Ok, I just took delivery of my '04 MCS on Firday. I have since put approx 150 miles on the clock and my wheels, both front and rear, look as if I have not washed the car for months. I know stock pads can dust, but DAMN !!!!

I went through the same thing with my M3 when it was new way back when. This makes me want to replace the stock pads and I have not even had the car for a full week!!

 

>>Ok, I just took delivery of my '04 MCS on Firday. I have since put approx 150 miles on the clock and my wheels, both front and rear, look as if I have not washed the car for months. I know stock pads can dust, but DAMN !!!!
>>
>>I went through the same thing with my M3 when it was new way back when. This makes me want to replace the stock pads and I have not even had the car for a full week!!


I'm having the same problem. 1 week my wheels are filled with crazy brake dust!!! I'm going to wait for the car to pass it's break in period and then replace the pads. I'm unsure which pads are the best, I'll search here or mini2.com for what other MCS owners are doing.

good luck with you mini!

 

Same problem here but I just assumed the combo of new pads and my 8 spokes explained this. This is from a guy who last bought a new car in the 70s and knows squat about brake pads, but am I wrong to have thought the new pads simply sent more dust prior to breaking in? Probably so from your posting...

 

Get brake dust colored wheels like mine!

I've heard that the "greeen pads" are good replacements to reduce brake dust.
Search the forum or MINI2 for additional info.

 

Brake dust issues like these are very very common to all BMWs and MINIs. My advice would be to either (a) get used to it (b) clean your wheels every 3 days (c) get different pads (d) get grey wheels.

 

Wouldn't you need to have green wheels to hide the green brake dust?

But seriously, the MINI brakes certainly do put out a lot of brake dust, but they also stop the car pretty damn well too.

 

Two things to do to fight brake dust.
Change out your stock pads to something else.
I changed to Mintex Red which area very good for the road and reduce brake dust. Less expensive than EBC green pads.
And I use Wheelwax to coat to rims and that works well to repell brake dust.
I used to clean my stock wheels daily but since these changes I clean the wheels about twice a week.

 

OK, that means I'll do the (B) for a time and then do (C)

There are several good low dust pads out there.
The ones I've heard of are the EBC Green Stuff and the Mintex Red.
I've even read where some MINI owners get the Kleen Wheels brake covers and have good results from them.

If you use the [Search] on the upper right hand side of the screen, you can find allot of discussions about brake dust.

 

LOL, welcome to the club, we've had our S a week and I have cleaned them 4 times this weekend, and only did about 50 miles! It's horrible, but it's a labor of love.

 

Yeah, I knew that stock BMW pads dusted a lot. My post was more of a rant than anything else ...

But all jokes aside, I was once told that it is the pads that come installed from the factory that dust the most. Even replacement OEM pads don't dust as much as the factory ones. I have had Pagid Sport pads and now run Axxis Ultimates on my M3, both of which are good pads and do not dust anywhere near the way stock pads do.

If I were to change them, I think I would go with Axxis Ultimates. They have performed very well for me for auto-x and the street in my M3 so I know they will do well on the Mini. I just need to find out if they make a pad in the right size for the Mini.

 

Well, I have been through the brake dust issue over and over myself.

I tried the Kleen Wheels and while they stop brake dust from accumulating on the wheels, they are UGLY and SPECIFICALLY mentioned on a sticker in your car as things which will void your barke warranty. You see, they allow heat to build up in your brakes. Heat is bad for brakes. No matter what the manufacturer of the shields says, they do not allow sufficient cooling.

Besides, they are ugly. Trust me, I had them on IQQIMINI and hated them so much I took them off and threw them out.

I then went to EBC Greenstuff brakes. THIS WORKS! Less dust and better brakes.

Do that!

 

Yep! Iqqi's right...those brake dust covers are a pretty bad idea. I saw a guy at the track last weekend have one of his brake dust covers catch on fire from the heat that built up...luckily it just sort of smoldered and went out, but it could have been worse. Also, they're ugly as sin...why, in an attempt to get your wheels to look less junky, would you put something on your wheels that make it look junky?

 

As long as you run factory brake pads, I have two words to live by. Simple Green.

You can find it at any automotive store (Costco sells one gallon refills). Spray it on dry dirty wheels, let sit a minute, clean with water and sponge. Sit back and enjoy your clean wheels (at least until you start to drive again).

