John Butler
No one likes having brake dust all over their wheels. It can be a drag to clean brake dust off wheels. Brake dust is a necessary evil, though. It’s a sign that your brake pads are working.
Yet, there’s such a thing as excessive brake dust. When your brake pads produce an unusual amount of dust, your wheels will get dirty faster. It can be a sign that your brake pads are too soft for the rotors.
If you’re in this situation, you may want to know which type of brake pad creates the least dust. It depends on a lot of factors.
Ceramic Brake Pads Create The Least Dust – But Not Always
Considering all things equal (in terms of quality, brake performance, etc.), ceramic brake pads create the least dust. It’s because ceramic brake pads have the hardest friction material formation out of these three common types of pads:
- Ceramic brake pads
- Semi-metallic brake pads
- Organic brake pads
The harder the friction material formation, the less dust it creates. This is not always the case, though. A high quality semi-metallic brake pad may create less dust than a mediocre quality ceramic brake pad, for example.
The Most Common Causes Of Excessive Brake Dust
Don’t be so quick to go out and buy a set of high quality ceramic brake pads. Note that there are other common reasons for excessive brake dust:
1. Incompatibility With The Brake System
The brake system on your vehicle is designed for one type of pad. If you install another type of brake pad, you’ll notice some:
- Performance problems
- Excessive dust
- Premature wear
Let’s say you have a set of rotors designed to work with semi-metallic brake pads. In that case, ceramic pads aren’t the best option for you.
2. Your Driving Style
If you enjoy driving your car hard, you’ll notice some excessive brake dust. This is also true if you tow a lot. Your brake pads will also wear out faster. It doesn’t have to be like this, though. You can solve this problem by getting a rotor and brake pad kit that’s designed for high performance driving, or for towing.
The Best Way To Get Brake Pads That Create The Least Dust
There’s no ultimate brake pad that creates the least dust. Each driver has to find the type of brake pad that best suits their brake system and driving style. To find the best brake pads that will create the least dust on your vehicle:
- Find out which type of brake pad is compatible with your vehicle’s brake system. If you use OEM brake rotors, check the service manual. If you use aftermarket brake rotors, check with the manufacturer.
- Assess your driving style. Do you do a lot of towing? Do you brake hard often? Do you engage in a lot of city driving with bumper-to-bumper traffic? Determine whether you need to upgrade to performance and/or towing brakes or stick with regular brake pads.
- Order a quality set of brake pads or a rotor/pad kit from us. Brake pads vary in quality, so it can be hard to find the best brands you can trust. We made it easy for you. We only carry the highest quality brands, including Akebono, Brembo, and Stoptech. In our catalog, you’ll find all kinds of brake pads – for normal driving, performance driving, towing, etc. – from a variety of good brands. If you need help finding the right brake pads for your vehicle, feel free to contact us.
Rick Carlton
Spork Marketing