What is brake dust?
It's time to wash the car, but when you get to the wheels, they're covered in hard-to-remove gray dust. Even after you clean it, it returns quickly. Welcome to the world of brake dust. The good news is that brake dust is completely normal and is not a sign of brake failure; the bad news is that every time you use your brakes, you create more brake dust.
What is brake dust?
The grey-black dust that often coats a car's wheels is called brake dust. Most brake dust consists of iron particles and is formed as a result of the friction of a cast-iron brake disc with brake pads. In addition, brake dust also contains some of the brake pad metal and carbon deposits that also come from the brake pad.
Most modern brake pads are semi-metallic. A bundle of steel fibers is compressed and then fused with other additives to create a gasket. Steel fiber can actually make up 30% of a brake pad, so when it is pressed against a brake disc, it scratches the disc and creates brake dust.
It is possible to buy non-metallic brake pads made from Kevlar fiber, but they are expensive, so very few automakers use them as standard equipment. In the industry, these types of brake pads are referred to as organic, and tests have shown them to outperform conventional brake pads and also last longer. In addition, the formation of brake dust and abrasive wear of the rotor is significantly reduced.
Why is it important to clean brake dust?
Although brake dust is not a sign of a brake system failure, it can cause damage to wheels if it is never cleaned. Brake dust can corrode the clear coat and will eventually be absorbed into the surface of the aluminum alloy wheel.
Luckily, cleaning up brake dust isn't that hard, and elbow grease is the main ingredient. Your local auto shop should stock a wheel cleaner that will come in handy when dealing with brake dust. Here's what you'll need:
- Bucket
- Sponge
- Wheel cleaner
- Hose and nozzle
- Soft bristle brush
- Liquid wax
How to clean brake dust
The wheels must be cool before starting.
Rinse the entire rim with water, which will remove sand and dirt that could scratch the wheel during cleaning.
Coat the rim with wheel cleaner and let it soak in for 60 seconds. Make sure the cleaner gets into all the nooks and crannies of the wheel, as that's where dust tends to accumulate.
Use a soft bristled brush and scrub the surface of the wheel, making sure the brush gets into all the small depressions on the wheel.
Rinse off the wheel cleaner as soon as you clean the entire wheel. Do not leave the wheel cleaner on the wheel for a long time.
Dry the wheel immediately after washing.
Applying a coat of wax paste every few months will help protect the wheel and also make it easier to clean the next time brake dust builds up.
