[RAVishing]

It appears that I may have brake dust on my front two tires. I just want to make sure this is normal? I don't remember ever having seen it before on a new car...but, then again...I never cared so much as I do for my new baby!

Thanks!

 

[Jeff]

Yes, brake dust can be present on a new car, and is not so much related to the age of the car as it is to the design of the brakes and compounds used in the pads. Some cars have it more than others, and I've found that my Rav's brakes actually produce less dust than other cars I've had.

The thing about brake dust is that you should clean it off the wheels periodically (Simple Green works pretty well) because it builds up and becomes harder to take off the longer it's on the wheels.

 

[flyingn]

Its normal . ALL disk brake equipped cars do it. Its a good thing that out wheels are easy to clean. I do mine almost every day with a moist towel. If you keep on top of and do it every day it comes easy wothout wheel cleaner. Be careful too. Its corrosive to aluminum and painted surfaces. Keep on top of it as much as you can

 

[go 5 hole]

Ravishing - did you mean the brake dust on your wheels? I would think it would be hard to notice brake dust on the tires because the tires are black.

 

[RAVishing]

Thank you both! I will definitely keep on top of it!

 

[bmorton]

Doing it every day is a bit of overkill - brake dust doesn't build up so quickly or harm the wheels' finish so quickly that you need to clean them each time you drive the car. Making sure you wash the wheels each time the car is washed is generally sufficient. The people you see driving around with black front wheels are the ones who just run the car through a car wash and don't pay any attention to the wheels for months on end.

 

[kendfw]

The people you see driving around with black front wheels are the ones who just run the car through a car wash and don't pay any attention to the wheels for months on end.

Are you talking about me? It took me almost 30 minutes to clean up mine. The buildup was a pain to clean up although I just owned the vehicle for 30 days. I finally used a sponge like cleaner (i.e. Mr. Eraser). I went out and bought a wheel and brake dust brush after that. Hopefully, this brush would help ease the back pain.

 

[garfieldgurl]

The thing about brake dust is that you should clean it off the wheels periodically (Simple Green works pretty well) because it builds up and becomes harder to take off the longer it's on the wheels.

When you say "the wheels" are you referring to the rims? :? Sorry, i'm not sure cuz to me wheels are the whole thing, rims and tires together. It's a language thing. My first is spanish.

 

[The G Man]

Be careful when using a produce like Mr. Eraser around disc brakes, it has chlorine in it. Chlorine is very corrosive and can harm metal and even stainless steel. Make sure you wash off all the chlorine residue.

 

[rablat5]

Yes, they are talking about the rims. I have found that my RAV produces quite a bit of brake dust, possibly more so than my Honda Element that I traded. Could it be because the brakes are new?

 

[flyingn]

a lot comes into play when it comes to brake dust. Material of the pads, how hard and how often you use your brakes, temperatures all play a part on how much dust they generate..

Frank

 

[bmorton]

Agreed - it really seems to depend on the vehicle and the type of pads used. I've always found German cars to be the worst for brake dust. My Jetta seemed to emit clouds of the stuff. My Subaru on the other hand has never produced much dust and my RAV4 practically none.

 

[kendfw]

Be careful when using a produce like Mr. Eraser around disc brakes, it has chlorine in it. Chlorine is very corrosive and can harm metal and even stainless steel. Make sure you wash off all the chlorine residue.

I thought the product is made of melamin foam. It could be used as a sound deadening agent too. Anyway, I already did it and did not wash it but mopped with a wet tower. I'll wash it tomorrow morning.. Thanks for the head up.

 

[BarnyFife]

Did you know that you are supposed to "brake in" new brakes.

 

[becks]

My undrerstanding is that both new tires and new brakes require about 100 miles to brake in. So for the first 100 miles I take it easy on the brakes. The tires..lol take care of themselves.

 

[go 5 hole]

In terms of "bedding in" new pads, many makers recommend a series of progressively harder stops from progressively higher speeds. I've only done this after changing pads - never thought about this with a new car.