If you HATE brake dust...........

[Petrol Pete]

I have never been to worried about cleaning brake dust from my wheels I simply accepted it as part of having disc brakes that perform well.

But I know may out there who simply HATE the stuff as they are a little more fussy than some over dirty wheels

I recently fitted new Brembo discs to my C55 AMG and installed Akebono Ceramic brake pads.

The results are quite something, after 750 miles of driving the brake dust is negligible, the miles were 50% motorway the rest A, B roads and urban driving.

The pads are whisper quiet but do give a 'soft' feel at the pedal...not to be mistaken for any loss of braking power, just a different feel to the worn (cheapo) TRW pads I removed. The old discs were pretty badly worn/grooved on the inside as well.

The photos show front wheel after those 750 miles, second photo shows where I wiped the brake dust of with my finger in an attempt to show the contrast.

 

[Tigger]

Hi Pete,

Thanks very much for the write up.

Where did you purchase the Akebono pads from?

Regards,

Tigger

 

[Petrol Pete]

Hi Pete,

Thanks very much for the write up.

Where did you purchase the Akebono pads from?

Regards,

Tigger

I spent most of last year working in the USA (on and off) I got them in a NAPA spares shop over there $90.00. Akebono have a UK website I believe

 

[Petrol Pete]

Oh, and by the way you lot, that yellow/brown patch on the right of the wheel arch is NOT rust. It'd where 130650 miles of grit has sandblasted the paint back to plastic undercoat on the AMG body kit.

The REAL rust is showing up on each wheel arch. Shocking really for a £50K car that's only 13 years old. our much older daily beaters (which what my C55 is to me) are older and from 'lesser' marques and have zero rust...'go figure', as my American colleagues are inclined to say.

 

[Yugguy]

Engineered like no other car

 

[Gazwould]

Definitely a pet hate of mine and I haven't done ordinary OE brake pads since the mid 90's .

I'll be ordering some EBC Redstuff very soon as they had a complete front and rear listing unlike ECP / CP4L rear only Textar epad and ATE Ceramic .

 

[AMGeed]

When I needed front pads for my E55 I searched for ages and could never find a UK stockist for Akebono pads.

I think unless there is a supplier in the US prepared to ship them with the associated costs of import duties/shipping you are stumped.

Unless they can be bought and shipped from France/Netherlands/Germany ?

 

[Petrol Pete]

When I needed front pads for my E55 I searched for ages and could never find a UK stockist for Akebono pads.

I think unless there is a supplier in the US prepared to ship them with the associated costs of import duties/shipping you are stumped.

Unless they can be bought and shipped from France/Netherlands/Germany ?

Find a friend who is going there on holiday and can spare one kilogramme of luggage back is about the only sensible option. Ironically I just turned down work in the USA ( I should be there now) for something more lucrative in the UK. If I go back in the new year , and can travel light (depends on the job) I could bring a few sets back on request. I have them in all 4 callipers now and am very happy with the results...wear ? who knows ? too soon to tell.

 

[Petrol Pete]

In the interests of er...research I have not cleaned my wheels for a further few weeks since fitting new Brembo discs and Akebono pads, so what you see here is a more than 2000 miles of brake dust (or lack of) as before I have run a finger across the wheel rim to show what's underneath. The pads perform really well for everyday use and I am very happy with them. Shame that they seem so hard to get hold of in the UK.

 

[Gazwould]

The UK answer is EBC Redstuff + a hot performance advantage .

 

[HarmeshK]

I do hate brake dust! Having the night pack alloys means it only takes a bit of dust for me to notice. I been reading up on ceramic brake pads, lower dust etc. But I’ve read the dust is lighter in colour and therefore not as noticeable. Having a lighter dust on a black wheel will in my mind show up even quicker than what I’m living with now!

Are standard Mercedes pads known to heavily dust?

Does anyone know if the Akebono pads or red stuff pads give off a lighter colour dust?

 

[Gazwould]

Redstuff is still a darkish dust .

What's amazing too is how easily it washes off.

 

[C240Sport97]

can you use Akebono pads on OEM brake discs?

 

[Gazwould]

Yes .

Any low dust ceramic pad can be used with OE discs .

 

[Mistergav]

Nice, will give it a try. Thanks for the share.

 

[Petrol Pete]

can you use Akebono pads on OEM brake discs?

I do (all round) they work very well.