View Full Version : Brake dust question
AA-ron
09-18-2023, 04:11 PM
I've turned about 2k on my Roadster and I'm getting more brake dust on the rear wheels than I've seen on any car I've owned. They get so dusty that it looks like I'm running different color rims front to rear after only a short drive. I'm using the pads that FFR included with the standard 11.65 IRS brake kit. Sadly, I didn't keep the package they came in, so I don't know much about them. Do any of you have a good recommendation for cleaner running pads? Oddly, I'm not getting much dust in the front-- different pads or different airflow??
Jonathan D
09-18-2023, 05:17 PM
My 11.65 rear kit came with Stop Tech 309.05450 pads. I'm sure others will chime in with options but does it feel like the front are also hooking up well?
Railroad
09-19-2023, 08:42 AM
I would be checking for brake drag, which can be the result of a couple of different issues, including parking brakes.
Good luck,
F500guy
09-19-2023, 09:16 AM
I second the look for brake drag, usually the front will be worse than the rear.
Jeff Kleiner
09-19-2023, 09:22 AM
Keep in mind that just like with tires there is a compromise with brake pads. The highest performing pads make more dust than lower performing pads. That said, the middle ground is ceramic pads which tend to work reasonably well and don't dust excessively.
Jeff
AA-ron
09-20-2023, 07:39 AM
I verified that there's no brake drag, and even put the car on stands and tested when the brakes engage relative to each other (as best I could). All seems to be in order. However, after a bit of investigation, I found that the brake dust on the front is a different color than the dust in the rear. This leads me to believe that I have two different pad compounds between front and rear (they were both included as part of my kit). As I installed them months apart, I wouldn't have noticed that at the time of assembly. So I'm guessing its a pad difference. It's not that big of a deal so I'll just ride them out for the rest of season and replace all four sometime next year.
gbranham
09-20-2023, 08:07 AM
FWIW, I've owned 4 late model Corvettes, and they all came with pads that dusted like crazy. On all of them, I replaced the pads with PowerStops, and they were nearly zero-dust, and worked just as well for street use as the OEM pads.
CraigS
09-21-2023, 07:12 AM
I am pretty sure that FFR supplies whatever pads come w/ the calipers so I am not surprised that fronts are different than rears. Unless you have power brakes, do a lot of research here and the other site about pad compounds so you keep having effective brakes. My solution that helped a lot was 2 pronged.
1- https://www.armorall.com/product/outlast-brake-dust-repellent/
2- a small shop vac w/ a brush tip on the hose dedicated to a quick wheels vac after a drive.
Common issue with the rear e-brake GT calipers is they don't completely release sometimes. Easy fix is to add a couple springs to help it always release. Even if this is not your problem it's worth doing to avoid any further issues.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=143504&d=1614473935
Link to springs:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?35778-Fmans-Dart-427-build-9818-1-quot-rear-wheel-spacers&p=447133&viewfull=1#post447133
Railroad
09-22-2023, 08:36 AM
Common issue with the rear e-brake GT calipers is they don't completely release sometimes. Easy fix is to add a couple springs to help it always release. Even if this is not your problem it's worth doing to avoid any further issues.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=143504&d=1614473935
Link to springs:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?35778-Fmans-Dart-427-build-9818-1-quot-rear-wheel-spacers&p=447133&viewfull=1#post447133
Neat job. Are you not encountering coil bind with the parking brake application? Just kicking the tires, if it works, it works.
thanks,
Neat job. Are you not encountering coil bind with the parking brake application? Just kicking the tires, if it works, it works.
thanks,
Never have had any problems with the ebrake not releasing on my car. Have 5400 miles on it. I also am using the double roller cable setup (cables not coming off the bottom of the frame).
Railroad
09-22-2023, 01:46 PM
Never have had any problems with the ebrake not releasing on my car. Have 5400 miles on it. I also am using the double roller cable setup (cables not coming off the bottom of the frame).
I was referring to the spring you added, stacking up and stopping travel of the lever, during application, nothing to do with releasing.
If you take the same picture with the parking brakes applied, it will show or not, what i am referring too.
My last comment was to show, not critical, just my curiosity.
I was referring to the spring you added, stacking up and stopping travel of the lever, during application, nothing to do with releasing.
If you take the same picture with the parking brakes applied, it will show or not, what i am referring too.
My last comment was to show, not critical, just my curiosity.
E-brake seems to hold fine when engaged even on a steep slope with the springs. Not sure if it impedes travel when engaged all I know is it works and never has not fully released.
While you're waiting to replace the brake pads, try this to repel the dust...
191115
...and this to remove the dust.
191116