticed any warp yet.

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...rakedisk.shtml

I edited this post with the link to all about "disc warp" and how it'* uneven pad material.