brake dust

I have a 98 jimmy. i bought it used 95k miles. the front wheels are black most of the time from brake dust. what causes this? the back brakes do not do this. i'm planning to replace the rotors this spring. is there any rotors that should be avoided, ones that might create a lot of dust or is it the brand of brake pads you put on?

I have a 98 jimmy. i bought it used 95k miles. the front wheels are black most of the time from brake dust. what causes this? the back brakes do not do this. i'm planning to replace the rotors this spring. is there any rotors that should be avoided, ones that might create a lot of dust or is it the brand of brake pads you put on?


you have basically answered your own question, it is the brand and type of brake pads that are on your vehicle. When you replace your rotors make sure you go with a good quality rotor and pad. Also don't forget the hardware package (about $5.00) the rubber wears out. Then there is the bearing repack. Do the job right and you wont have to do it for a while.

I think that that truck has sealed front bearings,no repack necessary. The brake dust is probably cheap disc pads,I believe Raybestos advertises dustless pads. I try to use Bendix, and have had good service. Hardware kits would not be a bad idea, but I would recommend installing reman'd calipers and running plenty of clean brake fluid thru them when bleeding the system. The calipers are the lowest point of the system,guess where all the dirt collects?.This is even more critical if you have ABS -when you push the caliper piston back to install new pads, all the junk gets pushed into the ABS control valves. Also make sure your rear brakes are properly adjusted-if they are loose it throws more load on the front brakes. Sorry for being so lengthy,but as BTC said,do it right the first time.

I have a 98 jimmy. i bought it used 95k miles. the front wheels are black most of the time from brake dust. what causes this? the back brakes do not do this. i'm planning to replace the rotors this spring. is there any rotors that should be avoided, ones that might create a lot of dust or is it the brand of brake pads you put on?


The OEM pads for your truck are Ceramic. I have run into this many times. Aftermarket companies offer different types of pads. These days everyone has a Ceramic pads. they are great. I prefer the Raybestos Ceramic pads. The part number should end in a QS for Quiet Stop. As the name implies, you get a less noise, better braking, and no brake dust. Well, you always get brake dust, but with these brakes, it is more clear than black so it seems like no brake dust. These brakes are great!
I love them and recommend them to all my customers. Good luck!

Thank you all who replied to my post. The info is just what i needed.