Does anyone know if it is normal to have a large amount of break dust on front rims? After I wash my car and clean the rims, within a week there is a fine layer of break dust on my rims. Within 2 weeks, the entire rims are covered in a fairly thick layer of dark gray break dust. Is this normal or do I have an issue with my breaks? My breaks work properly but I do have a slight squeak in the front breaks.

Thanks,

 

Absolutely normal with the OEM pads.

 

It slowly gets somewhat better.

 

When? I'm 14 months in and the dust is still insane. I have to clean them after a ten mile drive.
(And I'm too cheap to change the pads before I need to.)
I use a 1 1/2 inch sash paint brush to dust them off between washings--only takes a couple minutes and the sash style gets into the corners.

 

Well, the Jag will turn 50,000 miles on the commute home today, and the car turns 6 years old tomorrow. Dust is still there, but not as bad. Can drive it for a few weeks without the wheels getting yucky, assuming it hasn't rained.

 

I recommend Sonax as a wheel cleaner, followed by an application of Pinnacle makes a "Diamond Wheel Coating" spray that will slow down the build-up. Even a little regular wax will help. I'm 5 years in and can see some improvement over time. Brake dust is now only the second most likely thing to prompt a wash (#1 being the exhaust tips; I'm always in Dynamic mode.)

 

Our silver F with black top and charcoal fender accents looks GOOD with the wheels dusty! The darkening front wheels are just another complimentary 'tone' of the color pallet on this car.



That said, I wash the wheels twice as often as I wash the entire car....

 

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just wash it and not worry about it. I'm right there with Uncheel. My exhaust tips turn black quickly. I like to push down on the gas pedal, listen to the sound of the motor, and watch the other cars get smaller in my rear view mirror.

 

The pads dust the wheels so badly that a friend with a BMW commented, and I've long considered them the benchmark for "too much brake dust." When I'd wash the whells I'd always think "Oh, yeah. THAT's what color they are!"

Much better with the Porterfields. My only gripe with the Porterfields is the poor pedal feel in heavy rain. When the brakes are cold and very wet, the pedal effort goes way up and the feel goes down.

 

+1.
I don't mind the lack of feel of the Porterfields in the (very) wet as that is maybe once or twice a year for me, at all other times they are great and they are well worth the dust reduction alone.

 

I installed low-dust Semi Metallic Centric Posi-Quiet pads when I lowered the car. HUGE difference in the dust build-up.
Another reason I can't stand brake dust is that it gets in the wash mitt when you wash the wheels. I use different mitts on the wheels as compared to the body, but brake dust is nasty.
That stuff HAS to scratch the paint on the wheels when washing them. Microscopically, certainly, but scratches none the less.

 

Yeah. You'll note that I did not say I swapped the back. I'll consider EBC next time, but have not made a decision.

 

Tork, I suspect you meant Centric PosiQuiet semi-metallic.
I used two different sets of them on my old XFR (same brakes as the F-Type "super performance") for a year or so, and yes they were lower dust than the OEM pads.
But IMHO only about 1/3 to 1/2 the dust of OEM whereas I find the Porterfields to be 1/4 or less of the OEM. The Porterfields are also quieter and more progressive than the PosiQuiets, I suggest you give them a try next time.

 

Those trumpet tips on the V6 will soot up again as soon as you fire up the car after washing them. No more issue with the straight tips on the VAP exhaust. They stay shiny on the outside and coal black on the inside. (The trumpet tips are a lot cooler looking, though).

 

Agreed, the standard brake pads produce loads of dust, the front ones seem to produce more than the rear. It spoils looks of silver standard wheels.

I would love an effective way to make the
wheels easier to clean and keep clean, possibly some coating or wax might make the dust easier to remove.

I just had replacement brake pads all round and had genuine Jaguar pads fitted as I didn't wish to alter braking performance and feel.

 

As they do the majority of the work................am interested in all the info on waxes, coatings, etc

 

There are a number of threads where folks discuss the various spray-on products they use.

 

Did wheel wax a couple of years ago, not worth the effort. Better pads only real answer.

 

That's interesting. I have zero soot on my exhaust tips, in fact, I've been amazed at how clean they've stayed and rarely even have to wash them. Maybe I'm not driving my car hard enough...

 

If the car is backfiring, as it should under specific conditions (snap, crackle, pop), you should be experiencing a lot of sooting.