Minimizing brake dust via braking style

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soccerballtux

Lifer
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
-high speed, heavy braking to light, low speed braking
-light, even braking regardless of speed
-heavy braking regardless of speed
-light, high speed braking too heavy low speed braking
 
SearchMaster

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
7,791
114
106
One of the most common complaints about the '13 Focus ST is brake dust...along with the small 12 gallon fuel tank. No matter how conservatively I would drive and brake, the brake dust accumulation was maddening. Within 100 miles of a wash, the wheels would be covered in gray ash, and if you didn't wash for 500-800 miles, they were downright black. No amount of wheel wax would help, and I would literally spend as much time washing the wheels as the rest of the car on car wash day.

So last weekend I replaced the front pads with ceramic pads. I've driven about 100 miles since and a finger swipe on the front wheels yields no dust. The rear wheels do still have a layer of gray, and that will be remedied this weekend.

jagec speaks troof.
 
Yuriman

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
141
106
Is it true that ceramic pads will, over time, cause a lot more wear on your rotors? I know rotors aren't too expensive.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
carbon ceramic brakes.

/thread


I only ever have some dust with track time (and even then it is minor). Never any noticeable on the street.
 
S

soccerballtux

Lifer
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
Ferzerp said:
carbon ceramic brakes.

/thread


I only ever have some dust with track time (and even then it is minor). Never any noticeable on the street.
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brand?

and really? never? ever? you may have convinced me. so tired of washing spokes...
 
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thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
So many replies and not a single person understood the question.

Light, consistent braking will minimize dust.
 
nerp

nerp

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,865
105
106
Drive slower, master the art of leaving gaps in traffic. I can cruise 4mph in stop and go and never touch the brake while everyone goes 8 mph to 0 back to 8 back to 0 back to 8 and i'm 4 4 4 4 4 no brake no gas. Pay attention to lights and what's happening up ahead. Taking your foot off the gas 5 seconds sooner can save you a heck of a lot of braking if you let momentum and friction do their jobs. Kind of like driving a slow car really fast and keeping it going fast as you corner and turn. The key is to not slow down so much that you have to rely on fresh power, but just enough so that you don't crash. Reverse that logic and you can extend the life of pads and reduce dust in a big way.
 
Yuriman

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
141
106
nerp said:
Drive slower, master the art of leaving gaps in traffic. I can cruise 4mph in stop and go and never touch the brake while everyone goes 8 mph to 0 back to 8 back to 0 back to 8 and i'm 4 4 4 4 4 no brake no gas. Pay attention to lights and what's happening up ahead. Taking your foot off the gas 5 seconds sooner can save you a heck of a lot of braking if you let momentum and friction do their jobs. Kind of like driving a slow car really fast and keeping it going fast as you corner and turn. The key is to not slow down so much that you have to rely on fresh power, but just enough so that you don't crash. Reverse that logic and you can extend the life of pads and reduce dust in a big way.
Click to expand...

You also vastly increase your gas mileage. Interestingly, you also change the driving pattern of everyone behind you, potentially saving tens or even hundreds of gallons of gas, in addition to brake pads, in large jams.

EDIT:

http://trafficwaves.org/trafexp.html
 
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soccerballtux

Lifer
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
nerp said:
Drive slower, master the art of leaving gaps in traffic. I can cruise 4mph in stop and go and never touch the brake while everyone goes 8 mph to 0 back to 8 back to 0 back to 8 and i'm 4 4 4 4 4 no brake no gas. Pay attention to lights and what's happening up ahead. Taking your foot off the gas 5 seconds sooner can save you a heck of a lot of braking if you let momentum and friction do their jobs. Kind of like driving a slow car really fast and keeping it going fast as you corner and turn. The key is to not slow down so much that you have to rely on fresh power, but just enough so that you don't crash. Reverse that logic and you can extend the life of pads and reduce dust in a big way.
Click to expand...

I do this, and am one of the people in my stick shift that helps everyone keep going a certain speed.

so this covers NOT breaking.

I was asking more about when I do need to brake, like at a stop light. I already coast and slow down in advance if the light is red.
 
mvbighead

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
1
81
I am going to venture a guess that what you are after isn't going to be solved with a change in the way you are applying brakes. One way may yield 20% more dust than the other, but either way you're still going to have to deal with it.

The best advice is a good set of pads.
 
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