What is the Risk of Damaging New Brakes, Here?

[J-P]

This did not happen to an early P car, but my DD, a Merc Turbodiesel wagon. Though slightly OT, still applicable to all cars. Here's the skinny:

I had just had my front brakes done and the mech took it for a road test. He got on the brakes, apparently really hard, and when he came back they were smoking and you could you feel the heat coming off them if you held your hand to the wheels, not to mention the smell.

I wasn't very comfortable just taking the car, so I had him pull the wheels and calipers to look at the (new) rotors and pads. They looked fine to me, with no obvious glazing.

I drove the car home with no braking issues. I have slighly worn front connecting rods, so you could feel a bit of pulsing through the brake pedal before the new brakes, and it is still there now. I just can't tell if it is the same, or worse, because I am now hyper-sensitive to the how the brakes feel as a result of the earlier overheating and smoking.

My question is this: Are the brakes truly shot for some reason, such as warping, requiring replacement, or should I be okay?

I don't want to make the mech replace the brakes just for the sake of it, because he will if I ask. He's a really good guy, very honest, and does good work. I just think he got a bit over-zealous during his his test/break-in.

Good advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

[davep]

Well, there is a proper bedding-in procedure, and it does involve some pretty strong braking. Perhaps that is what he did.

[sithot]

I've heard of warping by holding the pedal down after getting them really hot. Maybe an old "mechanics tale". I doubt he hurt anything though.
Tie rods worn? If it was connecting rods you would have heard some really angry noises from the engine!

http://www.benzworld.org/

Good luck,

Tom

[Flieger]

That sounds consistent with the bedding-in procedure.