Brake dust

2140 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by geomax, Mar 12, 2002

RKB

Discussion Starter · Mar 12, 2002

I've got the sport package wheels on a 330 and after 3 days of low driving (~70 miles), the brake dust was insane.
Spent about 1hr wiping the outer wheels off with a dry towel.
Is this what to expect with a BMW?
Will it get better after the magical 300mi brake "break-in"?
What product repels the dust? Cleans the baked on dust off the best without being toxic to myself or the garage floor? (Cause I'm sure that I'm not going to be able to continue wiping off the wheels every three days.

Any suggestions welcome.

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Guest84

· #2 · Mar 12, 2002

BMW's are noted for brake dust. The pads are softer apparently, so they will not last as long, produce more brake dust, but also will stop you a helluva lot faster than any American made machinery.

Not much you can do about it. I suggest removing the wheels and give them a good cleaning, then wax them with a polymer-based wax. Long term maintenence, I would get some good wheel cleaner (I would recommend Griots Wheel cleaner--http://www.griotsgarage.com ) and spritz them with the wheel cleaner, let it sit for a min or two, then wash the wheels last when you wash your car.

The price to pay for the best brakes you can get on an automobile is this brake dust..a good exchange if there has to be one...

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alee

· #3 · Mar 12, 2002

RKB said:
I've got the sport package wheels on a 330 and after 3 days of low driving (~70 miles), the brake dust was insane.
Spent about 1hr wiping the outer wheels off with a dry towel.
Is this what to expect with a BMW?

Welcome to the brake dust club. It doesn't get any better. Perhaps even a little worse after 12k miles like me.

Only 2 solutions are...

a. Wax your rims. This will help repel a little dust, and will make cleanup faster when you do wash.

b. Switch to dustless pads. Others can give you advice here... but I have heard that you don't want to just switch pads types... you should typically do pads and rotors. Someone else can correct me here.

-Al

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ism409

· #4 · Mar 12, 2002

You should detail your wheels really well then put a good coat of wax on them. Then all you need to clean them is soap and water..
I think we all fight this battle..

Good luck!

PS.. for what it is worth I use 3M Perfect-It Show Car Paste Wax
It is tough and works great for me...
Lasts quite a long time for wheels..

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ism409

· #5 · Mar 12, 2002

hehe I was too slow on the keyboard

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Guest84

· #6 · Mar 12, 2002

ism409 said:
hehe I was too slow on the keyboard

The way I look at it, the more that post consistent info, the more consistent the info is validated as "Good info"

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alee

· #7 · Mar 12, 2002

Ripsnort said:
The way I look at it, the more that post consistent info, the more consistent the info is validated as "Good info"

So if Phil, Mike and vexed agree with something, it's "good info"? :tsk: :tsk:

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Dr. Phil

· #8 · Mar 12, 2002

alee said:
So if Phil, Mike and vexed agree with something, it's "good info"? :tsk: :tsk:

Yes.........especially when it deals with your OCD nerdish behavior:lmao:

As far as car stuff:dunno:

BTW good one Al

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johnlew

· #9 · Mar 12, 2002

Ripsnort said:
BMW's are noted for brake dust. The pads are softer apparently, so they will not last as long, produce more brake dust, but also will stop you a helluva lot faster than any American made machinery.

Actually, it's all German cars. My MBs were a real dustup too.

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vexed

· #10 · Mar 12, 2002

johnlew said:
Actually, it's all German cars. My MBs were a real dustup too.

I find my 330 to generate less dust than my E320, but I think that is partly due to the fact that I downshift more with the step and the car is lighter so I don't hammer the brakes as much.

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johnlew

· #11 · Mar 12, 2002

vexed said:
I find my 330 to generate less dust than my E320, but I think that is partly due to the fact that I downshift more with the step and the car is lighter so I don't hammer the brakes as much.

Not the sportiness of the bimmer, but that E320 was a fine car.

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vexed

· #12 · Mar 12, 2002

johnlew said:
Not the sportiness of the bimmer, but that E320 was a fine car.

I loved mine, it rode extremely well and the seats were great.

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geomax

· #13 · Mar 12, 2002

Alee is right, you can get "dustless" brake pads, but these result in much greater heat, so you run a greater risk of warping your rotors. They will also wear out the rotors much faster (so I've been told).

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geomax

· #14 · Mar 12, 2002

vexed said:
I loved mine, it rode extremely well and the seats were great.

I second this. My Old Man has an E430, and I love this car. Very smooth, quiet plush ride. Feels very stable and balanced. What really strikes me about the car is how well all the major components work together so seamlessly - engine, breaks, suspension, etc. But then, it's an MB. Not a sports car, but impressively fast for a luxury sedan.

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