These are some general questions, nothing too typical, i just dont have the past experience most of you all have.

Brakes , i put my new set of pads and rotors, i compressed the front pistons by using old pads and c-clamping them back into the original position, it pushed them in manually, and everyone said i did that part right. On the back i had to use the CUBE to twist em back in.
-- Main question. After all my brakes are completed, ive drove around 20 or so miles, and they still seem to be holding the car back like their lightly sticking, i can feel em holding me back just a tad, but just a tad. Is this normal? Is there like a break-in period to where the pads have to harden up to where they dont catch? I've also noted they are leaving a black residue on the rotors like an oil or something. The first drive they were smoking a bit, but i guess its all the new friction. they stop on a dime, squeaks anything, just they seem to be hot, and stick a little. Is this normal?

 

sorry for the long write,, basically, straight to the point, do pads have a break in period where they stick a little?

 

They should not be sticking to the point that you can feel it. Also smoke from the pads is not a good thing. Did you lube up the caliper and slides when you did the brakes?

 

All I know is that's not normal. When we installed my rotors and pads, it felt the same as it always was, but with extra stopping power.

 

Sticking and smoking shouldn't be happening. That's an indication that the brakes aren't fully releasing. Was everything tightened evenly and all slides/pins lubed? As for the residue, it could be the pad leaving the friction material on the disk or it could be that you glazed the rotors. Hope it's the former.

 

they do seem to be getting hot.. i did no lubing, or anything, just took the old ones off. pressed the pistons in, put the new ones on, and bolted them in.

EDIT - glazing, there is a black residue across the rotors, dunno if thats glazing or not. Its from the pads.

EDIT 2 -- Only the fronts seem to be doing this. The rear is fine. I used the square tool on the back. Maybe i should take the front calipers back off and press them back in and see what happens?

 

just did my pads and rotors over the weekend. rotors are packed and shipped with a kind of coating on them, and if they are not properly removed smoke will come off them as you're driving.

 

Did the rotors have oil on them from the machiening process?

 

okay huge update.. i have a stuck caliper or bad brake line. One of the two.. Its stuck in drive side front.. I can push the pistons back, but each time the pistons become stuck out and hold it there.. I cannot figure out if its the line or the caliper itself. All the local garages have mixed emotions, ive did everything from bleeding to working the caliper and pressing it back in multiple times without luck. What would you all reccomend, Caliper or brake line?

 

if it was my car, I would replace both front calipers and brake lines, and warranty out the rotors and pads you just installed. If it was a customer vehicle in the garage, I would recommend at least replacing the caliper and the line on the side that is sticking. either way, bleed out the entire system whatever you do, and fill with new brake fluid. also, when doing a brake job, it is a really good idea to get some brake grease at the parts store. I usually use 2 of those $1 packets per axle. put a light, thin layer on the back of the pads, and on the edge of the pads where they ride on the caliper brackets. also a good idea to put a drop on the caliper sliders also.

 

well the other sets of brakes are staying cool, and they have slight black residue with the nice machined x's running across them, i think i will just go ahead and get a new caliper, and brake line, then some paint, and some grease, and just run about and do the entire car all over. I shouldnt have rushed such a crucial item in my car, and now i feel like an idiot.

New question,, how annoying is it to change a brake line on the front?

 

I really don't see the brake line causing any part of this. If your car was much older and never had brake fluid changed, yeah maybe, but its to new for that. I would just take the caliper apart and clean it and lube it up first before I went out and bought anything.

 

i dont either, and 2 of the garages i went too said brake line.. but im just gonna get a caliper, i looked on the back of the rotor that came off that side, and i half the pad was touching, so obviously it had long had a problem. So im just gonna go ahead and get a new one. If it doesnt fix it, i will take it back to advance and get a brake line, if that doesnt fix it then i will yell WTF XD.

 

UPDATE! Replaced front left caliper and it fixed it,, but the fluid was pretty gunky that spewed out of it. probably ruined the calipers internals. ANYWAYS. As i did it, i got some red caliper paint, and brushed it on by hand, looks much better than blue i think.

 

You didn't change your brake fluid when you did the brakes. Go back and change your fluid its easy and cost like $7 for a bottle of brake fluid.