Brake dust ......GGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

7011 Views 51 Replies 33 Participants Last post by Sgooter, Jun 14, 2018

Marcus1

Discussion Starter · Jan 10, 2016

Can't seem to keep alloys clean from brake dust.......any magical solution from you guys ?

On another note, the weather has been so kind to us here in Malta, haven't had one weekend without the roof down since I brought it over from England last June :wink::smile:0

:laugh:

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raymond.harper

· #2 · Jan 10, 2016

http://www.slkworld.com/general-discussion/70762-brake-dust.html

chas000

· #3 · Jan 10, 2016

Ceramic pads all but eliminate dust, might be a tad expensive for the r172 though :/

bastivock

· #4 · Jan 10, 2016

Marcus1 said:
On another note, the weather has been so kind to us here in Malta, haven't had one weekend without the roof down since I brought it over from England last June :wink::smile:0:laugh:

I know brake dust IS annoying but surely that makes up for it? :smile:

I don't half envy you, I haven't had the roof down for months what with all the rain in the UK. :frown:

On the brake dust front, I run EBC Red Stuff (ceramic) pads on my MR2 turbo, they virtually eliminate it altogether and stop at least as well as stock pads. Plenty of people dismiss EBC pads, but for me they're great.

I haven't been able to find a complete set of front/rear ceramic pads for the R172 though, EBC only do Red Stuff front pads as do the other ceramic manufacturers I looked at.

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Berliner Heckflosse

· #5 · Jan 10, 2016

There is an old trick I used for years now after you give your wheels a good wash I spray them with an interior seat cleaner or you can use tire shine too. Do not use the foam use the stuff in a spray bottle works better. It keeps the wheels cleaner and also removes the dust real easy. I do not like Amoral it does not harm the wheels any at all.

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Hal Adams

· #6 · Jan 10, 2016

All sorts of theories about eradicating brake dust. But think about it, there will always be dust. There has to be - rub two compounds together, something has to give. To get good stopping power, one of those compounds must be softer than the other…

It is a myth that slotted or drilled discs reduce dust. How can they?

There will always be dust. Ceramic pads produce dust, but it is brown and virtually blows off the wheels. My opinion is that EBC Redstuff ceramic is a harder compound than Centric and so might, again with my experience, require more pressure for the same stopping power. I found Akebono even harder compound, and was prone to cause squeel on some discs.

Finding ceramic pads for the SLK might be difficult. The fronts, depending which model, might be the same as those for the M Classe - try cross referencing and you will find them somewhere. I do not think anyone is making ceramics for the rear yet (but try because they will one day). The 55 will not have a problem - the fronts are covered and for the rears, if not listed as 55, are the same as the M Classe.

The rest have black dust. Horrible. The thing to find though is a pad with non-corrosive dust. I am trying out EBC Yellowstuff on my fronts and Centric metallic on the rear. Unfortunately EBC have the rears way down on their to-do list. The Yellowstuff is definitely not corrosive like the OEM pads. It washes off very easily, but it is quite black. The rear Centrics imo are as bad as OEMs.

As an aside, I can say Yellowstuff have great bite.

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Berliner Heckflosse

· #7 · Jan 10, 2016

Well there is always the parachute option for the car but it sure is a pain rolling it back up at every light.:grin::grin:

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oldmercman

· #8 · Jan 11, 2016

I went down this investigative route when I first contacted the Forum & got similar replies, so decided had little choice but to deal with the symptoms not the cause. Thus just inside my garage door I keep a wheel brush & a bucket of rain water (always plenty rain in UK) topped up some non-staining self-drying car wash foam. After most journeys it's the work of less than a minute to swill each alloy with the solution.
If away on an extended journey & staying away I carry a collapsible bucket & some car wash sachets. There's often access to an outside tap at most hotels or petrol stations.

u_2504

· #9 · Jan 11, 2016

bastivock said:
I don't half envy you, I haven't had the roof down for months what with all the rain in the UK.

'Top down in the winter that's what winners do.'
Jay Z

Jacket, air scarf, heated seat and go for it whatever the weather man!!!

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Delucas

· #10 · Jan 11, 2016

Its simple just dont brake so often .

Or just dont brake at all. :grin:

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bastivock

· #11 · Jan 11, 2016

u_2504 said:
'Top down in the winter that's what winners do.'
Jay Z

Jacket, air scarf, heated seat and go for it whatever the weather man!!!

In all this rain? You're a hardier man than I sir, my wife objects to riding on the wet patch!:wink:

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godfather

· #12 · Jan 11, 2016

At my age you get used to the odd wet patch! >

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u_2504

· #13 · Jan 11, 2016

Past 70mph little rainwater comes in anyway!!!
And HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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bastivock

· #14 · Jan 11, 2016

u_2504 said:
Past 70mph little rainwater comes in anyway!!!
And HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

70mph in the wet... I'm way too old for that :wink:, I'll leave it to you youngsters to show me how it's done! >

And now I think I've hijacked this thread quite enough! 0

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jbanks15

· #15 · Jan 11, 2016

I'm sorry but I've never have/had any brake dust. True I clean my car every day so maybe brake dust does not have a chance to accumulate. Or my speed is too great to allow dust to settle except behind my car. I have had my brake pads replaced at 70k but rotors have not been done yet.

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Lord SLK

· #16 · Jan 11, 2016

bastivock said:
I know brake dust IS annoying but surely that makes up for it? :smile:

I don't half envy you, I haven't had the roof down for months what with all the rain in the UK. :frown:

Hey, I live just outside of Plymouth and I've had my roof down most of the time over the past few months...but then the car has been parked in my garage and so I don't think that counts! :grin:

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bastivock

· #17 · Jan 11, 2016

jbanks15 said:
I'm sorry but I've never have/had any brake dust. True I clean my car every day so maybe brake dust does not have a chance to accumulate. Or my speed is too great to allow dust to settle except behind my car. I have had my brake pads replaced at 70k but rotors have not been done yet.

Wow Jeff, no wonder you don't have any brake dust problems if a set of pads lasted you 70k! >

I'm too chicken, I have to use the brakes :wink:

In Europe the service department seem to want to change the pads and discs every time a MB passes within a mile of the dealers.

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axolotl

· #18 · Jan 12, 2016

I'm a huge fan of Sonax wheel cleaner - removes brake dust like magic!

ladyavenue

· #19 · Jan 12, 2016

What is brake dust? Never heard of it. What does it do to your car?:surprise:

I had a spider web under my hood. Does that count? Because dust and spiders go together!
The mechaic discovered it and told me I had to drive faster next time.:laugh:

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coolrunnings

· #20 · Jan 12, 2016

Next time you are giving your car a proper clean (wheels off to clean the calipers, inside of wheels etc..). Then seal the alloys with a wheel sealant (I use chemical guys wheel guard, but have heard good things about the autoglym wheel protector)..

Then because its a 'polished' surface brake dust builds up slower and just sprays off......

I also use EBC pads which give less dust than oem in my opinion..

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