Brake dust on your wheels have you down? Here are some reasons why your brakes are dusty & some solutions to help keep your wheels clean.
Why do my brakes dust?
- 1) Brake pad composition. Semi-metallic pads offer great all around stopping power for todays heavier & higher powered automobiles while keeping production costs down. One trade off is that they tend to dust & leave that all to familiar black residue on your wheels.
- 2) Rotor type. Rotors with slots are very prevalent in the aftermarket & are even being used more frequently by vehicle manufacturers. While the slots are intended to help dissipate heat (a hotly contended subject, but beyond the intended scope of this blog) they also remove minute ammounts of pad material under braking which ends up on your wheels as dust.
What can I do to keep brake dust from occurring?
- Brakes will always dust; it is part of the wear process. You can, however, try to control how much. My preferred method is using ceramic brake pads (such as EBC RedStuff or Hawk Ceramic). They maintain or improve the original stopping power of the vehicle while producing less dust. Ceramic pads are typically more expensive than their semi-metallic counterparts, but not by much. If your vehicle was not originally equipped with slotted rotors, & brake dust is one of your pet peeves, adding a set of slotted rotors to your vehicle may not be the best option for you. Vehicles that are using slotted rotors will produce more dust than those without, but the use of ceramic pads will help reduce it.
What can I use to clean the built up brake dust off of my wheels?
- For most wheel finishes I have found that Simple Green along with a very soft bristle brush or a mitt dedicated to wheel cleaning does wonders. For polished or Mag style wheels I would stick to the appropriate cleaners & polishes. Once your wheels are clean, I highly recommend using a good wax to help protect the wheels from future dust & to make future cleanings easier on you.
Lets hear what advice you have for reducing brake dust & keeping your wheels clean!