Dusty Front Wheels
 

I have today the second E320 Diesel. The first was a 2009 Bluetec and the actual is a 2008 E320 Bluetec.
In both of them I noticed that the front rims always get's dirty from a dark dust that probably is from the brake pads.
If from brake pads why the back rims does not gets dirty as the front rims?
A friend said that it can be from pads in need to be changed.
Thanks.

Nyck,

I fixed that problem by switching to Akebono ceramic pads. Almost zero dust, and in my opinion better stopping power, on my 124 cars.

If Akebono doesn't make a pad for your car, check around for any ceramic brake pads, and give them a try.

The front brakes on any car do most of the stopping therefore more wear/more brake dust on the front wheels. In the past I have used a product called Kleen Wheels which is a metal shield installed on the inside of the front wheels to shield the wheels from the dust. Very effective and they do not effect the balance of the wheels. They are directional which means you need to observe the arrow which points in the appropriate direction of rotation while installing the shields. Last time I checked they were around $40 per pair. Ceramic pads will cure the problem also.

Bill is correct, the front brakes do the majority of the work and create more dust. I have not been able to keep brake dust from accumulating on my front wheels with different pads, but I have had good results with a product from ArmorAll called Outlast Brake Dust Repellent.

I sprayed it on the wheels and let it dry for an hour (per the instructions on the can), after that it kept the brake dust off the wheels for about 3-4 weeks. Keeps brake dust from sticking to the surface quite well.

Yep, brake dust. Get a pair of these for the front https://www.kleenwheels.com/ . Be aware they are sized for the exact type of wheel on the car not the actual car.


The front brakes do much more work than the rears resulting in more dust. ( Cars generally have more front weight and even more weight transfers to the front under braking. )

Dust does not = failed pads.

Brakes will make the same amount of dust when full thickness all the way to nearly no lining left. Brakes will have the same effectiveness with a full pad as they do when the pad is nearly worn out.

In fact, 100% new brake pads and / or rotors stop worse for the first few 100 miles until they wear in. This is due the pad not worn into the rotor, pad material not transferred to the rotor and binders boiling off. As binders boil off, the pad experiences what amounts to hydroplaning, this is known as green fade.

Akebono brake pads as suggested before help to cut down on the amount of brake dust. OEM pads create silly amounts of dust.

Also, check out ironx for cleaning your wheels. It's not quite 100% no touch, but it saves you from destroying a microfiber or cleaning mitt with brake dust.