What is brake glazing? How do you prevent it?
In a recent thread, we were discussing brake glazing and I was surprised to see that the term was not widely understood or defined so I looked it up. Here's what I found: What causes brake pad gla...
Forum Discussion
Both hard braking and light braking can cause glazing. Think of it this way. When you drive down a hill to fast and have to use your brakes excessively, you heat them to the point that they glaze from the heat. Typically, to repair this damage you would have to turn the drums/rotors and replace the shoes/pads. Something you want to stay away from doing by using your engine/exhaust brake.
When you use them lightly, you're really polishing the drum/rotors and shoes/pads. Typically, a few hard stops will remove this type of glazing and get rid of the squealing that's usually associated with it.
This is why it's recommended not to use your engine/exhaust brake to extremes. In traffic and around town, exercise the brakes by using them. You're not going to wear them out.
When you use them lightly, you're really polishing the drum/rotors and shoes/pads. Typically, a few hard stops will remove this type of glazing and get rid of the squealing that's usually associated with it.
This is why it's recommended not to use your engine/exhaust brake to extremes. In traffic and around town, exercise the brakes by using them. You're not going to wear them out.
