Brake dust question

I have a 2003 Caravan, which I got recently with only 23,000 km. I have
never had a vehicle that produced front brake dust like this.
Within two hours of driving the front wheels are black.
I haven't gotten into the brakes to see if there is an issue, but I seem to
notice the same thing on other Caravans.
Is this normal for this vehicle? Why is it so susceptible?

 

You might switch over to ceramic pads - available from tirerack.com
(Akebono ProACT brand), NAPA, and a host of other aftermarket sources.
Ceramics are supposedly very long-wearing and low dust - I'm getting
ready to order the Akebonos for my Concorde based on good things I've
read about them on the 300M ezBoard.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

These vans are very hard on front brakes. Keeping your rears adjusted
properly will help. Also, ass Bill said, ceramic pads reduce the black
dust.

 

Hey - watch those typos!! 8^)

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

You're not alone. Ford/Lincoln received so many complaints that they changed
the pads for free on the Expy and Navigators. Unfortunately, not all
dealerships were willing to do so.

Ken

 

I don't think Bill has said anything here that warrants that adjective!


Matt

 

Well, no - not in *this* thread! 8^)

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Yes; it is normal. One suggestion is to apply a good polish to the wheels.
This will make it easier to wash the dust off.

I did try the ceramic pads on my 96 mini-van and it did seem to do the
trick. I also switched to those nice Italian rotors Tire Rack offers. Too
bad the transmission case cracked just a few months later, so I don't have
any long term experience with this.

Richard.

 

oops!

 

I tried ceramic pads on the front of my 2002 Caravan to help with that
horrible black dust. It did help alot, but every 5-6k miles the rotors
would develop a sort of invisible glaze on them and the steering wheel would
develop an anoying wobble when stopping. I took the rotors back twice to
the auto parts store for resurfacing, and they always said they took hardly
anything off cause the rotors were smooth and not warped at all. Each time
the brakes worked smoothly after that. After the second round of this, I
changed back to regular pads and put up with the dust.
Maybe also a perception, but I can stop better with the regular pads, maybe
because they are softer and grip better? The ceramic pads have a copper look
to them.
Perhaps someone can come up with a heavy duty clear plastic "dust deflector"
disk
to fit onto the studs prior to mounting the rim, if it would not interfere
with cooling the rotor.
Just my experience.
Rick

 

Just because you got "ceramic" doesn't mean you got quality. I"ve been using
quality ceramic pads and rotors with NO problems whatsoever and fantastic
brake performance. I've used them on my 93 T&C, my 99 T&C and my Suburban.
Larry

 

I've used ceramics for a few years and they've done fine. What brand are
you using?

 

Yah! Can you give some suggestions for what brand would be best?

 

I have had very good luck with the NAPA product.
Larry

 

I've used Raybestos Quiet Stop pads with good results.

 

For the purist, it does. In actuallity, people mix and match all the
time with no problems.

Any given pad will have a certain friction coefficient, and, excluding
the very bottom of the scale, they all are within some range of about
25%. The factory designs in a balance between front and rear, but it
isn't an exact science - some of it is for perception, or to determine
what happens under extreme conditions (which wheels lock up first,
etc.). For example, with a 300M, depending on the brake package you
get, the proportioning valve will have a different front-to-rear factor
- same car, but the proportining is different simply because of the
brake/handling package. ABS lessens the importance of any difference in
front and rear pad friction.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")