# Brake pads **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 25, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199 "2008-07-25T18:33:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mikey19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@mikey19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mikey19)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/1 "2008-07-25T18:33:10Z")
I recently changed the brake pads on my car, i went to go break them in going 40mph and then slowing down. I did this for awhile and i noticed like a burning smell. i pulled over and my tire bolts, rotors were extremely hot. were the brake pads put in wrong? why did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/2 "2008-07-25T18:38:11Z")
Did you leave enough time between braking events to allow the brakes to cool down? Tester ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/3 "2008-07-25T18:41:57Z")
Maybe the calipers are stuck. Do the wheels turn freely? Is this one side only or both? ---
**Author:** ![mikey19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@mikey19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mikey19)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/4 "2008-07-25T18:42:09Z")
yes. i also had to press the brake pedal to the floor in order to get some friction to slow down ---
**Author:** ![mikey19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@mikey19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mikey19)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/5 "2008-07-25T18:47:39Z")
the wheels turn freely. and the driver side was a lot hotter than the passanger side ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/6 "2008-07-25T18:49:04Z")
Worry about the heat if you’re not breaking in the pads and everything gets hot. Repeated stops from forty will make the heat happen. You should get the smell after doing those stops. The pedal isn’t still going to the floor, I’ll bet. The smell should stop when you drive normally. ---
**Author:** ![mikey19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@mikey19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mikey19)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/7 "2008-07-25T19:01:03Z")
the brake pedal goes to the floor and it still takes awhile to stop. ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/8 "2008-07-25T19:32:11Z")
Do anything with the REAR brakes? ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/9 "2008-07-25T19:43:49Z")
Define “I did this for a while”. It sounds like something was put back together incorrectly, causing the driver’s side to lock up temporarily. When it did this, it got hot enough to cause the brake fluid to boil, which is why the pedal went to the floor. You’re going to have to pull the brakes apart and inspect for heat damage. You may have also damaged the driver’s side wheel bearing. ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jeremy_r_hoyt/32/37_2.png) [@Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeremy_R_Hoyt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pads/17199/10 "2008-07-25T19:56:21Z")
If the brake pedal goes to the floor, you might need to add brake fluid to the master cylinder. Either way, you might need a new master cylinder. Did you get the rotors resurfaced or did you only replace the pads?