MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - To much brake dust

I have had my car since Dec of last year and i have noticed that the front rims always seemed to be covered in brake dust. Does this mean there may be a prob with my brakes? Also there is not any dust on the rear rims. When I wash the car I can not seem to get all the stains of, as a matter of fact they seemed to be stained. Has anyone else had this prob and what is the solution?????


Adrian and Bucket in Germany
Bucket=BRG, Leather seated, wooden dash, F1 tires,
HD-K1256
Adrian Ferrer

Hi Adrian,

Without being too technical, the front brakes take a higher load than the rear. Therefore, more dust. Now this also depends on what pads you are running. Since I had Mintex Green pads fitted the dust is very low. Also after waxing the alloys any dust simply flies off.

Nick
Nick

Adrian

try using the turtle wax wheel clearner.

My VVC is used ( at present) by my wife and the wheels are always covered in brake dust. This clears it ( with the help of an old soft brush).

Al
alastair

Yep, this is normal, look at many cars these days and you will see the same effect. The only real solution is to get some of these newer material pads. As I understand it the dust is due to the amount of metal used in the pad material. I think with steel wheels you don't see the dust because it all gets left on the inside of the wheel.

Step 1: Change pads

Step 2: Clean wheels inside and out with wheel cleaner, if you use a wax shampoo on your car, wash the wheels first with washing up liquid to remove all traces of the wax. If you don't the wheel cleaner can't penetrate the wax.

Step 3: Wax and fit the wheels.

I'm going to replace my pads with green stuff on the front as soon as I get back from Holiday. I'll use a lower grade of the pad material for the back.
Tony Smith

What's the reference and brand of these Green stuff pads ?
Fabrice

Mintex Green pads (as stated by Nick), a good selection Kevlar pads (is that how you spell it) are available from Brown & Gammon

http://www.ukmgparts.co.uk

or Moss International

http://www.mossint.co.uk

I think Mike Satur will do you a set (if you ask nicely :-)

http://www.mikesatur.co.uk

You could also try Anglo-Parts, who are in Holland and I think in Belgium also.

http://www.anglo-parts.com

Tell them all I sent you :-)
Tony Smith

I am confused...

Mintex do the 1177 pads kevlar pads (heard good reports about these), whereas EBC sell the green stuff fast road pads (as well as the red stuff pads better employed for heavy track use- I've just had fitted the Green stuff pads).

Are there some Mintex pads I've not heard of?

Rob
Rob Bell

Mintex M1144 are road pads then M1155 for more serious mixed road/competition work followed by M1166 for out and out competition. This is the rough explanation of the three types given to me recently.

Rog
Roger Parker

since I have the EBC's, the brake dust has been reduced drastically...
Dirk Vael

if anyones interested, i use Astonish ovening cleaning paste - it removes all the dust and leaves a nice citrus smell !

you can buy it from QVC

steve
steve

Do the birds flock to your car then?

ha ha ha :-)
alastair

Hi,

I would be careful about which wheel-cleaner to use. If wheel cleaning is such a pig of a job, and some magic solution does it for you with hardly any effort at all, then it's using an acid, or solvent, or some corrosive formula. Just look at the label. As far as I know the wheels have the same finish as the body, that is paint and clear coat. I don't think anyone would dream of using wheel cleaner on the body.

If the wheels haven't gone too far then a mild detergent and elbow grease will - eventually - remove the stains. If a wheel cleaner is necessary then use the mildest available. Then wax heavily and wash/wax frequently.

Green Stuff pads sound as if they're at least part of the answer, especially on the front discs. It's probably a lost battle anyway, over a few years.

Regards, Kes.
Kes

Roger, just to clear things up, are the M1155 pads Green?
Tony Smith

All,

Quick question...
Would fitting Kevlar pads effect the way the ABS works ?

Thanx
Matt

Matthew Minion

astonish has no chemicals and has only natural ingredients

steve
steve

>>Would fitting Kevlar pads effect the way the ABS works ?<<

Matthew, I can think of no reason why kelvar pads should any effect upon the functioning of the ABS. Apart from the whel rotation speed sensors, and the rest of the ABS hardware, the system is otherwise like the non-ABS cars. ABS does not know the frictional coefficents of the pads, so works purely on the basis of one wheel moving slower than the others as eases pressure to that disc. Therefore, 'stickier' pads, or bigger brakes should not phase the ABS unit.

Tony, all Mintex pads are grey coloured.

Rob
Rob Bell

Following a tip on the Audi TT Forum, I cleaned all the
brake dust accumulation off the wheels and waxed all exposed surfaces (outward facing and inside the spokes) with standard was (Mothers was the one I used). Since then (5 months) I have not had to use a wheel cleaner at all...wash, hose down and chamois is all that is needed.
TonyD

....was...wuss...WAX, I meant.
tonyd

This thread was discussed between 30/03/2000 and 04/04/2000

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.