 

I have an "S" with White Slites. Yeah lot's of dust. I raised a family of five and treat cleaning the wheels as a chore much like in an earlier time and an earlier chore that was much less enjoyable. Simple responsibility of parenthood for infants or Mini's.

I find dust and cleaning can be minimized by not using the brakes. Constant speed and liberal use of the six speed up and down. Eat MY Dust.

 

I have a 04 S with white s-lites. Less than a week of that BAD oem brakes dust and I put on EBC Greens. I like them alot... don't seem to stop much better than the oem pads but what a difference in brake dust. This past weekend I made a 275 mile trip from home to Richmond, VA. When I got there you could see just a little dusting on the white s-lites. Did wash the car the next day but, wouldn't have needed to except for the bugs on the windshield & bonnet. There are a number of choices for better pads. For the $$$ I like the EBC Greens.

 

Ditch the stock pads ASAP! Use EBC green or red stuff. I've got red's and the dust are absolutely minimal I just blast them with my air compressor and lightly dust them with my mini california duster and they're like just washed

 

You can buy the Greenstuffs from Outmototing.com But be sure to note that the rear pads do not have a spot for the electronic wear sensor. (you can still use them, it just will only have a wear sensor on the front).

Also, you sould follow these directions to wear them in correctly to avoid squealing. I did not do this (beacuse nobody told me) and my pads squeal like crazy and drive me nuts. (but they're clean!)

Changing the pads yourself is not difficult and there are 'how tos' posted here to demonstrate the process.

Here's the breakin:
-------
After install:

5 stops from 20-5 mph - soft stops
5 stops from 30-10 mph - firm street stops, think slowing for a cop
5 stops from 60-15 mph - The hardest braking you can do w/o locking up (threshold braking)

By stop 8 or so the pads will smell like crap, and be smoking. Its ok!

Then procede to drive 10 minutes give or take w/o touching the brakes, letting them cool.

For the remainig 250 miles be very gentle on your brakes - all soft stops unless otherwise demanded

The 1st steps are burnishing the new pads
The 2nd steps are creating your transfer film!

Your on your way to smooth effctive SILENT operation

Alex
_________________
Alex ext 294
800 522 8473
Tire & Wheel forum moderator
http://www.tirerack.com
alex@tirerack.com
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Good luck,
Ryan

 

Sure. Changing brake pads is not a big deal. But it is a brand new car!

To sell a modern car that must have it's wheels cleaned every 25 miles is dumb and inexusable. Surely a good brake pad can be manufactured since the aftermarket can.

3800 miles and 50 wheel cleanings later.....I have to wonder about BMW, although I understand Audis are just as bad.

I have a Taurus company car with 4 wheel discs, stops OK, produces hardly any dust.

Regards,
Red

 

>>
>>3800 miles and 50 wheel cleanings later.....I have to wonder about BMW, although I understand Audis are just as bad.
>>
As an Audi owner as well as a MINI owner, I can confirm that understanding with a big affirmative. Aftermarket pads: Ferodo 2500, EBC Greenstuff, Mintex are cures. But do they justify their price just in piece of mind and lack of cleaning on new vehicles with new pads? That is a value call, my friend. I have found that for my pocketbook and piece of mind, I will clean my wheels (wax and Simple Green) for the 40,000 - 60,000 miles I generally get from a set of street use pads and then replace them with one of the aforementioned aftermarket cures. Other, less patient individuals might change pads within the first week of ownership. You have a number of options, pick one and get on with it.

 

Sort of on this topic, I've heard that waxing the wheels is a good preventative solution to this problem. The dust comes off a waxed wheel more easily than it comes off an unwaxed wheel.

What kind of wax do you use for this? The same wax you would use on the body, or special wheel wax? I think I've seen the latter advertised, but I'm wondering if it's really different, or just a marketing gimmick.

 

I have found using the same wax you use on the car to be fine. It does make it easier to clean.

Regards,
Red

 

..everybodies doing it, it will make you feel good...

I second the opinion of getting the EBC's, here's a "how we did it" if you're thinking of diving into doing your own install:


http://outmotoring.com/How_to_Brakepadsft.html

and the pads themselves (we've got 4 sets in stock as of today):

http://outmotoring.com/ebc_green_stuff_brake_pads.html

It would'nt hurt to get Anthracite of black wheels, you'd be amazed how long you can without cleaning them!