Brake dust - tired of it!!

[Kermitfrog]

New member here who doesn't know a lot about tractors but I do know auto parts like the back of my hand. :licking:

I agree about the Thermoquiet from Wagner, very very high quality pad - one of the best out there. You'll find that once you switch to ceramic you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier. I drive a European car that is horrible about brake dust, 100 miles would actually create enough dust to be visible on the rims - it was that bad. I put on a set of ceramics and no more dust at all.

 

[clemsonfor]

New member here who doesn't know a lot about tractors but I do know auto parts like the back of my hand. :licking:

I agree about the Thermoquiet from Wagner, very very high quality pad - one of the best out there. You'll find that once you switch to ceramic you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier. I drive a European car that is horrible about brake dust, 100 miles would actually create enough dust to be visible on the rims - it was that bad. I put on a set of ceramics and no more dust at all.

Do you drive one of the old 80s model mercedees? My mom bought an 81 drove it a few years then passed it to me. That thing would dust in no time, till the rims were black in say 3K miles. No idea on time to see dust but id put it in that few hundred mile range.

 

[nikdfish]

I'm still driving a 2005 Dodge Magnum AWD RT I bought new which now has over 125,000 miles on the clock. The OEM brake pads were ceramic. No visible dust - ever - on the alloy wheels and I am still on the original pads & rotors (it has been our long trip vehicle). I'll definitely go with ceramic replacements when it finally gets to be time to replace them.

Nick

 

[JFS2295]

OK, I worked 30 years for a friction material company that supplied OE and Aftermarket pads both in compounding as well as testing.

The term "Ceramic" especially in the aftermarket is used way too much for marketing purposes. Some companies may throw in a small amount of a ceramic product to use the term, while most OE based materials classified "Ceramic" use potassium titanate fibers, something that some of us in the industry worry have be as bad potentially as asbestos. But it is a good fiber reinforcement. But depending on the abrasive additive package used with the ceramic fiber, you can still create a lot of dust, most of it being dark colored rotor material.

The European vehicles and in some cases the US OE marketplace typically have a lot of dust because they are using a rotor abrasive friction material. This is done somewhat for a higher friction value when cold, but moreso to wear the rotors true and prevent brake pulsation, often misdiagnosed as rotor warp.

You just as easily have low dust with a semi-met as with a "ceramic" formula. The real key is the manufacturers formulation in that vehicles product.

 

[clemsonfor]

OK, I worked 30 years for a friction material company that supplied OE and Aftermarket pads both in compounding as well as testing.

The term "Ceramic" especially in the aftermarket is used way too much for marketing purposes. Some companies may throw in a small amount of a ceramic product to use the term, while most OE based materials classified "Ceramic" use potassium titanate fibers, something that some of us in the industry worry have be as bad potentially as asbestos. But it is a good fiber reinforcement. But depending on the abrasive additive package used with the ceramic fiber, you can still create a lot of dust, most of it being dark colored rotor material.

The European vehicles and in some cases the US OE marketplace typically have a lot of dust because they are using a rotor abrasive friction material. This is done somewhat for a higher friction value when cold, but moreso to wear the rotors true and prevent brake pulsation, often misdiagnosed as rotor warp.

You just as easily have low dust with a semi-met as with a "ceramic" formula. The real key is the manufacturers formulation in that vehicles product.

All i can say is i have 2 differenc "ceramic" pads on 2 diff vehicles adn no noticible dust after not washing one for almost a yr! One i think is the wagner the other raybestos maybe?

 

[JDgreen227]

This may not have any bearing on brake pads or dust creation, but instead of using those expensive and caustic spray on wheel cleaners to remove brake dust, I just blast off the worst of the stuff with a pressure washer, then use a section of an old towel soaked with the brand name "PROTECT ALL" cleaner/preservative to soften and remove the rest of the brake dust. It can be used on rubber, plastic, chrome, aluminum, etc. I use it on dashboards, tire sidewalls, as a wheel cleaner, etc. A little bit goes a long way, am still using the GALLON I purchased back in 1999 !!! Think Wally World sells it but in a smaller container...16 oz maybe.

 

[JFS2295]

All i can say is i have 2 differenc "ceramic" pads on 2 diff vehicles adn no noticible dust after not washing one for almost a yr! One i think is the wagner the other raybestos maybe?

And I can say that I know one of those materials very, very well and it has a "pinch" of ceramic in it to qualify for the term. It is really a semi-met.

 

[sandman2234]

I had a Prelude that the wheels stayed dirty on, so I purchased a set of sheet metal guards to cover them, probably "Kleen Wheels", etc. Never a bit of problem after that. Cooling was actually considered in the design, as the guards had vents.
David from jax

 

[xtn]

And I can say that I know one of those materials very, very well and it has a "pinch" of ceramic in it to qualify for the term. It is really a semi-met.

Ah, marketing gimmicks....

Anyway different strokes for different folks I suppose. I run Pagid Black pads on my car. With the pads and tires I use I can get 1.25 G consistently under braking. They have a very good friction versus temperature curve. Screw the dust!

 

[clemsonfor]

And I can say that I know one of those materials very, very well and it has a "pinch" of ceramic in it to qualify for the term. It is really a semi-met.

Not doubting you or challenging your work or knowledge. Ill try and remember to use brake cleaner and not air on them. But whatever they have in them visible dust reduction was my goal and that i got. I never was trying to get the ceramic better stopping power blah blah stuff. Thanks for the heads up about it as a carcenogen though, i will try and always use a liquid clearner no matter what brakes i do, i really never used air anyway.