Brake Dust messing with my wheels!

[badkittystt]

So I noticed that I've been getting a LOT of what I've been told is brake dust on my wheels, especially up front. So this brings on two questions...

How can I protect the metal so I don't get pitting? I like my stock Jeep wheels, and I know I'll never be able to afford to replace them so I'd like to keep them looking nice. I feel like I'm cleaning them all the time, spraying them down, scrubbing with my cure all Mr. Mechanico, but it's not doing anything to protect them. Suggestions?

Also, does this brake dust mean that I need new brakes? Or possibly new rotors? Everything feels fine, but if this is a warning sign that my brakes are going, or my rotors, I'll just go get new ones

 

[tommudd]

Better quality pads. I've had the problem when I slipped up and installed cheaper pads. But the ones I use from NAPA or the stock MOPAR I have back on now have no brake dust

 

[Dave]

I think the OEM ones are ceramic and they do not leave brakedust. Sounds like someone before you put on cheap pads. Try that spray on wheel cleaner stuff by Mcguires and see if that will take it off. You might have to use more than one application.

Dave

 

[hyde]

Somehow I found dusty brakes to work better than the "clean" ones. So I would work on keeping the wheel clean rather than replacing brakes unless they are really worn.

 

[jnaut]

Look carefully at a lot of SUVs, a lot of front wheels have that reddish dust on them. Pretty common. Some say it's 'cheap' pads-- while cheap pads will cause dust, not all dust-prone pads are cheap. I think there are some composition pads which are considered good quality that will still do it.

I use the Adaptive One ceramics from NAPA and they produce zero dust.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

I run Mopar rotors and Mopar brake pads(life time free replacement)
and my front wheels always get brake pad dust on them!

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Get some Ceramics.

If you have the alloy ones, get some Meguire's Ultimate Compound, then some wax and then the brake dust won't embed into the finish. Works like a charm for me.