Burnishing Pads and Rotors

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2004 GMC Sierra, 2004 GMC Cab & Chassis Sierra, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, and 2004 Chevrolet Cab & Chassis Silverado. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

CAUTION: Refer to Road Test Caution in Cautions and Notices.

Burnishing the brake pads and brake rotors is necessary in order to ensure that the braking surfaces are properly prepared after service has been performed on the disc brake system.

This procedure should be performed whenever the disc brake rotors have been refinished or replaced, and/or whenever the disc brake pads have been replaced.

Select a smooth road with little or no traffic.
Accelerate the vehicle to 48 km/h (30 mph).
IMPORTANT: Use care to avoid overheating the brakes while performing this step.
Using moderate to firm pressure, apply the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop. Do not allow the brakes to lock.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until approximately 20 stops have been completed. Allow sufficient cooling periods between stops in order to properly burnish the brake pads and rotors.