Excessive Brake Dust Build-up? Due for Maintenance?
05-15-2009, 12:31 PM
#1
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Excessive Brake Dust Build-up? Due for Maintenance?
Car's a '99 GT with 80K or so miles.
I bought the car in '04 with 48K, and I would assume that it has had no brake work done in it's life since I myself have not had any work of any kind done.
Obviously brake dust is going to build up, particularly on the front wheels, but I would say that over the last few months the build up has been occurring faster, and is building up thicker than I previously remember.
It's also generally thicker on the passenger side.
Is this a sign that I need to have some work done? Replace parts? Upgrade?
I'm not really in a position to spend significant amounts of cash, but I'm curious if there is general brake maintenance that should have taken place by now.
I bought the car in '04 with 48K, and I would assume that it has had no brake work done in it's life since I myself have not had any work of any kind done.
Obviously brake dust is going to build up, particularly on the front wheels, but I would say that over the last few months the build up has been occurring faster, and is building up thicker than I previously remember.
It's also generally thicker on the passenger side.
Is this a sign that I need to have some work done? Replace parts? Upgrade?
I'm not really in a position to spend significant amounts of cash, but I'm curious if there is general brake maintenance that should have taken place by now.
05-15-2009, 12:59 PM
#4
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is it hard to remove the caliper to get to the pads?
would you recommend replacing the fronts with ceramic pads and leaving the rears as they are? or going ahead and upgrading all 4 at the same time with similar pads?
would you recommend replacing the fronts with ceramic pads and leaving the rears as they are? or going ahead and upgrading all 4 at the same time with similar pads?
05-15-2009, 01:01 PM
#5
It's one of the easier auto maintenance jobs. Jack the car up, place a stand (or 2 or 4), remove wheel, take off caliper bolts to remove the caliper from the rotor (do NOT let the caliper hand by the brake line/ABS line thing, get something to support it). The caliper is about 10-20 poundsish, so expect that much weight when you remove it. and etc.
This is not the 100% guide on doing it, but if you google or check the stickies, there are how-to's with full instructions and pictures. When I did my brake pads, I used a how-to from another website.
Before you think about replacing all 4, look at each set of pads and inspect the rotors. There's a tool that can be used to check how smooth the rotor is (I've heard that just looking at it and feeling the disc with a finger doesn't cut it, so to speak), but when I did my rears I just got new rotors for about 40-60 bucks a pair.
As for the pads....meh. I don't know much about the different kinds of pads.
This is not the 100% guide on doing it, but if you google or check the stickies, there are how-to's with full instructions and pictures. When I did my brake pads, I used a how-to from another website.
Before you think about replacing all 4, look at each set of pads and inspect the rotors. There's a tool that can be used to check how smooth the rotor is (I've heard that just looking at it and feeling the disc with a finger doesn't cut it, so to speak), but when I did my rears I just got new rotors for about 40-60 bucks a pair.
As for the pads....meh. I don't know much about the different kinds of pads.
Last edited by 99GTvert; 05-15-2009 at 01:04 PM.
05-15-2009, 01:07 PM
#6
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Kay, I'll have to take a peek at my haynes manual and just see what that says.
I'll let this thread go for a bit and see if anyone else has suggestions about the first post.
If there is any other maintenance I should consider.
You're suggesting 4 pads AND 4 rotors?...or just 4 pads and new rear rotors?
I should just take the thing to a shop and have them tell me what's up, what needs done, and then i can do it myself..add brakes to intake manifold and cylinder head...
'cept this time not have anything break as a side-effect of my efforts.. HA!
I'll let this thread go for a bit and see if anyone else has suggestions about the first post.
If there is any other maintenance I should consider.
You're suggesting 4 pads AND 4 rotors?...or just 4 pads and new rear rotors?
I should just take the thing to a shop and have them tell me what's up, what needs done, and then i can do it myself..add brakes to intake manifold and cylinder head...
'cept this time not have anything break as a side-effect of my efforts.. HA!
05-15-2009, 03:22 PM
#7
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Brakes and wheel hub
Well, sounds like you definately need brakes, but while your doing those, see if there's any play in the hub as well. I just had to replace one on my mach. there was a horrible humming when cruising down the road, and i thought it was just my tires producing road noise, but it turned out to be a bad hub. it's quiet now!!! And it was super easy to replace with the right tools.
05-15-2009, 03:34 PM
#8
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Mach, are the brakes squeeking? If not, you should be fine. On each inside pad (usually the inside) there is a little piece of metal that is placed so that once you get to a certain wear amount, the piece of metal touches the rotor so that it squeeks so that you can know to change the pads.
80K miles is a LONG time on a set of pads, i usually get about 15k on the fronts, and 18k on the rear with normal driving, no racing on those pads (I have seperate rotors and pads for racing)
Either way, changing them is SUPER easy. Just take your time, and it won't take too long at all. I always have a few things of extra C clips for the little retaining pin for the front calipers around, which comes in handy for my breaks, but who knows, you may be able to reuse yours.
I've also learned that for street driving, the cheap pads at Autozone work fine for the rears, whereas the better ones at autozone is good for the fronts.
80K miles is a LONG time on a set of pads, i usually get about 15k on the fronts, and 18k on the rear with normal driving, no racing on those pads (I have seperate rotors and pads for racing)
Either way, changing them is SUPER easy. Just take your time, and it won't take too long at all. I always have a few things of extra C clips for the little retaining pin for the front calipers around, which comes in handy for my breaks, but who knows, you may be able to reuse yours.
I've also learned that for street driving, the cheap pads at Autozone work fine for the rears, whereas the better ones at autozone is good for the fronts.
05-15-2009, 05:12 PM
#9
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A little off topic, but I noticed the same thing, how brake dust accumulates faster on the right side of the vehicle than it does on the drivers side, anyone know why? I would assume brake bias would be the same up front, and since the engine and trans are equally displaced, i wouldn't think it is a weight issue, or is it just one of those flukie things? Mine are still fine BTW.
05-15-2009, 06:27 PM
#10
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A little off topic, but I noticed the same thing, how brake dust accumulates faster on the right side of the vehicle than it does on the drivers side, anyone know why? I would assume brake bias would be the same up front, and since the engine and trans are equally displaced, i wouldn't think it is a weight issue, or is it just one of those flukie things? Mine are still fine BTW.
pull the pads and relube the pins on both sides, use brake grease. Sounds like one side isnt' sliding as much.
if nothing else, it's a fluke. Both right and left should be wearing equally