Excessive brake dust accumulation

**08SierraSLE** · 07-20-2009, 12:30 PM

Anyone else get a lot of brake dust collecting on their front rims? It seems like they are darkening back up only a week or so after cleaning. I don't remember having this issue on my 07 Silverado. I don't know why an 08 Sierra is doing it. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

**dsfloyd** · 07-20-2009, 02:18 PM

I know certain vehicles have this issue. If everything looks like it is working properly you can usually buy a dust sheild to keep some of the dust off the wheels

**bry2500** · 07-20-2009, 02:34 PM

Are they the original brake pads? Did you buy the truck new or used. If used then did the original owner do a brake job and use inferior pads. If they are crappy pads change over to Greenstuff 7000 series pads, they leave no dust at all.

**08SierraSLE** · 07-20-2009, 07:59 PM

I bought it used but it only had 25k miles. I don't think the original owner would have put inferior pads on when the stock should still have plenty of pad on them.

**ukrkoz** · 07-20-2009, 11:45 PM

you have semimet pads and they just do this. wear out faster. and it's one of those, darn if you do and darn if you don't - switch to ceramics, and you'll end up with annoying squeek that won't go away, but no dust. so i just buy mid end semi mets.

**08SierraSLE** · 07-21-2009, 07:20 PM

Well that's annoying. Thanks for the info anyway.

**vms4evr** · 07-22-2009, 12:12 AM

If you want no or little dust then get ceramic pads. They are low dust. The dust is a light grey and doesn't make your wheels look black. It's pretty easy to clean.

Semi-metallic pads do dust but tend to provide better braking.

Which is most important to you?

I've run ceramics on several cars. With no squeaking problems. Depends on what you buy.

Don't cheap out on brake pads. Stopping is kind of important...

**eallanboggs** · 07-22-2009, 04:24 PM

Use the transmission to slow down. No brake dust. 18 wheelers do it everyday. They call it Jake Brake.

**08SierraSLE** · 07-22-2009, 04:53 PM

Jake Braking doesn't really apply to normal vehicle unless you have a manual transmission. I know how to coast to a stop when I can but my truck actually conserves it's momentum pretty well unless I'm going up hill. The result is that most of the time I have to brake. This doesn't include when people do stupid things like try to get run over by my truck.

I just thought that to have this drastic a difference between an 07 Silverado and an 08 Sierra to be a bit odd. Maybe some cheap aftermarkets were put on it or GM changed their mind for some unknown reason. Either way I'll just deal with it until they wear down or I have more money than I know what to do with. I'm betting on the wearing down first.

**dsfloyd** · 07-22-2009, 04:58 PM

that and a jake brake is more deisel engine braking and not transmission. since it puts exhaust gasses back into the cylinder and then they can maintain their current gear or then lower gears. But thats more to help slow or maintain speed with heavy loads when riding the brakes is not a good idea